Ditch Those Dusty ‘Classic’ Holiday Movies
Movies for anyone who’d rather jump off a bridge than see ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ again
by Henry Hanks
It’s the holiday season once again, and for some, this means an annual tradition of watching the old standbys. You know the ones: It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street (both versions), A Christmas Story and even National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Watching these year after year, you might get bored with them. The good news? There’s no shortage of unconventional holiday-themed movies out there to check out, from action movies to comedies to even horror. To get you started, we’ve hand picked a few you may not have heard of but are definitely worth checking out:
1. Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale
This 2010 film from Finland was described by the late Roger Ebert as “a rather brilliant lump of coal for your stocking.” If you’re looking for a holiday movie that’s not for the faint of heart, this is the one. The entire plot is driven by the discovery of a dead reindeer: not exactly the usual recipe for a holly, jolly time.
Who among us hasn’t imagined A Christmas Story crossed with John Carpenter’s classic The Thing? That seemed to be on the mind of director Jalmari Helander when he made this film about a reindeer slaughterer and his son, who believe that wolves attacked the dead reindeer… but it turns out there’s something much more insidious at work here.
Santa shows up in this movie, but he’s definitely not the one you’re used to. Is he connected to the children who have gone missing? Christmas-themed horror is not too unusual (Krampus or Black Christmas, anyone?) but it’s rarely this well done.
Watch Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale on Tribeca Shortlist now.
2. Get Santa
This one is more traditional family-friendly fare out of the UK, in the tradition of Elf (though Get Santa director Christopher Smith did, previous to this film, helm great, under-the-radar horror movies like the Triangle and Black Death). Jim Broadbent seems born to play Santa Claus, and he finally did it in 2014, in a story about a boy who finds the jolly old elf having crashed his sleigh in the backyard. After Santa’s arrested and sent to jail, it’s up to the boy and his father to A. believe that Santa’s not just some raving madman and B. find his reindeer, sleigh, and save Christmas. Star Wars, Harry Potter and Leprechaun franchise fans will no doubt recognize Warwick Davis, for once NOT playing a magical faerie creature.
As Charles Grant wrote in his Variety review of the film, “there’s as much for adults to enjoy as kids, although the latter will probably be the only ones to appreciate the farting reindeer and the poop pellets fired at cop cars in pursuit.” With its elegant mix of broad slapstick comedy and wry British humor, Get Santa would be a good one to introduce to children who still get a kick out of a classic toilet humor but want something a bit more nuanced than Rudolph and the rest, along with…
3. Arthur Christmas
Answering the question, “Does Santa have any kids?”, Arthur Christmas introduces us to the spawn of Santa: Arthur, the bumbling Christmas-obsessed title character, and his older brother Steve, for whom Christmas is serious business that should be done with military precision, quite literally.
In this version of Clausian mythos, the title of Santa is passed down from generation to generation—and Steve wants the role for himself, as his father Malcolm (the current Santa) is getting older.
Arthur is a character you can’t help but love and cheer for as he goes on a journey that will determine his fate. Arthur Christmas features an incredible voice acting cast that includes James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Bill Nighy, and more. As Scott Marks cheered in the San Diego Reader, “this witty, handsomely appointed 3-D animated feature is the most delightful Santa biopic since Edmund Gwenn donned the fat suit.”
The movie is a must-see for fans of Aardman Animation, the brilliant company behind Chicken Run and the Wallace and Gromit films.
4. In Bruges
We’ve seen a Finnish Christmas and an English Christmas, so why not a Belgian Christmas next? This critically-acclaimed dark comedy stars Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and Ralph Fiennes, and features that most festive of topics: hired hitmen.
This may be one of Farrell’s best performances, as Ray, the rookie hitman who — after accidentally killing a child — has to lay low in Bruges, Belgium, with a veteran hitman played by Gleeson. When they venture out of their hotel room, one situation leads to another—from drug dealers to angry tourists—and they find themselves ever more trouble.
Bullets and Irish cursing fly throughout the movie, which doesn’t take itself too seriously. As John Anderson wrote in his Washington Post review, “Those who know [director Martin] McDonagh’s work know a vein of darkness will run deeply through the comedy. It has seldom been darker. Or funnier.” If you want action with your holiday spirit, this is worth checking out, as is…
5. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
This is the little movie that rediscovered Robert Downey, Jr.’s charming, roguish side, three years before Iron Man pulled off the same trick in a much bigger way.
Writer (Lethal Weapon) turned action director Shane Black (Iron Man 3, The Nice Guys) gifted us with this Tarantino-esque crime comedy co-starring Val Kilmer as a private investigator helping Downey Harry Lockhart study for a film role.
The thing is, Harry really is a thief. He’s just using the movie as a means of avoiding the police. The situation is further complicated when the pair witness a murder victim being disposed of, and must now try to escape the killers.
Downey is the big reason to see this; as in his Marvel movies, he commands attention whenever he’s on screen, and leaves you laughing throughout. Philippa Hawker, writing in Australia’s The Age, describes the film as “A self-referential noir-screwball-action movie that never wears out its welcome — although it delights in taking that risk, over and over again.”
There’s another great Christmas-themed comedy for adults, and it’s been a cult classic for over 20 years…
6. The Ref
Well before Denis Leary starred in FX dramas (but long after appearing in nicotine-tinged promos for MTV), he took on a lead role in one of the darkest holiday movies ever.
Leary plays a desperate thief who kidnaps a married couple—played expertly by Judy Davis and Kevin Spacey—on Christmas Eve, but soon gets more than he bargained for, as the unhappy couple won’t stop bickering. When the extended family shows up for Christmas, things spin even more out of control.
As film critic Kevin Turan wrote in his Los Angeles Times review, “The Ref benefits from having actor’s actors like Davis and Spacey in the leads.” This movie will have you rolling if you’ve never seen it, and if you’re a fan of Leary’s caustic humor, this is a must-see.
What are your favorite movies for counter-Christmas programming? Share with us!
