Christmas films have traditionally meant warmth, snow and heartfelt family stories. The 2026 holiday season is different. In Finnish cinemas, Santa Claus is a vampire in one film and a brawling action hero in another, and the world's most famous Christmas story has been handed to a horror director. The Finnish site Muropaketti pointed out the same thing back in the summer, when the autumn's Christmas films were announced.
Fortunately, more traditional options are also available for families. We have gathered the November–December Christmas films and their age ratings in one place so that everyone can find the right film.
For adults: the dark side of Christmas
Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol (13 Nov, K12)
The season kicks off with Ti West's Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol, in which Johnny Depp plays Ebenezer Scrooge. West is known for the horror films X, Pearl and MaXXXine, and he has said that adaptations of A Christmas Carol were among his earliest encounters with horror.
The film is darker than most previous adaptations, but the trailers also promise black humour. The K12 age rating means it is not suitable for young children. It is an excellent start to the season for adults or teenagers, especially for those who see Dickens' story as a ghost story rather than just a heartwarming fairy tale.
Red Snow (20 Nov, K16)
The Finnish film Red Snow (Punaista lunta) is the season's boldest. In Ilja Rautsi's debut feature, a 16-year-old emo girl who dreams of a sparkling vampire romance meets a middle-aged bloodsucker who disguises himself as Santa Claus to get into people's homes.
The film had its world premiere at the prestigious Fantastic Fest in the United States. The cast includes Hannu-Pekka Björkman, Krista Kosonen, Tommi Korpela and Jussi Vatanen, among others. The K16 rating is justified: this is a horror comedy that does not hold back on blood.
Violent Night 2 (4 Dec, K16)
David Harbour's action Santa returns. In the sequel, Santa has to fight a gangster played by Jared Harris in a shopping mall – and this time without his magic. Help arrives in the form of Mrs. Claus, played by Kristen Bell.
The first Violent Night (2022) became a minor hit, and the sequel promises more of the same on a bigger scale. It is the perfect choice for anyone who thinks Die Hard is the best Christmas film. Because of its K16 rating, it is not suitable for the youngest members of the family.
For the whole family: a more traditional Christmas
Santa's secret workshop (13 Nov, S)
For the youngest viewers there is the Norwegian animated film Julenissens verksted (Finnish title Joulupukin salainen paja). It is rated suitable for all ages, and its running time is short, just 1 hour 12 minutes. It is an excellent choice for a child's first trip to the cinema. The film was directed by Rasmus A. Sivertsen and Mette Rank Tange and is distributed in Finland by Nordisk Film.
The Angry Birds Movie 3 (25 Dec)
The family release on Christmas Day is The Angry Birds Movie 3, whose roots lie in Rovio's mobile game from Espoo. Red is now a father, learning to be a parent while the island has to survive a threat of destruction. The film's age rating had not been published at the time of writing, but the previous films in the series were aimed at the whole family.
Jumanji: Open World (25 Dec)
Also opening on the same day is Jumanji: Open World, the final chapter of the trilogy, in which the game escapes its console into the real world. Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan return. The film is particularly suitable for slightly older children and as a shared film for the whole family over the Christmas holidays.
Other Christmas Day releases
Also arriving in cinemas on Christmas Day are the Finnish comedy Kyllä isä osaa Espanjassa, based on a TV series, and a new French animated Asterix film (Finnish title Asterix: Nubian valtakunta). In Finland, the Asterix film is shown only in a Finnish-dubbed version.
Analysis: why did Santa become an action hero?
Three dark Christmas films in the same season is no coincidence. In our estimate, two developments lie behind it.
First, the Christmas film market has split. Streaming services release dozens of cheerful, inexpensively produced Christmas films every year, watched at home. Cinemas benefit from standing out by offering something else: events, spectacle and content aimed at adults.
Second, genre parody is back in fashion. The success of the first Violent Night showed there is an audience for combining Christmas with horror or action. The idea is not new to Finns: Jalmari Helander's Rare Exports (2010) did the same years ago and attracted international attention.
For Finnish cinema, the phenomenon is also interesting because Santa Claus is part of Finland's international brand. Red Snow takes this on deliberately: the Finnish Santa is a vampire, and that is exactly what makes the premise interesting abroad too.
Quick guide: which film suits whom?
- Young children (under 7): Santa's secret workshop (Joulupukin salainen paja).
- The whole family: The Angry Birds Movie 3 and Jumanji: Open World (check the age ratings once they are published).
- Teens and adults who love the classics: Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol.
- Fans of horror and black humour: Red Snow.
- Action fans: Violent Night 2.
The age ratings are KAVI classifications as published by Finnish cinemas. Always check the latest age ratings and screening times with your own cinema.
Have a merry, movie-filled Christmas!