Not being one to celebrate Christmas in its typical context, I have an annual tradition of celebrating Shane Black Christmas. Since breaking out in Hollywood in the mid-1980s selling his script for Lethal Weapon, Black has made a habit of setting his action movies during the holiday season – understanding that the specific setting has its own kind of heightened atmosphere – and it’s been a special spice used in the majority of his work. He added it to screenplays through the 1990s (including The Last Boy Scout and The Long Kiss Goodnight), and he kept it going when he moved into the director’s chair to make Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Iron Man 3 (I’ll add that I include The Nice Guys in the marathon too given its final scene set in late December).
Release Date: October 1, 2025
Directed By: Shane Black
Written By: Shane Black & Charles Mondry & Anthony Bagarozzi
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Rosa Salazar, LaKeith Stanfield, Keegan-Michael Key, Clair Loverling, Chai Hansen, Nat Wolff, Thomas Jane, Gretchen Mol, Chukwudi Iwuji, and Tony Shaloub
Rating: R for strong violence, pervasive language, some sexual content and nudity.
Runtime: 125 minutes
