There’s a point every December when the sleigh bells start to feel a little too loud and the familiar holiday classics blur together. You’ve seen the same heartwarming arcs, the same snowy kisses, the same miraculous last-minute transformations. Sometimes you want a Christmas movie that doesn’t insist on comfort. You want something stranger, sharper, or quietly reflective.
This list is for those moments. These are Christmas-season watches that still tap into winter, ritual, and reflection, but take the road less travelled. Whether it’s Gotham draped in snow, a bittersweet boarding school break, a nocturnal psychological spiral, a sun soaked story of chosen family, or a surreal holiday fable, these films and specials understand that the season isn’t about just cheer – it’s also about loneliness, reckoning, and unexpected connection. If you’re looking to step outside the tinsel-lined tradition this Christmas, start here.
Batman Returns (1992)
Much like the debate around if Die Hard can be considered a Christmas movie all these years later, Tim Burton‘s controversial, psycho-sexual, unconventional Batman sequel, Batman Returns, also enters the chat on whether or not its wintery setting around the holiday season is enough to dub it so. Personally, I think yes! It’s cold, there’s mention of mistletoe, and a Christmas tree sets the scene for death set-piece. How festive! And, really, if you want to talk about getting the greatest gift, it’s tough to beat Michelle Pfeiffer‘s unmatched performance as the purr-fect foil, Catwoman, to Michael Keaton‘s Bat (Peter Gray).
Available to stream on HBO Max.
Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
Once Nicole Kidman admits to Tom Cruise that she considered having an affair outside of their on-screen marriage, he romantically spirals across Eyes Wide Shut‘s 159 minutes, leading towards the film’s now-infamous orgy sequence. Merry Christmas! Whilst Stanley Kubrick‘s final film is darkly erotic and psychological, it doesn’t take away from the Christmasness of it all, with Cruise’s crisis playing out against a heft of lush New York City seasonal decorations (Peter Gray).
Available to stream on Netflix.
Hogfather (2006)
If you’re not familiar with “Discworld” author Terry Pratchett‘s signature blend of wit and wisdom, then I suggest you get acquainted with it. Hogfather, an adaption of his book by the same name, is set on a fantastical world a lot like our own which celebrates a holiday a lot like Christmas. Problem is, an assassin’s gotten to their version of Santa, so this year the Grim Reaper is stepping in to do the job instead. While a little stiff in places, it more than makes up for it with oodles of charm and humour, so if you’re looking for something a little different this silly season, it’s a great choice (Annie Mills).
Available to stream on Prime Video.
The Holdovers (2023)
The Holdovers is a quiet, contemplative film for your holiday watchlist. When prickly history Professor Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti) gets assigned with being in charge of looking after students held over at their New England boarding school on the Christmas of 1970, he never anticipates that he might form a connection with one of them, the bright, but troubled Angus (Dominic Sessa). Or with the school canteen manager, Mary (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), who can’t bring herself to leave the last place she and her son were together before he lost his life fighting in the Vietnam war. While it’s less of a tear jerker than you would expect, and the “troubled loners make a kind-of family” plot has been done many times before, The Holdovers is an enjoyable watch about the choices we make and what really matters to us (Emily Paull).
Available to stream on Paramount Plus.
Tangerine (2015)
Long before Anora swept the Oscars, Sean Baker was making waves with 2015’s Tangerine, a guerilla-style film shot entirely on iPhone cameras. The story unfolds over the span of one chaotic Christmas Eve. Sin-Dee, a trans sex worker, links up with her friend, Alexandra, after spending a month in jail. Alexandra breaks the news that Sin-Dee’s boyfriend has been cheating while she’s been on the inside, and the two embark on a scramble across L.A. to find him and the other woman. Tangerine is not your conventional Christmas flick, with Baker swapping snow for the sun-soaked city and doorstep declarations of love with donut shop screaming matches. It’s raw and unapologetic, with plenty of Baker’s signature grit. If you’re after something that leans more naughty than nice – this is it (Sarah Robbins).
Available to stream on Prime Video.
Of course, the holidays are also for families to gather round and enjoy a Christmas film together. Is there a favourite film from your childhood you haven’t been able to find? Are you wanting to watch a beloved festive classic without the ads? Are you re-watching a favourite Christmas movie year on year, but want to own it?
One of the most popular Christmas titles to buy or rent this year is The Grinch (2018), the animated, family friendly, Benedict Cumberbatch-voiced version of the Dr Seuss classic, or go back in time to see Jim Carrey in How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000). Elf (2003) often tops the annual re-watch list, as well as British classic Love, Actually (2003), National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) and The Polar Express (2004). Tis the season for nostalgia, and viewers like to look back at the Christmas classics of yore.
If you’re looking for something new to watch with the kids this Christmas, A Paw Patrol Christmas is newly available to buy or rent on digital platforms; when Santa comes down with a sickness, Rubble steps up to rescue the holiday spirit while racing against Mayor Humdinger’s sneaky plan to swipe everyone’s gifts. Tune in with the family to see what the Paw Patrol pups have to do to save Christmas! Other more recent popular Christmas movies available to buy or rent include Violent Night (2022), an action comedy starring David Harbour, and Dear Santa (2024), with Jack Black starring in a devilish Christmas family comedy.
