It ’s strange that there are actually a destiny of parallel of latitude between thrillers and holiday movies , and sometimes , the only matter that dissever the two is comedy . Whether it ’s dramatic event that erupts into furiousness between families or kids who apply their creativity for violence , there ’s nothing but a few Christmas carol that keep them from being intense thriller .

These Christmas movies feature tale that could just as easily be thrillers , and in the hand of the right director , they could even be in effect than the original movie .

UPDATE: 2022/12/10 17:58 EST BY STEPHEN BARKER

With the gay season now in full golf shot , Christmas movies are on heavy rotation in almost every household , and parent might be noticing just how astonishingly gloomy most holiday films are . And the newly releasedThe Mean One , which is a horror take on the Jim Carrey - ledHow the Grinch Stole Christmas , turn out that even the most high - spirited Christmas movie can easily be turn into dark and gritty picture show unsuitable for children .

Falling For Christmas (2022)

Netflix’sFalling for Christmasis one of the new merry films , but it’snotable for being Lindsay Lohan ’s comeback roleand picayune else . The film has been critically slammed , and the premise of a pampered dad ’s girl losing her computer memory and hear to enjoy the little things as a log cabin actor is too resonant of a Hallmark flick .

However , the picture could be slap-up if that very premise was used as a thriller movie . Instead of being taken in by a Prince Charming - eccentric persona , Sierra ( Lohan ) could just as well have been taken in by a sleazy cabin owner who fed her lies about her old living to keep her there , a la10 Cloverfield Lane . But , in fairness , that is n’t all that unlike from the wayFalling for Christmasunfolds , which make the movie that much eldritch .

Scrooged (1988)

In fairness , Scroogedis as snug to a thriller as a family Christmas movie take , as it ’s exciting , full of crime , and even direful in parts . The Ghost of Christmas Past as a New York cabbie has frightened the life out of minor over the year .

The only thing it ’s lacking is the suspense , and ifScroogedkept the fact that it’san adaption ofA Christmas Carola secret until the end , the nervous 1988 festive comedy would have made for a great and worrisome secret thriller . That advance would have left audiences judge what was going on the whole way through , and it would have had such a satisfying payoff too .

Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)

WhilePlanes , Trains & Automobileshas always been pop over the holiday season , it ’s especially pop this year due to the fresh released three - hour version and Drew Barrymore require to reboot the film with Cameron Diaz ( viaMovieWeb ) . If the reboot does materialise , they could go down the much darker avenue that was hinted at in the original film .

It has been heavy speculated thatDel keep his wife ’s trunk in the immense suitcasehe lug around everywhere , which would make for a much more thrilling pic than the fun road trip flick that was the concluding result . After all , what good career is there for a serial grampus than a travel salesman ?

Christmas With The Kranks (2004)

Christmas with the Kranksis about a class who lives in a neighborhood that ’s obsessed with Christmas , and while that is n’t exactly out of the average for a holiday film , especially for one set in Chicago , it ’s way over the top in the 2004 release . The residential district in the film is less like a community and more like a mean religious cult that condemns anyone who does n’t do what the loss leader says .

Christmas with the Krankswould have been a lot more entertaining if it focused on this panorama of the community than the Krank family line simply ignoring anything Christmas - related . Not only that , but it could have made for one of the good cult - based thrillers and could have been more likeMandythanDeck the Halls .

The Santa Clause (1994)

Tim Allen ’s transformation into becoming Santa is one of the understanding why he ’s the perfect Kris Kringle inThe Santa Clause , but it ’s easy to overlook the very reasonableness why he transformed into previous Saint Nick in the first place .

InThe Santa Clause , Allen accidentally kills Santa and then at last steals his identity , and if that is n’t ground for an intense , gritty , David Fincher - esque thriller movie , then what is ? That could have been the premise for the newly released seriesThe Santa Clauses , but that might not have exactly been a keen fit for Disney+ .

Bad Santa (2003)

Bad Santais already dark for a Christmas movie , andthis Santa is n’t so jolly . The merry cinema keep abreast a shopping center Santa ( Billy Bob Thornton ) who ’s completely depressed and drown his ruefulness with intoxicant and other essence .

It ’s one of the Christmas movies released after 2000 that could be considered a classic , but the character is scarily on edge and inhabits all the traits that make a great on - screenland sequential killer . Maybe ifBad Santa 2played on this melodic theme it would n’t have been so dissatisfactory . However , the recently releasedViolent Nighthas seemingly filled that vacancy .

A Christmas Story (1983)

" You ’ll shoot your eye out " is one of the most iconic quotes fromA Christmas Story , as Ralphie has his eyes on only one affair for Christmas , a Red Ryder BB Gun . In the end , he actually gets the present and he , of course of instruction , ends up hurt himself when playing with it , which completely invest him off the idea of toy guns .

However , if that stroke had never happened , it ’s potential that Ralphie could have fallen in love with shooting guns , and maybe led him down a dark path . WhileA Christmas Story Christmaswas way well than expected , it would have been interesting to see this alternate timeline hinted at in the newly released legacy sequel .

How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

There ’s no denying that it ’d make more of a large horror than a thriller , and it has just recently been done too , as the freshly releasedThe Mean Oneis a repulsion take on the darling children ’s book . However , How The Grinch Stole Christmashas all the hallmark of a peachy thriller movie too .

If the movie was a thriller , it would probably have been more well - meet upon its release , Not only that , but Jim Carrey would for certain have been seen as one of the greatest antagonist ever , up there with the likes of Hannibal Lecter .

Jingle All The Way (1996)

Jingle All The Wayalready takes some major liberties and push the boundary as far as it can in terms of what can be shown in a children ’s movie . The moving picture travel along two men lock horn and literally sample to kill each other over a doll that their children require . And the film concisely turns into an activity offense flick , as a warehouse full of criminal mall Santas gets raided by the FBI for selling damaged goodness .

One of the men even imperil to bomb a building , and it ’s all for comedic assuagement . The movie is almost already a glum movie disguised as a fellowship film , as all the studio apartment needs to do is remove the trick and it instantly becomes a thriller .

The Polar Express (2004)

Tom Hanks voicing several characters is one of thehidden details peoplemissed inThe Polar Express , whether it ’s the stern but fair train director , Hero Boy , or even Santa Claus himself . But there ’s another case that the actor voices , which is the Hobo establish ride on the top of the train who suddenly disappear .

Hobo frightens the spirit out of Hero Boy , and the character ’s import was always left open - all over . But in any other pic , the character would surely have been the suspect in a execution typeface . yield thatsome believe Hobo is an older Hero Boy , that fan theory could be explored as a captivating thriller pic .

Sidious, Tyranus, Maul, and Vader.

Ben Affleck as Christian drumming his hand on the table while talking to Cynthia Addai-Robinson’s Marybeth in The Accountant 2

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Split image of scenes Home Alone, Planes, Trains & Automobiles, and A Christmas Story

Sierra, Jake, and Avy with the Chesnut Vendor in Falling For Christmas

Bill Murray smoking a cigar in Scrooged

Steve Martin looking furious in Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Nora on the floor in Christmas with the Kranks

Scott Calvin wearing Santa’s coat in The Santa Clause

Billy Bob Thornton in Bad Santa

Ralphie in A Christmas Story

Cindy and Grinch in How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Arnold Schwarzenegger with a group of Santas in Jingle All The Way

The mysterious Hobo as he appeared in Polar Express

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