The holiday season is here and with that means another special series of Christmas-themed articles from KBZ! Last year we looked at the raunchiest comedies of the Christmas season, fantasy films where people live an alternate life during the holidays and the scariest Christmas horror films from 2020 – 2023. This year we’re going with a few different themes involving thrilling Christmas action and crime, comedic holiday capers and the best adaptations of a beloved Christmas classic. And if you’re looking for an entire list of every film set during Christmas, be sure to check out KBZ’s Collection of Christmas Movies that has an entire list of both classic and lesser-known films for the holiday season.
This first article will cover the Best Christmas Crime Films and you can check out our other Christmas-themed articles for 2024 below:
- Best Christmas Crime Films
- Best Film Adaptations of A Christmas Carol
- Funniest Christmas Capers
What are the Best Christmas Crime Films? Read on as we look at some of the best action thrillers and crimes films set during Christmas from the last 50 years.
For our rankings we’re going to use some criteria to help define and refine our list. First, Die Hard (1988) is a Christmas film. End of debate. Our list will feature the best action and crime films set during the Christmas holiday that aren’t about the spirit of Christmas. If holiday heists, hostages, cops and vigilantes put you in a festive mood, this is your list.
Second, only adult-themed films will be considered here. This won’t be a list of family films. For caper or crime-themed comedy films set during Christmas, we’ll cover those in our Best Christmas Caper Comedies article.
Third, most of the films on our list are action-packed, violent and though fictional, are not fantasy-based. So crime and action Christmas films with fantasy elements such as Batman Returns (1992), Fatman (2020) and Violent Night (2022) won’t make an appearance here but are great films that deserve a watch during the holidays.
And fourth, we had to follow our rule for all of KBZ’s film listings where we only list films that have a 4.0/10 or higher rating and were released after 1970.
Our complete list of Christmas Movies features over 838+ films from 1946 – 2024. This collection features almost every film from every genre set during Christmas and other end of the year holidays. Also, as we’re always updating our collections and will be releasing additional articles of great Christmas films, subscribe to our newsletter for our latest updates as we post them.
We have embedded a compilation video of the Best Christmas Crime Films and more details on these films can be found in the list below. Note: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Best Christmas Crime Films
Honorable Mentions: Invasion U.S.A. (1985), Game Over (1989), Maniac Cop 2 (1990), While She Was Out (2008), A Christmas Tale (2008), El Camino Christmas (2017) and Detective Knight: Redemption (2022).
#10
Silent Night
Plot: On Christmas Eve, a man witnesses the death of his young son when the boy gets caught in crossfire between warring gangs. Recovering from a wound that cost him his voice, he soon embarks on a bloody and grueling quest to punish those responsible.
Crime Subgenre(s): Crime Films About Gangs, Crime Films About Vigilantes
KBZ’s Take: If Death Wish (1974) and The Punisher (2004) had a cinematic baby, it would be Silent Night. This film takes the best of the simmering vigilante anger of Charles Bronson’s series of films and combines it with the ultraviolent revenge of Frank Castle’s Punisher.
This is a very dark film with little to no dialogue throughout. And though most of the vigilante themes in the film have been done before, it’s elevated by John Woo’s direction, some raw and violent action sequences and a standout performance of a man with nothing left to live for in Joel Kinnaman.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: A college freshman returns to Los Angeles for Christmas at his ex-girlfriend’s request, but discovers that his former best friend has an out-of-control drug habit.
Crime Subgenre(s): Crime Films About Drugs & Narcos
KBZ’s Take: We could have gone with more action-oriented Christmas crime films such as Invasion U.S.A. (1985) or El Camino Christmas (2017) in this spot, but we felt Less Than Zero was deserving of recognition on our list.
Though the film is mostly a dark Teen Drama about Julian’s (Robert Downey Jr.) drug addiction, it’s also about Rip’s (James Spader) drug dealing and the steps he takes to make sure Julian pays off his debt. It’s a depressing film but one that has firmly established itself as the anti-Christmas film for the Gen X generation.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: After assuming his dead cellmate’s identity to get with his girlfriend, an ex-con finds himself the reluctant participant in a casino heist.
Crime Subgenre(s): Crime Films About Capers & Heists
KBZ’s Take: We’re going to be upfront that Reindeer Games is not a great film. With a cast including Ben Affleck, Gary Sinise, Charlize Theron, Dennis Farina and Isaac Hayes and a film directed by the great John Frankenheimer, you would expect a thrilling heist film. Unfortunately, the film doesn’t quite deliver with some uninspired performances against a convoluted plot.
With all that said, despite the film’s flaws, it’s slowly but assuredly become one of the better Christmas crime films for your holiday viewing rotation.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: A shady lawyer attempts a Christmas Eve crime, hoping to swindle the local mob out of some money. But his partner, a strip club owner, might have different plans for the cash.
Crime Subgenre(s): Crime Films About Capers & Heists
KBZ’s Take: The Ice Harvest is a Heist Film, Dark Comedy and Neo-Noir Thriller all rolled into one for our pick of the most underrated crime film for Christmas. Like other films on our list, what the film lacks in typical Christmas ‘feel good’ vibes, it more than makes up for with a dark message about greed and betrayal.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#6
Wild Card
Plot: A bodyguard (Jason Statham) goes after the sadistic thug who beat his friend, only to find that the object of his wrath is the son of a powerful mob boss.
Crime Subgenre(s): Crime Films About Gamblers, Crime Films About Gangsters & The Mob
KBZ’s Take: Wild Card is a more action-oriented crime film on our list that’s set in Las Vegas during Christmas. And while the film is predictable and bombed at the box office, it’s still a pick worthy of adding to your holiday rotation. The film has some great action fight scenes in the film and an underrated look at gambling addiction.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: Schoolteacher and single mother Samantha Caine (Geena Davis) lives an average suburban life – until she begins having strange memories of unexplained violence and discovers that she has physical skills that she never imagined. Hiring private detective Mitch Hennessey (Samuel L. Jackson) to probe into her past, Samantha discovers that she’s a well-trained government assassin who went missing after suffering a bout of amnesia and that her former handlers want her back in their employ.
Crime Subgenre(s): Crime Films About Assassins & Hitmen
KBZ’s Take: Spoiler Alert – this will not be the only film written by Shane Black on our list. Black has a well-known affinity for using Christmas as a backdrop for many of his films from Lethal Weapon (1987) to The Nice Guys (2016).
As for The Long Kiss Goodnight, Christmas does fit prominently in the film as Samantha’s (Geena Davis) suburban life is accentuated by the themes of family and the holiday. Where the film excels, however, is with the great chemistry and rapport between Samantha (Geena David) and Mitch (Samuel L. Jackson).
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#4
Die Hard 2
Plot: Off-duty cop John McClane is gripped with a feeling of déjà vu when, on a snowy Christmas Eve in the nation’s capital, terrorists seize a major international airport, holding thousands of holiday travelers hostage. Renegade military commandos led by a murderous rogue officer plot to rescue a drug lord from justice and are prepared for every contingency except one: McClane’s smart-mouthed heroics.
Crime Subgenre(s): Crime Films About Cops & FBI, Crime Films About Hostages & Kidnappers
KBZ’s Take: If there was every any doubt that the first Die Hard (1988) is a ‘Christmas’ film, that doubt should be shattered by Die Hard 2. It’s not just a coincidence that John McClaine is battling bad guys yet again during the holidays in this just as thrilling sequel. In fact, there’s not a better one-two punch than both Die Hard films for the best crime actioners to watch for an adrenaline-fueled Christmas.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: Toronto, Canada. A few days before Christmas, Miles Cullen, a bored teller working at a bank branch located in a shopping mall, accidentally learns that the place is about to be robbed when he finds a disconcerting note on one of the counters.
Crime Subgenre(s): Crime Films About Capers & Heists
KBZ’s Take: Like Die Hard (1988), The Silent Partner takes place during Christmas and features a mall Santa planning and executing a heist. That’s where the similar holiday backgrounds between the two films end.
The remainder of the film focuses on a great Christopher Plummer as the psychotic bank robber who slowly realizes he’s been swindled by the bank employee he held up (played by Elliot Gould). The film has an amazing psychological battle between Plummer and Gould as they can’t involve the police for either of their crimes and end up in a cat and mouse game throughout the remainder of the film.
This film isn’t typically listed as a classic 70’s Heist Film but it’s on par with the best of them.
Additional Lists: Top Heist Films You Haven’t Seen – 1970’s #3
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: Veteran buttoned-down LAPD detective Roger Murtaugh is partnered with unhinged cop Martin Riggs, who — distraught after his wife’s death — has a death wish and takes unnecessary risks with criminals at every turn. The odd couple embark on their first homicide investigation as partners, involving a young woman known to Murtaugh with ties to a drug and prostitution ring.
Crime Subgenre(s): Crime Films About Cops & FBI
KBZ’s Take: The film that put Shane Black on the map and established his string of crime action comedies set during Christmas. And while Die Hard (1988) gets all the debate attention as to what constitutes an actual Christmas film, Lethal Weapon is arguably more aligned with Christmas from the film’s opening Jingle Bell Rock music to its anti-Christmas themes of PTSD and loneliness suffered by Riggs (Mel Gibson).
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#1
Die Hard
Plot: NYPD cop John McClane’s plan to reconcile with his estranged wife is thrown for a serious loop when, minutes after he arrives at her office, the entire building is overtaken by a group of terrorists. With little help from the LAPD, wisecracking McClane sets out to single-handedly rescue the hostages and bring the bad guys down.
Crime Subgenre(s): Crime Films About Cops & FBI, Crime Films About Hostages & Kidnappers
KBZ’s Take: Well, there’s no surprise here. If one film has firmly established itself as the premier crime action film to watch on Christmas, it’s Die Hard. It’s about Christmas. It’s set during Christmas. And nestled beneath all the extravagant action-filled sequences is a simple story of John McClane (Bruce Willis) trying to reconcile with his wife, Holly (Bonne Bedelia) during the holidays.
So, for all of you “Die Hard is not a Christmas Film” critics who ‘Bah! humbug!’ our selection here, all we have to say is ‘Yippee ki-yay, motherf****r’!
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
