Tired of Rudolph? 7 Non-Traditional Christmas Movies You NEED to Watch

We are well into the Christmas season. It's impossible to turn on the TV or a streaming service and not run into one of the classics - Frosty the Snowman or Miracle on 34th Street or a Christmas Story or whatever. All of those movies are GREAT ones. They are classics for a reason.

But, if you're anything like me, you probably get annoyed after the 10th time your favorite TV network is playing Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. There's only so many times you can watch the same movie in a month span.

Thankfully for us, over the years, there's plenty of other 'Christmas' movies that are a little more...let's call them non-traditional. From horror to thrillers to knee slapping comedy, there's PLENTY of non-traditional Christmas movies that'll get you into the holiday spirit without burning you out.

And no, I will not be including Die Hard on this list. Not that I don't think that Die Hard is a Christmas movie, but thanks to the internet, it's almost as common as the other staple holiday films. I'm not sure it can be classified as non-traditional anymore.

With that out the way, let's get to it!

Gremlins

Growing up, Gremlins was one of my favorite movies! Plus, everyone forgets that it's a Christmas movie. Gizmo was a Christmas gift and all the mayhem happens in a Christmas setting. So, not only is Gremlins criminally underrated as a whole, but it definitely should be talked about more as a holiday movie!

Santa's Slay

Look, I'm not going to lie to you and say this movie is good. But, despite it's obvious short comings, it's a LOT of fun. In fact, this might fall into the category of "It's so bad, it's kind of good". Also, this is one of the few movies former pro wrestler Bill Goldberg starred in.

Edward Scissorhands

This underrated Tim Burton flick is well worth the watch. While not exactly a Christmas movie, some of the most pivitol moments happen during Christmas - including Edward making an ice sculpture and making it 'snow' for the first time in the history of town. There's not a wrong time to revisit this heartfelt and odd classic, but Christmas definitely feels like a good time to do it.

 The Ice Harvest

This modern day film noir is set on Christmas Eve. It's a fun, dark thriller that you have to watch at least once. With a cast including John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton, this is a pretty solid movie set during the holidays.

Batman Returns

Apparently, Tim Burton LOVES Christmas because a lot of his movies are set during the holidays. Batman Returns is no exception. You got a crazy Danny DeVito, exploding Christmas packages and Batman hanging bad guys from the tree with care.

3 Godfathers

This John Wayne classic about half-hearted outlaws trying to do the right thing for an orphan is a must watch this holiday season. The story is a loose, American west re-telling of the Three Wise Men - in this case, the wise men are run-away bank robbers. If you're a John Wayne or western fan, it's worth watching.

Trading Places

This is my personal favorite on this list. Eddie and Dan are HILARIOUS together. And this movie features one of the most intense and wildest Christmas parties of all time. I can watch this movie ANY time of year, but it's a great holiday watch.