Is Die Hard a Christmas film?

Yes. It's set at a Christmas party, the whole plot turns on a man trying to reach his family for the holidays, and it's soundtracked by Christmas music. The argument is really about whether a Christmas film has to be sentimental, and it doesn't.

What's a good Christmas film with no Christmas spirit in it?

In Bruges or The Apartment. Both are set over the holidays, both are properly written, and neither will make you feel obliged to be cheerful.

My SZN Watch Guide · Christmas · ❄️ Winter

Alternative Christmas films for people who've had enough of tinsel

Set at Christmas, not about Christmas. For when one more elf would finish you off.

8 picks · 6 min read

A dark glass of warm spiced drink on a wooden table in low winter light

There's a point every December — usually around the 18th — when the sight of one more knitted jumper becomes genuinely unbearable.

These films all take place at Christmas and none of them are trying to make you feel festive. Snow, fairy lights and terrible family gatherings, with the sentiment turned right down.

Die Hard (1988)

Christmas party, wrong building, one very tired man. Thirty-odd years on it's still better made than almost anything that copied it.

Mood: Loud and precise
Perfect for: The 27th, when the tin is empty
Runtime: About 2h 12m
UK rating: 15

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The Holdovers (2023)

A boarding school over the Christmas break and three people nobody came to collect. Sad, very funny, and the most genuinely moving film on this list.

Mood: Bleak then warm
Perfect for: A quiet evening on your own
Runtime: About 2h 13m
UK rating: 15

Lumi says: Lumi's note: it's about people who haven't got anywhere to be. Handle with care.

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In Bruges (2008)

A freezing Belgian city at Christmas, two hitmen and some of the best dialogue of the century. Very dark, very funny, absolutely not for the family gathering.

Mood: Icy and savage
Perfect for: A late evening with no children awake
Runtime: About 1h 47m
UK rating: 18

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Gremlins (1984)

A small snowy town, a terrible pet and a film that's much meaner than people remember. The best 'Christmas horror for people who don't like horror' there is.

Mood: Mischievous and nasty
Perfect for: A mid-December night with friends
Runtime: About 1h 46m
UK rating: 12

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The Apartment (1960)

An office Christmas party, a borrowed flat and the loneliest New Year's Eve in cinema. Beautifully written and sharper about work than most films made this decade.

Mood: Wry and melancholy
Perfect for: A reflective evening between the holidays
Runtime: About 2h 5m
UK rating: PG

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Trading Places (1983)

A Philadelphia Christmas, a cruel bet and two people getting their own back. Broad, fast and completely uninterested in goodwill to all men.

Mood: Brash and satisfying
Perfect for: A group evening that wants jokes
Runtime: About 1h 56m
UK rating: 15

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Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)

A Christmas-set LA mystery that talks faster than you can keep up with. Slight, clever and over before you've noticed the time.

Mood: Quick and cynical
Perfect for: A late night with one more drink
Runtime: About 1h 43m
UK rating: 15

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Anna and the Apocalypse (2017)

A Scottish Christmas zombie musical, which is a sentence that either sells it or doesn't. Cheerier than it sounds and genuinely well sung.

Mood: Gory and tuneful
Perfect for: A student-ish evening with friends
Runtime: About 1h 33m
UK rating: 15

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Make a night of it

Check the certificate before you start. Half of this list is firmly after bedtime.
Something spiced and grown-up in the glass, and the tree lights still on. The contrast is the fun.
Keep one sincere film in reserve. Most people come back round by the 23rd.

There's no shame in needing a break from the sentiment. Watch one of these, then go back to the Muppets tomorrow — they'll still be there.

Runtimes are approximate and UK age ratings can differ between cuts and re-releases — worth a quick check on the BBFC website before a family night, and before you press play on anything with younger ones in the room.

Questions people ask

Is Die Hard a Christmas film?: Yes. It's set at a Christmas party, the whole plot turns on a man trying to reach his family for the holidays, and it's soundtracked by Christmas music. The argument is really about whether a Christmas film has to be sentimental, and it doesn't.
What's a good Christmas film with no Christmas spirit in it?: In Bruges or The Apartment. Both are set over the holidays, both are properly written, and neither will make you feel obliged to be cheerful.

My SZN editorial. We don't list where films are streaming — availability changes constantly in the UK and we have no rights-checked source for it.

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