Best Alternative Christmas Films 2023: 5 of the most unconventional films to watch this Christmas

Do you really want to watch Home Alone and It's A Wonderful Life on a loop for the rest of your life every Christmas?

Dead Snow really brings home the festive cheer - kind of. Cr. Euforia Film.

Look, we're not saying they aren't Christmas classics, but have some adventure this festive season - branch out from the same old tropes of watching Home Alone followed by Elf! Its been a tough year, you deserve it.

Want some alternative Christmas films to watch this year? Here are five of the very best that you should give a spin this festive season.

Batman Returns

There are few better Batman films than the early-90s hit Batman Returns - if any at all. My personal favourite Christmas film, you've Michael Keaton as the main man in the suit and the amazing Danny DeVito as The Penguin, all taking place during the festive season. Merry Christmas.

Violent Night

Released last December, David Harbour plays the role of Santa Claus. Just as Saint Nic is doing his rounds of dropping off the presents, he encounters an elite team of mercenaries who have broken into a dysfunctional family's compound just as he arrives on the chimney.

Thankfully, Mr Claus is about to show them that you can't always judge a book by its cover as he goes on a rampage to rescue Christmas and show he is certainly no Saint.

Dead Snow

Okay, so this one isn't quite as Christmassy as the others BUT it does have lots of snow involved. And zombies. Nazi zombies. An army of Nazi zombies to be precise.

This gore fest of a horror film is absolutely hilarious and follows a group a college friends as they head for a weekend away in the Norwegian mountains only to be confronted with Colonel Herzog and his undead army. It's a wild ride that we definitely recommend you take.

In Bruges

If you saw Martin McDonagh's black comedy The Banshees Of Inisherin last year but have not delved into his excellent back catalogue, start with In Bruges.

The snow-filled film is packed with anti-Christmas sentiment and gallows humour but is actually more festive than some Christmas classics manage to be. Colin Farrell is exceptional in the lead role.

Gremlins

Come on - it's the Goddamn Gremlins for pete's sake. Don't feed him after midnight and don't ever spend Christmas without watching Gremlins (and Gremlins 2) at least once. You've been warned.