14 Non-Christmas Christmas Movies That'll Spark Your Holiday Spirit Early

Gremlins is one of the few movies that can fall into multiple categories in terms of film genres, as it blurs the lines between horror and holiday. The film’s plot revolves around a boy named Billy Peltzer, who’s gifted a rare creature called a mogwai from his father on Christmas. Billy names his mogwai Gizmo, and while Gizmo is adorable at first, his dark side becomes apparent when Billy neglects to take care of him properly. Filled with Christmas imagery – including some hilarious caroling gremlins – Gremlins is the best of both worlds.

Is Die Hard a Christmas movie? That’s a question that’s constantly up for debate among the internet community. My question is, why can’t it be both a hard-core action flick and a holiday film? In Die Hard, John McClane (Bruce Willis) is a cop who visits his estranged wife in LA for an office Christmas party. When a gang of criminals invade the party and take guests hostage, McClane is forced into action to save everyone from danger. There’s snow, guns, Christmas decorations, and a muscly Bruce Willis. Need I say more?

While the Batman franchise has had many film adaptations, Batman Returns remains one of the most memorable because it takes place during Christmas. Directed by Tim Burton (who’s films you will see again in this list), Batman Returns takes place during the Christmas season in Gotham, as Batman tries to stop a new group of villains terrorising the city.

The first instalment of the Harry Potter film series has Christmas woven all throughout. In the movie, viewers get a glimpse into the life of 11-year-old Harry Potter, a boy who learns he is a wizard and must navigate his newfound powers and a world full of magic he never knew existed. The magical and mystical nature of the film, combined with an iconic Christmas scene at Hogwarts, makes this movie a heart-warming alt-Christmas flick.

Normally associated with Halloween, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas can technically be a movie for both holiday seasons. When Jack Skellington, the King of Halloween town, becomes enamoured with Christmas, he enlists the help of his residents to celebrate Christmas instead of Halloween, with their own dark twist. It’s a fun and light-hearted movie for viewers of all ages.

Featuring one of the best buddy-cop duos in movie history, Lethal Weapon is a movie that, similar to Die Hard, combines the best elements of comedy, action, and Christmas. In it, the main characters Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) work side by side to help solve the murder of a young woman. Between Riggs fighting drug dealers on a Christmas tree farm to popular Christmas classics playing during intense fight scenes, Lethal Weapon will get you in the holiday spirit.

Action and Christmas are two genres that blend effortlessly together, as demonstrated in The Long Kiss Goodnight. After Samantha Caine (Gena Davis) recovers from an accident, her memories of being a top-secret agent flood her mind and lead her to be hunted by her former associates. The film takes place during the Christmas season, so its essence is enough to ignite the Christmas cheer within you.

If you were a kid in the early-to-mid-2000s, you know the hype that The Chronicles of Narnia series garnered at the time. Based on the acclaimed book series by C.S. Lewis, the movie tells the story of four children – Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy – as they discover a wardrobe that leads to the secret world of Narnia. This fantasy film captures the essence and wonder of Christmas with beautiful snowy scenery, magic, and even Father Christmas.

Grandiose, eclectic, and engaging, Edward Scissorhands has Christmas themes that simply can’t be overlooked. From the gorgeous Christmas lights and trees to a snowy-haired Winona Ryder dancing in beautifully crisp white snow (which Edward created for her, by the way), this quirky, dark fantasy will make you cry and warm your heart at the same time.

The movie that won Cher an Oscar (and one of my all-time favorites), Moonstruck, can definitely be watched around Christmas time. Thirty-something widow Loretta Castorini (Cher) lives in a beautiful Brooklyn brownstone with her parents and is happily engaged to her fiancé, Johnny (Danny Aiello). But when Johnny travels to Sicily to visit his dying mother, Cher unexpectedly falls head over heels in love with his younger brother, Ronny (Nicolas Cage). While there are few instances that highlight Christmas in the film, it showcases the significance of family and leaves you feeling warm and cheerful once the credits roll.

You’ve Got Mail, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan’s third movie together, is a special movie to watch year-round, but it doesn’t hurt around Christmas time either. Small bookshop owner Kathleen Kelly is enemies with Joe Fox, the owner of a chain bookstore that is crushing her sales. However, the two soon find out that they have been anonymously communicating (and falling in love) through an AOL chat room. Some of the film’s best moments take place during the onset of winter and the Christmas season, making it a must-watch to fulfil your hopeless romantic heart.

The third instalment of Ice Cube’s hilarious Friday series follows Craig and Day-Day as they try to get back stolen Christmas presents and rent money from a burglar disguised as Santa. The two experience various conflicts and troublesome situations but, ultimately, have a Christmas Eve party as a means to get their rent money back and not get evicted. Filled with raunchy humour and tons of Christmas scenery like lights and decorations, Friday After Next is the best non-Christmas movie to watch when you need a good laugh.

Following the success of the first Ghostbusters film, Ghostbusters II did not fare well among critics, but it does still remain a solid movie to watch to get in touch with your inner holiday spirit. It takes place between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, so there’s plenty of holiday references and even an iconic scene that features the main characters Dr. Venkman, Dr. Stantz, and Dr. Spengler fighting ghosts while wearing Santa hats – which honestly, is enough for me.

Bridget Jones’s Diary is charming, but unlike its British rom-com counterparts like Love Actually and The Holiday, it doesn’t exclusively centre around Christmas. What it does have, however, is some special Christmas moments that are too good for it not to be on this list. For instance, the film begins with the main character Bridget (Renee Zellweger) going to a Christmas party where she meets one of her love interests (Colin Firth) in an ugly reindeer sweater. If this doesn’t make you want to wear an ugly sweater and belt out Christmas songs, just watch it again and report back to me.