Nothing will get you in the Christmas spirit faster than watching a great holiday movie. Almost everyone had a holiday movie they loved growing up. Sometimes, you discover that those movies remain as great as you always thought they were. Other times, though, you discover that the best Christmas movies are not the same as the ones you might have grown up on.
Christmas movies can sometimes be kind of cheesy, but fear not, we’ve compiled a list of funny, occasionally dark, totally classic Christmas movies that, yes, sometimes also offer the occasional bit of sweetness. Don’t worry, though, none of them get too saccharine.
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From sipping on candy-themed cocktails to carving a delicious honey-baked ham, every family has its own holiday traditions they never skip. For many, that involves putting on a Christmas classic after the dishes are washed and the leftovers are put away. Here are the best Christmas movies to put on your radar, when the time comes:
A Christmas Story (1983)
93m
Genre
Comedy, Family
Stars
Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin, Peter Billingsley
Directed by
Bob Clark
Watch on max
A Christmas Story works tremendously well for all age groups because it’s a period piece that resonates with generation after generation. Set in the 1940s but filmed in the 1980s, the movie does a wonderful job of capturing the universal love for dangerous toys that all boys seem to possess early on in their lives. Ralphie Parker (played by the adorable Peter Billingsly) navigates the Christmas season with several landmarks of childhood, such as swearing in front of Dad and trying to get a peek at a nude magazine. It remains one of the funniest and best Christmas movies of the decade and is loved years later.
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
49%
7.5/10
97m
Genre
Comedy
Stars
Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Juliette Lewis
Directed by
Jeremiah S. Chechik
Watch on max
Most of what John Hughes touches turns to gold, which is why he’s on the list twice here. He wrote the screenplay for this 1989 classic, a hilarious holiday misadventure starring Chevy Chase. Clark Griswold returns, and this time, he’s got to deal with the hilarious but undeniably difficult Cousin Eddy (Randy Quaid). Anybody who’s accustomed to the stress and absurdity associated with a giant family Christmas will find plenty to love in this comedy classic.
Scrooged (1988)
38%
6.9/10
101m
Genre
Fantasy, Comedy, Drama
Stars
Bill Murray, Karen Allen, John Forsythe
Directed by
Richard Donner
Watch on Amazon
The world is a better place with Bill Murray. Here, he plays a television executive who is given the A Christmas Carol treatment, and eventually repents much of the evil he delights in committing during the early parts of the film. Scrooged basks in Murray’s energy and sheer wit, as it should, given that it came after the actor took a four-year acting hiatus following his filming of Ghostbusters.
Elf (2003)
64%
7/10
97m
Genre
Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Stars
Will Ferrell, James Caan, Bob Newhart
Directed by
Jon Favreau
Watch on max
It’s hard to know if anybody thought this Will Ferrell comedy from 2003 would offer real lasting power when it first came out, but it certainly has. The movie, which follows a human elf who finds out he was smuggled to the North Pole as a baby, is hilarious and almost shockingly poignant. A little heartfelt, plenty funny, and full of seasonal cheer, Elf is a worthy addition to the esteemed list. Its greatest gift is making you feel like a kid again.
Home Alone (1990)
63%
7.7/10
103m
Genre
Comedy, Family
Stars
Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern
Directed by
Chris Columbus
Watch on Disney+
Here, John Hughes plays director, and puts together one of the films that would define his entire career. Sure, Macauley Culkin is cute and cunning but the best viewing involves the villainy of the wet bandits, played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern. If you’re looking to incorporate a drinking game while viewing, take a sip every time you notice just how Christmas-y the McCallister home is (spoiler alert: It’s very much so).
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
74%
7.9/10
105m
Genre
Fantasy, Drama, Romance
Stars
Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Dianne Wiest
Directed by
Tim Burton
Watch on Disney+
Die Hard tends to get most of the credit when it comes to classic movies that just sorta happen to be about Christmas. But Edward Scissorhands is even better, showcasing the cinematic magic Tim Burton was capable of in the early days of his career. And, given that it dabbles in a lot of late-fall darkness, it’s a good one to ease you into the holiday season.
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
8.3/10
25m
Genre
Animation, Family, Comedy, TV Movie
Stars
Ann Altieri, Chris Doran, Sally Dryer
Directed by
Bill Melendez
Watch on Apple TV+
It’s hard to call this one a movie given its short length but no list of great Christmas movies would be complete without it. Incredibly, the animated special is over half a century old but it continues to deliver. From the quiet antics of Snoopy and the epic dance party that unfolds during play rehearsal to the flawless Vince Guaraldi soundtrack, this one is perfect for all ages and multiple viewings.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)
26m
Genre
Animation, Family, Comedy
Stars
Boris Karloff, June Foray, Thurl Ravenscroft
Directed by
Chuck Jones
Watch on Peacock
Another vintage piece of animated greatness, this one never gets old. Given that it’s a Dr. Seuss joint, the writing is wonderful and it has a way of softening up even the least festive among us. There have been many remakes and adaptations in the decades since this classic first hit the small screen, but the 1966 original is still the best of the bunch.
White Christmas (1954)
56%
7.5/10
120m
Genre
Comedy, Music, Romance
Stars
Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney
Directed by
Michael Curtiz
Watch on Amazon
Christmas is always sweeter with a song, and White Christmas proves that to be true. One of the great Christmas movies where the joy is really the point, White Christmas also features plenty of the New England Christmas charms that many people associate with the season. It’s got post-war optimism, lovely sets, and the incessant crooning of Bing Crosby.
Bad Santa (2003)
70%
7.1/10
92m
Genre
Drama, Comedy, Crime
Stars
Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox, Brett Kelly
Directed by
Terry Zwigoff
Watch on Paramount+
Billy Bob Thornton is one of the best actors out there, and he just keeps getting better. This 2003 comedy dodges the stereotypical joy and cheer of the holiday season and instead goes for the darker, more interesting material. It’s a must-watch for all of the Scrooge’s out there, full of not-so-appropriate jokes and general grumpiness.
Trading Places (1983)
116m
Genre
Comedy
Stars
Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy, Ralph Bellamy
Directed by
John Landis
Watch on Paramount+
A comedy classic that you may not necessarily associate with Christmas, Trading Places is nonetheless a great movie to turn on around the holidays. The movie’s story, which follows a wealthy trader and a beggar who trade lives, is an important reminder that your station in life may be almost entirely beyond your control. What’s not beyond your control, though, is how you choose to live, and who you choose to help along the way.
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
113m
Genre
Comedy, Drama, Romance, Family
Stars
Judy Garland, Margaret O'Brien, Mary Astor
Directed by
Vincente Minnelli
Watch on Amazon
Judy Garland remains the queen of the movie musical, and Meet Me in St. Louis is one of the very best musicals she ever appeared in. Following four sisters in St. Louis on the cusp of the 1904 World’s Fair, the movie features several genuine classics, as well as lush costuming and glorious cinematography. Meet Me in St. Louis also has the kind of genuine, open-heartedness that has only become rarer in the years since the movie hit theaters.
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
96m
Genre
Comedy, Drama, Family
Stars
Edmund Gwenn, Natalie Wood, Maureen O'Hara
Directed by
George Seaton
Watch on Amazon
Telling the story of a department store Santa Claus who claims to be the real thing, Miracle on 34th Street is a movie about what it means to really believe in magic. Not unlike Elf, Miracle on 34th Street is ultimately about yearning for a world in which there are things beyond our understanding. Thanks to some lovely performances, including a central one from a very young Natalie Wood, Miracle on 34th Street still shines the same way it did when it was first released.
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
89%
8.6/10
130m
Genre
Drama, Family, Fantasy
Stars
James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore
Directed by
Frank Capra
Watch on Amazon
A true classic. A yearly tradition. If you haven’t seen it, do yourself a favor. George Bailey has lived in the same crummy old town all his life when all he wanted was an adventure. Sometimes he thinks it would have been better if he was never born. So, an angel flies down from heaven, and poof, George gets to see an alternate version of the world. It’s a Wonderful Life will make you weep with joy, and remind you that the greatest gift you’re likely to get this holiday season is the simple joy of being alive.
Love Actually (2003)
135m
Genre
Comedy, Romance, Drama
Stars
Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson
Directed by
Richard Curtis
Watch on Amazon
A romantic comedy that follows a panoply of different characters around the Christmas season, Love Actually is a gentle reminder of what Christmas is really supposed to be about. While some of the movie’s plot lines work better than others, the moments that work really work remind us of the joy that can come from finding someone to spend the festive season with. The standout scene, though, might also be the most devastating one, following Emma Thompson’s character as she suddenly realizes that her husband’s been cheating on her and takes a quiet moment to reflect on where her life will go now.
The Holdovers (2023)
133m
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Stars
Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa, Da'Vine Joy Randolph
Directed by
Alexander Payne
Watch on Amazon
A more recent holiday movie that seems destined to become a classic, The Holdovers tells the story of a teacher and student who are the only ones left at their private school over the winter break. As they come to better understand one another and celebrate the holiday season together, the movie dives into the way hurt people can help one another start healing. Paul Giamatti is brilliant in his lead role, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph is just as good in her supporting performance. The Holdovers is a small, intimate portrait, but one that you can watch over and over again to feel just a little bit of warmth inside.
