Movies Like Violent Night: 8 Dark Christmas Picks to Watch Before Violent Night 2
By CineDecode Editorial Team | Last updated: October 17, 2026
If that sounds like your idea of a holiday, you're after movies like Violent Night. Below are eight picks, sorted by the kind of mood you're in, plus everything we know about the sequel so far.
Quick answer
The best movies like Violent Night are Fatman for a gun-toting Santa, Die Hard for the Christmas siege, Bad Santa for dark comedy, and Krampus for festive horror. Violent Night 2 opens December 4, 2026 and is rated R, as are most picks here.
Key takeaways
- Start with the 2022 original if you haven't seen it.
- Fatman is the closest match for a fighting Santa.
- Most picks are R-rated. Gremlins and Krampus are the milder ones.
- Violent Night 2 opens in US theaters on December 4, 2026.
Jump to
Violent Night 2 at a Glance
| Release | December 4, 2026 (US and UK). One listing shows December 3. |
| Director | Tommy Wirkola, returning |
| Cast | David Harbour, Kristen Bell, Jared Harris, Joe Pantoliano, Daniela Melchior, Andrew Bachelor, Maxwell Friedman |
| Setup | Santa is stranded in a crumbling New Jersey mall, cut off from the North Pole, and fights a crime lord and his crew. |
| Rating | R, listed for strong bloody violence and language |
The details come from Movie Insider and Film Focus Online. One UK outlet describes Santa as powerless in the sequel, which isn't part of the official synopsis, so treat that as unconfirmed.
Watch first: Violent Night (2022). Same Santa, same director, same bloody holiday cheer. Everything below is for after, or instead.
If You Want Santa Throwing Punches
Fatman (2020) R
Mel Gibson plays a grumpy Santa whose business is struggling. After a spoiled 12-year-old gets coal for Christmas, he hires a hitman, played by Walton Goggins. We Got This Covered confirms the R rating for bloody violence and language.
It runs about 99 minutes and is slower and drier than Violent Night. Our opinion: if you liked the cranky Santa part of the original, this is the closest match, but don't expect the same energy.
If You Want a Festive Siege
Die Hard (1988) R
The blueprint. A cop crashes a Christmas Eve party in an LA skyscraper and fights terrorists one floor at a time. Violent Night's "good guy trapped with armed intruders" setup owes it a lot, and the mall setting of the sequel is the same idea scaled sideways.
Silent Night (2023) R
John Woo's revenge thriller stars Joel Kinnaman as a father hunting the gang that shot his child on Christmas Eve, and it has almost no dialogue. It's deadly serious where Violent Night is playful, so pick this when you want grit without jokes.
If you're in the mood for more action after that, our list of 5 gritty sci-fi action films has plenty of rough-edged picks.
If You Want Mean Christmas Comedy
Bad Santa (2003) R
Billy Bob Thornton plays a department-store Santa who is secretly a safecracker, drunk and rude. It's the grandfather of grim holiday comedies. There's no action to speak of, only meanness, but the heart sneaks in near the end.
If You Want Festive Horror
Krampus (2015) PG-13
A bickering family gets haunted by the dark side of Santa when a boy loses his Christmas spirit. It's creature horror with a comic streak, and one of the easier horror picks on this list.
Gremlins (1984) PG
Cute pet becomes chaos. It's the classic proof that Christmas movies can be mean, and it's famously part of why the PG-13 rating exists.
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010)
A Finnish oddity where villagers dig up something very un-Santa-like under a mountain. Check its rating before you press play. If you want more Christmas horror, our Terrifier 3 ending explainer covers one of the bloodiest holiday slashers, and the upcoming horror movies for November and December list has what's next.
Heat Meter: How Close Is Each Pick?
Our own quick ratings, not official scores.
| Movie | Violence | Humor | Christmas spirit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fatman | High | Dry | Medium |
| Die Hard | High | Medium | Background |
| Silent Night (2023) | High | None | Dark |
| Bad Santa | Low | High | Twisted |
| Krampus | Medium | Medium | High |
| Gremlins | Medium | High | High |
Our take (opinion): the sequel's mall setting sounds like Die Hard with a sleigh, so a Die Hard rewatch is the best warm-up.
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FAQ
What are the best movies like Violent Night?
Fatman, Die Hard, Bad Santa, Krampus and Gremlins cover the main flavours: fighting Santa, siege action, dark comedy and festive horror.
When does Violent Night 2 come out?
December 4, 2026 in US theaters, with the UK date matching.
Is Violent Night 2 rated R?
Yes, listed as R for strong bloody violence and language.
Who is in the Violent Night 2 cast?
David Harbour returns as Santa, with Kristen Bell as Mrs. Claus, Jared Harris, Joe Pantoliano, Daniela Melchior, Andrew Bachelor and Maxwell Friedman.
What is Violent Night 2 about?
Santa is stranded in a New Jersey mall, cut off from the North Pole, and fights a crime lord and his henchmen.
Do I need to see the first movie?
We'd recommend it, since the sequel brings back the same director and Santa.
Which of these movies like Violent Night is your holiday pick, and what did we miss? Tell us in the comments.
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