If you are reading this, chances are you have watched Silent Night already, and you’re looking for more movies like it. At first, you would think that Camille Griffin’s Christmas black comedy about a family celebrating one final holiday before the end of the world would be in a category of its own, but there are movies out there that share a few similarities. Below is quick yet comprehensive list of movies from genres ranging from dystopian thrillers to end-of-the-world movies, and much much more. Let’s bring in the holiday cheer with an eclectic bunch…
Love Actually (2003)
Written and directed by Richard Curtis, the 2003 Christmas romantic comedy Love Actually follows a dozen or so characters seeking love and new beginnings around the holidays. With a who’s who of British acting talent from around the turn of the 21st Century, this beloved comedy is as entertaining as it is maddening at times.
Why it’s worth checking out: Okay, you are probably trying to figure out what Silent Night and Love Actually have in common besides both featuring Keira Knightley. But, there a few things both movies have, like the way they tackle the United Kingdom’s love of all things Christmas and those group suicides in the final act (just kidding about that part). All joking aside, Camille Griffin has gone on the record to say her pitch reference was Love Actually meets Melancholia.
Rent/Buy Love Actually on Amazon.
Melancholia (2011)
Lars Von Trier’s 2001 psychological drama, Melancholia, follows a broken family, played by Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and Kiefer Sutherland, as they prepare for a planet to crash into Earth, a collision that will wipe out all life. The movie also touches on depression, marital issues, and existential dread in the face of death.
Why it’s worth checking out: One of the things that works best with Melancholia is the way in which it plays with your expectations. Even though the movie tells you explicitly that the world is coming to an end, you have this thought in your head the whole time that something is going to work out and all will be saved. Like Silent Night, though, there is no such luxury or escape from death and the movie is about coming to terms with your own, inevitable mortality.
Stream Melancholia on Hulu.
Rent/Buy Melancholia on Amazon.
Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World (2012)
The 2012 end-of-the-world romantic comedy Seeking a Friend for the End of the World follows Dodge Petersen (Steve Carell) and Penny Lockhart (Keira Knightley), two neighbors who strike up a close-knit friendship over the course of three weeks while they await an asteroid crashing into the planet. As they attempt to make amends with their pasts and leave nothing unsaid, the pair become inseparable.
Why it’s worth checking out: A lot of the drama in Seeking a Friend for the End of the World is similar to that seen in Silent Night. Both movies feature characters who are dying to fulfill their dreams and say things they’ve always wanted to get off their chest. And, while both are crude and have unsavory characters, they delicately touch on how people will do anything to share one last tender moment before their demise.
Stream Seeking a Friend for the End of the World on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy Seeking a Friend for the End of the World on Amazon.
The Lobster (2015)
Released in 2015, Yorgos Lanthimos’ dystopian romantic black comedy The Lobster is one of the most surreal movies you’ll see, and follows a man named David (Colin Farrell), who has 45 days to fall in love or he’ll be forced to spend the rest of his life as an animal of his choosing.
Why it’s worth checking out: This truly bizarre movie, even when compared to the rest of Yorgos Lanthimos’ work, is something to behold. Like Silent Night, it finds the perfect combination of comedy and abject horror. There are times throughout both movies where the subject matter would be too much to take if it weren’t for expertly timed hilarious moments.
Stream The Lobster on Showtime.
Rent/Buy The Lobster on Amazon.
Children Of Men (2006)
With society on the brink of chaos following years of infertility caused by a mysterious pandemic, Theo Faron (Clive Owen), a revolutionary-turned-bureaucrat is given the remarkable task of escorting a pregnant woman (the first in nearly 20 years) to safety. If the human race is to survive to see a better tomorrow, this broken man with a dark past must succeed.
Why it’s worth checking out: Although it’s not a Christmas movie and doesn’t focus on an end-of-the-world type situation, Children of Men leaves you with similar feelings as Silent Night, because of mysterious forces, characters with nihilistic views, and the balance between hope and dread. All of this creates one of the best movies on Amazon Prime.
Stream Children of Men on Amazon.
Rent/Buy Children of Men on Amazon.
Contagion (2011)
The world is thrown into chaos in Contagion when a deadly and fast-moving virus spreads across the globe, killing tens of millions. Steven Soderbergh’s sobering pandemic thriller shows just how quickly things can go awry when the natural order of the world is brought to an end.
Why it’s worth checking out: Like Silent Night, this 2011 thriller is absolutely terrifying in its depiction of a world-ending event and just how quickly humanity can crumble. No one is safe in Contagion, and that is shown time and time again with deaths of major characters, played by actors who you would think were invincible.
Stream Contagion on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy Contagion on Amazon.
Jojo Rabbit (2019)
Taika Waititi’s 2019 dramedy Jojo Rabbit follows a young boy who is torn between staying true to the Nazi Germany regime, and his love for his mother (Scarlett Johansson), who is hiding a young Jewish girl in their home. Over the course of the movie, Jojo turns to his imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler (Waititi) for companionship and guidance.
Why it’s worth checking out: Although he plays an entirely different character in Jojo Rabbit than he does in Silent Night, Roman Griffin Davis is the moral center of each film. Despite barely being a teenager, the young actor carries himself like a seasoned pro at this point, and is in full command of his emotions and the screen throughout both performances.
Rent/Buy Jojo Rabbit on Amazon.
Arrival (2016)
Denis Villeneuve’s breathtaking and thought-provoking sci-fi alien drama, Arrival, follows linguistics professor Louise Banks (Amy Adams) as she attempt to communicate with extraterrestrials that have landed on Earth. Louise and her team race against time (and the threat of global war) to understand the aliens and to figure out why they came to Earth in the first place.
Why it’s worth checking out: Just like Silent Night, Arrival is one of those movies where it’s better to know little to nothing at all going in, which allows you to be genuinely surprised by its twists and turns. It’s far more dramatic than Camille Griffin’s Christmas black comedy, but the film’s conversations about exploring the danger and beauty of the unknown make it a great companion piece.
Stream Arrival on Hulu.
Rent/Buy Arrival on Amazon.
Take Shelter (2011)
Jeff Nichols’ 2011 psychological thriller Take Shelter follows Curtis LaForche (Michael Shannon), a man who is driven to brink of madness after having nightmares and experiencing hallucinations of the apocalypse. In an attempt to protect his wife (Jessica Chastain) and daughter (Tova Stewart), Curtis builds a storm shelter, which puts his marriage in a tough spot and makes him the laughing stock of town.
Why it’s worth checking out: One of the best Michael Shannon movies, Take Shelter does a tremendous job of showing just how far someone will go to protect the ones they love from suffering. And, like Silent Night, this 2011 thriller has one of those endings that will have you talking about it for hours.
Stream Take Shelter on Starz.
Rent/Buy Take Shelter on Amazon.
Brazil (1985)
In an attempt to escape his boring life as a bureaucrat, Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) drifts off into a daydream world in which he becomes the hero he could never be in reality. But, as he continues to dive deeper and deeper into this fantastical world, Sam begins to lose his grasp on reality and his sanity begins to suffer.
Why it’s worth checking out: Brazil is without a doubt one of the most bizarre movies set during the Christmas season and uses the holiday in such a manner that is rarely seen. If you were a fan of how Silent Night used Christmas as a way to bring everyone together for the apocalyptic ride, then you have to watch Terry Gilliam’s sci-fi cult classic.
Stream Brazil on Tubi.
Rent/Buy Brazil on Amazon.
This Is The End (2013)
And then there is This is the End, the 2013 end-of-the-world comedy written and directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. This crude, hilarious, and gory as all hell doomsday film follows Jay Barauchel, James Franco, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson, Rogen, and other notable stars playing caricatures of themselves attempting to survive the apocalypse at Franco’s mansion.
Why it’s worth checking out: This is the End plays like Silent Night if you took out all of the niceties, drama, and children, and instead had a group of man-children trying to save themselves from the inevitable. It has laughs and surprises around every corner and somehow manages to have a lot of heart.
Stream This is the End on Starz.
Rent/Buy This is the End on Amazon.
Well, this should be a good place to start if you want more movies like Silent Night. However, in the event you want more ways to kill a few hours, check out our list of the best movies on Netflix, which is full of great options.
