There’s no shortage of holiday movies out there, and yet it seems like, year after year, we find ourselves rewatching Home Alone, Christmas Vacation, and Elf for a month straight. And don’t get me wrong, these movies are classics for a reason. They’re hilarious, timeless, and memorable.
But even the most die-hard Christmas fan needs a break from the monotony, so check out some of these more obscure and overlooked Christmas movies that are sure to stuff your stockings and light your Yule log. From a dramatic take on Love Actually to holiday horror and more, here are some great overlooked Christmas movies you should watch this holiday season.
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Noel (2004)
Noel is kind of like Crash meets Love Actually. It follows a group of New Yorkers as their storylines converge in the days leading up to Christmas. But unlike most holiday movies, Noel has a much more dramatic plot. From being suicidal to sacrificing everything to care for someone with Alzheimer’s and more, the characters in Noel are all going through pretty difficult times … until they meet each other.
Luckily, Noel is also pretty cheesy and corny, which actually helps the movie. The film tries to tug at your heartstrings so much that, if if were successful, you’d finish the film feeling dead inside. Luckily, a heavy gloss filter and tons of melodrama help make Noel feel more like a guilty pleasure Hallmark Christmas movie than something traumatic. Its ensemble cast includes Susan Sarandon, Paul Walker, Alan Arkin, Robin Williams, and Penelope Cruz.
Watch Noel for free on Tubi.
It’s a Wonderful Knife (2023)
Poking fun at It’s a Wonderful Life and giving it a horror twist, It’s a Wonderful Knife centers around teenager Winnie. She survives a horrific high school Christmas party where a serial killer arrives and murders her friends. Winnie eventually kills the killer, but she’s left riddled with guilt and loneliness. One night, in a moment of desperation, she wishes she’d never been born.
Naturally, Christmas magic does what it does and she suddenly finds herself being pursued by the killer again. After escaping, she realizes that nobody in town knows who she is, and since this is an alternate universe where she was never born (and therefore never killed the killer), she discovers that he’s been on a rampage and has already taken over 25 lives. Horror fans will love It’s a Wonderful Knife, and even if you’re not typically into scary movies, it’s a great way to break up the monotony of endless holiday rom-coms.
Watch It’s a Wonderful Knife on Shudder, Hulu and AMC+.
Just Friends (2005)
Remember Just Friends? Somehow, this hilarious Ryan Reynolds classic has fallen into obscurity despite being an entertaining movie. In the film, Reynolds plays a big-time music producer in LA who is still haunted by the fact that he was a “fat kid” who was bullied growing up.
As the fates would have it, he ends up back in his hometown at Christmastime alongside Samantha James (Anna Faris), the chaotic pop star he manages. In Just Friends, the past and present collide, hijinks are had, and the spirit of Christmas reminds everyone of what’s truly important in life. Reynolds and Faris give excellent performances in the movie, and it’s a prime example of both actors from their more zany, slapstick eras.
Watch Just Friends on Hulu.
Make the Yuletide Gay (2009)
In this holiday rom-com, closeted college guy Olaf (Keith Jordan) brings his “roommate” Nathan (Adamo Ruggiero) home for the holidays. The two are actually dating and try to keep it a secret from Olaf’s parents, even though they’re both super liberal academics.
Make the Yuletide Gay is loaded with hilarious and irreverent innuendos, and you can tell all the actors had a blast making the movie. It takes the tropes of holiday rom-coms and blends them with queer humor to make a surprisingly funny and enjoyable movie that will become a perennial favorite.
Watch Make the Yuletide Gay on Dekkoo or rent on Prime Video.
Last Holiday (2006)
Last Holiday is a modern retelling of the 1950 British film of the same name. Queen Latifah plays minimum-wage department store employee Georgia Byrd, who is told by a doctor that she has a rare and untreatable brain condition that will kill her in a matter of weeks.
Determined not to die a miserable store employee, Georgia decides to drain her bank account and book a first-class flight on Christmas to the Czech Republic’s Karlovy Vary, where she stays at the very real and very luxurious Grandhotel Pupp. After she arrives, she meets business moguls and politicians who have all put money before health and happiness.
In the days between Christmas and New Year, Georgia has a wild ride full of great food, adventure, and even a bit of scandal as she challenges her new friends to be better people. Joining Latifah in the cast are LL Cool J, Alicia Witt, and Giancarlo Esposito.
Watch Last Holiday for free on Tubi.
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