With the turn of the holiday season you might wish to snuggle up and watch a Christmas classic with your loved ones only to find your Netflix cluttered with cookie-cutter Hallmark movies that induce drowsiness and pass it off as 'comfort'.
But do not fret, because we have you covered.
NDTV Profit collects some of the most engaging, off-beat and entertaining Christmas movies for your consideration.
Tokyo Godfathers
The film follows three homeless characters on the night of Christmas eve who chance upon a baby abandoned in a dumpster.
The film follows three homeless characters on the night of Christmas eve who chance upon a baby abandoned in a dumpster.
One of auteur Satoshi Kon's lesser discussed classics, the Japanese anime film Tokyo Godfathers is a moving, yet lighthearted tale about found family, guilt and redemption, and the thin line between good luck and divine providence.
The film follows three homeless characters on the night of Christmas eve who chance upon a baby abandoned in a dumpster, embarking on a sprawling odyssey across Tokyo's concrete jungle looking for its original parents.
Expect to have your eyes glued to the screen and your gut sore from laughter, as the film's tension is only matched by its world weary humour.
A Christmas Carol
Jim Carrey uses his trademark physicality to display his dramatic chops as he plays the archetypical miserly millionaire Ebenzeer Scrooge.
Jim Carrey uses his trademark physicality to display his dramatic chops as he plays the archetypical miserly millionaire Ebenzeer Scrooge.
From director Robert Zemeckis and actor Jim Carrey, 'A Christmas Carol' is an ingenious and riveting adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic story about greed and redemption.
Made using the motion-capture technology that Zemeckis pioneered through his film The Polar Express, the film vividly brings to life the mesmerizing imagery of the original novel as well as the melancholy themes of class divide and poverty, along with the apathy that it breeds.
Jim Carrey uses his trademark physicality to display his dramatic chops as he plays the archetypical miserly millionaire Ebenzeer Scrooge, who is visied by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present And Future, and they teach him to mend his ways.
It's A Wonderful Life
The enduring 1946 film starring Hollywood icon Jimmy Stewart is as timely and relevant as ever.
The enduring 1946 film starring Hollywood icon Jimmy Stewart is as timely and relevant as ever.
The quintissential Christmas film, It's A Wonderful Life is an evergreen classic about a George, a family man who contemplates ending his life when he hits a dead end in it and can't see a way forward. A guardian angel appears to him and shows him what life would be like for his loved ones if he never existed.
The enduring 1946 film starring Hollywood icon Jimmy Stewart is as timely and relevant as ever as it reminds us that we're never alone in life as long as we have one another.
The Holdovers
The Holdovers is one of the more recent Christmas films that immediately cemented itself as an instant classic.
The Holdovers is one of the more recent Christmas films that immediately cemented itself as an instant classic.
The Holdovers is one of the more recent Christmas films that immediately cemented itself as an instant classic.
The film is a period piece that is meticulous filmed to feel as though it came out in the 1970s and follows the titular 'holdovers' or children in a boarding school who have nowhere to go during the Christmas holidays and hence, stay back. Paul Giamati plays a surly teacher who has to chaperone these unfortunate children.
The film organically explores these characters' inner lives, as they learn to cast away their hardened shells of cynicism and detachment formed from personal tragedies and learn to be kind to those that need kindness.
The Nightmare Before Christmas
A Nightmare Before Christmas is a tale about self acceptance and identity and how true happiness can be found from within.
A Nightmare Before Christmas is a tale about self acceptance and identity and how true happiness can be found from within.
An animated classic, directed by the inimitable Henry Sellick, based on a poem by Tim Burton, The Nightmare Before Christmas is a tale about self acceptance and identity and how true happiness can be found from within.
The plot follows Jack Skellington, the king of the supernatural Haloween Town, populated by Halloween monsters, who grows bored with his usual routine and decided to reinvent himself as Santa Claus, much to the chagrin of the original Saint Nicholas.
Krampus
The horror comedy follows a family that summons Krampus, the inverse shadow self of Saint Nicholas who punishes the naughty.
The horror comedy follows a family that summons Krampus, the inverse shadow self of Saint Nicholas who punishes the naughty.
If Christmas cheer is something you find cloying and dull, Krampus might just be what you need to keep your adrenaline up during a drowsy winter night.
The horror comedy follows a family that has had the misfortune of summoning Krampus, the inverse shadow self of Saint Nicholas who punishes the naughty with the aid of his demonic helpers.
Starring comedy and drama heavyweights like Toni Collette, Adam Scott and David Koechner, Krampus mixes compelling family drama with inventive and eiree monster designs, making it one of the best Christmas horror films to watch with your loved ones.
Rise Of The Guardians
The story deals with the importance of belief when it comes to fueling wonder and excitement among children during the holiday season.
The story deals with the importance of belief when it comes to fueling wonder and excitement among children during the holiday season.
Rise Of The Guardians was largely ignored by audiences despite packing a star-studded cast involving Hugh Jackman, Isla Fischer, Jude Law and Alec Baldwin as well as having cinematographer Roger Deakins at the helm as a visual consultant.
But the DreamWorks animated film has garnered a critical revaluation in the past decade, becoming a fan favourite among animation fans as well as a choice pick for movies to watch on Christmas.
The story deals with the importance of belief when it comes to fueling wonder and excitement among children during the holiday season.
It follows the guardians of these holidays, viz. Santa Claus, Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy as they attempt to stop the Boogeyman from having children lose their belief in the existence of these legends.
Batman Returns
Director Tim Burton permanently shaped Batman's modern visual iconography with the film.
Director Tim Burton permanently shaped Batman's modern visual iconography with the film.
Batman Returns is an unconventional but not entirely unfitting choice for comic book movie afficianados who would like to lose themselves in the sombre, gothic snow clad atmosphere of Tim Burton's crime drama.
Taking place on Christmas, the film is an operatic reflection on the emptiness of holiday commercialism, the love that can spring from shared 'otherness' and the importance of family.
Director Tim Burton permanently shaped Batman's modern visual iconography with the film, marrying film noire with German expressionism to create the superhero as we know him today.
Die Hard
The movie stars Bruce Willis as the iconic everyman hero cop John McClane, as he attempts to reconnect with his estranged wife on Christmas while fending off terrorists.
The movie stars Bruce Willis as the iconic everyman hero cop John McClane, as he attempts to reconnect with his estranged wife on Christmas while fending off terrorists.
Die Hard is one of the most enduring action classics for those who would like to watch a film that "moves" over a film that's moving, on Christmas.
The movie stars Bruce Willis as the iconic everyman hero cop John McClane, as he attempts to reconnect with his estranged wife on Christmas while fending off terrorists who have taken over a skyscraper they're both trapped in.
The film's dramatic crisis pushes the couple closer together as the both risk their lives to save each others' as well as trying to make sure that the civillians trapped with them make it home to Christmas dinner.
Monty Python's Life Of Brian
Since Christmas in its modern and literal interpretation is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, Monty Python's Life of Brian makes the cut.
Since Christmas in its modern and literal interpretation is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, Monty Python's Life of Brian makes the cut.
Possibly the most unconventional pick for a Christmas movie since it doesn't feature snow or the holiday itself but it does involve a satirical parable of the birth and life of Jesus Christ told through the irreverent lens of the iconic British comedy troupe Monty Python.
And since Christmas in its modern and literal interpretation is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, Monty Python's Life of Brian makes the cut.
Partly financed by the Beatle George Harrison, the film gained both critical repute and notoriety for its satirical examination of religion and history.
There you have it. Ten 'not-so-Christmas-y' movies to binge during the weekend, or on the day itself. Be prepared to keep the snacks at bay, because you will need them. Happy holidays!
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
With Dhurandhar Boom And Avatar Release, PVR INOX Eyes Record Q3 Collections
Oscars 2026 Shortlists Released: 12 Categories, Indian Movie 'Homebound' Makes Cut — Check Full List
Buy, Sell Or Hold: Whirlpool, Sai Life Sciences, HDFC Life, Apollo Micro Systems, Union Bank — Ask Profit
Kishore Bang Sees Classic Bull Run Signs In Indian Markets | NDTV Profit Exclusive
POPULAR