Once the weather starts to get a bit cooler, we immediately start getting excited for Christmastime. But we weren't even finished with our Thanksgiving dinner when the holiday sales kicked off and Christmas music started playing on the radio.
While it was easy to get into the holiday spirit when wearing our ugly Christmas sweaters to parties and decking our halls while trimming the tree, eventually long lines while shopping in crowded malls with crying babies began to take its toll on us. Now, after an exhausting month, we may start to feel like a Grinch when someone suggests playing a holiday-themed movie.
The last thing we want to do right now is watch Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer or The Year Without a Santa Claus for the billionth time. But there are still lots of movies streaming on Netflix that may suit to the needs of the subscriber who is feeling a little anti-Christmas at the moment. These movies are set during or around the holidays, making them perfect for this time of year (think of films like Die Hard, Just Friends and Batman Returns), but they are not Christmas-specific titles — perfect for those who are so over it right now.
Here are the best (sort of) Christmas movies for those who done with the holidays.
Bad Santa (2003)
Director: Terry Zwigoff
Stars: Billy Bob Thornton, Bernie Mac, Lauren Graham
No one says I hate the holidays more than Billy Bob Thorton's character Willie in Bad Santa. This con man and his sidekick Marcus take on the role of Santa and his elf in a department store with the plan of robbing them. This cigarette smoking, hard-drinking Santa cannot care less about the holidays, but his plans may change when he meets a young kid.
Gremlins (1984)
Director: Joe Dante
Stars: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton
We want nothing more than to watch these evil little former fur balls wreck havoc on this small town during the holidays. Gremlins is a classic horror comedy film where a father brings home this new pet for his family with careful instructions that cannot be broken or else. Well, these rules are in fact broken and monsters are unleashed, to our delight. Merry Christmas.
Tangerine (2015)
Director: Sean Baker
Stars: Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, May Taylor, Karren Karagulian
This movie's plot is the furthest thing from a family-friendly, cheerful Christmas movie as we can get that still is set during the holidays. It follows the story of a transgender prostitute who is seeking revenge on a pimp. Along with a friend, the working girl takes to the streets on Christmas Eve to find the heart breaker.
Iron Man 3 (2013)
Director: Shane Black
Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Guy Pearce, Gwyneth Paltrow
We love Marvel superhero films, but in between all that action you may have forgotten that Iron Man 3 is actually set during Christmas. Remember when Tony Stark gives Pepper that huge teddy bear as a gift, or when he hides that tiny decorated town? You're welcome for finding you a new favorite un-Christmas movie; however, this title is only available on DVD for Netflix, so request it now to be able to watch over the holidays.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Director: Henry Selick
Stars: Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara
When you've had enough of all those jolly animated Christmas movies, it's time to stream The Nightmare Before Christmas. Written by Tim Burton with his creepy yet awesome characters, this film follows the story of Jack Skellington, the king of Halloween Town who discovers the town of Christmas and puts his own scary spin on the holiday.
Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Stars: Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Todd Field
When you think of Eyes Wide Shut the holidays are probably the last thing that comes to mind, but the film is actually set during Christmas in New York City (even though the original story is set during Mardi Gras in Vienna). Stream this movie again and notice how many scenes feature Christmas lights and decorations, which actually adds to Kubrick's lighting.
Bridget Jones' Diary (2001)
Director: Sharon Maguire
Stars: Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth, High Grant
Bridget Jones' Diary is the rom-com we love all year long, but the biggest plot point surrounds the part when Bridget meets Mark at the holiday party — making sure to notice his ugly sweater, which is ironic when they meet again at another holiday party a year later. This movie is so good, though, that we will overlook this whole Christmas thing it has going on.
Happy streaming!
