Being deployed during the holidays can put a damper on the season’s celebrations. Great holiday movies tend to relieve and mentality transport your loved ones back home, even if only just for a few hours.
So the next time you visit a department store that sells DVDs, make sure you toss these films into your cart and send them to your favorite troop serving overseas.
Related: 13 old school war movies every young trooper needs to watch
7. Bad Santa (2003)
Directed by Terry Zwigoff, the film focuses on an alcoholic con man (Billy Bob Thornton) who dresses up as Santa to rob the department stores who hire him during the holiday season.
The film isn’t considered your typically holiday movie, but the comedy perfectly fits our dark military humor.
6. Elf (2003)
Directed by Jon Favreau, the comedy features a rambunctious and tall elf named Buddy (Will Ferrell) who grew up in the north pole and sets out on a mission to the Big Apple to reconnect with his long-lost father.
5. A Christmas Story (1983)
This is the epic movie that plays for 24-hours straight on TBS every season (just in case you didn’t know). Directed by Bob Clark, this classic follows a young boy named Ralphie whose sole mission is to get a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas – even if he shoots his eye out.
4. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
The Jeremiah Chechik-directed comedy follows ambitious family man Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) and his crazy family as they gather together under one roof to celebrate Christmas. Spoiler alert: a lot of things break and catch on fire — that’s why we like it.
3. Jingle all the Way (1996)
After a father vows to get his only son the incredibly hard-to-find action figure Turbo-Man, he embarks on the ultimate foot race across town to find the famous toy while competing with a hilarious mailman.
2. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Directed by Hollywood icon Tim Burton, this animated feature film follows Jack Skellington — aka the Pumpkin King from Halloweenland — as he stumbles Christmastown and gains a new perspective on life.
Also Read: 6 epic movie moments that always make Marines pump their fist
1. Die Hard (1988)
Starring Bruce Willis as New York cop John McClane, this wise-cracking detective has to take down a group of well-armed European terrorists to help save his wife — while barefoot.
This late 1980s action-packed movie does take place during a Christmas party — so it’s technically a holiday movie regardless of how many people get killed.
