I watched Carry On on Netflix last week and while it was a fantastic movie, I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was trying to be a Christmas movie just on the grounds that the events in the story occurred on Christmas, but the story itself wasn’t about Christmas; it was about an airport security guard getting caught up in a terrorist attack that was to take place on a plane. Honestly, it was giving Die Hard vibes and it got me thinking about other movies in the Christmas film category that in my opinion aren’t actually Christmas movies.

So, what is it that makes a Christmas movie a Christmas movie? In my opinion, seasonal and setting aspects just aren’t enough to make a movie a Christmas movie. Otherwise, millions of films would be classified as Christmas films due to their fleeting Christmas scenes. I personally believe that for a film to be classified as a Christmas movie, it all comes down to the meaningful use of Christmas in their storytelling. These stories often contain themes of family, love, traditions, kindness and togetherness, and they often have some kind of conflict resolution, whether it be with family or internally with themselves.

With all of that in mind, I have created a list of a few of my favourite Christmas movies that, in my opinion, aren’t really Christmas movies.

---

It’s a controversial topic, I know, but I will never change my mind on this: Die Hard is NOT a Christmas movie. It’s a movie about a terrorist attack on a building that just so happened to crash a Christmas party. Just because there was a Christmas party and John McClane was there to see his wife for Christmas does not make this a Christmas movie. John could have flown to LA to be with Holly at any time, and the grand heist and hostage situation on Nakatomi tower could have happened at any time… all of the events in this movie could have happened at any time and the story still would have made complete sense.

However, the addition of Christmas in the story’s background and setting plays a role in amplifying the emotions surrounding the marital issues between John and Holly because family dysfunction becomes highlighted during the holidays. Also, the film treats the success of the terrorists’ heist as if they are opening the most wonderful Christmas present of their lives. However, this – to me – just isn’t enough to warrant it being a Christmas movie. Not even with the soundtrack of Christmas music and sounds or the Christmas visuals and references.

While Die Hard may be surrounded by Christmassy vibes and I can see why many people feel that this is a Christmas movie, but Christmas – in my opinion – just isn’t at the story’s core. It honestly feels like a story that was written, and then due to the film’s release date during the end quarter of the year, they just threw in some Christmas stuff because they believed that they couldn’t possibly have success of releasing an action movie for the holiday season.

Genie is a movie that wants so hard to be a Christmas movie, but it’s just not. Yes, it has the setting of Christmas, and it has popular tropes within Christmas movies, it has all the themes of a Christmas movie, and it even has magical elements; Christmas absolutely SURROUNDS this movie, but it is not at its core, so therefore it is not a Christmas movie.

This is a movie about a man who is suffering under the pressures of work and facing marital and family issues – all things that are amplified by the Christmas setting, but still, this isn’t about Christmas because it is about how a husband and a father disappoints his family on his daughter’s birthday and he goes on this grand journey of self-discovery to make things right with his family for his daughter’s birthday. Just because her birthday is on Christmas Eve does not make this a Christmas movie, it makes it a movie about family dysfunction, healing and redemption.

Bridget Jones’s Diary is absolutely and undeniably NOT a Christmas movie. Christmas is a fleeting moment in this film, and the story takes place over an entire year as Bridget journals and reflects on her life. Yes, the story is bookended by the holiday season, with the story beginning and ending during the holidays, but this does not make it a Christmas movie.

The bulk of the story takes place throughout the year, and it is about Bridget expressing her thoughts and feelings about her life. Yes, she laments about her loneliness, but that lamenting is not enough to make it a Christmas movie because Christmas is a fleeting thing in this story.

I absolutely adore Bridget Jones’s Diary and the entire franchise, but it is not a Christmas movie; of this, I am certain.

While it has a Christmas setting and themes of family and greed, Batman Returns is not a Christmas movie. It is simply just a typical Batman movie.

This story is about the Penguin’s desire to take control of Gotham City, the birth of Catwoman and her vengeance, and a man with too much time and money who dresses like a bat to defend Gotham from the shadows.

Christmas is not at the core of this story; it’s about a gangsta wanting to take control of a city, and a vigilante hero trying to stop that from happening and keep the city safe.

Great movie, but it’s just not a Christmas movie.

I absolutely adore Edward Scissorhands; it is one of my favourite movies, but it is not a Christmas movie.

While love and romance, fantasy, family and family dysfunction are themes within this movie, and the story moves towards a planned Christmas party at the end, Christmas is not at the story’s core. This story is about a misunderstood being and two individuals who long to be together but can never be; it is a beautiful and tragic love story.

Christmas is a fleeting moment in this story, so Edward Scissorhands is not a Christmas movie.

Gremlins is such a classic film that I adore, and while the story is set around a Christmas present that Billy – the main character – receives, this is not a Christmas movie.

Yes, there is plenty of Christmas imagery, but the story itself is not about Christmas or really any of the traditional Christmas themes that make a Christmas movie – it’s about monsters wreaking havoc on a town, and that honestly could have happened at any time of the year.

One of my favourite films, but not a Christmas movie.

Love Actually is one of my favourite movies of all time and my absolute favourite Christmas movie. However, upon reflection, it pains me to say it isn’t actually a Christmas movie.

Yes, this movie is set at Christmas and is completely surrounded by Christmas, but that is the only Christmas thing about this movie; the core of this story is about love and the fact that it is actually all around us (the narration even flat out tells us this!).

The movie follows eight stories that could have happened at any time of the year. While Christmas is the core setting and helps amplify the emotions of each story, it isn’t the core of the story, and it honestly breaks my heart to say that this isn’t actually a Christmas movie.

---

I’ve shared many controversial opinions there, but that is the list of my favourite Christmas movies that aren’t actually Christmas movies.

Ultimately, what makes a Christmas movie is subjective to the individual. I’d love to know your thoughts on what makes a Christmas movie and what some of your favourite Christmas movies that aren’t actually Christmas movies are.

Follow me on my socials to stay up to date with my diary:

• Instagram
• Threads
• TikTok