Anything But a “Silent Night”

by dgranger | created - 4 months ago | updated - 4 months ago | Public

Each one of these are action, western, comedy, horror, war, and mystery movie set at Christmastime that include a crime? And this year, there is a new entry to that list. Which is the naughtiest?

WARNING: Several of these movies have similar or the the exact same title to them. So please read the IMDb’s description that gets automatically gets attached to title entries of a list in order to make sure you are voting for the film you remember.

To talk about this list, or suggest better entries to remove the lower rated ones, go to this jail and maybe the E.L.F.S. (The Santa Clause (1994)) will come and rescue you if you’re nice.

P.S. I did use Holiday horrors to stream this season by the IMDb editors to make entries for this poll. But a lot of the entries are mine too. Good luck trying to name a horror film that doesn’t have a crime it.

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1. Silent Night (2023)

R | 104 min | Action, Thriller

53 Metascore

A grieving father enacts his long-awaited revenge against a ruthless gang on Christmas Eve.

Director: John Woo | Stars: Joel Kinnaman, Kid Cudi, Harold Torres, Catalina Sandino Moreno

Votes: 18,786

A grieving father enacts his long-awaited revenge against a ruthless gang on Christmas Eve.

2. Violent Night (2022)

R | 112 min | Action, Comedy, Thriller

55 Metascore

An elite team of mercenaries breaks into a family compound on Christmas Eve, taking everyone hostage. However, they aren't prepared for a surprise combatant: Santa Claus is on the grounds, and he's about to show why this Nick is no saint.

Director: Tommy Wirkola | Stars: David Harbour, John Leguizamo, Beverly D'Angelo, Alex Hassell

Votes: 99,045 | Gross: $50.06M

When a group of mercenaries attack the estate of a wealthy family, Santa Claus must step in to save the day (and Christmas).

3. Die Hard (1988)

R | 132 min | Action, Thriller

72 Metascore

A New York City police officer tries to save his estranged wife and several others taken hostage by terrorists during a Christmas party at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles.

Director: John McTiernan | Stars: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald VelJohnson

Votes: 945,472 | Gross: $83.01M

A New York City police officer tries to save his estranged wife and several others taken hostage by terrorists during a Christmas party at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles.

4. Home Alone (1990)

PG | 103 min | Comedy, Family

63 Metascore

An eight-year-old troublemaker, mistakenly left home alone, must defend his home against a pair of burglars on Christmas Eve.

Director: Chris Columbus | Stars: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Heard

Votes: 652,781 | Gross: $285.76M

An eight-year-old troublemaker, mistakenly left home alone, must defend his home against a pair of burglars on Christmas eve.

5. Lethal Weapon (1987)

R | 109 min | Action, Crime, Thriller

68 Metascore

Two newly paired cops who are complete opposites must put aside their differences in order to catch a gang of drug smugglers.

Director: Richard Donner | Stars: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Mitchell Ryan

Votes: 276,354 | Gross: $65.21M

Two newly paired cops who are complete opposites must put aside their differences in order to catch a gang of drug smugglers.

6. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

PG | 130 min | Drama, Family, Fantasy

89 Metascore

An angel is sent from Heaven to help a desperately frustrated businessman by showing him what life would have been like if he had never existed.

Director: Frank Capra | Stars: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell

Votes: 499,083

Most people will not think there is a crime in here but there at least two and possibly three. Attempted suicide is a crime. And also what Potter did is, when he discovered the money and knew whose it was, and what it was to be used for, is also a crime. Remember, he is still member of the board of directors of the Bailey Building and Loan, and a major stockholder of it. That is embezzlement and false arrest or reporting a false crime (when he decided to press charges against George Bailey).

7. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

PG | 76 min | Animation, Family, Fantasy

82 Metascore

Jack Skellington, king of Halloween Town, discovers Christmas Town, but his attempts to bring Christmas to his home causes confusion.

Director: Henry Selick | Stars: Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara, William Hickey

Votes: 375,112 | Gross: $75.08M

Jack Skellington, king of Halloween Town, discovers Christmas Town, but his attempts to bring Christmas to his home causes confusion. The film includes kidnapping and attempted murder.

8. Silent Night (2002 TV Movie)

TV-PG | 100 min | Biography, Drama, War

In a cabin on a World War II front, a German mom with a young son mediates a truce between three German and three American soldiers so they can all celebrate Christmas Eve 1944 together.

Director: Rodney Gibbons | Stars: Linda Hamilton, Matthew Harbour, Romano Orzari, Alain Goulem

Votes: 1,881

In a cabin in a WWII front, a German mom with a son mediates a truce between 3 German and 3 American soldiers so they can all celebrate Christmas Eve 1944 together.

9. We're No Angels (1955)

Not Rated | 106 min | Comedy, Crime, Romance

51 Metascore

Three Devil's Island escapees hide out in the house of a kindly merchant and repay his kindness by helping him and his family out of several crises.

Director: Michael Curtiz | Stars: Humphrey Bogart, Peter Ustinov, Aldo Ray, Joan Bennett

Votes: 10,773

Three Devil's Island escapees hide out in the house of a kindly merchant and repay his kindness by helping him and his family out of several crises. Theft, fraud, forgery, and safe-cracking

10. Gremlins (1984)

PG | 106 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror

70 Metascore

A young man inadvertently breaks three important rules concerning his new pet and unleashes a horde of malevolently mischievous monsters on a small town.

Director: Joe Dante | Stars: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, John Louie

Votes: 247,770 | Gross: $148.17M

A young man inadvertently breaks three important rules concerning his new pet and unleashes a horde of malevolently mischievous monsters on a small town.

11. Die Hard 2 (1990)

R | 124 min | Action, Thriller

67 Metascore

John McClane attempts to avert disaster as rogue military operatives seize control of Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C.

Director: Renny Harlin | Stars: Bruce Willis, William Atherton, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald VelJohnson

Votes: 383,058 | Gross: $117.54M

John McClane attempts to avert disaster as rogue military operatives seize control of Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C.

12. Bad Santa (2003)

R | 92 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama

70 Metascore

A miserable conman and his partner pose as Santa and his Little Helper to rob department stores on Christmas Eve. But they run into problems when the conman befriends a troubled kid.

Director: Terry Zwigoff | Stars: Billy Bob Thornton, Bernie Mac, Lauren Graham, John Ritter

Votes: 155,156 | Gross: $60.06M

13. Black Christmas (1974)

R | 98 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller

65 Metascore

During their Christmas break, a group of sorority girls are stalked by a stranger.

Director: Bob Clark | Stars: Olivia Hussey, Keir Dullea, Margot Kidder, John Saxon

Votes: 48,344 | Gross: $4.05M

14. 3 Godfathers (1948)

Passed | 106 min | Drama, Western

82 Metascore

Three outlaws on the run risk their freedom and their lives to return a newborn to civilization.

Director: John Ford | Stars: John Wayne, Pedro Armendáriz, Harry Carey Jr., Ward Bond

Votes: 10,608

Bank robbery

15. The Lemon Drop Kid (1951)

Approved | 91 min | Comedy, Crime, Music

A New York City swindler has until Christmas to come up with the $10,000 he owes a gangster, prompting him to go into scamming overdrive.

Directors: Sidney Lanfield, Frank Tashlin | Stars: Bob Hope, Marilyn Maxwell, Lloyd Nolan, Jane Darwell

Votes: 2,258

Fraud

16. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)

PG | 120 min | Adventure, Comedy, Crime

46 Metascore

One year after Kevin McCallister was left home alone and had to defeat a pair of bumbling burglars, he accidentally finds himself stranded in New York City - and the same criminals are not far behind.

Director: Chris Columbus | Stars: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, Catherine O'Hara

Votes: 402,479 | Gross: $173.59M

17. Lady on a Train (1945)

Passed | 94 min | Comedy, Crime, Film-Noir

48 Metascore

In New York, a woman who partially witnesses a killing from a train window seeks the aid of a crime novelist to solve the murder.

Director: Charles David | Stars: Deanna Durbin, Ralph Bellamy, David Bruce, George Coulouris

Votes: 2,563

Murder mystery, and breaking and entering, and theft (the slippers).

18. Miracle at Moreaux (1985 TV Movie)

TV-PG | 58 min | Drama, History, War

It is 1943, and the students at a catholic boarding school decide to hide three Jewish children from the Nazis. To save the children, the members of the boarding school will have to find the courage to risk their own lives in the process.

Director: Paul Shapiro | Stars: Loretta Swit, Robert Joy, Ken Pogue, Robert Kosoy

Votes: 146

Technically, this is aiding and abetting fugitives. But since the fugitives never did a real crime other than being of the Jewish faith, and that the Nazi hunting them intended to send them to a concentration camp (Aka: unjust imprisonment) where they probably would have been put into forced labor and probably would have died. So who is the real criminal?

19. Rare Exports (2010)

R | 84 min | Adventure, Fantasy, Horror

71 Metascore

In the depths of the Korvatunturi mountains, 486 meters deep, lies the closest ever guarded secret of Christmas. The time has come to dig it up. This Christmas everyone will believe in Santa Claus.

Director: Jalmari Helander | Stars: Jorma Tommila, Onni Tommila, Peeter Jakobi, Tommi Korpela

Votes: 32,141 | Gross: $0.26M

20. Fitzwilly (1967)

Not Rated | 102 min | Comedy, Romance

A butler and the staff of an eccentric aged philanthropist whose family wealth is exhausted engage in larceny and crimes to maintain her lifestyle and provide funds for her charitable activities.

Director: Delbert Mann | Stars: Dick Van Dyke, Barbara Feldon, John McGiver, Edith Evans

Votes: 2,042

21. Better Watch Out (II) (2016)

R | 89 min | Comedy, Horror, Thriller

67 Metascore

On a quiet suburban street, a babysitter must defend a twelve-year-old boy from intruders, only to discover it's far from a normal home invasion.

Director: Chris Peckover | Stars: Olivia DeJonge, Levi Miller, Ed Oxenbould, Aleks Mikic

Votes: 46,246 | Gross: $0.02M

22. The Christmas Star (1986)

TV-G | 94 min | Drama, Family

A counterfeiter finds the true meaning of the holidays.

Director: Alan Shapiro | Stars: Edward Asner, Rene Auberjonois, Jim Metzler, Susan Tyrrell

Votes: 844

23. Krampus (I) (2015)

PG-13 | 98 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror

49 Metascore

A boy who has a bad Christmas accidentally summons a festive demon to his family home.

Director: Michael Dougherty | Stars: Adam Scott, Toni Collette, David Koechner, Allison Tolman

Votes: 84,068 | Gross: $42.59M

24. Anna and the Apocalypse (2017)

R | 93 min | Comedy, Horror, Musical

63 Metascore

A zombie apocalypse threatens the sleepy town of Little Haven - at Christmas - forcing Anna and her friends to fight, slash and sing their way to survival, facing the undead in a desperate race to reach their loved ones. But they soon discover that no one is safe in this new world, and with civilization falling apart around them, the only people they can truly rely on are each other.

Director: John McPhail | Stars: Ella Hunt, Malcolm Cumming, Sarah Swire, Christopher Leveaux

Votes: 15,628 | Gross: $0.55M

25. A Christmas Horror Story (2015)

Not Rated | 99 min | Fantasy, Horror, Mystery

49 Metascore

Interwoven stories that take place on Christmas Eve, as told by one festive radio host: A family brings home more than a Christmas tree, a student documentary becomes a living nightmare, a Christmas spirit terrorizes, Santa slays evil.

Directors: Grant Harvey, Steven Hoban, Brett Sullivan | Stars: William Shatner, George Buza, Rob Archer, Zoé De Grand Maison

Votes: 12,481

26. Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)

R | 79 min | Horror, Thriller

31 Metascore

Little Billy witnesses his parents getting killed by Santa after being warned by his senile grandpa that Santa punishes those who are naughty. Now Billy is 18 and out of the orphanage, and he has just become Santa himself.

Director: Charles E. Sellier Jr. | Stars: Lilyan Chauvin, Gilmer McCormick, Toni Nero, Robert Brian Wilson

Votes: 18,804 | Gross: $2.49M

27. Silent Night (I) (2021)

Not Rated | 92 min | Comedy, Drama

52 Metascore

Nell, Simon, and their 3 sons are ready to welcome friends and family for what promises to be a perfect Christmas gathering. Perfect except for one thing: everyone is going to die.

Director: Camille Griffin | Stars: Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Roman Griffin Davis, Annabelle Wallis

Votes: 19,986

Suicide, and assisted suicide

28. Bad Santa 2 (2016)

R | 92 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama

38 Metascore

Fueled by cheap whiskey, greed and hatred, Willie teams up once again with his angry little sidekick, Marcus, to knock off a Chicago charity on Christmas Eve.

Director: Mark Waters | Stars: Billy Bob Thornton, Kathy Bates, Tony Cox, Christina Hendricks

Votes: 28,518 | Gross: $17.78M

29. Christmas Evil (1980)

R | 100 min | Horror, Thriller

A toy factory worker, mentally scarred as a child upon learning Santa Claus is not real, suffers a nervous breakdown after being belittled at work, and embarks on a Yuletide killing spree.

Director: Lewis Jackson | Stars: Brandon Maggart, Jeffrey DeMunn, Dianne Hull, Andy Fenwick

Votes: 8,571

30. Silent Night (I) (2012)

R | 94 min | Comedy, Horror, Mystery

53 Metascore

The police force of a remote Midwestern town search for a killer Santa Claus who is picking off citizens on Christmas Eve.

Director: Steven C. Miller | Stars: Malcolm McDowell, Jaime King, Donal Logue, Rick Skene

Votes: 9,433 | Gross: $0.01M

31. Night of the Dark Full Moon (1972)

R | 81 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller

A man inherits a mansion which once was a mental home. He visits the place and begins to investigate some crimes that happened in old times, scaring the people living in the region.

Director: Theodore Gershuny | Stars: Patrick O'Neal, James Patterson, Mary Woronov, Astrid Heeren

Votes: 4,895

32. Jack Frost (1997 Video)

R | 89 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror

After an accident that left murderer Jack Frost dead in genetic material the vengeful killer returns as a murderous snowman to exact his revenge on the man who sent him to be executed

Director: Michael Cooney | Stars: Scott MacDonald, Christopher Allport, Stephen Mendel, F. William Parker

Votes: 10,762

Don’t confuse this with the other films named “Jack Frost”.

33. The Gingerdead Man (2005)

Not Rated | 70 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror

An evil yet adorable Gingerbread man comes to life with the soul of a convicted killer - this real life cookie monster wreaks havoc on the girl who sent the killer to the electric chair.

Director: Charles Band | Stars: Gary Busey, Robin Sydney, Ryan Locke, Larry Cedar

Votes: 4,721

34. Trading Places (1983)

R | 116 min | Comedy

69 Metascore

A snobbish investor and a wily street con artist find their positions reversed as part of a bet by two callous millionaires.

Director: John Landis | Stars: Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd, Ralph Bellamy, Don Ameche

Votes: 165,767 | Gross: $90.40M

Attempted robbery, insider trading, bribing a government official, stolen government documents (the crop report), kidnapping, conspiracy, insurance fraud, theft, and more.

35. Larceny, Inc (1942)

Passed | 95 min | Comedy

Three ex-cons buy a luggage shop to tunnel into the bank vault next door. But despite all they can do, the shop prospers...

Director: Lloyd Bacon | Stars: Edward G. Robinson, Jane Wyman, Broderick Crawford, Jack Carson

Votes: 3,145

Bank robbery, con games.



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