(Photo by New Line, Warner Bros., Miramax, RKO, 20th Century Fox/ courtesy Everett Collection)
The 50 Best Christmas Movies of All Time
From Home Alone and Elf to classics like Miracle on 34th Street, we’ve made our list of great holiday films and checked it at least twice. Now, to all you nice boys and girls out there, we present the 50 Best Christmas Movies ever!
Christmas has come to represent different things to people over the years, and the movies here reflect that in kind. If you’re traditional and feeling nostalgic, you’ll be pleased to see where It’s A Wonderful Life and Holiday Inn made it on our list of top holiday films. If this time of the year reminds you of sitting around the TV, eagerly awaiting those annual specials, look out for A Charlie Brown Christmas and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. There’s horror (Black Christmas), comedy (Trading Places), horror and comedy (Gremlins), and even a superhero covered in tinsel somewhere (Batman Returns). For those with an independent streak to celebrate, check out Tangerine and Carol. And if Christmas means traveling somewhere you don’t want to be, stuck in a building with people you don’t like, have we got the ultimate movie for you: Die Hard! Ho ho ho, now we have a complete list of great Christmas movies.
Wondering how we put this Christmas movie list together? Every movie on the list is Fresh and plays around with the spirit of Christmas and the holidays as a central theme. Then we sorted them all by Adjusted Tomatometer, which factors in release year and a movie’s number of reviews, to make the ultimate list of holiday films that melted even the most cynical critics’ hearts.
And now you’re ready to enter a wonderland of cinematic history, with the 50 Best Christmas Movies ever!
Critics Consensus: Solid performances and a steady directorial hand help The Preacher's Wife offer some reliably heartwarming - albeit fairly predictable - holiday cheer.
Synopsis: An angel wonders if love can be Heaven on Earth in this family-themed romantic fantasy. Rev. Henry Biggs (Courtney B.... [More]
Critics Consensus: While Christmas Vacation may not be the most disciplined comedy, it's got enough laughs and good cheer to make for a solid seasonal treat.
Synopsis: This is the third in the "National Lampoon" series about the Griswold family. In this sequel, the Griswolds must deal... [More]
Critics Consensus: Home Alone uneven but frequently funny premise stretched unreasonably thin is buoyed by Macaulay Culkin's cute performance and strong supporting stars.
Synopsis: Home Alone is the highly successful and beloved family comedy about a young boy named Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) who is... [More]
Critics Consensus: Krampus is gory good fun for fans of non-traditional holiday horror with a fondness for Joe Dante's B- movie classics, even if it doesn't have quite the savage bite its concept calls for.
Synopsis: When his dysfunctional family clashes over the holidays, young Max is disillusioned and turns his back on Christmas. Little does... [More]
Critics Consensus: Still raunchy, still irreverent, and still hit-and-miss, this Harold & Kumar outing also has a Christmas miracle: The audience gets to see the sweeter side of the duo.
Synopsis: Following years of growing apart, Harold Lee (Cho) and Kumar Patel (Penn) have replaced each other with new friends and... [More]
Critics Consensus: The Night Before provokes enough belly laughs to qualify as a worthwhile addition to the list of Christmas comedies worth revisiting, even if it isn't quite as consistent as the classics.
Synopsis: Ethan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Isaac (Seth Rogen) and Chris (Anthony Mackie) have been friends since childhood, and for a decade, their... [More]
Critics Consensus: Scrooged gets by with Bill Murray and a dash of holiday spirit, although it's hampered by a markedly conflicted tone and an undercurrent of mean-spiritedness.
Synopsis: A darkly comic and surreal contemporization of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, this effects-heavy Bill Murray holiday vehicle from 1988... [More]
Critics Consensus: The rare slasher with enough intelligence to wind up the tension between bloody outbursts, Black Christmas offers fiendishly enjoyable holiday viewing for genre fans.
Synopsis: Black Christmas is an effective, frightening above average slasher movie with a good cast and a frightening, surprise ending. Barb... [More]
Critics Consensus: Frosty the Snowman is a jolly, happy sing-along that will delight children with its crisp animation and affable title character, who makes an indelible impression with his corncob pipe, button nose, and eyes made out of coal.
Synopsis: This special release celebrates the 45th anniversary of an animated Christmas classic, Frosty the Snowman. First airing on CBS, the... [More]
Critics Consensus: Undeniably uneven and too dark for some, The Ref nonetheless boasts strong turns from Denis Leary, Judy Davis, and Kevin Spacey, as well as a sharply funny script.
Synopsis: Caroline and Lloyd (Judy Davis and Kevin Spacey) are a married couple constantly at each other's throats, masters at crafting... [More]
Critics Consensus: It may not be the finest version of Charles Dickens' tale to grace the screen, but The Muppet Christmas Carol is funny and heartwarming, and serves as a good introduction to the story for young viewers.
Synopsis: Brian Henson, the son of Muppet founder Jim Henson, took over directing duties after the untimely death of his father... [More]
Critics Consensus: The Santa Clause is utterly undemanding, but it's firmly rooted in the sort of good old-fashioned holiday spirit missing from too many modern yuletide films.
Synopsis: Television sitcom star Tim Allen made his big screen debut with this light, family-friendly holiday comedy. Allen stars as Scott... [More]
Critics Consensus: Intelligent, well-acted, and satisfyingly low-key, Happy Christmas marks another step in prolific filmmaker Joe Swanberg's creative evolution.
Synopsis: When Jenny (Anna Kendrick), a hard partying 20-something moves in with Kelly (Melanie Lynskey), a budding novelist, her film director... [More]
Critics Consensus: While You Were Sleeping is built wholly from familiar ingredients, but assembled with such skill -- and with such a charming performance from Sandra Bullock -- that it gives formula a good name.
Synopsis: This offbeat romantic comedy has some rather dark underpinnings that add, rather than detract from the fun. It is the... [More]
Critics Consensus: Director Tim Burton's dark, brooding atmosphere, Michael Keaton's work as the tormented hero, and the flawless casting of Danny DeVito as The Penguin and Christopher Walken as, well, Christopher Walken make the sequel better than the first.
Synopsis: In the second of the blockbuster Batman films, the legendary hero does battle against the mysterious Cat Woman and the... [More]
Critics Consensus: The Man Who Invented Christmas adds holiday magic to the writing of A Christmas Carol, putting a sweetly revisionist spin on the story behind a classic yuletide tale.
Synopsis: The Man Who Invented Christmas tells of the magical journey that led to the creation of Ebenezer Scrooge (Christopher Plummer),... [More]
Critics Consensus: The Bishop's Wife succeeds thanks to the strength of winning performances from a stellar cast, which includes Cary Grant and Loretta Young.
Synopsis: A harassed bishop's prayers are answered when an angel (Cary Grant) is sent from heaven to help him raise money... [More]
Critics Consensus: Whether you choose to see it as a statement on consumer culture or simply a special effects-heavy popcorn flick, Gremlins is a minor classic.
Synopsis: "Don't expose him to bright light. Don't ever get him wet. And don't ever, ever feed him after midnight." This... [More]
Critics Consensus: A movie full of Yuletide cheer, Elf is a spirited, good-natured family comedy, and it benefits greatly from Will Ferrell's funny and charming performance as one of Santa's biggest helpers.
Synopsis: For his sophomore stab at directing, actor/writer/director Jon Favreau (Swingers, Made), took on this holiday comedy starring Saturday Night Live-alum... [More]
Synopsis: War hero Dennis Morgan becomes the object of a publicity stunt staged by magazine publisher Sidney Greenstreet. The corpulent print... [More]
Critics Consensus: The 1951 adaptation of Charles Dickens' timeless classic is perhaps the most faithful film version -- and Alastair Sim's performance as Scrooge is not to be missed.
Synopsis: Widely considered to be the definitive of the many film versions of Charles Dickens' classic novel is this 1951 British... [More]
Critics Consensus: A sharp black comedy about a chaotic family holiday gathering, A Christmas Tale is always involving, thanks to an impressive ensemble cast.
Synopsis: The devastating reverberations of a profound tragedy echo through generations of a long-suffering French family in this emotional family drama... [More]
Critics Consensus: The first collaboration between Johnny Depp and Tim Burton, Edward Scissorhands is a magical modern fairy tale with gothic overtones and a sweet center.
Synopsis: Tim Burton's Edward Scissorhands opens as an eccentric inventor (Vincent Price) lovingly assembles a synthetic youth named Edward (Johnny Depp).... [More]
Critics Consensus: Tangerine shatters casting conventions and its filmmaking techniques are up-to-the-minute, but it's an old-fashioned comedy at heart -- and a pretty wonderful one at that.
Synopsis: A working girl tears through Tinseltown on Christmas Eve searching for the pimp who broke her heart. (C) Magnolia... [More]
Synopsis: Christmastime is here. Happiness and cheer. And for Peanuts fans everywhere, it just wouldn't be Christmas without this classic holiday... [More]
Critics Consensus: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a yule-tide gem that bursts with eye-popping iconography, a spirited soundtrack, and a heart-warming celebration of difference.
Synopsis: This stop-motion animagic version of the classic Christmas tale adds a bit of a twist when Rudolph encounters an abominable... [More]
Critics Consensus: Aardman Animations broadens their humor a bit for Arthur Christmas, a clever and earnest holiday film with surprising emotional strength.
Synopsis: The 3D, CG-animated family comedy Arthur Christmas, an Aardman production for Sony Pictures Animation, at last reveals the incredible, never-before... [More]
Synopsis: With a deft blending of humor, sentimentality and romance, this Preston Sturges-penned comedy centers on the romance between a caring... [More]
Critics Consensus: Shaped by Todd Haynes' deft direction and powered by a strong cast led by Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, Carol lives up to its groundbreaking source material.
Synopsis: In this adaptation of the novel "The Price of Salt" by Patricia Highsmith, Therese (Rooney Mara), a young department-store clerk... [More]
Critics Consensus: How the Grinch Stole Christmas brings an impressive array of talent to bear on an adaptation that honors a classic holiday story -- and has rightfully become a yuletide tradition of its own.
Synopsis: Chuck Jones' animated version of the classic Dr. Seuss book How the Grinch Stole Christmas originally aired on television in... [More]
Critics Consensus: With the combined might of Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, and Irving Berlin working in its favor, Holiday Inn is a seasonal classic -- not least because it introduced "White Christmas" to the world.
Synopsis: Music by Irving Berlin, songs by Bing Crosby and dancing by Fred Astaire all add up to a really delightful... [More]
Critics Consensus: Deftly directed by Ernst Lubitsch from a smart, funny script by Samson Raphaelson, The Shop Around the Corner is a romantic comedy in the finest sense of the term.
Synopsis: The Shop Around the Corner is adapted from the Hungarian play by Nikolaus (Miklos) Laszlo. Budapest gift-shop clerk Alfred Kralik... [More]
Critics Consensus: Irrefutable proof that gentle sentimentalism can be the chief ingredient in a wonderful film, Miracle on 34th Street delivers a warm holiday message without resorting to treacle.
Synopsis: Edmund Gwenn plays Kris Kringle, a bearded old gent who is the living image of Santa Claus. Serving as a... [More]
Critics Consensus: A disarmingly sweet musical led by outstanding performances from Judy Garland and Margaret O'Brien, Meet Me in St. Louis offers a holiday treat for all ages.
Synopsis: Sally Benson's short stories about the turn-of-the-century Smith family of St. Louis were tackled by a battalion of MGM screenwriters,... [More]
Critics Consensus: The holiday classic to define all holiday classics, It's a Wonderful Life is one of a handful of films worth an annual viewing.
Synopsis: This is director Frank Capra's classic bittersweet comedy/drama about George Bailey (James Stewart), the eternally-in-debt guiding force of a bank... [More]
I was hoping for a more kid-oriented list (as isn’t that what xmas is about?) so I know what to watch with my kids – but clearly not the right sort of list – otherwise things like Polar Express, Scrooged, Grinch etc. would be on it…. But that aside – A Christmas List that has In Bruges and NOT Home Alone?!?! …. Madness.* Not a very good christmas list for anyone I think.
*In Bruges a great film.. but a ‘Christmas film’?!? Hmmm.
Reece Markowsky
i had to look twice, but can’t believe Scrooged (1988) wasn’t on the list.
SAJKinBigD
Agreed! This is my favorite Christmas movie, hands-down!
Home Alone? The Grinch? Jingle All the Way? Just to name a few…
Jesse Bernal
Just terrible I tell ya.
wickedscholar
Are you on crack? No Christmas Vacation – are you kidding me? I think I’ve lost all confidence in Rotten Tomatoes. I’ll never trust one of your rankings again.
advantasux
personally, I look at these lists just for my own amusement anymore. I’ve come to believe that folks that publish lists like these make choices they think make them look intelligent and above the “nonsense” that turns on dopes like the rest of us. This list is as good an example of that as any I’ve seen. No “Home Alone”? No “Christmas Vacation”? What a joke!
David Cohen
This list is invalid for three reasons:
1) “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is a Halloween movie, NOT a Christmas movie. Source: Tim Burton.
2) You neglected to include the animated version of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”
3) You put “A Christmas Story” at number 11 and that over-rated slop fest “Its a Wonderful Life” at number one.
American Kestral
“Over-rated slop fest”? You’re entitled to your opinion, a lot of people think Frank Capra’s movies are cheesy. I think Christmas is the perfect venue for his brand of corn. To me, trashing “It’s a Wonderful Life” is like kicking a puppy.
David Cohen
I admire your ability to resist nausea
Guest54321
I admire your ability to think you are so above it all. Kudos, tough guy.
ks
“A Christmas Story” Sucked with a capital “S”. The whole story revolves
around this dumb, nerdy kid who should have been beaten up on
a regular basis. “It’s a Wonderful Life” is great because it shows the resilience
of the Human Spirit. Down and and being kicked and he gets up off the mat and
fights back when he knows that being rich doesn’t mean having a lot of money.
“Christmas Vacation”, “White Christmas” and “Home Alone 2” need
to be in the the top 10, NOT “Home Alone”.
David Cohen
“Its a Wonderful Life” flopped in its initial release. It didn’t become a so-called classic until it was handed over to television and re-run ad nauseum year after year. Its like a commercial: endless repeats makes one inured to how cloying and sickly sweet it is and fools people into think it might actually be good.
Well, some people at least.
ks
The reason it is shown year after year is that it gets ratings. It
is like “A Charlie Brown Christmas” people want to see it. Of
course you seem to like movies about neurotic, wimpy kids
like the dork in “Christmas Story”.
David Cohen
The A Team got ratings too, a fact which did not keep it from, being garbage. Of course, you seem to prefer ridiculous wish-fulfillment fantasies over realistic stories about real people whom you write off as dumb, nerdy, dorks and lament they they are not beaten up more.
Guest54321
Geez, you still busy bashing It’s a Wonderful Life? What a bizarre thing to need to do. Patrol a movie forum to make sure you get your licks in.
David Cohen
Whereas stalking people who patrol a movie forum seems to strike you as perfectly reasonable.
Guest54321
Well, less unreasonable, certainly, than going around repeating some jejeune “it’s so played out” trope about the most beloved Christmas movie of all time.
David Cohen
Brilliant use of the “I know you are but what am I” retort. 1st graders everywhere must live in fear of your ready wit.
Your comebacks are as trite and uninspired as the movie you are defending.
Guest54321
Oooooh, double dis!! Strong work, soldier!
fozzie bear
Stalking requires more than one reply.
LINUXGUY
Agree 100%. Christmas Story sucks. Big time.
tanksl
Gets up off the mat? He tried to kill himself 15 minutes in. Fortunately, an angel intervened, and he didn’t end up abandoning his family before Christmas like the spineless piece of human garbage he is.
MovieBuff
“A Christmas Story” is an overrated slop fest
David Cohen
A Christmas Story wasn’t about sentiment. Its a Wonderful Life was about nothing but sentiment; sloppy, cloying, manufactured sentiment.
On my film blog I’ve produced my own list of the 101 Christmas Movies You Must See Before You Die, shares some films from this list but has many more interesting and lesser known titles that I recommend if you’re looking for something different to watch this year – http://cuemarks.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/101-christmas-movies-you-must-see.html
Mark
Most of these are not xmas movies. Films like the lemondrop Kid and Christmas In Connecticut should be in and things like Die Hard, Stalag 17 really dont belong in this list
Dharmesh
Clearly you have not seen Die Hard to know that it is in fact a Christmas Movie, In fact, probably the best action Christmas movie out there. But the list doesn’t have Home Alone 2, so it is garbage
Dharmesh
How the heck could Home Alone 2 not be on this list.
Allison Knowles
The Ref should have been #1 on this list. Guess you never heard of it. Your loss.
SAJKinBigD
Great one! Absolutely love it!
Sam
Christmas Vacation is a classic and full of funny one liners and scenes
Sam
And Home Alone is awesome
Sam
Jim Carrey’s Grinch and Christmas Story….. the old ,Santa Claus – The Movie was good , with Dudley Moore , and The Santa Clause-
Kieran Blubaugh
How are half these considered Christmas movies, Die Hard is fine, but In Bruges? Really?
Caleb Nathaniel Gumblegore
I was baffled by that one as well. Not entirely familiar with the climate in Bruges, but I’m not sure that movie even took place in winter let alone Christmas.
Kukalaka
Forget In Bruges — Stalag 17?! Seriously?
Guest54321
The list is pretty absurd overall. Half the movies are nothing like Christmas movies. Just because it is December in a movie does not make it a Christmas movie.
Jim222001
Home Alone and Home Alone 2 are rated way lower than they should be. Yet Home Alone 3 is the only one Ebert liked ?
Also the Santa Clause and Muppet Christmas Carol. Scrooged is another classic critics hated.
Joe Bartbart
The Thin Man should be on this list if Die Hard is.
Harry Pujols
Love Actually?
notsofastnow
Very loose definition of Christmas movie here. Scrooge with Alastair Sim should be high on the list. And where’s White Christmas? I love the Apartment and Stalag 17, but they’re not Christmas movies by any stretch of the imagination. Snow does not a holiday movie make. Is Christmas central to the theme of the movie? That’s what should define the genre. I’d add Charlie Brown Christmas to this list, but not Die Hard, c’mon. How about some standards?
So they didn’t include some movies that had part of a Christmas plot line but they did include Batman?
Justin Miner
Love Love LOVE Miracle on 34th Street. Such an amazing movie.
Really?
Releasing a movie in December doesn’t make it a ‘Christmas movie’. At least eight of these movies have nothing to do with Christmas. That’s the problem with the internet – no quality control
MICHAEL M
Some of these are not even Christmas movies! If a movie has one Christmas scene or just mentions Christmas but it doesn’t center around Christmas then it is NOT a Christmas movie! In Bruges? Really? It’s one of my favorites BUT it is not a Christmas movie.
Barry Hussain
Ths list sucks. Batman??? Nightmare Before Christmas, Gremlins = Weird! To name a few missing Polar Express, Home Alone, Family Vacation, White Christmas, Scrooged.
porkchopexpress
XMAS VACATION, HANDS DOWN THE BEST XMAS MOVIE EVER FOLLOWED BY SCROOGED THEN GREMLINS..
jerryr5
To me, it’s 1970’s “Scrooge”, the Leslie Bricusse musical with Albert Finney. I just love it, and don’t see how you missed it. And I usually don’t like musicals. “Scrooge” is free on Youtube. See it.
jegerbomb
Wtf half of these movies are not even Christmas movies they just take place in the winter
Bobb Smith
The Great Rupert, also called A Christmas Wish. This is right there with Miracle on 34th Street.
Dave
No Love Actually?
John
Love that movie!
John
Wow this list left off some goodies that are much more of Christmas Classics than some listed. White Christmas, Home Alone, and even The Grinch. I hate critics, so out of touch with the actual audience.
Michael Gorth
a Christmas story #1
Farty Fartsalot
The Ref?
Matthew Parker
A reboot of the original script but done very badly.
1/ Storm troopers land like WWII D day troops and run into opposition. I think with the technology they have that was a little outdated.
2/ Finn and Poe crash land. Finn walks 50 miles and the First Order haven’t reacted yet.
3/ Ray spent all her life as a suppressed scavenger stuck on a desert planet but is inexplicably a space ace pilot.
4/ And the insults to the first original classic just keep on coming and coming, not to mention the opportunity for the Jewish director to virtually create the First Order as the Third Reich to continually remind us how all those Jewish billionaire bankers who own Hollywood how oppressed they are.
Reid Ralston
1/ You’re wrong.
2/ I think you’re on the wrong discussion.
Matthew Parker
1/ I’m not wrong, The Force Awakens is as stated.
2/ I’m on the wrong discussion. Don’t know how that happened, I started in “The Force Awakens” but it got posted here. WTF? Blame the nerds who set up this site.
3/ Best Christmas movie ever is “Die Hard”.
MovieBuff
Not one of my favorite Christmas films are here 🙁
MovieBuff
Love Actually, White Christmas, Joyeux Noel, The Preacher’s Wife, Jack Frost….
VanillaMillz
The Family Man.. I watch it every year.
Flavius Căpățînă
Love Actually?
Real Vegas
You missed “To live and die in L.A.”
Brian
NL Christmas Vacation??? Not in top 10??? How can A Christmas Story not be in the top 10???
Andre Troesch
I’d have Mixed Nuts instead of In Bruges and I’d include Merry Christmas (1984) on the list somewhere
Craig Moreland
Isn’t Christmas Suppose to Be About JESUS?
Tim Sawyer
Rotten Tomatoes just lost ALL credibility from its editors. What drunken, delusional moron tossed together this stinking heap of garbage they call a list? Lots of these aren’t even Christmas movies! They’re just movies that happen to be set around the holidays! Hell, that makes JURASSIC WORLD a damn Christmas movie!
They leave off CHRISTMAS VACATION??? Home alone 1 & 2? The Grinch? Jingle All the Way? Four Christmases? THE SANTA CLAUS?? …THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL?!?!?!
I feel bad for the friends and family of whatever tasteless, cheerless Scrooge made this sad excuse of a list. They need to go watch some actual Christmas classics.
450lb
Oh please…this list is crap. Home Alone and Christmas Vacation are two of the BEST Christmas movies of all time and nowhere on the list. Really? I’m done.
450lb
I would also add Fred Clause….I always liked that movie too.
fozzie bear
Well Mr Joseph12034″I know hot put silly control characters in my internet name”
has got some real issues hasnt he? Worried about the F bomb in a movie but quite happy to insult everyboy here with some choice language, then accuse people of being “scum”, “crap”,”crappy” “crap” again and then “crap” again,thn £crappy” again.
Happy Xmas Joseph.
fozzie bear
“Christmas with the Kranks”, especially the part where he gets botox and has his eyebrows done, hilarious.
