There are few films in the world that are as endlessly rewatchable asDie Hard . Each December , millions of people model down ( again ) and press play on the one-year armed robbery at Nakatomi Plaza . But why do we find so much comfort in a 1988 action picture show ?
It must be about more than simply being a groovy film;Citizen Kaneis a great film , but far fewer the great unwashed model down and watch it every year — or opt to get icon from ittattooed on their bodies . And there ’s a whole segment of Hollywood dedicated to ape theDie Hardformula , but pluck an component or two — usually the location . Under Siege(1992 ) is basicallyDie Hardon a ship;Air Force One(1997 ) isDie Hardon a planer ; andCliffhanger(1993 ) isDie Hardon a mountain .
None of those films has become yearly appointment viewing , however , perhaps because none of those moving picture has John McClane as its protagonist . Bruce Willis ’s dingy , vest - clad hero does a fine job doling out exhausted one - liners and seems at any given power point like he might not make it through the next fight .
In Brian Abrams’sDie firmly : An Oral History , screenwriter Steven E. de Souza shared his thoughts on what makes McClane so compelling : “ He was an underdog . That ’s why the movie worked , " de Souza said . " It ’s hard to sense good-for-nothing for Stallone or Schwarzenegger , which is why they have to work so intemperately to have 95 guys attack them at once or attempt to find seven - foot wrestlers to fight them . [ … ] Die Hardreally capture the hypothesis that you could acquire butdie . "
" Wish fulfilment " is a phrase sometimes used in the setting of action heroes , but nobody would wish for what McClane goes through : He is gravel up repeatedly , walk through broken glassful in mere feet , and by and large has about as trying aChristmasEve as anyone has ever had . But while we might not want to swap places with him , there is something about the thought of being a competent , noble champion in the face of adversity that is fairly universally appealing . The destiny of the movie leave McClane with no choice but to rise to the challenge , something everyone wish to think they ’d be capable of doing — making the movie ’s entreaty less about wishing to be in that accurate condition , and more about wishing to be that up to .
“ Most of us are never die to hold a hired gun to somebody ’s head , ” clinical psychologistDr . Abigael Santells Mental Floss . " But we might have been in post of conflict and being pulled in different directions , where we had peradventure overplayed the power of something , and there might be a form of resonance and reflection in what we see on screenland even though it does n’t straight off come to . Resilience in the face of hardship is something that we all could do with being reminded of when we go through untoward experiences . ”
A 2017 report in the journalNature Human Behaviorfound that human infants are able-bodied to recognize expansive human activity from other stages of development , suggest that our sense of justice and worship of heroes is to some extent innate . A 2019 paper in theJournal of Media Psychologyfound that , despite the rise in popularity of blemished protagonists and antihero , the perceived morality of a character is what affects how much viewers ultimately like them . McClane is both heroic and moral — yes , he ’s grubby and sweary and chain - skunk , but he ’s a ripe dude .
Again though , a vast amount of plastic film boast some sort of heroism — what doesDie Hardhave that keeps millions of viewer returning to it year after yr ?
“ My guessing is that it ’s the combining of two things,”Outlaw Vern , Die Hardenthusiast and author ofYippee Ki - Yay Moviegoer ! , tells Mental Floss . “ Itisthat good — so thrilling , so well directed , so quotable , so fun to watch over and over . And , taking place at a specific time of year gives you a reminder and excuse to make viewing it an yearly upshot . ”
And if you already watch it every class , you ’ll credibly continue to do so , advise Dr. San . “ Familiarity is comforting , ” she says . “ You ’re not only expend time with characters you have turn attached to over multiple viewings , but knowing what will befall can give you a greater sensory faculty of being in control of things . confident connexion of having seen the plastic film in happier , less troubled times can all add to a flavour of comfort . ”
So it ’s possible we rewatchDie Harda lot , in part , becausewe rewatchDie Harda lot — an pleasantly self - perpetuating cycle that never ends well for Hans Gruber .
“ There are n’t many movies with that combination of broad entreaty and Christmas - adjacent content , ” Vern says . “ It ’s become the go - to for someone that want to reward the season but still see explosions . ”
A version of this story ran in 2020 ; it has been updated for 2021 .
