5 science fiction films to watch on Christmas
Just because it’s Christmas doesn’t mean you have to stop watching science fiction. Nope, not this year or any year for that matter. Not as long as they’re science fiction-themed films set during Christmas or science fiction movies released on Christmas. Nope, we’re always going to have a bevy of options for you.
Looking at this list, we can promise you there’s going to be something for everyone on here. From Christmas to Christmas horror, all the way to Santa Claus beating up a whole host of aliens. It’s like good ol’ Chris Kringle went full James Kirk here. Almost, but not quite.
The films below are a variety of sorts. Something for everyone and hopefully something that you yourself will enjoy to some degree. They may not all be classics, and some may be downright terrible depending on what your tastes are but if you give them a fair shake you may just find yourself in store for a pleasant Christmas evening with friends and family.
So let’s sit back, relax and enjoy some of the most novel Christmas movies we could find and make sure to get your snacks on hand. We’re talking leftover cookies, some fudge, figgy pudding (whatever that is), and of course a big old tub of popcorn.
Or some nachos and cheese if you’re feeling dangerous.
Gremlins
You’ve heard of the movie, you’ve seen the movie, but you’ve absolutely forgotten that the film was set during Christmas. That’s right, Gremlins is an out-and-out Christmas horror movie. It’s steeped in a bit of science fiction and mythological nonsense with the fact that the Gremlins have rules and their origin is largely unknown.
Are they mythical beasts? Dominative aliens? God in a furry brown and white exterior? Who knows. What we do know is that Gizmo, the lead Mogwai, is adorable and the Gremlins, for as awful as they are, sure do enjoy their Disney movies.
The movie starred Zach Galligan as Billy Peltzer, Phoebe Cates as Kate Beringer, Hoyt Axton as Randall “Rand” Peltzer, Polly Holliday as Ruby Deagle, Frances Lee McCain as Lynn Peltzer, Judge Reinhold as Gerald Hopkins, Dick Miller as Murray Futterman, and Howie Mandel as Gizmo.
The film remains a classic to this day, in part due to its outrageous antics by the titular gremlins, the adorable Mogwai that is Gizmo, and the film’s theme song; which remains a “banger” (as the kids say) to this very day.
So if your festiveness and yuletide need a little bit of the absurd, pop in Gremlins and enjoy your Christmas night.
The Faculty
The Faculty is not a movie for anyone but a movie for everyone. It’s one of those films that just hit right. All the characters have depth and sincerity but are complicated and a bit angsty. It’s a star-studded cast that should appeal to anyone if you give it a chance.
It’s a story of an alien invasion happening in a small town in Ohio, and only the students of a local high school have any clue what’s going on. It’s a story of self-discovery built into the backdrop of a potential world-ending event.
The cast is one of the standout reasons to give it a watch. The film features Jordana Brewster, Clea Duvall, Laura Harriss, josh Harnet, Shawn Hatosy, Salma Hayek, Famke Janssen, Piper Laurie, Christopher McDonald, Robert Patrick, Usher, Jon Stewart, Elijah Wood, and Summer Phoenix, among many others.
You might be asking how the alien invasion meets high school angst meets the criteria for being a Christmas film. In truth, it doesn’t. There’s nothing remotely Christmasy about it. Not the plot, the setting, or the time of the year.
So why does this make the list for good Christmas movies to watch?
Because it was released on Dec. 25, 1998. Nothing screams Christmas movie more than being a movie released on Christmas.
Anna and the Apocalypse
So admittedly, some of these films are going to be more supernatural than science fiction, and guess what? You’re just going to have to live with that. Why? Because it’s my dang list. So let me tell you about Anna and the Apocalypse.
A movie so good, that you’re going to want to watch it right away. Why? Because it’s a zombie movie, set during Christmas. Well, that’s not entirely correct, it’s a zombie movie, set during Christmas time, that’s also a musical.
If that’s not science fiction, I don’t know what is. I mean, I know what is science fiction and technically it’s not this but still, shut up and take the recommendation. It’s a good movie.
The film follows Anna, played by Ella Hunt, as she and her friend try to survive a zombie outbreak days before Christmas. The film takes place right after the local high school has its Christmas musical, and that ends being the last good thing these people have to experience.
Those poor bastards.
Not for the faint of heart, Anna and the Apocalypse is a hard-R affair, so if you’re planning on watching some of these films with the kiddos, avoid this film (and The Faculty.)
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale
Full disclosure, I have yet to watch Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale but it seems like a hoot and a half. The film is a Finnish fantasy action horror film and features a premise where a group of people is somehow able to capture Santa Claus. It turns out, however, that Santa Claus isn’t some good guy who delivers treats.
No, he’s a bad guy who delivers tricks. Well, not so much tricks as say murderous rampages? The trailer does a good job setting up the premise by basically taking the old “he knows if you’ve been bad or good” and cranks that up to 11.
Basically, anyone who does anything slightly naughty ends up in a pile of self-pieces. May make you re-think saying a curse word, eh?
As the film is Finnish, you’re going to have to enjoy a good deal of reading because there are subtitles, unless there’s an English dub on the internet, which there very well could be for all I know.
The cast isn’t too well known in Western countries outside of Scandinavia but if you’re a fan of wild Christmas films and a little bit of horror then this film may be exactly the thing for you.
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
Another film I haven’t seen but holy cow, look at the title; Santa Claus conquers the Martians. The title alone sells you the movie and gives you all you need to know about it. It’s Santa Claus on Mars and he dances like a goon. How can you not love the idea of this film?
The premise is actually less awful than you think, or more awful…either-or. Santa Claus goes to Mars to set up a toy shop and puts the Martians to work. Then shenanigans happen and people try to hurt Santa.
It’s apparently one of the worst films ever made, with IMDB.com putting it on the bottom 100 lists of worst films ever made. It’s so bad that the best version of the film is the one the folks from Mystery Science Theater 3000 did of it. If the guys from the original MST3K got their hands on it, then you know it’s the perfect kind of terrible.
The film does have one unique quality about it, apparently, it’s the first documented appearance of Mrs. Claus in a motion picture. That’s right, it beat out Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by three weeks. Sure, it’s one of the worst films ever made, so bad it’s good, but at least it has that unique distinction.