10 Best Holiday Action Movies, Ranked

Holidays are a thing no matter where in the world you are, though they tend to vary by religion or nationality. They're an important part of life because they often emphasize togetherness and happiness, though the finer details for which they were created vary. With so many action movies out there in Hollywood, it's kind of hard not to find a few that are about holidays, and this isn't limited strictly to Christmas.

Whether it's Thanksgiving, Halloween, or Easter, loads of movies make use of some of the best days of the year to deliver rapid-fire action and explosive fight sequences, covering a vast array of topics from sci-fi to fantasy. These are the best holiday action movies, which have earned their places due to how effectively they make use of their setting or just how plain fun they are overall.

10 'Risen' (2016)

Holiday: Easter

Two Roman soldiers confront each other in a crowded street, one with a sword — Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

Sure, Risen might be a Christian movie, but it's still perfectly enjoyable for non-Christians. It got fairly average reviews from critics but was much more of a hit with audiences, who enjoyed the swords-and-sandals epic for being just that and not being overly preachy with its religious tones. The movie takes place in the First Century CE, during the execution of Jesus of Nazareth, which a Roman soldier named Clavius (Joseph Fiennes) oversees.

However, in Christian theology, Jesus rose from the dead three days later, with the day becoming the holiday known as Easter Sunday. In this film, Clavius is told Jesus' body is missing from its tomb and is tasked to find and return it to where it belongs. Risen is not the greatest movie ever, but it has some really decent moments reminiscent of other swords-and-sandals movies, which is where it really shines.

9 'Independence Day' (1996)

Holiday: Independence Day (US)

Steve Hillard and David Levinson back to back looking at the camera in 'Independence Day' (1996). — Image via 20th Century Studios

Independence Day is a film by Roland Emmerich that takes place on the United States holiday of the same name, more commonly known as the Fourth of July. It's the day when the US gained its independence as a nation way back in the 18th Century, and it's a holiday exclusive to the country. The movie takes place all across America when a massive alien invasion occurs during the Fourth of July festivities.

These aliens destroy many popular American landmarks, most notably the White House. Though Roland Emmerich has been a bit inconsistent with his work, Independence Day stands as one of his finest and most timeless efforts, which stars Will Smith as a fighter pilot combatting the invasion. This now-iconic movie portrays an alien attack on a scale unlike cinema had ever seen before, which is why it's such a source of nostalgia for many.

8 'Violent Night' (2022)

Holiday: Christmas

Santa (David Harbour) with a bloody nose holding a mallet in Violent Night. — Image via Universal Pictures

Violent Night takes place on Christmas Eve when an exhausted Santa Claus (David Harbour) decides to get absolutely hammered at the bar instead of doing his annual duty. But what should be a peaceful night off for jolly old Saint Nick turns into a Christmas crisis, as mercenaries take a wealthy family hostage, and Santa is the only one who can save them. Unfortunately for the mercs, they've made their way onto Santa's naughty list, and he's dishing out more than just coal this Christmas.

It sort of goes without saying that Violent Night is definitely a comedic movie and not at all intended to be taken seriously—but hey, that's what makes it so magical. Yes, there are some clichés and a lot of room for improvement, but overall, Violent Night is something different to watch during Christmas that is sure to get the blood pumping and the sides splitting as Santa dyes his suit a whole new shade of red.

7 'Lethal Weapon' (1987)

Holiday: Christmas

Mel Gibson as 'Riggs' pointing a gun while Christmas lines sparkle in the background in Lethal Weapon — Image via Warner Bros.

Lethal Weapon takes place during the Christmas season, where two eccentric cops are partnered together despite their vast differences. As expected, they are immediately at each other's throats, but through their time spent working together and their common goal of taking down a drug smuggling ring, they eventually grow to be best buddies in the true spirit of the holiday.

Lethal Weapon is a certified cinematic classic, redefining '80s action movies and the buddy cop genre, spawning a multi-film franchise, and creating a surprising chemistry between its two main stars, Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. If you're into '80s action movies, Lethal Weapon is an essential must-see. The fact that it takes place during Christmas is an added bonus, as it can safely be watched during the season without seeming like you're not being festive enough.

6 'Spider-Man' (2002)

Holiday: Thanksgiving

Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man in 2002's Spider-Man — Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

Sam Raimi's first Spider-Man film stars Tobey Maguire as the titular hero in a thrilling origin story that sees Peter Parker evolve from a social outcast to a beacon of hope and justice. Only a small portion of the film features Thanksgiving dinner, but it's still a pretty important part of the overall narrative, as it shows the ruthlessness of the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), who attacks the innocents of New York during the holiday.

The movie takes a bit more of a romantic and dramatic turn than would be expected, but overall, it's one of the first live-action Spidey flicks that graced audiences' screens. Raimi's Spider-Man has established itself as a legendary piece of superhero cinema and a surprisingly brilliant entry in Sony's flawed Spiderverse, which has been on a serious losing streak in recent years.

5 'Batman: The Long Halloween' (2022)

Holiday: Halloween

Harvey Dent doing a coin flick in front of Batman in Batman: The Long Halloween — Image via Warner Bros.

Batman: The Long Halloween is a two-part animated film based on the limited comic series of the same name. During this movie, the aura hanging over Gotham City is a lot darker than it normally is, which is saying something. The film takes place over a series of months, beginning with a murder on October 31 by a killer who calls himself Holiday. With no witnesses and no known suspects, it falls to the world's greatest detective to solve this caper and free Gotham from the clutches of this new serial killer.

Though it begins on Halloween, it eventually takes the viewers through all sorts of holidays, through Christmas, New Year's Day, Valentine's Day, Saint Patrick's Day, April Fool's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and the Fourth of July, before finally circling back to Halloween again. On each of these days, new murders spring up, leaving more questions than answers. The title is in reference to the perpetual state of fear Gotham feels while this serial killer strikes, and the film certainly does a good job of portraying not just stellar action but the overwhelming panic surrounding the murders.

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4 'The Poseidon Adventure' (1972)

Holiday: New Year's Day

The survivors navigate a twisted catwalk in 'The Poseidon Adventure' — Image via 20th Century Studios

The Poseidon Adventure is a unique and criminally underrated natural disaster movie that takes place on New Year's Day. While sailing in the open sea, an ocean liner is struck by a tsunami, ending the festivities when the ship capsizes, floating upside-down as the terrified passengers search for a way to survive the rapidly deteriorating situation.

It's not a traditional action movie in the sense that there are no bad guys to beat up or shoot at. Instead, The Poseidon Adventure is more of an action movie in the sense that the stakes and the thrills are high, with implausible yet cinematically stunning scenarios taking place. Sure, the odds of something like this happening at all are pretty slim, but it's by all means an exciting and unique movie to watch during New Year's Eve or New Year's Day due to how the holiday is a heavy influence on the movie's setting.

3 'All Quiet on the Western Front' (2022)

Holiday: Veterans Day (US) / Remembrance Day (UK, Canada, & others)

German soldiers charge out of the trenches and are met with mortar fire — Image via Netflix

2022's All Quiet on the Western Front is not the first film adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque's 1929 novel, but it is the only one that takes a bit of a different approach and ends on November 11, 1918. This was the day that World War I came to an end, also known as Veterans Day in the US or Remembrance Day in the British Commonwealth. The final battle in the film occurs just minutes before the official armistice ending the war came into effect at 11 am that day, which helps to emphasize the futility of the war.

Of course, there are some great and exciting battle sequences in this film, but it's also a harrowing drama that shows the plight of the common soldier during the First World War and really emphasizes the desperation and pointlessness of the conflict. Moreover, it is a way to remember what people on both sides of all wars consistently have to endure, which is what Veterans Day/Remembrance Day is really all about.

2 'North by Northwest' (1959)

Holiday: Thanksgiving

Roger Thornhill, played by Cary Grant, sneaking down a long corridor and wearing sunglasses in North by Northwest — Image via Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios

North by Northwest is a spy-action thriller that doesn't feature all that much action, really, or at least not in the loud, explosive sense that many action films favor. Instead, it is very much hinged on tension and sneaking around, which suits its tone of espionage perfectly. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, who is more famous for his horror films, North by Northwest comes as a surprising yet magnificent entry in his already-impressive repertoire.

The movie follows a New York advertising executive who is accidentally taken for a foreign intelligence operative by a mysterious group of spies hunting him down. It is set over Thanksgiving, which is a pretty important part of the story, adding to the overall ambiance of the film. Though it's by no means a typical Hitchcock film, North by Northwest is still a bona fide masterpiece, as many of his films are, that is worth every second of watchtime, especially during the Thanksgiving season.

1 'Die Hard' (1988)

Holiday: Christmas

Bruce Willis as John McClane looking down from a broken window in Die Hard — Image via 20th Century Studios

Die Hard is the classic subject of an age-old debate as to whether or not it's a Christmas movie. While it most certainly isn't a conventional Christmas movie by any means, it is almost certainly an anti-Christmas movie, perfect for people who aren't a fan of elves, Santa Claus, or saving Christmas. In this tense action flick, Bruce Willis stars as John McClane, who, on Christmas Day, is attending a party when terrorists break into the building and take hostages, with McClane intent on stopping them.

Not only does Bruce Willis have one of his most memorable performances in this film, but so does fellow actor Alan Rickman, who plays the villainous Hans Gruber. Frankly, the debate about whether or not Die Hard is a Christmas movie can be settled another day, but that doesn't change the fact that it definitely takes place during the holiday and that one wouldn't be wrong for considering it as such. Besides, it's a fantastic movie, no matter what time of year you decide to watch it.