The 20 Best Unconventional Christmas Films

Keeping with the socially distant and offbeat times, PII came up with the 20 best unconventional Christmas films just in time for the holiday.

Before we dive in, can we take a moment and be grateful for the small things, such as making it through this unconventional and unprecedented. Time appears to be elastic this year alone, often thinking we’d never catch up with current events.
Christmas is very different this year; the holiday is now without the typical celebratory festivities with family.
With this in mind, we sought contrary Christmas films. After all, many of us are spending the holiday apart without the comfort of the glittery classics. So due to the irregularity of the year, we came up with the 20 best, unconventional, Christmas films that anyone can enjoy even if you don’t celebrate. Since they center around Christmas.

The Apartment (1960)

The Apartment film — _{Shirley MacLaine and Jack Lemmon star in The Apartment. Image courtesy of UA Releasing.}

The Apartment‘s a charmingly silly film centering around two people falling in love around Christmas time. Although don’t write off this 1960 classic, there’s more to this screwball comedy.

Carol (2015)

_{Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett star in Carol. Image courtesy of TWC.}

Beautifully shot and stunning overall, the film’s a love story between Therese Belivet (Rooney Mara) and Carol Aird (Cate Blanchett). It’s riveting and heartbreaking as the lovers must overcome disheartening and often dehumanizing adversity in 1952.

2046 (2004)

_{Ziyi Zhang in 2046. Image courtesy of Block 2 Pictures.}

Perfectly fitting, the follow up to Wong Kar-wai’s In the Mood for Love, 2046 is an ode to the often-overlooked loneliness around the most wonderful time of the year.

La La Land (2016)

Sebastian and Mia gravitate towards one another with undeniable chemistry to navigate their passionate relationship play out while trying to accomplish their dreams. La La Land is gorgeous and ethereal with a matching soundtrack/score.

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)

A perfect follow-up to Damien Chazelle’s La La Land is Jacques Demy’s classic. Vibrant and saturated with bright colors, you can see how influential it is for the 2016 romantic drama.

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

_{Winona Ryder and Johnny Depp star in Edward Scissorhands. Image courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox.}

This whimsical fairy tale and gothic romance focuses on a lonely outcast finding a new way of life outside of his castle, onto the mundane and pastel life of suburbia.

Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2005)

_{Michelle Monaghan and Robert Downey Jr. in Kis Kiss, Bang Bang. Image courtesy of Silver Pictures.}

While Robert Downey Jr’s most known for the iconic Tony Stark, back in 2005 RDJ rebuilt his career with many hidden gems. This specific gem is a parody of film noir tropes and it’s a tangly web of lies.

American Psycho (2000)

American Psycho Christmas film — _{Christian Bale and Reese Witherspoon star in American Psycho. Image courtesy of Lionsgate.}

A satire on yuppie greed, the handsome yet high maintenance ‘urban professional’ Patrick Bateman has an unquenched thirst for blood and Dorsia.

Brazil (1985)

Alternatively, what is more unconventional than adding science fiction into the Christmas mix? Look no further than the sci-fi masterpiece, Brazil, from Terry Gilliam.

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

_{Tom Cruise in Stanley Kubrick’s, last film, Eyes Wide Shut. Image courtesy of Warner Brothers.}

Dr. Bill Hartford (Tom Cruise) becomes obsessive over craving an imaginary sexual encounter after hearing his wife’s confession. He discovers an underground sexual group, only to realize it’s overwhelmingly over his head.

Rocky IV (1985)

Rocky 4 film — _{Sylvester Stallone and Talia Shire star in Rocky IV. Image courtesy of UA/MGM.}

The highest-grossing Rocky film is a knockout. Who knew this Stallone film would be the little engine that could. Ultimately, it still can. A new generation knows more about the original series due to Ryan Coogler’s (Fruitvale Station, Black Panther) Creed and Creed II.

Gremlins (1984)

Gremelins 1985 film — _{Gremlins (1985) film. Image courtesy of Amblin Entertainment/Warner Brothers.}

Who doesn’t want Gizmo? Well, nevermind. Like the entrancing Jean-Ralphio says, “that’s too much responsibility, I gotta find a way out of this.”

Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)

Silent Night Deadly Night film — _{Robert Brian Wilson starring in Silent Night, Deadly Night. Image courtesy of TriStar Pictures.}

While Black Christmas is our favorite slasher holiday film, we’re saving that one for a different film list. Although Silent Night, Deadly Night‘s a mediocre cheesy mess, the gore (if you’re into that) is fantastic.

Krampus (2015)

Krampus film — _{Krampus (2015). Image courtesy of Legendary Entertainment/Universal Pictures.}

Indeed, European folklore warns of Krampus. A horned beast with demonic wrath that feasts on the lack of Christmas spirit and festering on familial dysfunction.

Batman Returns (1992)

Batman-Returns-film — _{Michelle Pfeiffer and Michael Keaton star in Batman Returns. Image courtesy of Warner Brothers.}

Tim Burton’s caped crusader (Michael Keaton) joins the likes of the iconic performances alongside Danny DeVito and Michelle Pfieffer.

Trading Places (1983)

Trading Spaces Christmas film — _{Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy star in Trading Places. Image courtesy of Paramount Pictures.}

Commodities broker and a street hustler are an unlikely team in this wealthy man/poor man swap. Nevertheless, you can’t go wrong with Eddie Murphy in his prime.

Rent (2005)

Rent Christmas film — _{Jesse L. Martin, Rosario Dawson, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, and Anthony Rapp star in Rent. Image courtesy of Revolution Studios/Columbia Pictures.}

Taking place around Christmas in 1989, this musical focuses on a group of New Yorkers struggling with careers and finding success during the deadly AIDS epidemic.

Fanny and Alexander (1982)

Fanny and Alexander Christmas — _{Fanny and Alexander, image courtesy of Gaumont.}

Ingmar Bergman’s masterful film centers around two siblings from a large family in Uppsala, Sweden, during the first decade of the twentieth century.

A Christmas Tale (2008)

A Christmas Tale Christmas film — _{Anne Consigny, Hippolyte Girardot, and Catherine Deneuve star in A Christmas Tale. Image courtesy of Why Not Productions.}

Another Catherine Deneuve starring film on our list, A Christmas Tale shows warmth and coziness similar to Step Mother and The Family Stone.

Eight Crazy Nights (2002)

Eight Crazy Nights Christmas — _{Adam Sandler stars in Eight Crazy Nights. Image courtesy of Sony Productions/Happy Madison Productions.}

Last but not least, our closing pick is a non-Christmas animation with Christmas vibes. It’s very much a Hanukah film and comes with an additional bonus Hanukah song.

While considering a specific film as Christmas is subjective, instead of arguing if Die Hard is a Christmas film or not (yes, it is), we chose 20 films around Christmas time. Making them, unconventionally, Christmas films.

No Comments Yet

Comments are closed