We’re Settling the Debate: Is ‘Die Hard’ a Christmas Movie?

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‘Tis the season to trim the trees, bake cookies, and wrap presents, and nothing makes those tasks more festive than having a primo Christmas movie lineup playing in the background. Sure, some prefer to go full-on Hallmark Channel come December 1 and invite Lacey Chabert, Allison Sweeney, and Danica McKellar to become at least a few of the reasons for the season. But others need more excitement than big-city-girl-finding-happiness-with-small-town-man stories can provide. Luckily, there are a number of classic titles that never fail to entertain—no matter who has invited themselves through the front door (or down chimney). Purists might lean toward films like Miracle on 34th Street, White Christmas, and It’s a Wonderful Life, while others are drawn to funnier fare like A Christmas Story, Home Alone, Elf, and Christmas Vacation.

But for a select few, the person they turn to the moment Jack Frost begins nipping at our nose is one Bruce Willis. That’s right, my friends, many of us associate the holidays with one of the greatest action films ever made—Die Hard—a movie that came out in 1988 and also stars Bonnie Bedelia, Alan Rickman, and the dad from Family Matters. While action films aren’t generally associated with the warmth-and-fuzziness found in more traditional holiday films, this movie does stress the importance of family, helping others, and wearing shoes (more on that later)—albeit with a side of terrorism and murder. For that reason—and a few others—”Die Hard” is definitely a Christmas movie.

Why Is “Die Hard” a Christmas Movie?

There is an argument that a movie should have a Christmas-based storyline or theme in order to qualify as a Christmas movie. Die Hard checks both boxes. The entire film takes place during a Christmas party! Does the Christmas party get invaded by terrorists who then hold all the employees hostage? Sure, and that’s when all the good stuff begins. It’s up to handsome policeman John McLane to save his estranged wife—and everyone else—from bad guy Hans Gruber and a team of henchmen. He does it all in an undershirt and a pair of khaki chinos—no shoes even! Over the course of this two-hour, 11-minute film, our hero walks through fire—well, glass—in order to put his marriage back together while putting bad guys out of commission. What could be merrier?

Why do People Say “Die Hard” Is Not a Christmas Movie?

Certainly, some could argue that swearing doesn’t belong in a Christmas movie, and the most famous line in “Die Hard” is, “Yippie Kiyay” followed by a bad word. (Brooklyn Nine Nine fans will also recall Charles’s version: Yippie kayak other buckets!) But, guys, there are bad words in The Ref, Love Actually, and Bad Santa, and no one argues that those beloved titles aren’t Christmas movies.

Others find killing to be, well, a bit of a kill-joy. And, yes, the bad guys in Die Hard do meet very violent ends—broken necks, gun shots, explosions, falling off buildings. But here’s the thing: They really deserve it. There’s no way any of these guys are on Santa’s “nice” list.

Where Can I Watch “Die Hard?”

Great news! At least a few networks also consider Die Hard a Christmas movie, so if you’re one of the few who still has cable or Dish, you can find it on MTV this December. Prefer to stream? You can rent it for a mere $3.79 on Prime Video or stream it on Disney+ and the Starz app.

In short, there’s absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t get on the McLane train this season. It’s time to add Die Hard to your annual holiday playlist and give yourself the gift of laughter, excitement, and entertainment!

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