The Definitive Verdict · Tis the Podcast
Is Lethal Weapon (1987) a Christmas Movie?
🎄 Debated — The Elves Don't All Agree
Set at Christmas, built like an action film — the debate is on.
Lethal Weapon (1987) opens with 'Jingle Bell Rock' and is set entirely during Christmas, but it is a hard-R action thriller first and foremost. Director Richard Donner used Christmas deliberately — does that intent make it a Christmas movie? Tis the Podcast weighed in.
Why Lethal Weapon IS a Christmas Movie
- ✓Opens with 'Jingle Bell Rock' playing over the first scene
- ✓Set entirely during the Christmas season with holiday imagery throughout
- ✓The emotional arc — Riggs finding a reason to live through a new family connection — reflects Christmas themes of hope and belonging
- ✓Director Richard Donner deliberately set the film at Christmas
Why Lethal Weapon is NOT a Christmas Movie
- ✗It is a hard-R buddy cop action film — Christmas is atmosphere, not genre
- ✗The holiday is never central to the plot or resolution
- ✗No one includes Lethal Weapon in their Christmas movie watchlist by default
What Tis the Podcast Thinks
Lethal Weapon sits right at the edge of the Tis the Podcast debate zone — action film with genuine Christmas credentials. Anthony, Julia, and Thom gave it a full hearing. Listen to the episode for the verdict and Watch List ranking.
🎧 Listen to Episode 160 — Lethal WeaponSee the full ranking
Where does Lethal Weapon rank on the Tis the Podcast Watch List? →Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Lethal Weapon a Christmas movie?
- Lethal Weapon (1987) is set during Christmas and opens with 'Jingle Bell Rock,' but its genre is action thriller. Whether the Christmas setting earns it a place in the Christmas movie canon is a genuine debate — Tis the Podcast has covered it in full.
- What other Shane Black Christmas movies are there?
- Shane Black wrote Lethal Weapon and directed Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Iron Man 3, and The Nice Guys — all of which are set at Christmas. Tis the Podcast has reviewed several of them.