The holidays may be delightful, but the weather outside can get very frightful. As December brings chilly winds, dreary skies, and snow (sometimes), you begin to wonder why you ever liked this time of year at all. When that happens, watching winter movies is the perfect way to keep warm and cozy.
We've compiled some of the best winter movies to watch, whether you are in the mood for a monster movie, a disaster flick or a stark drama. These movies will have you reaching for a blanket as you curl up by the fire (or at least, your space heater). Some of them might even remind you that, hey, it could be worse.
'The Weather Man'
If you despise winter deep down, "The Weather Man" is for you. Nicolas Cage plays David Spritz, a disgruntled but successful Chicago meteorologist whose life is as messy as the weather he predicts. Despite some career success, he can only focus on what he's lost: his family. David tries to become more involved in his daughter's life. He even attempts to rekindle his relationship with his ex-wife. All of this is made worse by the fact that his wife has met someone, his father is fatally ill, and his son has begun a strange relationship with his teacher.
Nicolas Cage perfectly depicts a man who doesn't know what he wants in his life anymore, and what he thinks he wants fails him. Yet, there is something charming about this movie, even though it's the opposite of a hopeful holiday movie.
Watch on Pluto
'The Day After Tomorrow'
Fans of disaster movies will love this winter apocalypse. Jack Hall (Dennis Quaid) is a paleoclimatologist who predicts future weather catastrophes. Unfortunately, his predictions are largely ignored by the U.N. When it turns out they are coming true — far sooner than he thought — the world faces a sudden plunge into the next ice age. Everyone's only hope is to head to the south, where the weather will remain warmer.
Unfortunately, the major superstorm is headed for the entire northeast, where Jack's son Sam (Jake Gyllenhaal) is attending an academic decathlon event. It's a race against time for him to reach his son and his friends before he's lost for good. This snowy, scientifically inaccurate but still enjoyable movie will leave you thankful that at least you aren't handling that winter.
Watch on Hulu
'Wind River'
The snow seems like a place to hide secrets, and that's exactly what is attempted in "Wind River." Wildlife officer Cory Lambert (Jeremy Renner) discovers a frozen body in the Wyoming snow of a nearby Native American reservation. When the autopsy reveals that the young woman, Natalie, has been raped, inexperienced but determined FBI agent Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen) is sent in to investigate. Before long, they navigate a tight-knit community harboring dark secrets and where outsiders are rarely welcomed.
Though fictional, this haunting film sheds light on the real crimes of violence against Native American women that often go uninvestigated. Olsen and Renner deliver excellent performances as they uncover the brutal reality of what happened to Natalie on that cold winter night.
Watch on Pluto
'The Thing'
If you've ever wondered what goes on at one of the coldest points on Earth, you'll want to check out John Carpenter's "The Thing." Set in Antarctica's stark, snowy polar desert, a group of American research scientists are confused when a Norwegian helicopter flying overhead shoots a seemingly innocent sled dog running through the snow. After the helicopter crashes, the men take in the dog and head to the Norwegian base to find out what happened, only to discover everyone there is either dead or gone.
Upon returning to their base, they realize an alien creature lurks among them, taking the exact form and shape of whoever and whatever it wants. Everyone is a potential enemy, turning all the men against each other, making the cold, isolated region that much more terrifying. Look for a few famous faces like Kurt Russell, Keith David and Wilford Brimley, who all shine in this exciting thriller.
'Frozen' (2010)
There's no building a snowman in 2010's "Frozen." Skiing never looked so horrific in this film, which depicts just about everything that could go wrong on a ski slope. Three friends take a trip to the mountain after it closes and sneak on the chair lift for some night skiing. Unfortunately, they get stranded high up from the ground, and even worse, no one knows they are up there since they got on without anyone knowing.
Their night gets worse as one of them tries to get help but lands in the snow and breaks their leg. Add in a pack of hungry wolves, and it seems like their chaotic night will never end. If you've ever thought about skiing after hours, this movie will have you thinking twice.
Watch on Prime Video
'Wind Chill'
Carpooling with a fellow college student heading home for the holidays sounds like a good idea. Of course, it goes seriously wrong in this film starring Emily Blunt as a young woman who relies on a stranger (Ashton Holmes) to give her a ride. Tension builds as it's pretty obvious right away that the two don't mesh, but what makes matters worse is that a car accident sends them spiraling into a snowbank. That's when she realizes that her driver has some dark secrets.
The fight to survive the night becomes an even greater challenge as she begins to figure out this stranger's M.O. Trapped between her unreliable companion and the deathly cold outside, she is in a fight for survival as she figures out how to save her life and get home safely.
Watch on the Roku Channel
'The Last Winter'
If you are all too aware of the effects of climate change, "The Last Winter" will be both disturbing and enthralling. An oil crew is working to build an ice road to explore a new drilling site in the Arctic. Ed Pollack (Ron Perlman) leads the team and James Hoffman (James LeGros) is an environmental scientist monitoring the operation. When a team member is found dead in the snow, Hoffman begins to suspect that deadly gasses are being released from the melting permafrost and wants to halt the operation.
Cut off from the outside world, things progressively get worse as hallucinations plague the entire team. Hoffman begins to wonder if something ancient beneath the snow and ice is attacking them. Stick with this film until the very last scene — that final image will haunt you.
Watch on AMC Plus (via Prime Video)
