You don’t usually think of thrillers when Christmas rolls around. For many, comedies, dramas or family films are usually the preferred genre to watch on this day. It’s understandable, as many people want to escape to watch Bill Murray face Christmas ghosts in Scroogelaugh while you watch Alone at homeor just revel in the hilarity of Will Ferrell Elf.
However, there is a smaller crowd that prefers their holidays to be a little darker, maybe even bloodier. This is where these three thrillers come in. Now streaming on Netflix, each one offers a hearty dose of suspense that will take your mind off your Christmas worries.
Need more holiday viewing suggestions? Then please check out the best Christmas movies to stream right now, the best Christmas movies on Netflix, the best Christmas movies on Hulu, the best Christmas movies on Max, the best Christmas movies on Disney+, the most the best Christmas movies on the Hallmark Channel, 7 great Christmas movies you can watch for free, and the 7 best funny Christmas movies you should watch this season.
The Pale Blue Eye (2022)
This one is criminally underrated, even though it’s relatively new. Given its extremely abbreviated theatrical release in late 2022, you probably missed out on seeing The pale blue eye when it was on the big screen. It’s a shame, because the film, set in a snowy New York in the early 19th century, is beautiful to watch and very appropriate for the cold, cold month of December.
the black Knight actor Christian Bale stars as Augustus Landor, a former detective who hasn’t gotten over the death of his wife years ago. He is an alcoholic and his once promising career has faded. When a West Point cadet is found brutally murdered, Landor is forced out of retirement to solve the mysterious death. But Landor can’t go it alone, so he turns to one of Fry’s classmates to act as his partner on the case: Cadet Edgar Allan Poe (Harry Melling). The pale blue eye is flawed (the identity of the killer is kind of funny), but it’s worth seeing Bale in a period thriller that ends in a way you won’t.
A Walk Among the Tombstones (2014)
For some reason, action star Liam Neeson and dreary, cold weather go hand in hand. in A walk among the tombstones, Neeson stars as Matt Scudder, a former FBI agent turned private investigator working the streets of New York. When a drug lord (Dan Stevens) asks Scudder to find the men who killed his wife, Matt’s investigation turns up a series of surprising revelations that force the detective to constantly turn and reorient his moral compass.
A walk among the tombstones is a great example of modern film noir with a tight script, memorable supporting characters and a reliably strong lead performance from Neeson. This is the right movie to watch if you need to get some of that pent-up holiday aggression out.
The Ice Road (2021)
It’s Neeson again and guess what? He’s still armed, angry, and ready to do something about it. The ice road stars Neeson as Mike, a big truck driver with a behavioral problem. When a team of diamond miners are trapped in their working premises after a collapse, Mike must drive his truck through the harsh Canadian outback in a vicious snowstorm to rescue the miners.
But as the weather worsens, Mike and his backup team are in for a lot more than they bargained for with the rescue mission. A very loose adaptation of the classic 1953 French thriller The wages of fear, The ice road it may technically be an action film, but it also excels as a thriller. And the icy places are perfect for watching Christmas when it’s supposed to be as cold as it is in the movie.
Editors’ recommendations
