Thursday Film Club: Die Hard (1988)

Yippee-ki-yay, Christmas movie lovers! Die Hard may not feature Santa, but it’s the explosive holiday classic you didn’t know you needed. Bruce Willis stars as wisecracking NYPD officer John McClane in this genre-defining action thriller directed by John McTiernan. Stranded in a Los Angeles skyscraper during a Christmas Eve hostage crisis, McClane must outwit a team of heavily armed terrorists—with nothing but grit, guts, and a bad attitude.

Alan Rickman makes an unforgettable screen debut as Hans Gruber, the icy mastermind whose refined menace is the perfect foil to McClane’s blue-collar bravado. With stellar support from Bonnie Bedelia as McClane’s estranged wife and Reginald VelJohnson as a sympathetic LAPD officer on the ground, the film balances relentless action with heart and humor.

Explosive, quotable, and endlessly rewatchable, Die Hard reimagined the action hero and launched a thousand imitators.

Whether you’re settling a long-running Christmas movie debate or just in the mood for top-tier thrills, Die Hard is the ultimate festive adrenaline rush.