12 Perfect Christmas Movies Nobody Talks About

Halloween is over, so according to the gods of commerce, it’s officially Christmas season. That means many of us will soon begin our seasonal movie watching, returning to a wide variety of X-mas classics that span from It’s a Wonderful Life to Die Hard. There are a lot of Christmas movies that are perfect for this time of year, offering moods that make us feel everything from warm and fuzzy to dark and depressed. Beyond all those classics, though, there are a number of equally perfect Christmas movies that haven’t dominated the conversation enough.

These lesser-discussed Christmas movies cover the Yuletide spectrum from naughty to nice, full of sugary delights and some harsh spices as well. There are new animated masterpieces, classic Westerns, and neo-noir thrillers. There’s something under the tree for any kind of Christmas movie fan, whether you’re an optimistic Buddy the Elf or a cynical Grinch. We’re making a list, checking it twice, and we’re gonna find out what perfect Christmas movies no one is talking about.

1

‘3 Godfathers’ (1948)

Image via MGM

The Western genre doesn’t exactly lend itself to heartwarming tales of Christmas. The dusty locations don’t inspire Yuletide cheer, and even those that are set in snowy locations are more frigid and cold-blooded than festive and warmhearted. That didn’t stop John Ford and John Wayne from using the Christmas season for their biblically inspired Western 3 Godfathers. Based on the short story The Three Godfathers by Peter B. Kyne, which had been adapted to film several times before, the movie offers a retelling of the fable of the Three Wise Men that swaps the New Testament for the Old West.

Bob (Wayne), Pete (Pedro Armendariz), and the Abilene Kid (Harry Carey Jr.) are three outlaws who rob a bank and go on the run into the desert. Their escape plans are complicated when they come across a dying woman who gives birth to a child and makes them promise to take care of the baby. A more sentimental Western than fans might expect from the collaboration of Ford and Wayne, 3 Godfathers offers some perfect Holiday counterprogramming for genre fans.

2

‘We’re No Angels’ (1955)

Image via Paramount Pictures

If you need more trios of criminals at Christmastime, then We’re No Angels is the perfect stocking stuffer. Based on a Broadway play adapted from a French original, the film was the final collaboration between director Michael Curtiz and Humphrey Bogart, but it hasn’t enjoyed the same legacy as their biggest movie together. Co-starring Peter Ustinov and Aldo Ray, it’s a darkly comical Christmas movie that taps into the seasonal themes of redemption and goodwill.

Joseph (Bogart), Albert (Ray), and Jules (Ustinov) are three convicts who have escaped from Devil’s Island at Christmastime, ending up in a colonial town in French Guiana where they ingratiate themselves with the locals to aid their getaway plans. Over time, the trio comes to care for the residents, who soften their hardened criminal hearts. We’re No Angels is the perfect mix of breezy comedy and crime movie elements, with the three leads giving criminally overlooked performances.

3

‘Blast of Silence’ (1961)

Image via Universal Pictures

Criminals make for seemingly perfect Christmas movie protagonists, as evidenced by the prior two films on this list. Blast of Silence continues that trend but with a far more cynical tone befitting a film noir. Directed by and starring Allen Baron, the film was shot on a low budget in New York City, lending it a gritty authenticity that also makes it a black-and-white Christmas card for the city during the time period. It’s a lean, mean little thriller that makes perfect use of the juxtaposition between the bright holiday lights and the dark shadows.

Frankie (Baron) is a mob hitman who has come home for the holidays to carry out a contract. While he bides his time plotting and planning the hit, Frankie also meets up with friends from his past, which brings up all kinds of demons within him. Not all Christmas movies are designed to be uplifting experiences, and Blast of Silence is one of the best at making you feel bad. It’s a dark neo-noir thriller that’s a great gift for the Christmas cynic in your family.

4

‘A Christmas Carol’ (1971)

Image via ABC

There have been so many adaptations of Charles Dickens’ seminal A Christmas Carol that some were naturally going to be forgotten along the way. Everyone has their personal favorite cinematic interpretation of the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, from the 1951 classic starring Alistair Sim to George C. Scott’s more abrasive take on the character. One that should be at the top of everyone’s Christmas list is the Academy Award-winning animated short film directed by Richard Williams. Both Sim and actor Michael Hordern reprise their roles as Scrooge and Marley, respectively, and the film is a properly haunting adaptation.

Running only 25 minutes, the short film manages to hit all the highlights from the Dickens novel, and even includes a few moments often left out of other adaptations. The hand-drawn animation lends itself to the material, evoking 19th-century illustrations and giving the ghost story a proper element of darkness and danger. Williams, who’s probably best known as the animation director on Who Framed Roger Rabbit, is a true legend of animation, and his rendition of the quintessential Christmas story should be more renowned.

5

‘A Muppet Family Christmas’ (1987)

One of the most popular adaptations of A Christmas Carol happens to be the one starring a felt frog and a pig. The Muppet Christmas Carol has become a perennial favorite for many, but it’s not the first time Jim Henson’s beloved characters have tackled the holiday. A Muppet Family Christmas was a television special that featured not only the titular characters, but also members from Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock as well. It’s an absolutely charming movie musical which has also unfortunately fallen by the wayside due to its unavailability on streaming and the fact that most physical media releases have had to cut some songs due to rights issues.

The special follows the entire Muppets cast as they head to Fozzie Bear’s mom’s house for Christmas, turning it into an absolute madhouse. The Swedish Chef tries to cook Big Bird for Christmas dinner, Fozzie tries to form a double act with a talking snowman, and everyone forgets to mind the icy patch in front of the door. A Muppet Family Christmas has everything to satisfy fans of the Muppets and more. It’s a sweet, funny, perfect Christmas special.

6

‘3615 Père Noël’ (1989)

Image via UGC

See if you can guess the Christmas movie from this premise: A young boy is left alone at home during the holiday season and has to defend himself against a home invader through the use of booby traps. If you answered Home Alone, you’d be correct. You’d also be correct if you answered 3615 Père Noël, also known as Deadly Games and Dial Code Santa Claus, the French horror-action-comedy which many have compared to the Macaulay Culkin classic, including director René Manzor, who unsuccessfully tried to pursue legal action against the producers.

There’s never been any official confirmation that Home Alone was ripped off from Manzor’s film, and the differences in tone and style become quickly apparent when watching them. Thomas (Alain Lalanne) is similarly resourceful as Kevin McCallister, but he’s more inspired by Rambo and other action heroes, which serves him well after an attempted phone call to Santa Claus attracts the attention of a deranged man who breaks into Thomas’ high-tech home while his mom is at work. As an homage to ’80s action movies, 3615 Père Noël brings on the set pieces and violence, but also a surprising amount of holiday spirit. It makes for the perfect Christmas double feature with Home Alone.

7

‘The Ref’ (1994)

Image via Buena Vista Pictures

Here’s another holiday home invasion. This one comes in the form of an acerbic burglar who takes a WASPy couple hostage while on the run from the police. The Ref comes from director Ted Demme and received solid reviews when it was released but was a box office disappointment. It’s since gained a minor cult following, but remains far less celebrated in comparison to other Christmas dark comedies. Its only real sin is having Kevin Spacey in its cast, but at the time it was made, that was actually considered a good idea.

Gus (Denis Leary) is a thief on a job in a wealthy neighborhood that goes south, so he takes a rich couple, Lloyd (Spacey) and Caroline (Judy Davis), hostage and forces them to harbor him in their home. Gus doesn’t get the silent night he’s hoping for since Lloyd and Caroline are having marital issues, and the thief unwittingly serves as counselor between the two of them. The Ref is sharply written and acted, and was a precursor to darker Christmas comedies like Bad Santa.

8

‘Tokyo Godfathers’ (2003)

Image via Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan

Inspired by the aforementioned 3 Godfathers, Tokyo Godfathers is an animated masterpiece from acclaimed director Satoshi Kon. It similarly follows three lost souls who find themselves taking care of an infant on Christmas Eve, but this version of the story takes some unexpected detours and finds shining moments of humanity amid its dark odyssey into the night. Gorgeously animated and determinedly unconventional, Tokyo Godfathers is the perfect Christmas movie for those who are sick of the same old holiday lessons.

In Tokyo, the homeless Gin, Hana, and Miyuki find an abandoned baby along with items to help them track down the child’s parents. Their adventure takes them across the city and into contact with all sorts of colorful figures. Tokyo Godfathers is less surreal than Kon’s other masterworks, Perfect Blue, Millennium Actress, and Paprika, but is no less creative. Its miracles are all the work of real people rather than any magical beings, and the film itself finds magic in found families and the triumph of the human spirit.

9

‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’ (2005)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

If there’s any screenwriter most associated with Christmas, it’s Shane Black. The writer has infused the holiday into most of his screenplays and films, from Lethal Weapon to Iron Man 3, but none more perfectly than his neo-noir directorial debut Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. As a two-hander between Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer, the film is filled with all the witty banter Black is best known for and similarly offers a pulpy mystery set in the City of Angels during the most wonderful time of the year.

Harry Lockhart (Downey) is a thief who makes his way from New York to Los Angeles by posing as an aspiring actor. While attending parties in the Hollywood Hills and wooing his hometown crush, Harry also gets involved in a murder mystery, causing him to join forces with private investigator Perry van Shrike (Kilmer). Kiss Kiss Bang Bang wasn’t the same kind of blockbuster success as the films Black wrote in the ’80s and ’90s, but it’s a perfect gift for fans of his.

10

‘Arthur Christmas’ (2011)

Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

Despite the presence of several animated films on this list, none of them feature stop-motion animation, the medium most associated with Christmas thanks to specials like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. While there are some underrated stop-motion Christmas movies worth checking out, they can’t quite match the perfection of Arthur Christmas, a computer-animated film from Aardman. That studio built itself on stop-motion with characters like Wallace and Gromit, but their first Christmas movie has all the same charm despite being wholly digital.

Arthur (James McAvoy) is the youngest son of Santa (Jim Broadbent). He’s clumsy, awkward, and far from the tech-savvy professional his brother Steve (Hugh Laurie) is, but he does have plenty of Christmas spirit. So, when a child is missed on Christmas Eve, Arthur takes it upon himself to get the present delivered, with the help of his elderly Grandsanta (Bill Nighy). Filled with wildly inventive set pieces and indelible characters, Arthur Christmas offers a unique take on the Santa Claus mythos, and it delivers it with a perfect earnestness.