Buena Vista Pictures

In case you haven't seen it, Denis Leary plays Gus, a cat burglar who is forced to take bickering, on-the-verge-of-divorce Caroline and Lloyd Chasseur (played by Judy Davis and Kevin Spacey) hostage when his plans go awry. With the Chasseurs' delinquent son and snooty in-laws on the way home for Christmas, Gus is forced to play referee between all of them and navigate all the drama a family can offer, or risk being captured by the police. It is as black as a black comedy gets, and it's incredible. Here are 16 reasons it is the greatest Christmas movie of all time.