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There’s no denying Die Hard is one of the best Christmas movies ever made. John McClane’s battle against German terrorist Hans Gruber in Nakatomi Plaza is a tightly constructed thriller, filled with bullets and holiday chaos. But when it comes to festive action films, another underrated gem deserves the spotlight—one that arguably surpasses Die Hard in emotional depth and storytelling.
The Long Kiss Goodnight, a 1990s film directed by Renny Harlin and written by Shane Black, stars Geena Davis as Charly, an amnesiac woman who washed up on a beach eight years ago, pregnant and with no memory. Since then, she’s built a quiet life with her daughter. But as Christmas rolls around, pieces of her violent past begin to resurface.
This shouldn’t be surprising—Shane Black has often set his crime thrillers against holiday backdrops. Charly is eventually joined by Mitch, a cynical private investigator played by Samuel L. Jackson, whose gritty charm mirrors the odd-couple energy of classic Shane Black duos like Riggs and Murtaugh from Lethal Weapon.
Mitch, once a Detroit detective familiar with moral compromise, reluctantly takes on Charly’s case, only to become her sole ally when armed attackers threaten her family. Left with only a car, a suitcase, and a few dollars, they’re forced to survive on wit and instinct. While Mitch has long adapted to life on the edge, Charly slowly discovers that she’s no stranger to combat—her instincts with weapons and survival tactics begin to return.
To protect her present, Charly must confront her past. Her former self, Samantha, begins to reemerge through visions and slip-ups—like casually telling her daughter “life is pain” after a fall. The psychological tension builds as Charly battles not just external threats, but the possibility of losing her identity entirely.
This is where The Long Kiss Goodnight elevates itself—not just as a thriller, but as a Christmas story about redemption and transformation. Charly’s journey is about reconciling with her darker self while saving the life she’s built. In contrast, Die Hard offers no such arc. McClane remains the same tough New York cop, plowing through enemies without much introspection. Sure, it’s entertaining, and Hans Gruber’s dramatic fall is legendary—but Die Hard treats Christmas more as a backdrop than a theme.
In Die Hard, the holiday season is almost incidental: a grim office party, a heist disguised as terrorism, a cop avoiding personal problems by working through December. Only McClane’s kids seem to genuinely care about the holiday, and the emotional payoff comes from the family reunion at the end.
The Long Kiss Goodnight, on the other hand, uses Christmas as a metaphor for healing and self-discovery. Charly confronts what she once was and reclaims her identity in a way that affirms her current life. Mitch, too, finds a sense of purpose he thought he’d lost. It’s a story of personal resurrection amidst chaos—something far more fitting for the season.
Interestingly, Renny Harlin also directed Die Hard 2, which explains some of the exaggerated action scenes—like a child flying through a wall into a treehouse, or Mitch surviving a massive explosion. After orchestrating a fistfight on a plane wing, Harlin was clearly aiming to top himself.
Charly owes a debt to John McClane, but he could probably learn something from her journey too. Die Hard may have the iconic status, but when it comes to a Christmas action movie that balances violence, emotion, and transformation, The Long Kiss Goodnight makes a strong case.
