Is Die Hard a Christmas movie?

❘ Published: 2023-12-25T15:00:00

Bruce Willis as John McClane in Die Hard

20th Century Fox/Pixabay

It’s officially Christmas, and what better way to celebrate than to answer the age-old question: is Die Hard a Christmas movie?

Christmas is a time for eating, drinking, being merry… and rewatching your favorite festive films for the millionth time.

Some movies sit confidently within the genre, from Home Alone and Jingle All the Way to Love Actually and The Holiday. And, of course, who can forget Elf?

But others are more ambiguous – Eyes Wide Shut being a prime example. Similarly, Bruce Willis blowing up bad guys hardly sounds like your run-of-the-mill yuletide affair, but still the debate of whether Die Hard is a Christmas film rages on.

Is Die Hard a Christmas movie?

Yes, Die Hard is officially a Christmas movie – at least, it is according to its distributor, 20th Century Fox.

Although Die Hard came out in 1988, every year since, the age-old debate of whether or not it’s a festive film has been raised, leading the studio to settle it once and for all by releasing a revamped trailer announcing that it’s “The Greatest Christmas Story.” Check it out:

Kicking off with sleigh bells and snow falling over the 20th Century Fox sign, the footage cuts to Bruce Willis’ John McClane. “This is John,” says the voiceover. “He just wanted to spend Christmas with the family… but when he gets stuck at the office party, it’ll be a holiday he’ll never forget.”

Even before this tongue-in-cheek trailer released in 2018, John McTiernan’s icon of action cinema was widely considered to fit into the Christmas genre thanks to a number of factors. Firstly, it’s set on Christmas Eve, incorporating many elements of the holiday season.

The soundtrack includes Christmas songs, adding to the festive atmosphere, while themes of reconciliation and family are prominent, as McClane tries to reunite with his estranged wife.

Die Hard also features Christmas decorations and references to holiday traditions. Even the dastardly Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) gets into the spirit, telling his henchman: “It’s Christmas, Theo. It’s the time of miracles. So be of good cheer and call me when you get the last lock.”

Many fans agree with this conclusion, having had Die Hard on their annual xmas circulation for years.

“I always watched it every year at Christmas time,” said one under 20th Century Fox’s trailer. “My husband’s family laughed at me when they found out. They won’t be laughing anymore when they learn it’s now a Christmas classic.”

“I don’t care what Bruce Willis said… this will always be a Christmas movie and this trailer just reinforces that,” said another, while a third added, “It’s not Christmas until I see Hans Gruber fall from Nakatomi tower.”

To read our list of the top 25 Christmas movies of all time, head here, and you can check out some of our TV & Movie hubs below: