Have a Lethal Gremlins French Connection Christmas: 21 non-holiday holiday movies

The “Is Die Hard a Christmas movie?” debate has gained a lot of traction since we first posted this list a few years back. Sure, you may not automatically think of Alan Rickman invading an office building or legendary car chases or surrealist parables when you’re celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah—although maybe you do, we won’t judge (after all, It’s A Wonderful Life has its dark moments as well).

But after so many years of Miracle On 34th Street and White Christmas, it’s definitely time to branch out into a more off-brand breed of holiday film. The pivotal moments of these twenty-plus cinematic efforts take place during the holiday season, but they’re not the ones that necessarily come to mind when you think “holiday movie.” So this December, curl up with a double feature from the below list for a much-needed new take on the holiday spirit. (And for the record, Die Hard is absolutely a Christmas movie.)

(1971)

Like any city, New York can be downright enchanting during the holidays. It can also be downright filthy, which is the side captured by The French Connection. As detectives Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle (Gene Hackman) and Buddy “Cloudy” Russo (Roy Scheider) attempt to stop the import of $32 million worth of heroin, they navigate an environment packed with the scummy hallmarks of an urban winter wonderland: melting piles of exhaust-stained snow, clouds of steam hissing out of vents, and mobs of disgruntled New Yorkers. The film even kicks off with Popeye chasing down a man while dressed as Santa Claus. Oddly enough, the sleaze ends up being just as evocative as more picturesque Christmas movies, probably because, at the end of the day, it’s much closer to real life. [Dan Caffrey]