Is ‘Die Hard’ a Christmas movie? Most Americans say no

With the holiday season comes the onslaught of Christmas movies. While some classics are indisputably Christmas flicks, like Elf, A Christmas Story and Miracle on 34th Street, others, like Die Hard, Love Actually and more, are subject for debate.

A new YouGov poll reveals how folks really feel about some of those borderline Christmas movies, and the results may surprise you. 

When it comes to Die Hard, only 39% of Americans consider the Bruce Willis action flick a Christmas movie, with 50% saying it absolutely isn’t. That opinion does vary by age, though. Most adults 45 and older, who were in their teens or older when the film came out in 1988, do not believe it’s a Christmas film. In fact, 51% of those 45-64 and 70% of those 65 and over say it’s not, while only 32% of those 18-29 and 36% of those 30-44 agree.

As for America’s thoughts on other questionable holiday films, 50% would categorize the romantic comedy Love Actually as a Christmas movie, while 43% say the same about the Ryan Reynolds flick Just Friends. Interestingly, 79% actually think Tim Burton’s spooky The Nightmare Before Christmas is a holiday film.

So, what actually makes a film a Christmas movie? Well, for 89% of people, the flick must take place during the Christmas season, while 72% say it needs a heartwarming feel and another 72% want a Christmas music soundtrack. But apparently, it doesn’t necessarily need Santa, with only 42% saying Santa Claus must be in the flick for it to be a Christmas movie.