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12. The Royle Family: The Royle Family at Christmas (2000) With a sullen family like the Royles, how do you think they’d spend time and money during a costly holiday? Well, see for yourself when they invite their family friends Darren, Emma, and her father Roger over for dinner. The result? Just a cacophony of irony. You can always have the lowest of expectations for the Royles when it comes to Christmas expectations—but they’ll always be funny, especially with Jim Royle’s Christmas wish....

12. Krampus (2015) If Santa Claus brings joy to children who have been good, Krampus punishes those who’ve lost their festive spirit. That’s the horrifying premise of this joyous Christmas horror about a boy who mistakenly brings the wrath of Krampus upon his entire kin. Krampuscomes from the mind of Michael Dougherty, who was behindTrick ‘r Treat. His twisted take on that holiday feels similar to this twisted take on Christmas, with a tone that straddles mean-spirited humor and genuine scares making this an uneven yet enjoyable horror....

12. Dark City (1998) Dark Cityis a cult classic fromThe Crowdirector Alex Proyas, which depicts a distinct kind of cyberpunk world that’s draped in noir shades and steeped in ideas of nihilism and existential crises. At the center of it is amnesiac John Murdoch (played by Rufus Sewell), who’s accused of murder. The situation takes him on the run and prompts him to discover what his true identity is. Proyas owes much to classic noir films—like Terry Gilliam’sBraziland Michael Anderson’sLogan’s Run—for his world where the walls close in on almost everyone....

12.Zack Snyder’s Justice League(2021) Zack Snyder’s Justice Leagueis one of the textbook examples of movie studios responding to fan reception. At the time, the “Snyder Cut” was merely a punchline after the lukewarm release ofJustice League. But when it was finally released, it removed all traces of Whedon’s involvement and solidified Snyder’s vision. Despite its faults, the Snyder Cut improved many elements, particularly Ray Fisher’s Cyborg (who changed from a deus ex machina to becoming the very heart of the story)....

12.The NeverEnding Story(1984) Wolfgang Petersen’s first English-language film is based on the 1979 novelThe Neverending Storyby Michael Ende. Of course, it isn’t literally never-ending—it’s just a metaphorical way of explaining how multi-layered storytelling can be. The basic premise follows ten-year-old Bastian (played by Barret Oliver), who finds sanctuary in a library when bullies start chasing him. He discovers a strange book that comes with a warning… and, upon reading, finds himself transported into Fantasia....