6 Must-Watch Movies for People Who Hate Christmas Movies — from 'Krampus' to 'The Prom'
These movies give the Christmas motive a funny and/or dark twist that somewhat parodies the classics of the genre, and it makes them the perfect antidote to boredom.
Christmas movies are a genre on their own, and while most people are all about spending the entire holiday season playing the most iconic Christmas movies on repeat, some others are desperately in need of other options.
With these people in mind, let’s check this list of the top six movies that everyone who has had enough of the same Christmas movies must watch to get through another festive season.
Toni Collette in a scene for the 2015 comedy/ horror film "Krampus." | Image: YouTube/ MovieClips Trailers
KRAMPUS
This comedy/horror film was released in December 2015, and it is based on an ancient German legend that pre-dates Christmas and consists of a horned, furry monster that hunts bad children and takes them with him down to hell.
The story begins with a child disappointed by Christmas who accidentally summons the folklore demon and brings about a living nightmare for himself and his family. The cast includes Toni Collette, Conchata Ferrell, and Adam Scott.
BAD SANTA
Directed by independent filmmaker, Terry Zwigoff, this dark comedy with a Christmas spirit twist premiered in 2003, and it features Billy Bob Thornton as a foul-mouthed, alcoholic, mall Santa with a criminal plan for the holidays.
As much as it is a satire of a classic Christmas movie, the film manages to make a serious point to think about as it critiques the excessive monetization of this traditional celebration.
HOME ALONE
This classic children’s movie from 1990 is either the best Christmas movie or the best anti-Christmas movie. Starring a 10-year-old Macaulay Culkin, the comedy film is not about generosity or the magic of the season, but quite the opposite.
In the role that turned him into a superstar, Culkin plays a neglected child, Kevin McCallister, who was accidentally left alone at Christmas and must protect himself and the family home from a couple of burglars.
THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS
This pioneering stop-motion animated feature directed by Henry Selick and released in 1993, comes from the imagination of Tim Burton, who brilliantly fused Christmas with Halloween in a film that never seems to get old.
The movie removes any trace of religious undertones in the two popular celebrations and creates a fun fantasy with a lot of action and music around the commercial aspects of both.
DIE HARD
1988’s classic film “Die Hard” is much more than an action film, and it shows the wide range of its main star Bruce Willis as an actor, with Willis showcasing his great talent for comedy.
“Die Hard” takes place during a Christmas party gone wrong when a group of terrorists attack a building and take everyone in it hostage, and so, as Willis’s John McClane saves his wife, he is actually saving Christmas.
THE PROM
Released on Netflix this December, “The Prom” is an adaptation of a broadway musical, directed for the screen by Ryan Murphy, featuring an all-star cast that includes Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, and James Corden.
The movie is about a group of fallen-from-grace Broadway actors that go to small-town Indiana to help a teenage girl in her fight against a conservative school district to go to prom with her girlfriend.