The holidays are a great time to chill—literally (if you're into that), and figuratively. It's a time when the whole of society has decided that it's okay to take a pause, relax a bit, be with family, and just bask in the merriment of the season. A huge part of this annual break, for many of us, is spending a decent amount of time sitting on the couch and watching Christmas movies.
A holiday rom-com is always a great crowd-pleaser. Plus, it's hard to run out of them with new hits coming out every year from Hallmark, Netflix, Lifetime, and more. There's also nothing cozier than sitting by a fireplace, holding a warm mug of hot chocolate in hand, while rewatching the classics like It's a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, and A Christmas Story. But if the goal is to liven up the mood at a party and have everyone hopped-up on holiday cheer, a Christmas action movie is the way to go.
While you might be lazy-ing around in your pajamas, it's great to have some action and adventure happening on-screen. Whether it's chase scenes, big explosions, blazing guns, or epic fight scenes you're looking for—we've got you covered. Here are some of the best Christmas action films you can watch this holiday season.
1. Die Hard
Yes, we know Bruce Willis himself has declared that Die Hard isn't a Christmas movie...but we would beg to disagree! The entire movie takes place from Christmas Eve to Christmas morning. We see a lot of holiday parties happening. There are a number of Santa jokes sprinkled in there. And Willis wears a Santa hat in the movie, for crying out loud!
2. Home Alone
Though Home Alone may be more of a comedy than it is an action film, we'd like to argue that it belongs on this list. Little troublemaker Kevin is forced into a lot of action as he gets chased by bad guys, sets up ingenious booby traps, and makes things go kaboom! And if you don't think that counts... I don't know what to tell you. Plus, this would be great for audiences of all ages! So no need to steer your little cousin clear from the TV.
3. Batman Returns
It only makes sense to set a Batman movie during wintry Christmastime when the big (or, well, small) bad is The Penguin. And some of the tuxedoed birds wobbling about in a decked-out Gotham City, it's difficult to deny that this awesome superhero film doubles as an excellent holiday watch.
4. Reindeer Games
This festive crime thriller is about a bunch of criminals robbing a casino while dressed up as Santa Claus. Enough said.
5. Violent Night
A team of mercenaries break into a huge mansion on Christmas Eve, taking everyone inside hostage. They think they've pulled their heist off, but then an unexpected fighter enters the ring: Santa. And he's not the fabled jolly, kind, old fat man we all think him to be.
6. Fatman
Chris Cringle, a.k.a. Santa Claus, is trying to save his dying business. This forces him to cut a deal with the U.S. military, which procures his services for a mission. However, things get complicated when a 12-year-old—unhappy with his Christmas coal—hires a hitman to kill Santa.
7. Invasion U.S.A.
Millions of innocent lives are at risk as terrorists decide to attack homes, malls, and everywhere else at the height of the holidays. Lots of Christmas lights explode and festive store displays are destroyed. Good thing Matt Hunter (Chuck Norris) is here to save the day.
8. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Christmas is the backdrop to this action/comedy starring Robert Downey Jr. He plays Harry Lockhart, a crook who ends up landing a Hollywood acting gig while running from the cops. This tosses him into a complicated, real-life murder mystery involving his childhood crush.
9. Lethal Weapon
This is another classic buddy cop action-comedy starring Mel Gibson. And because this film is set during Christmastime in Los Angeles, it fully leans into the holiday theme with a soundtrack that includes “Jingle Bell Rock,” “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” and “The First Noel.”
10. Detective Knight: Redemption
James Knight is a former cop/former military man who has had as many citations as his arrests. Now, he finds himself in prison just as a jailbreak takes place, led by a criminal called The Christmas Bomber. The Bomber and his crew—who call themselves "The Real Saints of Christmas"—wreak havoc in New York City. It's up to Knight and his partner to bring them to justice.
11. The Ice Harvest
A lawyer for a Kansas City mobster decides to swindle his clients out of some money during Christmas Eve. But as he and his partner try to run off with the $2 million, an ice storm gets in the way of their plans. The longer they stay, the more trouble builds.
12. Christmas Bounty
Tory Bell (Francia Raisa) comes from a family of bounty hunters, but now that she's got a job as a school teacher she doesn't want anyone knowing about her past. Even her new fiancé doesn't know about the family business. She's put bounty hunting behind her, but when she goes home for Christmas she's thrown back into work. And she's forced to partner-up with an ex-boyfriend.
