5 Great Christmas Movies That Nobody Talks About

Halloween gets all the love for being the holiday with the best movie library. After all, there are countless horror films that can turn the fear meter up to eleven during the spooky season. However, the last day of October faces real competition from the two major American holidays that follow. Thanksgiving, while not a day many associate with movie watching, has a few winners in its corner, such as the 2023 horror film named after the holiday and the 1973 classic, Charlie Brown’s Thanksgiving. But everyone knows that Thanksgiving is just a middle point between Halloween and its real rival, Christmas.

Whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie or not, the holiday’s film catalog needs no introduction. Elf, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, and A Christmas Story are just a few of the beloved movies that are worth rewatching every December. The usual suspects shouldn’t get all the love, though. Here are five great Christmas movies that nobody talks about.

5) The Night Before

While the 2015 comedy The Night Before doesn’t technically take place on Christmas, it focuses on the second-best day of the year: Christmas Eve. A group of friends reunites because of a yearly tradition and begins searching for the most epic party in New York City. As is par for the course in holiday movies, their mission falls apart, forcing the men to come to grips with their mistakes.

The Night Before is a surprisingly emotional movie that explores three friends wrestling with the idea of moving on from each other. Since that isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, during what can be an emotional time of year, the movie also houses three great comedic performances from Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon Levitt, and Anthony Mackie.

4) The Holdovers

Winter break is an event that nearly every kid in the world looks forward to, as it means time off from school and lots of fun. However, not every child has a warm and welcoming home to return to. The Holdovers focuses on a group of kids who stay behind during break at a boarding school and their chaperone, who doesn’t get along with anybody.

Despite being only a couple of years old, The Holdovers has the feel of a much older Christmas movie, since it takes place during the 70s. Helping capture the feel of that era is Paul Giamatti, who delivers an Oscar-level performance, and Dominic Sessa, a newcomer who holds his own against one of Hollywood’s heavyweights.

3) Fred Claus

Being a great Christmas movie doesn’t mean a film has to have critics fawning over it. Sometimes, it’s about capturing the magic of the season. Well, Fred Claus has that in spades as it tells the story of Santa Claus’ less-than-enthusiastic brother.

The reason to turn on Fred Claus is its impressive cast, which includes Giamatti, Vince Vaughn, Kathy Bates, Rachel Weisz, Elizabeth Banks, and Ludacris, but what will keep butts in seats is the movie’s message about love and acceptance. While there’s a cringeworthy joke or two along the way, they’re easy to move past.

2) Anna and the Apocalypse

Zombie movies typically run the show around Halloween, as the undead ripping people apart doesn’t exactly scream Christmas. Anna and the Apocalypse bucks that notion by unleashing a horde of zombies on a small town in Scotland at Christmastime. The titular character, who already has enough on her plate, has to fight to survive as her home is overrun.

The thing that sets Anna and the Apocalypse apart from most zombie movies is that it’s a musical. The song choices really aid the movie’s surreal tone and help get everyone watching in the Christmas spirit. Anna and the Apocalypse’s action is also nothing to scoff at, as there’s plenty of gore to go around.

1) Iron Man 3

Revolving a superhero movie around a specific holiday can be dangerous, as it risks making it a tough watch at any other time of year. However, Shane Black knew what he was doing with Iron Man 3, peeling back the layers of Tony Stark as he and a young boy work to expose a plot that threatens the entire world.

The action sequences in Iron Man 3 are among the best in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with the airplane sequence, in particular, a masterclass in tense storytelling. It also doesn’t hurt the sequel’s case that it ends on a happy note, a requirement of the best Christmas movies.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

5 Best Fantasy Movies You Didn’t Know Were Streaming on Netflix