The Top 10 Best Most Violent Christmas Movies Of All Time

‘Tis the season for Christmas movies, and that means it’s time for movie list recommendations for everyone’s holiday viewing pleasure. To shake things up after years of seasonal list-making, here are the top 10 best of the most violent Christmas movies of all time.

My first Christmas list for Forbes was my 2011 ranking of the greatest holiday films of all time, and it is one of two such lists that spawned the modern internet war over whether or not Die Hard is really a Christmas movie. It is, as I explained in my list, so if you still aren’t sure about the answer, read that list and then rewatch the movie to prove it for yourself. You’re welcome.

I’ve also offered lists for Covid Christmas viewing, for the best holiday films of the 2000s, for the best family Christmas viewing, for the best action films for the season, for Christmas movies that aren’t really Christmas movies, and even for the best holiday films and TV specials with puppetry.

For today’s list, I decided there are plenty of traditional Christmas movie viewing recommendations out there, so why not try another alternative set of films to consider and talk about that are entertaining and yet bring a surprising amount of violence to the otherwise cheery celebrations going on with their characters?

These aren’t all necessarily just the most violent films to consider, they are the best films from among the most violent films, and I think most audiences will find plenty to appreciate about them.

I don’t actually recommend adding all of these to your holiday viewing plans, which would be… well, strange is the polite way to put it. But adding a sprinkling of just a couple of them to the rest of your movie-watching will add extra spice and help give you other perspectives about what the season is all about.

10. Home Alone — Smashing through the snow with traps that nearly slay, this home invasion comedy isn’t as brutal as its sequel, but it’s the one that fits on a list using the word “best” in the title. Funny and heartfelt, it’s also a cinematic Anarchist Cook Book.

9. Anna and the Apocalypse — A little song, a little dance, a little zombie heads on a lance. This musical comedy is all about the holidays, and also end-of-days massacres. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it makes it more fun to watch going ‘round.

8. Batman Returns — Not my favorite Batman movie, but the one set at Christmas and which I’ve come to appreciate more over the years. A visual holiday feast that can still thrill and amuse, where even Batman gets in on the murderous spirit of this list.

7. Violent Night — Ho-ho-holy smokes this is one crazy flick, funny and full of joyful Christmas crime-stopping. It’s Die Hard meets Miracle on 34th Street, laugh-out-loud action-fueled satire of holiday-set action movies and reimagined Santas.

6. Gremlins — An oldie but goodie, with a wonderful mix of earnest family holiday spirit and warm fuzzy friends, and gruesome exploits by a gang of homicidal monsters. But don’t worry, the humans manage to “blend in” with the spirit of violent festivities.

5. First Blood — This one is also full of second, third, and fourth blood. Rambo films are mostly jingoistic, racist rightwing retcons of history that play into tired conspiracy theories, but the first is about PTSD, police abuse, and morally ambiguous explosions.

4. Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale — A gloriously funny and visually rich satire of Santa myths and the popularity of modern exploitative takes. It gets weirder and more thrilling as it progresses, and is the best of the “monster/evil Santa” sub-subgenre.

3. Die Hard 2 — Not as perfect as the original, but this sequel doesn’t get the respect it deserves, except when I’m making my holiday lists of course. One of the best slam-bang action films with plenty of seasonal cheer — or is that just regular ol’ screaming?

2. The Long Kiss Goodnight — Too often forgotten when we talk about holiday movies, this tour de force 1990s action extravaganza is must-see viewing for any Christmas movie marathon, especially one intended to maximize bloodshed.

1. Die Hard — Yep, here it is again at the top of another list. Because not only is it the best Christmas movie and best action Christmas movie, it’s also the best most violent Christmas movie. Deal with it, naysayers! Yippee-ki0yay…

And there you have it, my countdown of the top 10 best violent Christmas movies for your alternate-holiday-viewing pleasure. Some honorable mentions include Krampus, Lethal Weapon, and A Christmas Horror Story.

Don’t forget to visit my other holiday lists linked above, and be sure to check this space soon for my year-end list of the best films of 2022. Hope you have a terrific holiday weekend, and remember to stay indoors and keep warm if you’re in the path of any bad winter weather — and if you go out or attend parties/gatherings, please mask up to protect not just yourself but your loved ones and friends from the trifecta of Covid, flu, and RSV infections surging across the country.