It’s the most wonderful time of the year! That’s right, we as a culture have yet again found ourselves arguing online about whether or not Die Hard qualifies as a Christmas movie. Now, do I understand why we continue to have this conversation, year after year? Not really. But no matter what side of the debate you’re on, Die Hard is inarguably a movie set on Christmas Eve, which makes it all the more satisfying to watch during the holiday season.
If you’re the type to make Jake Peralta’s favorite movie part of your annual holiday watches, all you need to do is get yourself a subscription to HBO Max, where the Bruce Willis action classic is currently streaming. Die Hard is not currently available to stream on Netflix or Hulu. It is also not currently scheduled to air on national TV networks this holidays season. But non-HBO Max subscribers can still rent or buy Die Hard at Amazon, YouTube, iTunes, and Google Play.
The 1988 John McTiernan film, based on the Roderick Thorp novel Nothing Lasts Forever, centers on John McClane (Willis), a New York City police detective who, while attending a holiday party in Los Angeles with his estranged wife (Bonnie Bedelia), finds himself caught in the middle of a terrorist operation spearheaded by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman). McClane quickly realizes he’s the only one who can put a stop to it, and save the party guests Gruber’s team has taken hostage.