Now that Halloween is over, the festivities are starting to creep onto shelves and signs of Christmas are showing on our screens. We understand it seems wrong to start getting excited just yet, even though the 24-hour Christmas film channel has been up for a few months, so instead of a list of brilliant Christmas films, we’ve compiled a list of ‘semi-Christmas’ films – films that feel festive without actually being overly ‘Christmas-ey’, that way you don’t have to feel ashamed about jumping the gun.
The Nightmare Before Christmas
The Nightmare Before Christmas, Movie Clips, Classic Trailers
The Nightmare Before Christmas is probably the best film to watch in the first week or so of November, with it’s the perfect balance of Halloween and Christmas that helps you transition from one festive season to another.
Die Hard
Die Hard, Movie Clips Classic Trailers
Die Hard was originally released in July and focuses on the action and tension of an office hostage situation. It’s festive feel comes from its setting in New York on Christmas eve, and the Christmas music used throughout as the office hostage situation occurs at a Christmas party. Die Hard has a healthy dose of Christmas with the perfect excuse of just being a brilliant action film.
Gremlins
Gremlins via Warner Bros Entertainment
Gremlins is another good watch between Halloween and Christmas, as it’s really about mischievous little monsters and not about Christmas at all. The overall imagery of the film is undoubtedly Christmassy – lots of snow, Santa hats – and the Mogwai is given as a Christmas gift, but other than that, the film is something for all year round.
Edward Scissorhands
Edward Scissorhands, Movie Clips Classic trailers
Another great Tim Burton film, Edward Scissorhands has a holiday feel as half of it is set at Christmas. There’s definitely some Christmas movie signs – the decorations, ‘snowfall’ and family values – but really the movie is about an outsider and the suburbs, just with a heartbreaking ending about why it snows on Christmas.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
Movieclips Classic Trailers
Every Harry Potter movie is a bit Christmassy, but the first of the series is definitely the most festive one. It’s Harry’s first real Christmas, and there’s enough decorations and cosy fireplaces in the great hall and common room to start your festive excitement. Plus the film’s nostalgia makes it ten times better.
Words by Daisy Grace Greetham
Graphics by Victoria Zhao
