15 Unusual Christmas Movies Worth Watching In December Of 2025
Forget the same old sappy holiday classics you’ve seen a million times.
This December, why not explore films that twist, flip, and completely reimagine what a Christmas movie can be?
All the way from horror flicks to action thrillers, these unusual picks will make your holiday movie marathon unforgettable.
1. The Ref (1994)
Denis Leary plays a cat burglar who takes a bickering married couple hostage on Christmas Eve, only to become their unlikely marriage counselor.
The sharp dialogue crackles with wit, and the family dysfunction feels painfully real yet hilarious.
If you love dark humor mixed with holiday chaos, this gem delivers nonstop laughs and surprisingly heartfelt moments about what families really need during the season.
2. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
Robert Downey Jr. stumbles into Hollywood as a thief-turned-actor who gets tangled in a real murder mystery during the holidays.
Val Kilmer co-stars as a sarcastic private detective who becomes his unlikely partner.
With razor-sharp dialogue and twisty plot turns, this neo-noir comedy uses Christmas as a glittering backdrop for mayhem, making it perfect for mystery lovers craving something different.
3. Krampus (2015)
When a dysfunctional family loses their Christmas spirit, they accidentally summon Krampus, the ancient demon who punishes naughty people.
Suddenly, evil toys and monstrous minions besiege their home in a snowstorm.
This horror-comedy balances genuine scares with darkly funny family drama, reminding everyone that holiday cheer isn’t just a nice suggestion but survival insurance against nightmare folklore.
4. The Apartment (1960)
Jack Lemmon plays a lonely office worker who lends his apartment to executives for their affairs, hoping for a promotion.
When he falls for an elevator operator played by Shirley MacLaine, everything gets complicated during the Christmas season.
Billy Wilder’s masterpiece blends romance, comedy, and bittersweet drama, using holiday loneliness to explore what really matters in life and love.
5. The Night Before (2015)
Three best friends reunite for their annual Christmas Eve party in New York, but this year might be their last hurrah together.
Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Anthony Mackie bring hilarious chemistry as their wild night spirals through comedy and heartfelt moments.
Though raunchy at times, the film captures the bittersweet reality of growing up and cherishing friendships before life pulls everyone apart.
6. Gremlins (1984)
A kid receives an adorable creature called a Mogwai for Christmas, but breaking three simple rules unleashes mischievous monsters on his town.
The gremlins wreak absolute havoc, transforming a cozy holiday into pure mayhem.
Joe Dante’s film perfectly mixes horror, comedy, and satire about consumerism, making it a wildly entertaining cautionary tale about what happens when cute gifts turn deadly.
7. The Ice Harvest (2005)
John Cusack plays a mob lawyer who steals money on Christmas Eve in icy Kansas, but everything goes wrong fast.
Harold Ramis directs this darkly comedic noir filled with double-crosses, violence, and cynical characters.
The bleak winter atmosphere perfectly matches the moral darkness, creating a Christmas crime story that’s equal parts tense, funny, and unexpectedly melancholy about broken dreams.
8. Black Christmas (1974)
A mysterious caller terrorizes sorority sisters during their Christmas break, picking them off one by one in their house.
Bob Clark’s slasher film essentially invented many horror tropes that later movies copied endlessly.
The chilling atmosphere and genuinely creepy phone calls make this a masterclass in suspense, proving that Christmas can be absolutely terrifying when someone’s watching from the attic.
9. Anna and the Apocalypse (2017)
Imagine a zombie outbreak hitting a Scottish town right before Christmas, except everyone breaks into song about it.
This wildly creative film mashes up horror, musical theater, and teen drama into something completely original.
The catchy songs and genuine heart make this bloody adventure surprisingly emotional, proving that even during the apocalypse, holiday spirit and friendship can survive anything.
10. Brazil (1985)
Terry Gilliam’s dystopian masterpiece follows a low-level bureaucrat who dreams of escape in a nightmarish totalitarian society drowning in paperwork.
Christmas imagery appears throughout, but twisted into something grotesque and absurd.
The film’s dark satire about government incompetence and lost humanity feels eerily relevant, using holiday visuals to highlight how commercialism and control can corrupt everything beautiful.
11. Scrooged (1988)
Bill Murray stars as a cruel TV executive who gets visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve in this wild update of Dickens’ classic.
The satirical edge cuts deep into television culture and corporate greed.
Murray’s manic energy drives the bizarre comedy, while the surprisingly heartfelt ending reminds everyone that redemption is possible, even for the most cynical among us.
12. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Johnny Depp plays an artificial man with scissors for hands who’s brought into a pastel suburban community during the holidays.
Tim Burton’s gothic fairy tale explores themes of acceptance, difference, and belonging.
The winter setting and Christmas backdrop add magical melancholy to Edward’s story, while his ice sculptures literally create snow, making this a beautifully bittersweet unconventional holiday favorite.
13. The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)
Geena Davis plays a suburban mom with amnesia who discovers she’s actually a lethal government assassin when her past catches up.
Samuel L. Jackson co-stars as the private detective helping her survive explosive holiday chaos.
Shane Black’s script packs witty banter and spectacular action sequences into a Christmas setting, creating a thrilling ride that’s equal parts violent and surprisingly festive.
14. Carol (2015)
Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara deliver stunning performances as two women who fall in love in 1950s New York during Christmas.
Todd Haynes directs with exquisite visual style, capturing both the era’s beauty and its suffocating social constraints.
The holiday setting adds poignant contrast to their forbidden romance, making every stolen glance and touch feel even more precious and heartbreaking.
15. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
Stanley Kubrick’s final film follows a doctor through a surreal night of temptation and secret societies in Christmas-lit New York.
Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman star in this unsettling exploration of marriage, jealousy, and hidden desires.
The omnipresent Christmas decorations create eerie contrast with the dark psychological journey, transforming familiar holiday imagery into something strange, hypnotic, and unforgettably disturbing.
