Most holiday movies might be heartwarming fantasies, but there are a few notable exceptions. Here are Inverse’s five favorite Christmas sci-fi movies that you can watch now on one of the major streaming services.
Children of Men
Streaming on: Peacock
Filled to the brim with religious allegory and parallels to our current political climate, Children of Men is a fitting Christmas sci-fi movie that balances a grim dystopian landscape with hope for the future.
Shazam!
Streaming on: HBO Max
Shazam! Is already the most delightful superhero in recent memory. Throw in a Christmas plotline and you’ve got a DC classic that’s a perfect holiday watch.
The Santa Clause trilogy
Streaming on: Disney+
Anyone who says The Santa Clause is fantasy, not sci-fi, is doing this trilogy a disservice. Over three movies it pours so much energy into worldbuilding, including cloning, time travel, jetpacks, and yes, the odd Christmas miracle.
NEO YOKIO: PINK CHRISTMAS
Streaming on: Netflix
Neo Yokio is a criminally under-appreciated animated series on Netflix that will probably never get a legitimate Season 2, but a 2018 Christmas special called “Pink Christmas” is the next best thing.
Prometheus
Streaming on: HBO Max
Prometheus isn’t the best movie in the Alien franchise, but it’s the only film in that universe to take place during Christmas. It also features an immaculate conception (sort of), arguably making it the most Christmassy movie on this list.
Iron Man 3
Streaming on: Disney+
Leave it to Shane Black to make the only Marvel movie set during Christmas. After Jon Favreau left the franchise, Black took the reins for Iron Man 3 and gave Tony Stark a much-needed dose of holiday cheer.