It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and there’s no shortage of holiday entertainment for people to enjoy. From seasonal Hollywood classics to an endless parade ofnew films coming to Hallmarkand various streaming services, Christmas movies are practically an industry unto themselves.
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But as heart-warming and wholesome as many of those Christmas classics are, there are some moments that can be construed as less than pure. From character actions with questionable implications to slightly disturbing imagery, some are pretty obvious, while others take a moment to think about. ‘Tis the season to be creepy.
‘The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Claus’ (2006) — Getting a Little Too Friendly With Legendary Figures
Before the franchise wasrevived with a new Disney Plus series,The Santa Clause 3was the final note in this classic Christmas series. It’s a mostly harmless family-friendly film, but there’s a brief moment near the end whereAlan Arkin’s character, Bud, cheekily snuggles up toAisha Tyler’s Mother Nature.
Seeing a man in his ’70s resting his head on a younger (looking) woman’s shoulder is bad enough. But couple this with a suggestive greeting from the Easter Bunny to Bud’s wife, Sylvia, and you can’t help but wonder whether some less-than-family-friendly antics are going on at the North Pole.
‘Love Actually’ (2003) — Mark: Hopeless Romantic or Creepy Stalker?
Love Actuallyisone of the most beloved Christmas moviesof the last twenty years, and one of its most iconic scenes is that ofAndrew Lincoln’s character, Mark, silently declaring his unrequited love forKeira Knightley’s Juliet. Standing on her doorstep, he uses handwritten placards to profess his feelings, all while her husband sits inside, unaware.
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This moment is played as romantic, and to Mark’s credit, it’s clear that he doesn’t expect anything to come from his confession. But take it away from the feel-good rom-com context, and Mark’s behavior starts to feel pretty stalkerish.
‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ (1946) — George Plays Keep-Away With Mary’s Clothes
It’s a Wonderful Lifehas become the poster child for heartwarming Christmas classics. However, there is one moment that comes off as questionable, to say the least. It comes when a young George and Mary walk home after a night of dancing, dressed in borrowed clothes after an earlier incident involving a pool.
Things are going well until Mary’s robe falls off, causing her to dive into a bush for privacy. Rather than returning her robe immediately, though, George playfully teases Mary and makes jokes about selling tickets. It’s all innocent and good-natured enough, but it’s hard to deny that it could easily be construed in a much more creepy light.
‘Home Alone’ (1990) — The Wet Bandits Catch Kevin
Home Aloneis one of the most beloved family films of the 20th century. Still, its premise is darker than most people acknowledge: a child gets left behind to defend his home from two grown, professional criminals. Yes, it’s all played like a cartoon, but things take a darker turn when the Wet Bandits manage to get their hands on Kevin.
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They hang the poor kid on a coat hook and threaten to torture him, including an attempt to bite his fingers off. It only lasts a moment, but it’s pretty horrifying, with Harry even going as far as putting Kevin’s finger in his mouth. It’s some truly unsettling stuff.
‘The Polar Express’ (2004) — The Whole Premise of the Movie
The Polar Expresshas always divided opinions, with some finding it to be a heartwarming Christmas classic while others can’t get past the uncanny valley of the motion-captured characters. But even looking past this, or haunting imagery such as the creepy hobo ghost or the nightmarish puppet scene, the basic premise itself is downright unsettling.
It’s all about kids being kidnaped in the middle of the night by an inexplicable stranger who offers little in the way of explanations and is perfectly happy to throw a kid off a moving train simply for not having a ticket. A kid who, mind you, never asked to be picked up in the first place. It’s pretty disturbing.
‘The Santa Clause 2’ (2002) — Santa Catfishes a Woman and Coerces Her into Marriage
Returning to the world ofThe Santa Clause, the second film in the series raises some red flags. The whole premise of the movie hinges onTim Allen’s Scott Calvin having to find a bride in record time, for some arbitrary reason, lest he loses the job of Santa. Naturally, this means he has to “woo” some poor unsuspecting woman under the guise of being a regular Joe.
This culminates in a “romantic” finale and a shotgun wedding, with Scott instantly turning back into his Santa for the second the “I-do’s” are done, just to leave this poor woman alone with a horde of childlike elves in the frozen wastes of the Arctic. It’s horrifying stuff.
‘Jingle All the Way’ (1996) — Arnie Grabs a Kid in a Ball Pit
Jingle All the Wayis the story of a father willing to do anything to make his son’s Christmas wish come true. And we do meananything. The number of crimes committed byArnold Schwarzeneggerin this “family” Christmas film is staggering, and let’s not even mention his sleazy neighbor, Ted.
By far, the most disturbing act committed by Schwarzenegger’s Howard Langston is when he dives into a ball pit and grabs a little girl in an attempt to retrieve a lottery ball. It’s all played for laughs, and Howard gets beaten by some understandably miffed mothers, but the fact that this grown man would fail to see why this was a bad idea is baffling.
‘The Santa Clause’ (1994) — A Father and Son Bond Over Manslaughter
We’ve finally reached the Original Sin of this film series, with the whole franchise being kickstarted with an act of manslaughter. Well, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but still, it’s hard to deny the criminal or at least highly unethical actions at play here. Scott Calvin startles poor old St. Nick, causing him to fall off the roof to his death.
That right there is a pretty dark way to start a family Christmas movie, but things only get worse when Scott steals Santa’s clothes and absconds into the night with his little boy, mind you. Yes, it’s a little more complicated than that, but that doesn’t make this core premise any less disturbing.
‘Fred Claus’ (2007) — Fred Moves in With His Ex, Whether She Likes it or Not
This Christmas comedy seesVince Vaughnplaying Santa’s fast-talking con artist big brother that still hasn’t gotten his life together, despite being blessed with centuries of immortal life. This includes being a deadbeat boyfriend to his long-suffering mortal girlfriend, Wanda (Rachel Weisz), who gets fed up with him in the first act of the movie and calls things off.
That doesn’t sit well with Fred, who not only uses his brother’s magic snow globe to spy on her at one point but breaks into her apartment while she’s asleep to tell her that he’ll be moving in with her. This is a classic example of Hollywood mistaking stalking for romance, resulting in the couple getting back together.
‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ (2000) — Apparently, Whoville Has a Swinger Scene
Probably the mostadult joke ever slipped into a family Christmas movie, the 2000sHow the Grinch Stole Christmassuggests that the Grinch’s adoptive parents attended an orgy. This “blink-and-you’ll-miss-it” moment comes in a flashback, which shows a baby Grinch arriving on the doorstep of two sisters having their “annual holiday get-together.”
The camera then peeks through the window to show the party, which includes some guests dropping keys into a fish bowl. This refers to a particular type of adult party popular in the ’70s and ’80s. The reference would have been lost on most adults, let alone children, but it doesn’t make it any less shocking.
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