Without a doubt, Christmas is a time of love, joy, and happiness. All you want to do is gather around the Christmas tree, drink some homemade eggnog, and watch holiday classics like Home Alone, Deck the Halls, or Miracle on 34th Street.
But the real fun only begins when all the kids are asleep. The Christmas spirit can be very different if you’re all grown up. From hosting a raunchy office party to a masked stalker going on a killing spree, these R-Rated Christmas movies bring a new meaning to the holiday season. Just hope you don't end up on Santa's naughty list!
Related:The Best Classic Christmas Movies on Streaming Right Now
'' (2011)
Director: Todd Strauss-Schulson | Run Time: 89 minutes
Cast: John Cho, Kal Penn, Neil Patrick Harris
From the creators of the Harold & Kumar franchise comes A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas, the sequel to Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantánamo Bay. Six long years have passed since the events at Guantánamo Bay. Harold Lee (John Cho) and Kumar Patel (Kal Penn) have gone their separate ways, finding their own social circles. But during one holiday season, Kumar appears on Harold’s doorstep and accidentally burns down Harold’s father-in-law’s beloved Christmas tree. Now the two must embark on a mission to look for the perfect Christmas tree - not without a few screw-ups in the way. The third installment to the buddy stoner movie franchise also features the franchise's other big star, Neil Patrick Harris playing a fictionalized version of himself.
'Bad Santa' (2003)
Director: Terry Zwigoff | Run Time: 92 minutes
Cast: Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox, Lauren Graham, Brett Kelly, Bernie Mac
Santa represents everything good and joyful during Christmas. But in Bad Santa, the jolly good man isn’t what you think he is. Willie T. Stokes (Billy Bob Thornton) is a no-good con man whose life is spiraling into a pit of misery. With absolutely no shame and poor drinking habits, his only job is his yearly shtick as Santa. But during one Christmas Eve, Stokes decides to stage an elaborate robbery in a department store with the help of his helper Marcus Skidmore (Tony Cox). Like any other robbery, nothing seems to go right, especially when you meet a couple of odd fellas along your way. Will they be able to pull this off, or will they get caught in the end? Hope Santa doesn’t trip!
'The Night Before' (2015)
Director: Jonathan Levine | Run Time: 101 minutes
Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anthony Mackie, Lizzy Caplan, Jillian Bell
What’s better than Christmas? Christmas Eve! The Night Before follows three lifelong friends Ethan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Isaac (Seth Rogen), and Chris (Anthony Mackie), who are in search of the best, wildest, and gnarliest of all Christmas parties in New York City. For a decade, the childhood trio always reunites for their little Christmas Eve reunion - which involves nothing but raw debauchery. But as they’re entering the realities of adulthood, their tradition is slowly seeping away. In an attempt to make this year’s Christmas Eve as memorable as possible, they head out to find what is considered the Holy Grail of Christmas parties - the Nutcracker Ball.
'Fatman' (2020)
Director: Eshom Nelms, Ian Nelms | Run Time: 100 minutes
Cast: Mel Gibson, Walton Goggins, Marianne Jean-Baptiste
Fatman is another spin on our beloved Santa Claus, who in this case, is a jaded and gritty man who goes by the name of Chris Cringle (Mel Gibson). Fighting hard to save his declining business, Chris finds himself in a forced partnership with the U.S. military. What he doesn’t realize is that somewhere out there, a neglected and vengeful 12-year-old boy has hired a dangerous assassin to murder Chris after finding a lump of coal in his stocking.
'A Bad Moms Christmas' (2017)
Director: Scott Moore, Jon Lucas | Run Time: 104 minutes
Cast: Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn, Cheryl Hines, Christine Baranski
Behind every family Christmas celebration is one overworked and sleep-deprived mother. A Bad Moms Christmas is what happens when under-appreciated moms like the above decide to drop all of their Christmas responsibilities and rebel against their family’s expectations. As if pleasing their own families isn’t hard enough, these moms must also come face to face with their own mothers, who can be unnecessarily intrusive and judgmental. Starring Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn, Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines, and Susan Sarandon, Christmas is going to have a strong motherly presence around.
'The Ref' (1994)
Director: Ted Demme | Run Time: 97 minutes
Cast: Denis Leary, Judy Davis, Glynis Johns, Raymond J. Barry
The Ref follows a cat burglar who goes by the name of Gus (Denis Leary), whose plan goes into shambles when his partner abandons him during the middle of a heist. Instead, he must now hold an irritating Connecticut couple hostage so that he doesn’t get reported to the police. Turns out, this isn’t any ordinary couple - they’re loud, love to bicker at each other, and are slowly getting onto Gus’ nerves with their family issues. This Christmas Eve, Gus isn’t robbing anything, and instead plays mediator between the husband and wife to help resolve their differences (of course, before the police get to him).
'Love Actually' (2003)
Director: Richard Curtis | Run Time: 136 minutes
Cast: Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman
Nothing screams Christmas rom-com staple more than Love Actually, depicting the lives of eight different couples as they approach the incredibly busy month before Christmas. Set primarily in beautiful London, England, the ambitious movie features an ensemble cast featuring big names such as Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson, Keira Knightley, and more. With ten separate stories, focusing on completely unique individuals with contrasting personalities, Love Actually is a testament to romance during Christmastime.
'Black Christmas' (2019)
Director: Sophia Takal | Run Time: 92 minutes
Cast: Imogen Poots, Cary Elwes, Lily Donoghue, Aleyse Shannon
Christmas break gets a whole lot darker in Black Christmas. The holidays have arrived, and Hawthorne College is slowly quieting down. But all hell breaks loose when an unknown stalker starts killing sorority girls one by one on campus. As a group of young sorority pledges take matters into their own hands, they soon discover that the killings are part of an underground college conspiracy, one that threatens and preys on unsuspecting female victims. Black Christmas is based on the 1974 Canadian film of the same name and features Imogen Poots, Aleyse Shannon, Lily Donoghue, and more.
'Silent Night' (2021)
Director: Camille Griffin | Run Time: 92 minutes
Cast: Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Roman Griffin Davis, Annabelle Wallis, Lily-Rose Depp
Christmas is the best time for family and friends to gather around. In Silent Night, couple Nell (Keira Knightley) and Simon (Simon Goode) decides to host their yearly Christmas get-together at their lovely abode. Everything seems fine until we realize that an apocalyptic cloud of poisonous gas is about to wipe off the entire global population. The dinner marks their last night alive, so how do you spend Christmas as you approach Earth’s catastrophic end? Silent Night shows you how to hold the perfect end-of-the-world party, in all its chaotic glory.
'Friday After Next' (2002)
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Director: Marcus Raboy | Run Time: 85 minutes
Cast: Ice Cube, Mike Epps, John Witherspoon, Don "D.C." Curry, Anna Maria Horsford
In Friday After Next, Craig Jones (Ice Cube) and Day Day Jones (Mike Epps) finally moved out of their parent's houses and worked as security guards at a local mall. After coming back from their crib from their night shift, it turns out that their house has been robbed and all their Christmas presents are gone. The two cousins team up to track down the robber, not without a few mishaps here and there. Friday After Next marks the third and final installment in the Friday movie trilogy.
'The Best Man Holiday' (2013)
Director: Malcolm D. Lee | Run Time: 123 minutes
Cast: Morris Chestnut, Taye Diggs, Regina Hall, Terrence Howard, Monica Calhoun
The sequel to The Best Man, The Best Man Holiday is a story of love, friendship, and comedy in between. Mia Sullivan (Monica Calhoun) invites her old group of college friends to join her and her husband Lance Sullivan’s (Morris Chestnut) Christmas celebration. Everyone arrives at their house, and it seems a lot has changed after 14 years - some folks found success, others going through troubling times. With new flames and old wounds, The Best Man Holiday depicts the sheer awkwardness and unwanted tension of what’s supposed to be a joyful reunion, but slowly finds closure and a happy ending.
'Dead End' (2003)
Director: Jean-Baptiste Andrea, Fabrice Canepa | Run Time: 85 minutes
Cast: Alexandra Holden, Ray Wise, Lin Shaye, Mick Cain, Billy Asher
Dead End follows Frank Harrington (Ray Wise) going on a road trip to his in-laws' with his dysfunctional family for Christmas Eve. While this isn’t his first time going to said destination, Frank decides to try a shortcut for a change of scenery. What he doesn’t know is that he’s about to make the deadliest mistake of his life. Slowly, the nightmare ensues - a mysterious woman in white appears in the forest, a suspicious black car, and buried secrets make their way to the surface.
'Bridget Jones's Diary' (2001)
Director: Sharon Maguire | Run Time: 96 minutes
Cast: Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Jim Broadbent, Gemma Jones
Bridget Jones's Diary is the first installment of the Bridget Jones trilogy. Set primarily in London, Bridget Jones (Renée Zellweger) is a 32-year-old woman who is very single and is both determined and desperate to improve herself. As part of her New Year’s Resolution, Bridget decides to take control over her own life and jots it all down in her precious little diary. A firework of a lady, Miss Jones finds herself in a love triangle of sorts between her notoriously flirtatious boss Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant), and the reserved lawyer from her childhood home Mark Darcy (Colin Firth).
'The Nice Guys' (2016)
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Director: Shane Black | Run Time: 116 minutes
Cast: Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Angourie Rice, Matt Bomer, Margaret Qualley
The Nice Guys is a 2016 American neo-noir buddy cop action that follows a mismatched pair of private eyes investigating a missing girl and the mysterious death of a porn star. Set in 1970s Los Angeles, single father and licensed private investigator Holland March (Ryan Gosling) is hired to look into the apparent suicide of famous porn star Misty Mountains. As the trail leads him to a young hippie named Amelia (Margaret Qualley), he meets less-licensed and less-hands-off private eye Jackson Healey (Russell Crowe) and his brass knuckles. However, the situation worsens when Amelia disappears and it becomes clear that March was not the only one who was interested. As both men are forced to work together, they must face a world full of peril.
'Carol' (2015)
Director: Todd Haynes | Run Time: 119 minutes
Cast: Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Sarah Paulson, Jake Lacy, Kyle Chandler
Carol depicts two ladies from quite different backgrounds who find themselves in an unexpected love affair in 1950s New York during the Christmas season of 1952. Therese Belivet (Rooney Mara), a young lady in her twenties, is a clerk working in a Manhattan department store who dreams of a better life when she meets Carol (Cate Blanchett), a woman caught in a loveless marriage of convenience. As an instant connection develops between them, the purity of their initial meeting fades and their bond grows. Carol's husband (Kyle Chandler) begins to question her ability as a mother as her engagement with Therese and tight friendship with her closest friend Abby (Sarah Paulson) come to light.
'The Long Kiss Goodnight' (1996)
Director: Renny Harlin | Run Time: 120 minutes
Cast: Geena Davis, Samuel L. Jackson, Patrick Malahide, Craig Bierko, Brian Cox
The Long Kiss Goodnight is a 1996 American action thriller that follows Samantha Caine (Geena Davis), a suburban housewife and perfect mother to her eight-year-old daughter Caitlin (Yvonne Zima). She lives in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, works as a teacher, and makes the greatest Rice Krispie treats in town. But when she accidentally knocks her head, she starts remembering bits and pieces of her previous life as a deadly, top-secret operative. Her former Chapter pals are now out to kill her, so she enlists the assistance of a cheap investigator named Mitch (Samuel L. Jackson). Samantha gets deadlier and more resourceful as she recalls more of her past life.
