'Tis the season, isn't it? Christmas can turn the hardest and toughest guy out there into a pile of mush, but only when watching classic Christmas movies that bring tears to our eyes.
Christmas is all about parties, friends, and family, but it's also snuggling up on the couch with your partner, a cup of hot cocoa and a Christmas movie on. So take a look on Netflix or any other VOD service you have, and get these classic amazing Christmas stories.
These moments are moments to keep. So let's begin.
Elf (2003)
Everybody knows it: Will Ferrell movies are always geniuses because Will himself is a pure genius. Seeing that the movie stars Will Ferrell, James Caan, and Zoey Deschanel, we know automatically it is going to a movie watched on repeat during a Christmas night.
"Elf" surrounds one of the Elves (Will Ferrell) discovering his human roots and embarking on a journey to find his biological father. The Elf goes down to New York City in search, and learns that he has to accustom himself to human nature and behavior.
Overall, the film takes you through comedy scenes that will stick in your mind, and ultimately the plot ends with a joyful Christmas ending.
Keep reading to see which actors featured in the most Christmas movies:
Scrooged (1988)
A Bill Murray masterpiece. In every film Murray takes part in, we can feel the Murray presence in small parts along the storyline. In Scrooged, those small parts ARE the movie. Murray portrays a selfish and very cynical T.V. executive. Just like we like him.
But this time, it’s Christmas. SO Frank Cross (Murray) gets haunted by three Christmas spirits. These Christmas ghosts teach Frank the meaning of Christmas, and like always, everything comes to a happy end.
If there’s a movie you want to see that is funny and a cliché, this is the one.
Miracle on 34th Street 1947 (1994, 1955)
In a pile of Christmas classics upon classics, we had to list "Miracle on 34th Street" because this movie was just too good for its generation.
The movie won many Academy Awards and proved itself worthy of a repeat on channels around the world, every Christmas.
The story starts out with a drunk Santa Clause who is supposed to appear in the Macy's Day Parade, and is followed by many characters that clash and love and collaborate ultimately resulting in what it was, a true miracle on 34th!
Die Hard (1988)
“Are talking about the 1988 Bruce Willis action movie ‘Die Hard’?!?” Yes, I am, so Yippee-ki-yay m…
Anyway, New York policeman John McClane is on leave visiting his separated wife and two kids living across the country for Christmas, when all hell breaks loose at a Christmas party at the Nakatomi tower, where his wife works. A group of terrorists takes over the building, so who you gonna call? Oh, wait… that’s another movie…
McClane takes back the building, kills the terrorists and gets the girl. Like a boss. It’s a must-see for Christmas. It really is.
Home Alone (1990)
Hilarious and adorable, we present to you "Home Alone", forever a classic on our watch. "Home Alone" is about a young boy, Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin), who is accidentally left behind while his family goes on a trip to Paris. Kevin is forced to stay home alone while his family has left him, and he goes through trials that test his ability to fight off danger.
By danger, we mean two burglars that attempt to harm him while attempting to execute their plan of home wrecking. The hilarity of the movie comes from all the funny pranks Kevin McCallister plays on these two devilish men, just to ensure his safety. With a heartwarming ending of a homecoming, the movie leaves you in tears of joy and laughter!
White Christmas (1954)
Talk about a classic, take a peek into "White Christmas", one beautiful romantical comedy. Those are always a favorite genre to watch while cuddling in a blanket with a cup of hot cocoa! "White Christmas" takes place in the World War II era in which two U.S. soldiers, both a Broadway entertainer and an aspiring entertainer perform for their division and provide relief for the soldiers.
The story continues on and the two soldiers transition into professional entertainers outside the army, and to their surprise, they fall in love with two sisters. The rest of the plot we shall leave for you to watch for yourselves, however, we will leave you with a final and inspirational quote from the movie: "May your days be merry and bright, and may all your Christmases be white".
Happy watching!
Bad Santa (2003)
If you want to laugh until your tears pour a second Jordan River, then by all means, start watching "Bad Santa"! Starring Bernie Mac, Billy Bob Jones, and Tom Ritter, this movie took the Christmas spirit hostage to another level of hilariousness. Professional thieves Markus Skidmore and Willie T. Soke are both partners in true crime, pun intended.
The beginning introduces us to these two maniacs who disguise themselves in different costumes in order to rob stores. Beyond that, Willie is an alcoholic who can not control his dirty mouth when he is surrounded by children, and every other word is profanity, bound to make you laugh at the situation.
Ultimately, Willie befriends a young boy named Thurman Mermen, who becomes manipulated by Willie in order to carry out his transgressions. The plot continues to unravel to an ending that will warm your heart. This movie is definitely worth the watch, and we won't go further so not to spoil it for all of you.
The Polar Express (2004)
The coolest feature about "The Polar Express" is that it was filmed using human actors transformed into animation with the help of performance capture technique. What is even more fascinating is that "The Polar Express" obtained a page in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the first film to use its technique.
"The Polar Express" is based off a book written many decades ago, and is directed about different children aboard the train. From the beginning, the nameless Hero Boy departs on a train to the North Pole, and the rest of the story continues on to the end in which we realize that his faith and belief is what carried him through.
The capturing theme behind the movie is so inspiring, that even outside of Christmas it succeeds in helping us believe.
The Santa Clause (1994)
Exceeding our expectations in 1994, "The Santa Clause" has remained on our A-List for almost two generations now. The movie stars Tim Allen, Judge Reinhold, and Wendy Crewson and begins with a unique plot. The story goes like this: Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) hears a noise on his roof, and ultimately runs up to confront who he thought was an intruder in the house.
Ultimately, the mystery man falls off the roof, and to Scott's surprise, it was actually Santa. Following Santa's death, Scott takes on the role and ultimately becomes Santa Clause. The plot itself is a unique and creative story for both children and adults to enjoy!
Jingle All the Way (1996)
Now, remember seeing this funny face on the billboard and thinking to yourself, "what is this man doing and how can I see more"? "Jingle All the Way" is forever a classic that has truly won our hearts beyond belief. Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, it was already intriguing to see his role transition from a horror show as the terminator, to a loving father who will do anything to buy a toy for his child, even if it means dressing up as Turbo Man and going past his limits to please his son.
The theme of the movie is about putting aside your work for your children, and realizing that they exist too. Truly, "Jingle All the Way" will warm our hearts more than Christmas socks for the long run!
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
Before we dive into the plot and characters, let's state a fun fact first and foremost. If any of you are a true Christmas song lover, then you will obviously remember the classic "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", then you would love to know that the star of the movie, Judy Garland, was the singer to release it through the film.
Anyways, the musical plot circles around an up upper-class family living in St. Louis during the summer of 1903. Esther (Judy Garland) falls in love with the boy next door who is very aloof to her existence. Once Esther properly meets her crush, John, he proceeds to diss her about her cologne, calling her out for being too strong for a woman.
After finding out her family is moving, the plot thickens and towards the end, the family never moves, to Esther's delight. The next fun fact about this movie is that the beautiful Christmas songs became hits through the releases and features in the film!
Love Actually (2003)
One of the most fun movies to devour on Christmas is "Love Actually". The movie itself stars fan favorites Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Keira Knightly, Liam Neeson, and many more actors. The best characteristic of the movie is that there are ten plots that somehow tangle themselves into one.
If you watch the movie in full, you'll become intrigued by the way the writers executed the plots perfectly into a hit of a movie. There are many other movies like this based during different holidays and events, but this one is our favorite out of all of them. Enjoy!
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
Back in the 1990’s, The Muppets were still a big thing. I mean they still are but as a nostalgic part of life. So when they were on a roll, they did lots of great stuff, without always thinking about revenue. Thank God for that.
The Muppet Christmas Carol is a musical dramedy (drama+comedy). It’s an adaptation of the novel A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens. The amazing Michael Caine portrayed Ebenezer Scrooge amazingly.
It has become a must-see, as it follows the storyline quite closely, but adds a Muppets twist.
How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
Whenever you watch a movie starring Jim Carrey, it almost always guaranteed that you will laugh non-stop until your belly aches of joy.
This absolute of a masterpiece takes place in Whoville, where everyone is intoxicated by Christmas spirit, while the Grinch hates the holiday with all of his bones. After an encounter with the horrific Grinch, young little Cindy Lou (Taylor Momsen) decides to delve into his story and try and get to the root of why he is such a grinch.
The movie follows the pain of the Grinch, the shallowness of Whoville, and the curiosity and kindness of children. What more could you ask for when you're relaxing with a glass of wine at night under the mistletoe, watching this precious film?
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Looking into "It's a Wonderful Life", you see tragedy and triumph. After many failed attempts at being happy with his life, George Bailey (James Stewart) contemplates what life would be like if he wasn't around, and how he could ultimately kill himself.
On Christmas Eve, a guardian angel shows up to George, and decides to show him all of the people he has inspired throughout his life. The angel then shows George what life would be like if he had never existed, and George begins to see things in fear and sadness, yet takes on this perspective.
Ultimately, George becomes distraught by not existing, and towards the end, he anxiously kneels and begs the angel to give him back his existence. This movie is so heartwarming, that your heart could light the fire in the fireplace and ready the warmth for Santa!
Just Friends (2005)
"Just Friends" is probably one of the cutest, heartwarming films to make the list. The movie stars such A-list actors such as Ryan Reynolds, Amy Smart, and a fan favorite Anna Farris.
It all starts off with a young, gentle giant Chris Brander (Ryan Reynolds) who is ultimately in love with the popular Jamie Palamino (Amy Smart). From the beginning, you see that Jamie's crush feelings are unreciprocated towards Chris, and he becomes truly upset after being humiliated.
Fast forward ten years to where Chris is this gorgeous hunk, and Jamie never changed a bit, of course in looks. Ultimately he tries to win her over, but finds out she's in a relationship that means the world to her. Check it this movie and see if they stop being "just friends", because most movies have a happy ending.
Bad Santa 2 (2016)
And so the trouble comes back again, this time doubled and filled with laughs galore! This time, the plot circles around Willie Soke's unfortunate ending and another web of betrayals, even by his mother and once again, his old partner in crime Markus. Ultimately, revenge is sweet and Willie has his fair share.
You know you want to watch this film, over and over again because everyone could use a fair share of dirty comedy!
The Santa Clause 2 (2002)
Ladies and gentlemen, we present to you yet another Santa Clause movie, this time an upgraded sequel. In this new and twisted plot, the new Santa (Tim Allen), finds himself to be forced into a marriage with the other woman, Mrs. Clause, having forgotten about his new life.
Santa is told that he must marry Mrs. Clause, or all of Christmas will die away, leaving its fate at his fingertips. The second movie is more of a love story that surrounds the stresses that keep coming, and this time the thrill of wanting to know what happens next will have you glued to your couch!
Ernest Saves Christmas (1988)
Have yourself a holy, jolly movie marathon and include "Ernest Saves Christmas", because this 80's Christmas comedy will not fail you ever, we promise!
The movie stars the amazing actor, Jim Varney and he executes the character of Ernest P. Warell perfectly.
In a short summary, "Ernest Saves Christmas" is a Christmas comedy surrounding the life of Ernest and his ultimate dangerous pathway with Santa Clause. If you're looking for an old comedy to sip hot cocoa to, this is definitely worth your time!
A Christmas Carol (2009, 1999, 1984, 1938)
"A Christmas Carol" stars our favorite, once again, Jim Carrey. The way the movie was made is very similar to "The Polar Express" however it is slightly different.
Either way, the imagery is fascinating and the plot is filled nostalgic as it is based on the original story by Charles Dickens. The plot follows Scrooge, who is absolutely negative about Christmas. One day, he is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past, then the Ghost of Christmas present, followed by the Ghost of the Future, in which each visit shows him perspectives of his heartbreaking life.
The rest of this summary is not going to reveal what happens at the end, for this is up to you to watch and see whether he changes, or does not.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Last but not least, we present to you "The Nightmare Before Christmas", a beautiful Tim Burton classic. The story plot follows Jack Skellington from Halloween Town, and his discovery and desire to celebrate Christmas from Christmas Town.
Throughout the movie, you will see the trouble that comes from being a skeleton from Halloween, celebrating the spirit of Christmas as horrors begin to unravel and traumatize the citizens of Christmas Town. Overall, this movie was saved for last because throughout all the comedies and old-time favorites, "The Nightmare Before Christmas" will go down in history as one of the spookiest, yet intriguing films to have touched the world of film.
Black Christmas (2006, 1974)
"Black Christmas" stars Olivia Hussey, Keir Dullea, and Margot Kidder and is truly a horrific yet beautifully written movie. We decided to throw in a Thriller movie into the mix of all the other lovely, lighthearted films. "Black Christmas" is less of a movie about demons and ghosts, but more about a stalker and a murder in the attic.
One character, Janice, is reported missing after disclosing with her boyfriend that she is pregnant and wants to get an abortion due to the lack of desire to be a mother. Following this, the main protagonist Jess keeps receiving strange phone calls and begins to discover different dead bodies; the rest is all spoilers so we shall finish the description here.
We will say however, the whole movie is a murder mystery worth the curiosity and investment.
Tangerine (2015)
Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor co-star as, respectively, Sin-Dee and Alexandra, a pair of transgender sex workers living on the fringes of Los Angeles in "Tangerine".
Released from jail on Christmas Eve, Sin-Dee is driven to frustration when she learns that her pimp/lover Chester (James Ransone) is cheating on her as Alexandra prepares for a musical performance. Chaos mounts as day turns into night in the hours before Christmas.
The film alternates laughs and shocks, but it keeps circling back to how this particular Christmas has become a crossroads for its central characters, and how much they need each other if they’re going to make it through another year. It all ends with an image that, in its own way, is as warm and generous as Charlie Brown’s friends reviving a seemingly hopeless tree.
The Shop Around the Corner (1940, 1949)
There are many great romantic movies set at Christmas, but somehow "The Shop Around the Corner" still stands above them all.
Maybe it’s the irresistible premise: A pair of feuding co-workers don’t realize they’re falling in love with one another via anonymous letters. Maybe it’s a cast headed by Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullivan and filled out with colorful character actors. Maybe it’s because few directors have balanced lightness and romance like Ernst Lubitsch.
Whatever the case, it’s both a peerless romantic comedy and one of the great Christmas movies, weaving themes of forgiveness and second chances into a love story that reflects the season in which it takes place.
A Christmas Story (1983)
Bob Clark’s venerable 1983 film "A Christmas Story" adapts storyteller and radio personality Jean Shepherd’s tales of growing up in Hammond, Indiana while cutting nostalgia and sentiment with just the right amounts of broad, occasionally dark, comedy.
The episodic film follows Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) in the days before Christmas, when he wants nothing more than a Red Ryder air rifle — and seems destined not to get one. Narrated by Shepherd himself, it mixes big comic moments, like a kid getting his tongue stuck to a stop sign, with affection for family life and days gone by.
Clark renders the memories of growing up in a particular time and place so well that Shepherd’s Hammond — its name changed to “Hohman” — becomes an idealized stand-in for any time and every place.
Carol (2015)
Todd Haynes’s "Carol" depicts the holidays as a time of possibility and peril as an intense, forbidden romance plays out against the backdrop of the 1952 Christmas season. The film stars Cate Blanchett as the eponymous unhappy housewife, a woman who unexpectedly falls for Therese (Rooney Mara), a store clerk.
But their relationship seems doomed before it really begins once it threatens Carol’s ability to see her child, leaving her with an impossible choice. Inspired by Brief Encounter and adapted from a 1952 novel by Patricia Highsmith, otherwise best known for pitiless crime fiction like The Talented Mr. Ripley, Carol uses its holiday setting as more than a backdrop.
Haynes bathes the films in Christmas lights, sure, but he also captures the spirit of a season through Carol and Therese’s relationship. The passing of one year gives way to a potential new beginning of the next — for those who can make it to the other side.
Comfort and Joy (1984)
The end of the year can be a confusing time of reflection for those who feel they don’t have anything to celebrate. That feeling is captured beautifully in Scottish director Bill Forsyth’s tale of a Glasgow DJ (Bill Paterson), who finds himself unexpectedly alone when he’s dumped by his girlfriend shortly before Christmas in the film "Comfort and Joy".
Adrift, he finds himself drawn into a turf war between two rival ice-cream vendors, a conflict that might offer him a chance to start over, or might drive him to the brink of madness. Paterson beautifully depicts a man who’s quietly, and sometimes not so quietly, experiencing a nervous breakdown as the world around him grows stranger and more absurd.
That it all somehow builds toward a hilarious moment of reconciliation involving an unexpected new ice-cream product is just one of many little miracles in a Christmas movie that takes a roundabout way to celebrate the season’s possibilities of renewal and rebirth, but still gets there all the same.
Peace on Earth (1939, 1955)
Produced as the planet descended into another World War, the 1939 short "Peace on Earth", like many animated films, depicts a world populated by wide-eyed cartoon animals. The difference: They’ve inherited the Earth from humanity, whose habit of making war has led to its destruction.
Directed for MGM by the influential animation pioneer Hugh Harman — who, with his partner Rudy Ising, had already logged stints working for Walt Disney and Warner Bros. — it’s a masterfully downbeat vision of the future; the cute protagonists, with their enthusiasm for keeping Christmas traditions alive, do little to offset the short film’s depictions of the horrors of war and the ways we fail to live up to our noblest principles.
When Fred Quimby, William Hanna, and Joseph Barbera remade it 16 years later as the also-great Good Will to Men, they had to change little beyond the addition of nuclear war and other up-to-date threats.
Christmas in Connecticut (1945, 1992)
In a film as sexy as it is funny, Barbara Stanwyck plays Elizabeth Lane, a magazine columnist who risks being exposed as a phony if she can’t create the perfect "Christmas at the Connecticut" home she’s writing about as part of a PR stunt to reward recuperating GI Jefferson Jones (Dennis Morgan), who’s been dreaming of tasting her recipes while serving in World War II.
The only problem: There is no Connecticut home, and she can’t cook. The farcical complications pile up from there, and Stanwyck deftly balances Elizabeth’s mounting sense of panic with wry humor as she reckons with her unexpected desire for Jones — a desire that has popped up just after she’s decided to give up on love in return for a marriage of convenience.
Director Peter Godfrey keeps the action fast and light while trusting Stanwyck to excellently bring her character’s dilemma to life, even if it involves changing a diaper as if she’s never seen a baby before in her life.
It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947)
A great Christmas movie that not enough people talk about, "It Happened on Fifth Avenue" opens with the homeless sage Aloysius T. McKeever (Victor More) moving, as he does every Christmas season, into the luxurious Manhattan home of vacationing tycoon Michael J. O’Connor (Charles Ruggles). From there the film keeps piling on the complications as it breaks down the divide between the haves and the have-nots.
McKeever is soon joined by a displaced World War II vet (Don DeFore) and O’Connor’s daughter Mary (Ann Harding), who doesn’t let on that she’s loaded and knows the house even better than those squatting there. The house grows more crowded, new loves get kindled, old loves get renewed, and O’Connor is forced to do a Scrooge-like about-face when he gets reacquainted with those less fortunate than him.
Directed by Roy Del Ruth, "It Happened on Fifth Avenue" earns its warmth honestly, tethering a tale of fresh starts and changed hearts to the real difficulties faced by those reaching for the American dream in a postwar era that was supposed to bring prosperity for all.
3 Godfathers (1948)
John Ford’s 3 Godfathers uses echoes of the story of Christ to tremendous effect. A rare Christmas Western, the film stars John Wayne as one of a trio of bank robbers who agree to care for a newborn child while fleeing the law in Death Valley.
Ford’s biblical echoes aren’t subtle, nor are they intended to be, but Wayne keeps the film, and its themes of redemption and rebirth, grounded with one of his most sensitive performances.
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Tim Burton clearly has a fondness for Christmas that extends beyond "A Nightmare Before Christmas". "Batman Returns", for one, uses the holiday to memorable effect.
However, Burton’s "Edward Scissorhands" goes even further, treating a sensitive, lab-created man with scissors for hands (Johnny Depp) as a Christ-like, too-pure-for-this-world figure who descends on an American suburb where he’s celebrated, then persecuted.
The first collaboration between Burton and Depp, a team-up that would become less welcome as the years piled up, is a lovely celebration of outsiders that captures the Burton sensibility in its purest form, elevating his sympathy for monsters and a disdain for the “normal” world into a moral drama filled with arresting images.
Le Rêve de Noël (The Christmas Dream) (1900)
French cinematic pioneer Georges Méliès’s contribution to the Christmas-film canon offers little in the way of narrative, just an abundance of turn-of-the-century Christmas imagery as a pair of sleeping children imagine a winter wonderland filled with frolicking musicians, holiday revelers, and, of course, Père Noël (Father Christmas) himself.
It’s a lovely, whimsical short film that captures the inventive director in a festive mood, and immortalizes on film ways of celebrating Christmas that otherwise might have faded from memory.
Remember the Night (1940)
Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck first teamed up for this 1940 Christmas romance in which Fred MacMurray plays John Sargent, a hard-charging DA who, through a misunderstanding, comes to spend the days before Christmas with Lee Leander (Barbara Stanwyck), a small-time jewel thief he’s prosecuting.
They start to fall in love during a road trip to Indiana, a sojourn that almost allows them to forget that John still has to try to send Lee to jail when they get back. Directed by Mitchell Leisen from a Preston Sturges script, "Remember the Night" begins as a broad, brisk comedy but shifts moods as John learns about Lee’s difficult past.
In a classic holiday-spirit turn, he comes to realize the advantages his loving family has bestowed upon him once he sees how appreciative Lee is after sharing the first warm Christmas morning of her life with his family.
Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983)
Neither Disney animation nor its biggest star, Mickey Mouse, were riding high in the early ’80s. Disney had suffered a string of disappointments and setbacks, and though he remained an inescapable icon, Mickey hadn’t been seen in movie theaters since the ’50s. But this adaptation of the Dickens story suggested there might be life in both yet.
Running just 26 minutes — and originally serving as the opener for a rerelease of "The Rescuers" — "Mickey’s Christmas Carol" offers a brisk, moving take on the familiar story. Scrooge McDuck (who else?) assumes the Scrooge role, but it’s Mickey and Minnie’s turns as the Cratchits that give the lovingly animated film its heart.
After years of cutting corners and coasting on past triumphs, it provided an early sign that Disney was trying again — almost as if the studio has been visited by spirits reminding it what really mattered or something.
Gremlins (1984)
Joe Dante’s enduring horror favorite Gremlins plays like someone wanted to see how badly a bunch of little monsters could screw up the setting of another Christmas classic. The answer: pretty badly!
Set in an idyllic American town straight out of "It’s a Wonderful Life" — its name, Kingston Falls, even hearkens back to that movie’s Bedford Falls — Gremlins features a cuddly little creature whose evil offspring run amok all over a sweet burg as it gets ready to celebrate the Christmas season.
As usual, Dante mixes mockery with celebration, and the film evolves from a horror movie into a freewheeling send-up of both the holidays and the Hollywood movies that celebrate them.
Arthur Christmas (2011)
Aardman Animations, the studio behind the "Wallace and Gromit" shorts and "Chicken Run", brings its own particular whimsical sensibility to a holiday tale with this playful look inside the inner workings of the North Pole, where the latest in a long line of Santas (Jim Broadbent) seems reluctant to give up his post to one of his sons.
Steven Claus (Hugh Laurie), who’s been running the operation for his dad with military precision, seems the obvious successor, but it’s the bumbling Arthur (James McAvoy) who best embodies the Christmas spirit, as evidenced by his mad rush to make sure the one kid who mistakenly got the wrong present doesn’t wake up disappointed on Christmas morning.
The film mixes clever ideas — dig that high-tech North Pole! — with real warmth, making it feel like nothing less than the future of Christmas itself rests on Arthur’s shoulders.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
Shane Black often sets his films against a Christmas backdrop, but where "Lethal Weapon", "Iron Man 3", and others feel like films that happen to take place at Christmas, Black’s directorial debut feels like it could only take place at Christmas thanks to its themes of redemption, forgiveness, and rebirth.
Here it’s New York thief Harry Lockhart (Robert Downey Jr.) in need of a new start, which he gets when he’s mistakenly asked to audition for a role in a Hollywood movie. Once there, he falls into a mystery tied to his own past when he reconnects with a childhood friend (Michelle Monaghan) and reluctantly partners with a private eye (Val Kilmer).
The twists, rapid-fire banter, and love of seedy crime fiction are familiar Black trademarks, but the concern for Harry’s happiness and connections with others — brought to life by the performance that cemented Downey’s comeback — make this Black’s most heartfelt script.
Holiday Affair (1949)
Janet Leigh plays Connie, a war widow who unexpectedly becomes the center of a love triangle when her longtime suitor Carl (Wendell Corey) meets an unexpected rival in the form of Steve (Robert Mitchum), a veteran trying to figure out his place in the postwar world.
Steve finds himself infatuated with Connie after they meet cute in a department store — he’s a clerk, she’s a Christmastime undercover shopper — then starts a hard sell, asking him to dump Carl and take a chance on him.
Mitchum’s tough-guy demeanor serves him well here, giving an odd energy to the love story. His character is sometimes written as too pushy, but the scene in which he declares his intentions over Christmas dinner, a moment where there’s no room for lies, is downright electric — and the final scene is a stunner.
The Lemon Drop Kid (1951)
Bob Hope didn’t so much play characters as variations on the Bob Hope persona, a wisecracking coward with a tendency to get in way over his head then make matters worse for himself. In this 1951 comedy. Hope plays the eponymous character, a con artist who has to flee Florida for New York in order to pay off a debt to a gangster.
The ensuing scam involves criminals dressed as Santa and a fake retirement home for “Old Dolls.” The inspired slapstick bits reportedly come from the brilliant animator-turned-director Frank Tashlin, but it’s Hope and co-star Marilyn Maxwell’s performance of the then-new “Silver Bells” that’s ensured the film its spot in the Christmas-movie canon.
The Holiday (2006)
Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet play, respectively, a tightly wound editor of movie trailers and a British newspaper reporter who decide to swap houses shortly before Christmas. This leads Winslet’s character, now in L.A., to befriend an aging screenwriter played by Eli Wallach and (eventually) fall for a kindhearted composer played by Jack Black.
Meanwhile, Diaz’s character, installed in Surrey, unwittingly hooks up with the brother of Winslet’s character, played by Jude Law. It’s a somewhat shapeless movie that goes on too long, but it also has an undeniable, nap-friendly, tryptophan-like charm as four beautiful people overcome the ridiculously small hurdles keeping them from getting together in two photogenic environments. (Also, Wallach’s a lot of fun.)
Scrooge (1970)
For a more tuneful version of the Dickens tale, there’s this 1970 musical starring Albert Finney as the eponymous miser. Finney holds nothing back as Scrooge, truly living up to the moniker “the Meanest Man in the Whole Wide World” given to him in “Father Christmas,” one of many earworm-y songs written by "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" songwriter Leslie Bricusse.
Highlights include Alec Guinness as a spooky Jacob Marley and a truly scary Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. It’s a big, occasionally tacky, but quite a fun take on the familiar story.
The Bishop’s Wife (1947, 1996)
As Christmas approaches, all is not well for Henry Brougham (David Niven), a Protestant bishop trying to raise funds for the glorious new cathedral of his dreams — a project that’s led him to neglect his wife, Julia (Loretta Young), and daughter and cause him to lose sight of his roots as a minister to the needy. Enter Dudley (Cary Grant), an angel determined to set Henry on the right path.
The only trouble: He finds himself increasingly wanting to spend time with Julia instead. The film’s a bit pokily directed at times, but Young and Grant’s chemistry smooths over some rough patches — particularly when Grant gets a wistful look in his eyes suggesting that he might call heaven his home but he knows he could find even greater happiness on earth with Young’s character by his side.
"The Preacher’s Wife", the 1996 remake starring Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston, is also worth a look.
A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas (2011)
John Cho and Kal Penn's stoner buddies find themselves at odds after the latter destroys their Christmas tree, leading to an all-night adventure of holiday madness in the best of the duo's big-screen outings.
The Ice Harvest (2005)
Holiday cheer provides an ironic backdrop for this overlooked-but-quite-good Harold Ramis thriller, starring Billy Bob Thornton and John Cusack as a pair of seedy characters looking to get the hell out of Wichita after ripping off their boss.
Unfortunately, they haven’t factored in the possibility that bad weather (to say nothing of double-crosses and other unforeseen bits of adversity) will get in their way. Thornton and Cusack make for a great pair, but it’s Oliver Platt who steals his every scene as a drunken lawyer in a film that provides the perfect antidote to the season’s excessive amounts of good cheer and faith in one’s fellow man.
Krampus (2015)
Christmas horror films are their own subgenre, using the most wonderful time of year as the backdrop for some ugly, scary business.
This 2015 horror comedy doesn’t always get the scares-to-laughs balance right, but its tale of a squabbling family visited by the demonic spirit of Krampus, a kind of anti-Santa sent to punish the naughty, benefits from a great cast (Toni Collette, Adam Scott, Allison Tolman, David Koechner) and some truly inventive monster designs.
Collette heads a family that is not feeling the holidays — and winds up falling prey to murderous visitors, including some gingerbread men determined to bite back.
The Great Rupert (1950)
A true Christmas oddity, this is the only holiday movie featuring Jimmy Durante as a down-on-his-luck vaudevillian forced to part ways with his trained squirrel as Christmas approaches.
That’s the heartbreaking premise of "The Great Rupert", but it’s all a set-up to a happy ending in which Durante is reunited with his four-legged friend, the poor get rich, and the rich learn a lesson (a story element that pops up a lot in the flood of Christmas movies released in the years immediately following World War II).
The plot lags at times, but Durante’s always fun, and so is Rupert, the delightful creation of producer George Pal, the stop-motion wizard behind Puppetoons.
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
Rarely has a series' third installment been the equal of its two predecessors, but such is the case with this threequel involving Clark (Chevy Chase), Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo), Audrey (Juliette Lewis), and Rusty Griswold's (Johnny Galecki) mishap-besieged family get-together.
The Apartment (1960)
A single man (Jack Lemmon) lets his co-workers use his residence for their affairs—but then falls in love with his boss's mistress (Shirley MacClaine). Billy Wilder's 1960 comedy won the Academy Award for Best Picture, with good reason: It's one of American cinema's all-time greats.
And that, in turn, makes it one of the all-time great Christmas movies as well, given that its tale of loneliness and love takes place on and around December 25.
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
Listen. "Charlie Brown" is an institution, and can you really say it’s the holiday season if the Peanuts theme hasn’t played in a Starbucks near you? After finding himself in a bout of seasonal depression (relatable), Charlie Brown tries to put together a Christmas play before Linus reminds him what the true meaning of Christmas is.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
Rudolph is a legend, and as an adult in these trying times, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer feels a bit like the underdog story we need. There’s clearly some social justice themes going on, but at the core of this story of Rudolph and his dental-savvy friends is a time-tested tale that proves that being different isn’t something to be ashamed of—it’s something to embrace.
The Best Man Holiday (2013)
Director Malcolm D. Lee reassembles the cast from his 1999 feature, with his group of old friends reuniting for the first time after 15 years for Christmas, which serves as a backdrop for various interpersonal issues.
Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
It may be better known for its other elements–like, say, that unforgettable masked-participant orgy–but Stanley Kubrick's final feature is, at heart, a study of individual desires and marital tensions encased in a velvety Christmastime atmosphere.
A Christmas Tale (2008)
French auteur Arnaud Desplechin crafts a sprawling, spellbinding portrait of familial dysfunction—and, ultimately, reconciliation and togetherness—with this 2008 drama about a clan reuniting, uneasily, at Christmas–only to learn that their matriarch (Catherine Deneuve) is dying of leukemia.
While You Were Sleeping (1995)
If "Die Hard" gets to be a Christmas movie, so does While You Were Sleeping. After Sandra Bullock saves a man pushed in front of an L train on Christmas Day, she finds herself in quite a predicament.
After admiring the man from afar from some time, she mutters, “I was going to marry him,” which a nurse mistakes as meaning that she’s his fiancee. Soon after she befriends his family who welcomes her with open arms. The only problem is, she ends up falling for the man’s brother.
Silent Night, Deadly Night (2012, 1984)
Doing its best to sully everything good about Christmas, this notorious slasher film—which, due to its subject matter, was pulled from American theaters—concerns a psycho who goes on a murder spree while wearing a Santa suit.
Christmas Evil (You Better Watch Out) (Terror in Toyland) (1980)
Check out this truly twisted slasher about a toy-factory employee who goes on a Yuletide killing spree. "Christmas Evil" has a premise similar to the much better known "Silent Night, Deadly Night", which sparked protests in the streets when it was released four years later.
But "Silent Night, Deadly Night" is just a standard slasher movie in Christmas drag. "Christmas Evil" plays like a demented piece of outsider art that takes the idea of a killer Santa to some pretty extreme places — including an ending that has to be seen to be believed. John Waters is a fan, which pretty much tells you all you need to know.
Metropolitan (1990)
Whit Stillman's debut feature follows a tony crowd of Upper East Siders (infiltrated by a young man from the opposite side of the park) as they banter and schmooze over the holiday debutante season in late-'80s Manhattan.
The Family Stone (2005)
It’s an all-star cast: Sarah Jessica Parker, Claire Danes, Rachel McAdams, Luke Wilson, and Diane Keaton. And that list is leaving some reasonable star power out. If you’ve ever been a part of a family (or even known one) who was hostile to outsiders, you’ll understand where the Stone family is coming from.
But what starts as a tense family comedy about kicking Sarah Jessica Parker out of the family takes a serious turn for a heartfelt twist by the end.
Happy Christmas (2014)
Christmas gets the mumblecore treatment with Joe Swanberg's indie feature, which sees the flighty young Jenny (Anna Kendrick) descending upon her brother and his wife's idyllic, grown-up life and creating a fissure in their tight-knit domestic bliss.
Batman Returns (1992)
Sure, it's the kind of action movie that isn't really about Christmas despite being set during the holiday season. Tim Burton's second chance at a Batman film has all of the trimmings of his similarly gothy Christmas tale, "The Nightmare Before Christmas"—only this one is violent, dangerous, and sexy (we dare you to name a more memorable mistletoe moment on screen).
The Night Before (2015)
"The Night Before" is messy in the way you’d expect any Seth Rogen movie to be, but it’s also the stoner-Christmas movie that’s worth putting on your list. It’s also a perfect story for those guys you know who just refuse to grow up and eventually have time come and kick them in the ass to remind them that they’re not kids anymore, and if they were, Santa would absolutely not be stopping at their houses.
Office Christmas Party (2016)
T. J. Miller and Jennifer Aniston play feuding siblings who have different perspectives on how to run the company they inherited. Tasked with winning the business of a high-stakes client, Miller's Clay sets out throw the office Christmas party to end all office Christmas party—an event so debauched that it might end their company, too.
White Reindeer (2013)
Right before Christmas, Suzanne's world is turned upside-down when her husband Jeff dies unexpectedly. But things are thrown into even more upheaval when she discovers that he had been having an affair with a stripper—in whom Suzanne finds an unlikely friend (if potential bad influence), turning this indie feature into a sweet, sad, and raunchy sex comedy.
Last Holiday (2006, 1950)
Queen Latifah kills it (pun intended) as a terminal patient mistakenly diagnosed by a faulty MRI machine. What ensues is a woman who has always played it safe taking her savings and embarking on a European vacation to meet her culinary inspiration. The problem with all of that is, when you don’t have a terminal disease and spend all your money, what comes next? You have to watch.
One Magic Christmas (1985)
Disney's 1985 release "One Magic Christmas" flopped at the box office. The iconic Harry Dean Stanton plays an angel who watches over a struggling working-class family whose matriarch, played by Mary Steenburgen, experiences some close calls as she learns the true meaning of Christmas.
It has the rare mix of grit and sentimentality, borrows heavily from "It’s A Wonderful Life" and, call us crazy, contains shades of "Groundhog Day", which wouldn’t come out for another eight years.
A Christmas Prince (2017)
"A Christmas Prince" was one of Netflix’s first forays into the Christmas genre, and upon first glance, it’s full-on Christmas garbage. But if you really sit back and let go of the fact that you can call literally every twist and turn, then you come to realize that "A Christmas Prince" is actually the perfect Christmas movie.
There’s no plot to follow or anything: it’s just full-on Christmas spirit, bottled in the story of a journalist and a rogue prince in a country that isn’t even real.
Joyeux Noel (2005)
The French film based on the historical "unauthorized Christmas truce" of December 1914 during World War I was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year. It is depicted through the eyes of French, Scottish, and German soldiers.
Christmas with the Kranks (2004)
Another beloved holiday flick featuring Tim Allen (as well as Jamie Lee Curtis and Dan Aykroyd!), this one's about a couple that angers their neighbors when they want to forego Christmas festivities in favor of a cruise.
Babes in Toyland (1961)
