For some odd reason Christmas and crime movies seem to fit together like ivy and holly or mint and chocolate. And sometimes you might want a film that has a more mature take on things than the usual holiday fare.
So, if you feel like a felonious festive film fest, check the following and take a break from Scrooge and Rudolph and dig into these delicious, decadent, diversions from the shiny and the sparkly and let’s dive into Christmas Crime Films!
1.The Thin Man (1934)
Based on the Dashiell Hammett novel, centers around Nick and Nora Charles, a retired detective and his heiress wife, and how their Christmas time leisure is interrupted by a murder. William Powell and Myrna Loy play the intrepid couple and although the season doesn’t always take a front seat in this film, it is a definite backdrop to this classic comedy-crime film.
2. Ocean’s Eleven (1960)
The original smooth criminal film begins around Christmas and ends on New Year’s Eve. The story revolves around Danny Ocean, played by the legendary Frank Sinatra, working with his old World War Two team, the 82nd Airborne, to run an operation that robs from five Las Vegas casinos at once. Rounding out this Rat Pack production as the top guys on the are Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Joey Bishop, and Peter Lawford, all playing top lieutenants in the titular team. Flashy, funky, and holiday quirky this groovidelic caper flick will have all of the cats and kittens singing those holiday tunes make this a wonderful addition to Christmas Crime Films!
3.The January Man (1989)
Starring Kevin Kline, Mary Elizabeth Mastronitonio, Rod Steiger, and Susan Sarandon is an odd duck of a crime film. Kline stars as a disgraced NYPD detective, who is now a heroic, dedicated fireman, brought back into the fold to solve the year-long crime spree of a serial killer. Confused as to whether if it’s a holiday, crime, or comedy film the loaded and high-level cast of this film keeps it rolling, and seeing New York decked out in its holiday finery is a perfect backdrop for this slow-paced thriller.
4. Lethal Weapon (1987)
The epitome of buddy cop action films this classic starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, has the Christmas season running deeply through its insane adrenaline-pumping veins. Layers of intrigue including special ops guys doing crazy killings and drug running interspersed with the older/grounded/family man cop teamed with the younger hot-headed/crazy/intense detective make for a crazy Christmas filled crime classic.
5. Batman Returns (1992)
Although technically a super hero movie, this movie is definitely a crime film. Taking place during Christmas, including the lighting of Gotham City’s special tree, this caper film pits Michelle Pfeifer’s Catwoman and Danny DeVito’s Penguin against Batman as portrayed by Michael Keaton for supremacy during the festive season. This film, much like the aforementioned Lethal Weapon, fully embraces Christmas as part of the movie, and has strong holiday references throughout the film.
Hope you enjoyed our picks for our criminal Christmas Crime Films! Drop us line and let us know what films you feel should be in the list.
