5 Unconventional Christmas Movies With an Edge

Get in the Christmas spirit with these unconventional, edgy Christmas films!

“Christmas Vacation,” “Elf,” “A Christmas Story.” These are staple Christmas-themed films that most everyone has come to love over the holidays. But while there are many that people love to list as their holiday favorites, there are a couple unconventional and edgy Christmas films that people might not think twice about.

While some may feel like a stretch and others are still debatable to this day, join me as I explore a few films with the Christmas theme but maybe not the spirit.

5. Lethal Weapon

Many don’t think of “Lethal Weapon” as a Christmas movie and with its theme…at least in the traditional sense. While Riggs and Murtaugh’s odd couple pairing is the highlight of the film, the setting is scattered with Christmas from beginning to end. One of the film’s opening scenes is to the tune of “Jingle Bell Rock,” there’s a cocaine bust in a Christmas tree lot, and the final fight takes place in a Christmas-lit neighborhood.

The Los Angeles setting may throw some off with its warm weather and lack of snow, but don’t miss the obvious. “Lethal Weapon” has a Christmas setting, it’s just not the Winter Wonderland many would expect.

4. Batman Returns

There’s no theme that can overshadow The Dark Knight but “Batman Returns” is plagued with the theme of Christmas. The Ice Princess being kidnapped at the lighting of the Gotham Christmas tree sets things into motion for the story. After that, the snow covered landscape and Christmas themed buildings and villains carry a subtle nod to the winter holiday.

If that weren’t enough, the romantic connection between Batman and Catwoman is sparked by mistletoe. The line, “Mistletoe can be deadly if you eat it…” is one of the most significant lines in the film and marks two climactic moments between Batman/Bruce Wayne and Catwoman/Selina Kyle.

Throughout “Batman Returns” a majority of characters are aware of the Christmas holiday and mention it through common dialogue. If Batman and his adversaries weren’t so lustrous characters, the Christmas theme may have been a bit more noticeable.

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