Did it snow? “The Shining,” “Frankenstein,” and “The Revenant” are all great winter-themed movies to watch at home.
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Stay safe and warm this winter weekend by hibernating at home and doing a snow-themed binge.
You can also curl up with cozy options like “Frozen,” “Groundhog Day,” and snowy Hallmark movies. Or, if you’re looking for chilly thrills, try a marathon of action movies, crime dramas, and paranormal mysteries set in the frigid cold.
Watch frigid weather adventures and suspense from the safety of your TV screen. The pause button is handy for getting a refill of hot chocolate or an extra blanket. Here are 10 movies (all available to rent or stream) to help you get started.
The Shining (1980)
Director Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film adaptation of Stephen King’s novel tells the story of a troubled novelist (Jack Nicholson) prone to violent outbursts who takes a job as a winter caretaker at a vacant mountain hotel. He is accompanied by his anxious wife (Shelly Duvall) and young clairvoyant son (Danny Lloyd). A masterpiece of suspense and the film behind the popular meme as Nicholson’s veritable icicle.
Where to watch: Amazon, Apple
“The Day After Tomorrow” (2004)
This disaster epic imagines what happens when a global weather disaster hits the United States. A climatologist (Dennis Quaid) is forced to go on a dangerous mission into flooded and frozen Manhattan to rescue his son (Jake Gyllenhaal), who is stranded at the New York Public Library. A cautionary tale about climate chaos and relying on humanity when people need to evacuate to safety. (In this case, it’s Americans who are mass immigrants to Mexico.)
Where to watch: Fandango at Home, Amazon
“Snowpiercer” (2013)
Director Bong Joon-ho (Parasite) takes a grim, dystopian look at class warfare, as a train carrying new Ice Age survivors (including Marvel star Chris Evans) circles a blizzard-ravaged Earth non-stop. The lead car is a luxurious haven for the wealthy, while the rear car is full of poor people who have rebelled. It was a critical hit that demonstrated the power of science fiction to address social injustice, and was the inspiration for a 2020-2024 television series of the same name.
Where to watch: Tubi, Amazon, Apple
“Frankenstein” (2025)
Director Guillermo del Toro has given Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel its most vivid screen adaptation yet, depicting Victor Frankenstein’s (Oscar Isaac) obsession with a creature (Jacob Elordi) brought to life by the body parts of dead soldiers. The story of this misunderstood creature concludes with a scene about a Danish naval ship stranded in the ice on its journey to the North Pole. It was a place where the monsters known as humans could hide the tragic monsters they had created.
Where to watch: Netflix
The Revenant: The Revenant (2015)
A trapper (Leonardo DiCaprio) is left in the wilderness by the group he was guiding after being badly injured by a bear. By sheer will, he attempts to return to civilization, enduring harsh winter conditions and at one point seeking shelter in the carcass of a dead horse.
Where to watch: Amazon, Apple
The Thing (1982)
Being part of a research team at the South Pole is tough enough, but this classic cult favorite from director John Carpenter ups the stakes even further by adding beings discovered from space who attack and turn into victims. The motto of this sci-fi nail-biter starring Kurt Russell is “Trust no one on a trip to the South Pole.”
Where to watch: Shudder, Amazon, Apple
“Cold Pursuit” (2019)
Pity the idiots who mess with anyone connected to Liam Neeson’s character. A twist on the “Taken” star’s action hero persona, Neeson plays a snowplow driver trying to catch the drug gang that killed his son. We are confident that his customers will forgive him for the delay in clearing their driveway.
Where to watch: Amazon, Apple
Fargo (1996)
Filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen explore the darkest parts of humanity in this black comedy about a car salesman (William H. Macy) whose plan to blackmail his stepfather by arranging the kidnapping of his wife goes awry. Frances McDormand stands for all things good and decent as a police chief with an accent as thick as a Minnesota hot dish.
Where to watch: HBO Max, MGM+, Amazon
“Simple Plan” (1998)
Directed by Sam Raimi, this psychological drama follows two brothers (Bill Paxton and Billy Bob Thornton) who discover millions of dollars in cash at the scene of a plane crash in rural winter Minnesota, an event that causes suspicion and greed to erode their bond.
Where to watch: Amazon, Apple, Fandango at Home
“The Mountains Between Us” (2017)
When the pilot suffers a stroke and their plane crashes in the frigid Utah wilderness, sparks fly between a photojournalist (Kate Winslet) and a neurosurgeon (Idris Elba) as they struggle to survive. It’s about love and injury, freezing water, and bear traps.
Where to watch: Cinemax, Amazon, Apple
Contributor: Kim Willis, USA TODAY
