Last year I shared many of my favorite not-so-traditional Christmas movies (“Die Hard,” “Batman Returns,” “Carol,” “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,” etc.) and now, it’s tradition. There are plenty of streaming guides that will suggest the regular holiday classics like “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “A Christmas Story,” but just because it’s Christmas doesn’t mean you can’t watch an unsettling erotic drama, a controversial Biblical epic or a martini-drenched screwball comedy. So here, again, more Unexpected Christmas movies for your streaming pleasure.
First up, Stanley Kubrick’s last film, the erotic epic “Eyes Wide Shut.” Starring real-life couple (at the time) Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, nothing says Christmas like stumbling into a sex cult. But that’s just what Cruise’s meddling Dr. Harford gets up to after a disquieting holiday party and subsequent spat with his wife. Plus, the cozy New York City at Christmas vibes are off-the-charts. Settle in with the film streaming on HBO Max.
Make it a creepy, kooky Tim Burton holiday double feature with his 1990 film “Edward Scissorhands,” and his 1993 stop-motion classic “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” The former, starring Johnny Depp as the man with scissors for hands who wins over a small suburban town, features a romance set against the backdrop of the Christmas holiday. Stream it on Amazon Prime, Disney+ and the Roku Channel. The animated dark musical fantasy that is “The Nightmare Before Christmas” features the music of Danny Elfman, and tells the story of Jack Skellington, the King of Halloween Town, who falls in love with Christmas Town. Perfect to celebrate Christmas with the Halloween-obsessed person in your life.
Or, line up a Christmas horror triple feature with the many iterations of “Black Christmas,” with every version of the film from 1974 to 2006 to 2019. In this classic slasher flick, a sorority house is tormented by a mysterious caller and random murders. The first film somehow anticipates the Ted Bundy Chi Omega murders in 1978, and is clearly an influence on the ‘90s slasher “Scream.” Watch the evolution of the film as its remade across the decades. “Black Christmas” 1974 is streaming on Peacock, 2006 is streaming on Tubi, and 2019 is available on HBO Max, though all films are also available for a digital rental as well.
