Every year the same topic comes up, is Die Hard a Christmas movie? While originally seen as a contrarian answer to what somebody’s favorite Christmas movie is, Die Hard has endured as a holiday classic. Despite all the blood, violence, and foul language, the aesthetic of the movie does capture that holiday feeling. Its hopeful message at the end also does fit in with other holiday classics like It’s A Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story, and Miracle on 34th Street, just with more guns.
Updated: May 24, 2023: If you love Christmas action movies and have a spirited soul that cannot sit still even on a Christmas Eve, then you’ll be glad to know that this article has been updated with additional content by Yosra Ben Iagha.
While Die Hard is an alternative to the classic Christmas movies, it also is not alone. Before its release and especially after, filmmakers have tried to tap into that similar vibe of a Christmas movie that is not quite a Christmas movie. At first, if one tries to put these movies on at a family holiday event, somebody might scoff at the idea. Yet within a few minutes, the Christmas vibes set in, and it becomes clear these are Christmas movies just like any other. So if you enjoy Die Hard and are looking for an alternative Christmas viewing option, here are some picks for you.
17 Die Hard 2 (1990)
Die Hard 2 is also set during Christmas. This entry sees John McClain attempting to avert catastrophe when a group of terrorist types (led by the always great William Sadler) set their sights on Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., Christmas-time, the airport, is there any more fertile situation for which things could go horribly wrong for John McClane? With Christmas lights and other signifiers to remind the audience what time of the year it is, McClane has this time of year dampened even more by the fact that his wife just happens to be on one of the planes that could be a casualty in our bad guy’s plot. Alright, Die Hard 2 is essentially Die Hard set in an airport and also every bit a Christmas film as its predecessor.
16 Fatman (2020)
Fatman is an oddball Christmas action movie that features Mel Gibson in a role that is both like and unlike anything Martin Riggs ever experienced. The movie is a grounded, violent retelling of the Santa Claus story, even having Gibson’s version go by Chris Cringle. Fatman, in many ways, is the joke ads in both Scrooged or The Santa Clause taken seriously, and it is an intriguing premise even if it is more interesting as a thought exercise than a full movie.
15 Violent Night (2022)
Violent Night is the closest any movie has come to capturing the spirit of Die Hard. Instead of asking if Die Hard is a Christmas movie, Violent Night decides to make a Christmas movie in the style of Die Hard. Instead of John McClain, it’s Santa Claus, a very cynical Santa, played by David Harbour. It sees him communicating with a partner through a walkie-talkie and slowly taking out bad guys while an evil charismatic villain tries to pursue him.
Violent Night delivers on its title, it is a Christmas movie with a lot of bloody action, and the fun is seeing Santa Claus deliver brutal beatdowns. But also, like Die Hard, the movie still has the classic theme of family sticking together through the holiday, which truly makes it a Christmas movie. Violent Night is the movie Fatman wanted to be.
14 Reindeer Games (2000)
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This sex-filled Christmas action movie sees Ben Affleck star as Rudy Duncan and pretends to be his dead cellmate simply to hook up with the deceased friend’s prison pen pal (Charlize Theron). All of this makes sense until a casino heist is thrown into the mix, with Affleck as an unwilling participant. Reindeer Games certainly isn’t the gold standard of the Christmas action movie genre, but it does capture the spirit of Die Hard by using the wholesome holiday to highlight how naughty the whole proceedings are.
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11 Death Wish 3 (1985)
The late Charles Bronson, at one time the biggest and most bankable actor in America, also happened to serve up a Christmas action film in the form of Death Wish 3. When Paul Kersey (Charles Bronson) returns to New York, he is sought out by a not-so-honest Police Chief (Ed Lauter) to clean up its crime-plagued neighborhoods. Christmas serves as the backdrop for this no-holds-barred tale of street justice, but it also is a classic Bronson action film all the way.
With his trusty 475 Magnum in hand, Bronson doles out his own brand of Christmas spirit and turns the holidays a little redder and stomachs a little greener with his methods. While not as well-known as other Christmas action films as the others on this list, Death Wish 3 more than brings Christmas cheer throughout its 92 minutes.
10 Invasion USA (1985)
With Chuck Norris’s signature line in the film being, “It’s time to die,” this is a Christmas Action movie on steroids. In this ’80s classic, Christmas is the backdrop for Matt Hunter’s (Norris) return to CIA operative status. Invasion USA pulls no punches, showing the many ways that somebody can be killed throughout the holiday season.
Whether it’s having your neck snapped or being shot with a bazooka, this film (which also features a battle in the most Christmas place of all… a shopping mall!) might be the gold standard of the Christmas action genre. That it was made by the folks at Cannon Films only bolsters its credibility in this category.
9 Cobra (1986)
On the face of it, Cobra is your garden-variety Sylvester Stallone action film. He plays Marion Cobretti. A tough-as-nails cop who has to protect a witness (wife at the time, Brigitte Nielsen) from “The New World.” This is a group whose intention is to take over America (or some such thing where they go after the “weak”), and it is up to Stallone and his candy-loving partner Gonzales (Reni Santoni) to stop them.
This movie isn’t overflowing with Christmas feelings. If you’re expecting the milquetoast vibe of Love Actually, then you’re going to be severely disappointed. However, if you want shoot-outs in supermarkets and other establishments in which there are Christmas items, Cobra is as solid a Christmas Action movie as you are likely to find.
8 Iron Man 3 (2013)
While one may not find a Marvel movie on a Christmas movie list, Iron Man 3 might just be the exception. Even though the story takes on the usual hero defying all odds and ending up saving the day, this particular Marvel movie takes place during the jolly season. Interestingly, Rachel Paige passionately argues that this film captures the Christmas spirit simply because “the essence of the story revolves around Tony going through hardships and coming out the other side to see the wrong in his ways.”
Iron Man 3 certainly deserves a spot on this list, mainly because it is written and directed by Shane Black, who is the king of Christmas action movies and has three more films on this list. Iron Man 3 has the classic Christmas decorations but, like Die Hard, also sees a hero fighting off a group of villains that are posing as terrorists to save his loved ones during the holidays.
7 The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)
Another Shane Black entry, The Long Kiss Goodnight, is directed by Renny Harlin and stars Geena Davis and Samuel L. Jackson being at their level best. Davis plays a teacher with amnesia who, in a previous life, was also a cold-blooded, hired killer. Like a lot of the films on this list, Christmas isn’t the reason for the screenplay, but it is prominently featured throughout it. In fact, there’s also a seasonal parade in which Davis must try and stop some baddies from pulling off a truly horrible scenario. Again, this film is rich in Christmas colors and cheer, and it is certain to get a positive reaction as something to watch after the Christmas meal.
6 Enemy of the State (1998)
Enemy of the State is, of course, a political thriller that focuses on a Bill that would interfere with people’s privacy to a whole series of murders. This film is all about politics, with a glimpse of how the social hierarchy works. Of course, all this takes place amidst the Christmas season, with the protagonist only wanting to purchase a Christmas gift for his wife. Will Smith plays the lead role of Dean, and this was at the height of his action career following movies like Bad Boys, Indedpence Day, and Men in Black. Similar to John McClaine, Dean starts the movie as an ordinary man, but he ends up getting caught up in the middle of an action story bigger than himself.
5 Home Alone (1990)
Released just two years after Die Hard, Home Alone very much feels like a kid-friendly version but in reverse. Here is a kid who uses his mind to defeat two thieves who want to rob his house on Christmas Eve when he was accidentally left home alone. Home Alone features plenty of violence, and even with the PG rating, there is an argument to be made that Kevin McCalister leaves more damage in his wake than John McClain ever did. Home Alone certainly has more of the visual hallmarks of a Christmas movie and certainly feels like one, and that is why it has been a Christmas classic since it came out.
4 Batman Returns (1992)
Batman Returns was infamous upon its release. The movie was so dark and terrifying that parents complained that it was not appropriate for children. It featured plenty of action but also a fair amount of sexual innuendos, horrific visuals, and a rather dark plot about various lonely individuals during the holiday season. Batman Returns is one of many Tim Burton movies set at Christmas, and the directors’ style and holiday give Batman Returns a visual pop unlike any other superhero movie. Batman Returns is gothic and jolly at the same time.
3 Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
The third of four Shane Black Christmas action films on this list, this time his directorial debut, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. The movie features Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, and Michelle Monaghan investing a murder in Los Angeles around Christmas time. The movie features plenty of Shane Black’s signature comedic dialogue, but the setting of a Los Angeles Christmas highlights the disconnect many of the characters feel.
It is supposed to be seasonal, but there is an air of artifice to it. The sunny climate clashes with the snow set holiday parties various individuals are throwing. This Christmas movie, like Die Hard, offers something more adult than what one expects from the holiday.
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1 Lethal Weapon (1987)
Christmas is all over Lethal Weapon, directed by Richard Donner, and another entry from Shane Black. Christmas is all over this film. From the opening sequence set to “Jingle Bell Rock” to a shoot out in a Christmas tree farm, Lethal Weapon is an action movie that feels uniquely Christmas. Yet it isn’t just the aesthetic that makes Lethal Weapon a Christmas action movie like Die Hard. Thematically the holiday is used to highlight how lonely the characters feel, and in the end, they finally come together to find a sense of family. Lethal Weapon was released one year before Die Hard, and if any movie can be the other Christmas action classic, it’s this one.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
