Here are our top picks for the greatest Christmas films ever, from goofy Santas to snowy shootouts.
Let’s view the countdown of the greatest Christmas films ever made. A month-old wreaths is becoming as disposable as Christmas movies. Streaming services like Netflix have made it a practice to release cheesy, poorly produced, and poorly acted holiday romantic comedies every year for the past ten years, only to release a dozen more the following year. Yes, a little forgotten cheese might be entertaining. Still, the cottage industry that surrounds it has surpassed the truly outstanding Christmas films that we used to watch every December to celebrate the arrival of the most lovely time of the year.
If this seems a little Scrooge-like, we apologize. To counteract that Grinchitude, let’s honor the traditional Yuletide songs that truly make us feel chilly. Whether it’s a classic like It’s a Wonderful Life or A Christmas Story, something silly like Elf, or something obscene and nasty like Bad Santa, everyone has their preference. You can find it under the tree in our selection of the greatest Christmas films ever, regardless of what makes you smile.
The Greatest Christmas Films
23. The Santa Clause (1994)
This is the movie for you if you have visions of sugarplums when you watch Tim Allen dressed as Santa. Santa is unintentionally killed by the Home Improvement star, who must replace him. There are moments in it, but it’s hardly a wonderful life. And Judge Reinhold is there! —Nashawaty, Chris
The Santa Claus can be seen on Disney+.
22. Klaus (2019)
In reality, how did Santa Claus get his start? This stunningly animated Netflix movie tells the gripping origin tale of a young postman and a toymaker in 19th-century Norway who work together to get children to send letters in return for toys. We value the narrative’s inventiveness over its reliance on simple Christmas film clichés. —Jacobsen Kevin
Where to view Klaus: on Netflix
21. Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
We adore a silly Christmas joke, and that’s precisely what Christmas in Connecticut is all about. The story revolves around Barbara Stanwyck, a cuisine writer, who writes a popular column under a fictitious country-gal identity. When her editor forces her to prepare a real supper for a returning war hero, she finds herself in a difficult situation when mischief breaks out. — K.J.
Where to watch Christmas in Connecticut: on Amazon Prime Video( Rent)
20. Gremlins (1984)
Joe Dante’s naughty monster-mash comedy takes place in a snowy village reminiscent of Norman Rockwell over the holidays, but it’s not quite a Christmas film. Furthermore, on Christmas morning, who didn’t want a cute little creature like Gizmo waiting beneath their tree? If you didn’t feed it after midnight, that is. — C.N.
Gremlins viewing location: Max
19. The Holdovers (2023)
Alexander Payne’s melancholy dramedy, which sounds like a dusted-off hidden gem from the 1970s, is about discovering unexpected relationships in the face of adversity. Paul Giamatti, Oscar-winning Da’Vine, and Dominic Sessa Joy Randolph plays a cafeteria manager, a student, and a boarding school teacher who, during Christmas break, find themselves depending on one another. The outcome is a combination of heartwarming and humorous. — K.J.
You can watch “The Holdovers” on Amazon Prime Video.
18. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
It’s not the best chapter in the Griswold family’s story, all right. Even so, the awkward moment between Chevy Chase and Randy Quaid’s cousin Eddie and a sexy department store salesman makes Christmas Vacation worth seeing on its own. “I was just browsing, blousing, uh! “I mean, it’s a little nipply out.” —C.N.
Max is the location for National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
17. Scrooged (1988)
No one performs “Bah, humbug” more effectively than Bill Murray’s cold-blooded TV executive Frank Cross in this darkly humorous adaptation of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. It is the ideal spiky counterbalance to Yuletide sweetness, even though it is essentially the same movie as 1993’s Groundhog Day—a jerk becomes a better man on the eve of a national holiday. — C.N.
You can watch “Scrooged” on Amazon Prime Video.
16. Die Hard (1988)
Due to Alan Rickman’s iconic Teutonic villain Hans Gruber (who discovers a one-man killing machine and a lump of coal in his stocking!), New York police officer John McClane (Bruce Willis) travels to Los Angeles to visit his wife (Bonnie Bedelia) and ends up attending the Christmas workplace party from hell. “Yippee ki-yay, motherf—er” instead of “Ho, ho, ho!” is more effective. — C.N.
You can watch Die Hard on Amazon Prime Video.
15. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
When an elderly man (Edmund Gwenn) poses as Kris Kringle, he deceives gullible children and even the most jaded adults into believing he is the real thing. If they filmed this timeless classic today, they’d handcuff him and send him to jail, but there’s something really charming about it. C.N.
Disney+ is the location for Miracle on 34th Street.
14. White Christmas (1954)
This Yuletide classic features Rosemary Clooney, Danny Kaye, and Bing Crosby decorating the halls. If the film is as sweet as a Vermont maple, so what? The melodies by Irving Berlin, especially the stunning title track, are timeless. — C.N.
You can watch “White Christmas” on Amazon Prime Video.
13. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Although Tim Burton and Henry Selick’s stop-motion holiday fable may seem more appropriate for Halloween than Christmas, it is still a work of pure visual art. —C.N.
The Nightmare Before Christmas may be seen on Disney+.
12. Trading Places (1983)
Okay, so perhaps this film isn’t quite a Christmas film either. However, we are reminded of the holiday season when we see a dejected Dan Aykroyd dressed in a Santa suit, munching on a slab of salmon through his gritty cotton candy beard. — C.N.
Trading Places is available for rent on Amazon Prime Video.
11. Home Alone (1990)
In Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, author John Hughes gave Thanksgiving a heartfelt touch. With the story of 8-year-old Kevin McCallister (played by the endearing Macaulay Culkin), who is abandoned by his family and must confront and outsmart two incompetent burglars, he adopts a less romantic approach to the holidays in Home Alone. To be honest, you can appreciate this one at any time of year. The C.N.
Home Alone can be watched on Disney+.
10. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
Featuring Burl Ives as Sam the Snowman, this made-for-TV Rankin and Bass classic tells the timeless tale of an elf who aspires to be a dentist and an outcast with a very sparkly nose. An annual must-see. —C.N.
You can purchase Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer on Amazon Prime Video.
9. The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974)
More popularly known as “the movie with Heat Miser.” Due to a cold, Mickey Rooney’s character Santa decides to take a year off from his Christmas duties. It is up to Jingle Bells and Jangle Bells, two elves, to come to the rescue. But first, they have to defeat the greatest Christmas villains since the Grinch, Heat Miser, and Snow Miser. The C.N.
The Year Without a Santa Claus is available on rent on Amazon Prime Video.
8. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
In this fur-and-felt rendition of A Christmas Carol, Kermit plays Bob Cratchit, Miss Piggy plays Mrs. Cratchit, and Michael Caine plays Ebenezer Scrooge. The Muppets and Jim Henson’s workshop take on Dickens. How can we get this one to be shown on TV more frequently? C.N.
Disney+ is the location to view The Muppet Christmas Carol.
7. Bad Santa (2003)
A repulsive, inebriated department store Santa/con man who is out to rob stores on Christmas Eve with his elf sidekick, Marcus (Tony Cox), is the subject of this bruise-black comedy, in which Billy Bob Thornton ruins the fun. For parents who want something to do once the kids have gone to sleep, here it is. — C.N.
Where to watch Bad Santa: Paramount+
6. Love Actually (2003)
The creators of Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) and Notting Hill (1999) present a roundelay of heartwarming London love throughout the holiday season. All of the amazing scenes in the movie might fill a stocking. There isn’t a better moment than when a bunch of children performs Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” —C.N.
Where to watch Love Actually: Amazon Prime Video
5. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
The overly caffeinated Jim Carrey rendition and the Benedict Cumberbatch remake from 2018 should be forgotten. It’s Chuck Jones’ animated adaptation of the Dr. Seuss classic that you will want to watch repeatedly. “The Grinch detested the entire Christmas season. No one knows the exact cause, so please don’t ask. His shoes might have been too tight, maybe. Alternatively, his head might not have been fastened on properly. However, I believe that his heart being too little might have been the most likely cause of all. —C.N.
Where to look The Grinch’s Secret of Christmas: Peacock
4. Elf (2003)
The greatest Christmas movie ever made. Even though the century isn’t very lengthy, it’s still noteworthy. When Will Ferrell plays the enormous elf who travels far from the North Pole in quest of his father, he is invaluable. My niece was so enamoured with this film that she made me watch it three times in a row one December. I wasn’t bothered at all. —C.N.
Viewing locations for Elf: Max
3. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
Certain holiday films simply lift your spirits when they play. They envelop you in a cosy, warm sense of nostalgia. For many of you, including myself, this is that film. I could watch those Peanuts kids do their herky-jerky dance on an eternal loop and never get tired of it. Plus, if there was ever a movie that made you want to take home the saddest, leafless tree at the nursery, this is the one. — C.N.
Location: Apple TV+ for A Charlie Brown Christmas
2. A Christmas Story (1983)
Now, I’m aware that many of you who have read this far will be disappointed that it’s not number one. Particularly when Ralphie’s (Peter Billingsley) friend is triple-dog-dared to touch his tongue to a frozen metal flagpole, I adore it as much. So please don’t try to shoot me with a 200-shot range, carbine action, Red Ryder air rifle! —C.N.
Location of A Christmas Story: Max
1. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
That this is number one is no surprise, isn’t it? There are instances when a film is deemed a masterpiece, and this is one of those occasions. Watch Frank Capra’s holiday classic again if you believe it to be feel-good. It’s humorous, touching, thought-provoking, and a yearly reminder that the holidays are about more than just gifts, owing to Jimmy Stewart’s portrayal of George Bailey. Come in from the cold if you don’t have a sugarplum in your throat by the end credits. —C.N.
Where to look The Great Life: Amazon Prime Video
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