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If you'd rather push back against the holiday spirit, there's plenty of movies available to help you feel very un-Christmassy.
While the likes of Home Alone, Elf and It's a Wonderful Life are played for the umpteenth time on television, Newsweek has compiled a list of movie's that could be considered the opposite of festive and jolly. They're a blend of classics, blockbusters, comedies and NSFW slashers.
Peace on earth, picture-perfect holiday cards and chestnuts roasting on an open fire are nowhere to be seen in these 10 anti-Christmas movies — perfect for the Scrooge and Scroogettes out there.
Iron Man 3 (2013)
Robert Downey Jr. performs his superhero shenanigans in the snow in Shane Black's divisive Iron-Man 3.
Apart from a finale filled with special effects and Christmas fireworks, we largely see Tony Stark without his super suit, as he makes his way through a festive town in America without his tech. While not explicitly anti-Christmas, there aren't any hokey, faux-sentimental moments about the magic of the holiday season on display here.
Die Hard (1988) & Die Hard 2 (1990)
While the debate will rage on about whether Die Hard (and Die Hard 2) is a Christmas movie, it can't be argued that Die Hard isn't a sentimental festive flick.
John McClane has twice had to save lives and shoot bad guys on Christmas Eve; once in Nakatomi Plaza in 1988 and once at Washington Dulles International Airport in 1990.
Batman Returns (1992)
Tim Burton could be considered something of a Christmas rebel with some of the movies in his back-catalogue. The Nightmare Before Christmas is a classic while even Charlie and the Chocolate Factory feature depressing festive themes. Batman Returns deserves its place on this list for having the audacity to open with a depressing Christmas Day scene where parents abandon a deformed baby and confine him to a cage in the sewers.
Gremlins (1984)
The first film in this comedy horror franchise was one of the first to break the trend when it came to Christmas movies. The vicious Gremlins wreak havoc on a small town on Christmas Eve—a positively ghastly sight for lovers of festive lights and decorations.
Black Christmas trilogy (1974-2019)
1974's Black Christmas, 2006's Black X-Mas and 2019's Black Christmas form a trilogy perfect for fans of slasher movies and opponents of the holiday season.
The first movie in the franchise gained cult following but the following two were widely panned.
Santa's Slay (2005)
Professional wrestler Bill Goldberg plays a furious and murderous Santa Claus in this 2005 slasher comedy.
His Santa is a former demon condemned to spend a thousand years giving gifts to kids. Unfortunately he isn't very good at it and kills many people in imaginative ways.
The Gingerdead Man (2005)
Gary Busey is a murderous gingerbread man. What more do you need to know about this 2005 horror comedy?
His character is a murderer brought back to life in food form and comically takes on the moniker of The Gingerdead Man. The movie might make you think twice about which holiday snacks you leave out for Santa this Christmas.
Bad Santa (2003)
One of the first movies that springs to mind when you're looking to shun the Christmas spirit. Billy Bob Thornton's turn as a grumpy mall Santa is like a realistic version of The Grinch without the sweet resolution.
Reindeer Games (2000)
Ben Affleck performs his stunts and shootouts dressed as Santa Clause in this gem of an movie from the 2000s. Charlize Theron co-stars in the action romance which actually bombed at the box office.
Ex-con Rudy (Affleck) just wants a quiet Christmas but is forced into a criminal plot which altogether ruins his festive season.
Jack Frost (1997)
We should preface this entry with three notes: 1) This is different to the 1998 family movie starring Michael Keaton, 2) This is not a good movie and 3) It is very much 18+.
The direct-to-video comedy slasher features a killer snow man, poor special effects and the movie debut of American Pie star Shannon Elizabeth. Despite everything that is wrong with the movie, and there is a lot, it has now developed a cult following.
About the writer
Jamie Burton is a Newsweek Senior TV and Film Reporter (Interviews) based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on ... Read more