Gremlins is well known as a classic horror comedy from the '80s. The creatures at the center of its unique brand of humor are an inseparable part of the horror genre. However, Gremlins also stands head and shoulders above its peers for being a rather morbid twist on the traditional Christmas movie.
In many ways, Gremlins has plenty to share with yuletide cinema beyond the wintry setting of Kingston Falls. The film plays with traditional Christmas movie conventions and tropes for black comedy while remaining true to their spirit. From Gizmo being a perfect gift gone wrong to how Christmas stooges are handled, Joe Dante’s best-known work fits right at home with other Holiday classics. That is most evident in how the film shows a perfect gift turning into a disaster.
Gizmo and the Mogwai Twist the Idea of Perfect Gifts
One of the ways Gremlins plays with Christmas story tropes is how it tackles the idea of the perfect gift. In many Christmas tales, a protagonist often searches for the perfect gift, whether for a relative or their own benefit. Gizmo is the perfect gift for Billy Peltzer, but this delivery is only the beginning of the tale instead of the conclusion, as is tradition. In reality, the aftermath of Billy getting Gizmo is the crux of Gremlins.
Another twist on the perfect Christmas gift is how the protagonist is unworthy of the item. As Billy breaks the three rules of owning a Mogwai, he ends up spawning Stripe and a mess of Gremlins that run loose in Kingston Falls. And while he ends up stopping the chaos, this ultimately causes him to have to return Gizmo to the old shopkeeper Mr. Wing because of his lack of responsibility. In a traditional Christmas tale, the perfect gift is the end of the road and a moment of satisfaction, but Gremlins made responsibility the key to owning a gift.
Gremlins' Kate and Mrs. Deagle Prove Christmas Scrooges Are Complicated
Another way the film plays with Christmas tradition is how the Scrooges of the story are presented. The resident Christmas hater, Ruby Deagle, is shown to be an unpleasant woman to everyone in Kingston Falls. She even has parallels with Scrooge, being a miser that refuses to help others despite owning the bank. She subsequently ends up meeting a demise at the hands of the Gremlins framed as cheerworthy. Meanwhile, Billy’s girlfriend, Kate, is shown to dislike the Holidays because of a family tragedy. Notably, this is not something held against her, and it gets treated seriously as she goes on to help destroy the Gremlins. In a standard Christmas tale, the Scrooge character would be convinced to like Christmas or accept the holiday, but Gremlins opts to avoid turning either non-believer into a fan. The film even makes the case that one's actions are more important to the spirit of Christmas than participation in festivities.
While Gremlins is a horror comedy on the surface, it works as a subversion of standard Christmas fare beneath the monster trappings. It shows how a perfect gift can be bad and that disliking Christmas doesn’t necessarily mean someone needs to come around. But even with its own spin on the holidays, it still manages to thematically fit the idea of a Christmas movie. Gremlins strongly advocates that Christmas isn’t about the festivities or gifts that are given but the bonds cherished and the good deeds people do without material gain in mind.