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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Yes—The Long Kiss Goodnight works as an alternative Christmas movie. Its story unfolds in a northeastern town preparing for Christmas, but the film is an action thriller about a woman uncovering her past as a government assassin. That clash between holiday preparations and hard-edged violence is the point: Christmas is the setting and counterpoint, not an official genre label.
What is The Long Kiss Goodnight about?
Directed by Renny Harlin and released on October 11, 1996, the film stars Geena Davis as Samantha Caine and Samuel L. Jackson as private investigator Mitch Hennessey. The American Film Institute records the October 11 release date, while the British Board of Film Classification lists Harlin as director and Davis and Jackson among the cast. AFI Catalog BBFC
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Point of No Return / Domino / The Long Kiss Goodnight (Triple Feature) [Blu-ray] | $29.99 | Buy on Amazon |
Samantha is a schoolteacher and single mother with amnesia. When memories and physical abilities she cannot explain begin returning, she discovers she had a past as a trained government assassin. She hires Mitch to investigate, and the inquiry puts her new life in danger. Rotten Tomatoes Google Play
Why does it work as an alternative Christmas movie?
Christmas gives the thriller its counterpoint
A contemporary review in The Current described the story as taking place in a northeastern town preparing for Christmas. The Current, October 14, 1996 Holiday preparations and domestic family life provide the seasonal backdrop; the plot, by contrast, centers on Samantha’s recovered identity and the danger attached to it.
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That contrast makes the movie a seasonal detour rather than a conventional holiday story. Christmas helps establish the world Samantha is trying to protect, while the action-thriller plot keeps disrupting its calm. Film catalogs classify it as action or action thriller, not as a Christmas film; calling it an alt-Christmas watch is an editorial reading of its setting and tone. Rotten Tomatoes BBFC
The holiday setting does not make it gentle viewing
The BBFC notes strong bloody violence and threat. This is not a family-oriented holiday movie simply because it takes place during Christmas preparations. The seasonal backdrop sits alongside material much more intense than the usual cozy December watch. BBFC
Rank #2
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How has the film been received?
As displayed on October 8, 2026, Rotten Tomatoes showed a 67% Tomatometer from 61 reviews and a 71% Popcornmeter from more than 50,000 ratings. Its platform-authored consensus reads: “Smart, sharp-witted, and fueled by enjoyably over-the-top action, The Long Kiss Goodnight makes up in impact what it lacks in consistent aim.” Rotten Tomatoes
Google Play displayed 4.6 stars from 327 reviews and a 68% Tomatometer on the same date. These are platform snapshots, not fixed measures of the film’s standing; the listings do not specify when each score was last recalculated. Google Play
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesWhere can you watch it?
The BBFC has records for physical media and video-on-demand or streaming formats, but those records do not establish current availability in a particular country or on a particular service. A Full Sail Library catalog lists a 1997 New Line Home Video DVD edition. BBFC Full Sail Library catalog
If you are looking for a current stream or disc, check services and retailers in your region; an archival format record is not a guarantee of present availability.
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Rank #4
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
