

Movies Like Red One
After Santa Claus (codename: Red One) is kidnapped, the North Pole's Head of Security must team up with the world's most infamous tracker in a globe-trotting, action-packed mission to save Christmas.
Ranked by shared directors, cast, themes, genre, and era — not just generic recommendations.

A Christmas Story

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That Christmas

Elf

Noelle

The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two

Dashing Through the Snow

The Santa Clause 2

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Arthur Christmas

Southland Tales

Django Unchained

Beverly Hills Cop

In Order of Disappearance

Kung Fu Panda 3

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Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

Jumanji: The Next Level

Singin' in the Rain
How Good Is Red One?
Ratings across IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic, and TMDB, plus our verdict.
Audiences rate this 4.0 points higher than critics — a crowd favorite that critics undervalued.
Where to Watch Red One
Streaming, rental, and purchase options across 40+ countries.
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Frequently asked about Red One
Common questions people search for, with answers written by us at MoviesPack.
Who kidnaps Santa Claus and why?
Santa, codenamed 'Red One,' is kidnapped on the orders of Gryla, the Christmas Witch, an ancient figure from Icelandic folklore and Krampus's sister. Gryla believes humanity has grown selfish and irredeemable, so she plans to use a magical staff to imprison everyone on the Naughty List inside snow globes, effectively punishing the world to force moral reform. She views Santa's forgiving approach as enabling bad behavior.
What is Jack O'Malley's role in Santa's kidnapping?
Jack is a cynical, world-class tracker and hacker known online as 'The Wolf' who unknowingly sold Santa's location coordinates to Gryla's people, treating it as just another job. ELF, the North Pole's security force led by Callum Drift, coerces him into helping recover Santa because he's the only one who can trace the buyers. His estrangement from his own son Dylan drives his arc from selfish loner to genuine believer.
Why does Callum Drift want to retire as head of Santa's security?
Callum has guarded Santa for decades and has grown disillusioned because the Naughty List keeps expanding every year while the Nice List shrinks, making him feel humanity is beyond saving. He submits his resignation to Santa just before the kidnapping, which is part of why he feels personally responsible for the security failure. By the end of the film, his faith in people is restored through Jack and Dylan, giving him a reason to stay on.
What role does Krampus play in the story?
Krampus is Gryla's estranged brother and runs a grim operation where naughty souls are sent as punishment. Callum and Jack confront him for intel on Gryla's whereabouts, and although Krampus is monstrous, he opposes Gryla's plan because imprisoning all of humanity would upset the ancient balance between naughty and nice that gives his own role meaning. His grudging cooperation helps them locate her stronghold.
How is Santa rescued and Gryla defeated at the end?
Jack and Callum infiltrate Gryla's lair on Christmas Eve, where she has already begun using the staff to shrink people into snow globes. Jack, who has finally come to believe in Christmas magic through his bond with his son, seizes the staff and reverses the spell, freeing Santa and the trapped humans. Santa then completes his Christmas Eve run with their help, and Jack reconciles with Dylan, earning a spot on the Nice List for the first time.
Recent Updates
New Trailer: Red One
New Teaser: Red One
Red One now streaming on Pathé Home (FR)
Red One now streaming on YouTube (FR)
Red One now streaming on Orange VOD (FR)