It’s Christmas season yet again! With that comes the yearly barrage of holiday films flooding our streaming services and TV channels. As fun as it is to go through the yearly tradition of watching the same old Christmas classics, some of you are probably starting to grow tired of seeing A Charlie Brown Christmas for the nth time. We’ve come up with a list of unique films taking place during the holidays to spice up your Yuletide bingewatching. 

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

Fresh from his hearthrob roles, Johnny Depp opted to try something completely different by taking the lead role in Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands. Centering around an artificial boy with scissors for hands, Edward Scissorhands makes for a charming gothic tale that happens to take place right before the holiday season. Depp’s performance as Edward is easily one of the best parts of this film, showing just how he got his start as Hollywood’s beloved oddball actor. It’s also one of horror icon Vincent Price’s final films. 

Gremlins (1984)

Careful, don’t get the Mogwai wet! The Mogwai creature, nicknamed Gizmo, is given as an early Christmas present to the main character, Taking care of the creature means following three simple rules. If broken, all hell breaks loose as the Mogwai turns into the evil creature known as a Gremlin. It’s certainly an amusing Christmas watch to see the usual holiday cheer erupt into a maniacal experience as the Gremlins wreak havoc all over. 

Mean Girls (2004)

On Wednesdays, we wear pink! That’s just one of the many iconic lines from this film that its avid fans reference each time. Mean Girls follows the story of Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) trying her best to fit in with the crowd as the new kid in high school. One of its most recognizable scenes takes place during the school’s winter talent show, where Cady joins the popular girls for a stunning performance of Jingle Bell Rock. 

Batman Returns (1992)

It’s Tim Burton’s second go at tackling the story of the dark knight. Reprising his role as Batman yet again, Michael Keaton continues to give life to the titular character as he faces the grotesque Penguin (Danny DeVito). Michelle Pfeiffer also delivers a memorable performance as the alluring Catwoman. Because it’s filled with action-packed scenes and decorated with Burton’s classic gothic touch, most people tend to forget a large chunk of the film took place during the holiday season. 

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005)

Perhaps one of C.S. Lewis’ most beloved stories from the Narnia series, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe follows the Pevensie children as they enter a magical world known as Narnia. It’s impossible not to think of the holidays when you see the snow-covered land, later revealed to be a curse by the White Witch. If that’s not enough to convince you it’s a holiday movie, Father Christmas, Narnia’s version of Santa Claus, even makes an important appearance. He provides Peter, Susan, and Lucy with special gifts to help save their brother Edmund from the White Witch.

Rocky IV (1985)

Sylvester Stallone barely made ends meet when he fought tooth and nail to create the first Rocky film in 1976. Fast forward years later, there’s no doubt Rocky Balboa is his most popular onscreen character. By the ‘80s, the Rocky franchise was so beloved that it had spawned a fourth installment. In Rocky IV, Balboa goes head on against the Russian powerhouse Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren). Their final battle takes place at Christmas in the Soviet Union. While some scenes come off as cheesy—Paulie’s robot comes to mind—it still makes for a good holiday watch.

First Blood (1982)

Sylvester Stallone has also been known for another iconic character—Vietnam War veteran John Rambo. In First Blood, we follow the downtrodden veteran as charting his own course in Hope, Washington, a sheriff starts to harass him. Unbothered, Rambo attempts to return to the town only to be unlawfully arrested and abused by the sheriff and his cops. After their abuse triggers his memories being tortured by North Vietnamese soldiers, he fights back and escapes. As a fugitive, he reluctantly faces off against the town’s entire police force. So how is this tragic tale of PTSD related to the holidays? The film takes place during the holidays, If you’re keen enough, you’ll see Christmas decorations everywhere.

Babe (1995)

That’ll do pig, that’ll do. Babe has long been regarded as a childhood favorite by many. It follows the story of an orphaned pig being brought to a new home by farmer Arthur Hoggett (James Cromwell). His wife, Esme (Magda Szubanski), has plans of cooking the pig for a hearty Christmas dinner. He manages to convince her to wait another year, saying Babe might end up as a prize ham in the next county fair. While that makes for the only connection to the holidays in the film, the rest of the movie is filled with wholesome moments and makes for a charming holiday flick for the family.

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

We know Stanley Kubrick for classics like A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, and 2001: A Space Odyssey. His final film, Eyes Wide Shot, follows themes relating to temptation, lust, and infidelity. The main character Dr. William Harford (Tom Cruise) tries to find ways to deal with his urges after his wife, Alice (Nicole Kidman), reveals one of her fantasies. Much of it takes place during the holiday season. Like Kubrick’s other works, it’s a wonderfully shot piece that leaves viewers debating about morality based on what is shown.

Die Hard (1988)

Yippee-ka-yay, need we say more? Bruce Willis as John McClane goes all-out to fight against terrorists taking over the headquarters of his wife’s workplace during their Christmas party. Witty comebacks, gun-slinging action, and a magnificent performance by the late Alan Rickman make Die Hard one of the best holiday action movies to gorge down your popcorn to. Christmas songs, normally joyful, provide a chilling effect to scene where McClane goes through several obstacles to get to his wife. Watch it back-to-back with Die Hard 2, which also takes place on Christmas Eve.