Is Die Hard a Holiday Movie?
“The data confirms that not only is Die Hard a holiday movie,
But it is also a popular one.”
Reading time: 49 secs
Is Die Hard a Holiday Movie?
Short answer: Yes and the data proves it.
Die Hard (1988) matches every behavioral marker of a holiday movie. Using Google Trends search data from 2019, interest in Die Hard and It's a Wonderful Life follows an identical seasonal pattern: both spike around December 1st, peak on December 22nd, and drop off sharply after Christmas. The key surprise: more people searched for Die Hard than It's a Wonderful Life during the holiday season. By the most measurable definition — when people watch it and how often they seek it out — Die Hard qualifies as a holiday movie, and a popular one.
With a character named Holly and set on Christmas Eve, it sounds like a holiday movie. Even full of holiday music, another essential criteria, many say Die Hard can not be called a holiday movie, let alone a classic holiday movie like It's a Wonderful Life. It might be due to its release date of Jul 15th, 1988, or could it be that the film is a typical action movie with death, blood, and explosions.
Process
In various searches for the number one holiday movie, It's a Wonderful Life appeared as the number one movie on everyone's list. Thus, making this movie the gold standard of holiday movies. Next step for determining the answer, pulling 2019 from Google Trends for Die Hard and It's a Wonderful Life.
Results
Comparing the two films based on when people are searching, the patterns are similar. Interest in both starts around Dec 1st, peaking Dec 22nd, and tapering off quickly after Christmas. The exciting point from the data revealed is more people are searching for Die Hard than It's a Wonderful Life. The data confirms not only is Die Hard a holiday movie, but it is also a popular one.
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