(Photo by Lionsgate / Courtesy Everett Collection. THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER.)
Best New Christmas Movies of 2024
Here at Rotten Tomatoes, we deck our halls year-round with reds and greens, and now the season aligns with us as we unwrap the best new Christmas movies of 2024! The list begins with Certified Fresh films, including famous last names shindig Christmas Eve at Miller’s Point (On Spielberg! On Scorsese! On…Turkington?), sordid stocking stuffer Terrifier 3, and holiday travel thriller Carry-On.
Frothy Fresh films march in next, like Netflix’s Hot Frosty and Meet Me Next Christmas, Disney+’s detailed animation An Almost Christmas Story, and new favorite The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.
Rotten movies round out the guide, including Ben Stiller’s Nutcrackers, Jack Black’s Dear Santa, and Red One. That Dwayne Johnson & Chris Evans action/comedy may have ended up on the critics’ naughty list, but audiences were pleased with what they received, smacking it with a Verified Hot award.
And the best new Christmas movies list is the gift that keeps on giving as we extend back through 2023’s holiday movies, including Eddie Murphy’s Candy Cane Lane, and specials for Batman, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and The Bad Guys. Just like with the 2024 entries, it’s Certified Fresh films first, and we’re also including movies with Popcornmeter scores, but nothing yet on the Tomatometer.
2024 Holiday Movies Ranked
#1
Critics Consensus: Taron Egerton and an against-type Jason Bateman make for great adversaries in Carry-On, a throwback thriller that clears all checkpoints of plot logic with its confident execution.
Synopsis: A young TSA agent fights to outsmart a mysterious traveler who blackmails him into letting a dangerous package slip onto
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#2
Critics Consensus: Capturing both the cheer and frustration that accompany holiday gatherings, Christmas Eve in Miller's Point is a yuletide chronicle that rings true.
Synopsis: In CHRISTMAS EVE IN MILLER’S POINT, a rambunctious extended family descends upon their small Long Island hometown for the holidays.
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#3
Critics Consensus: Taking an axe to yuletide cheer and everything else in its path, Terrifier 3 is a bloody fantastic stocking stuffer for the holiday season.
Synopsis: After surviving Art the Clown's Halloween massacre, Sienna and her brother are struggling to rebuild their shattered lives. As the
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#4
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: "An Almost Christmas Story" follows Moon, a curious young owl who unexpectedly finds himself stuck in a Christmas tree destined
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#5
Critics Consensus: Decking the halls with unflappable charm and sincere spiritual conviction, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is winningly wholesome family entertainment.
Synopsis: The Herdmans are absolutely the worst kids in the history of the world. They lie, they steal, they bully... and
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#6
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: When true-crime podcaster and sleuth transwoman Lola visits her hometown at Christmas for the first time since running away and
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#7
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Two strangers meet on a fateful Christmas Eve, but a night of romance soon becomes a nightmare.
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#8
Critics Consensus: Knowingly goofy with its steamy twist on the magic of Christmas, Hot Frosty is an affable rom-com that ought to thaw the hearts of even the most skeptical of viewers.
Synopsis: Two years after losing her husband, Kathy magically brings a handsome snowman to life! Through his naïveté, the snowman helps
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#9
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Christmas at a roadkill collection company gets bloody as employees are killed off one by one by an evil reindeer
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#10
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In pursuit of a fairytale romance with the man of her dreams, Layla must race through New York City to
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#11
Critics Consensus: More of a stocking stuffer than a proper gift from Santa, That Christmas is an amiable enough addition to the holiday canon.
Synopsis: Based on the charming trilogy of children's books by beloved multi award-winning writer/director Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral,
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#12
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Two college freshmen make a pact to break up with their high school sweethearts over Thanksgiving break, leading them on
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#13
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: To save her parents' small-town performing venue, a former big-city dancer decides to stage an all-male, Christmas-themed revue.
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#14
Critics Consensus: Lindsay Lohan and Ian Harding try their best to elevate a tired script, but Our Little Secret is too clumsy for its screwball antics to land.
Synopsis: Two resentful exes are forced to spend Christmas under the same roof after discovering that their current partners are siblings.
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#15
Critics Consensus: Ben Stiller's sturdy performance gives Nutcrackers some heart, but a clichéd story and indifferent execution make this holiday dramedy about as delightful as getting socks for Christmas.
Synopsis: A strait-laced man finds his life suddenly upended when he becomes the caregiver for his rambunctious, orphaned nephews.
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#16
Critics Consensus: Wrapped in slick packaging but wholly lacking in holiday magic, Red One is a ho-ho-hum action-adventure.
Synopsis: After Santa Claus -- Code Name: RED ONE -- is kidnapped, the North Pole's Head of Security (Dwayne Johnson) must
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#17
Critics Consensus: Straight to the naughty list!
Synopsis: When a young boy mails his Christmas wish list to Santa with one crucial spelling error, a devilish Jack Black
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2023 Holiday Movies Ranked
#1
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: This Christmas, Damian Wayne wants to be a superhero like his dad--the one and only Batman. When Damian is left
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#2
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: The winter holidays are turning out to be especially stressful for Greg Heffley this year. After accidentally damaging a snowplow
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#3
Critics Consensus: Silent Night reaffirms that an action movie doesn't need much dialogue if the set pieces are solid enough -- and that even second-tier John Woo can be worth the price of admission.
Synopsis: A gritty revenge tale of a tormented father who witnesses his young son die when caught in a gang’s crossfire
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#4
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: It’s the most wonderful time of the year … but will it be for James and Hayley? James’ father has
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#5
Critics Consensus: Candy Cane Lane gets credit for its willingness to get weird, but in most other respects, this Eddie Murphy-led holiday comedy is a dead end.
Synopsis: Eddie Murphy stars in this holiday comedy adventure about a man on a mission to win his neighborhood's annual Christmas
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#6
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Jess and Bill Walker are doing their best to keep their family connected as their children grow older, more independent,
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#9
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: When Graham decides to surprise his family by traveling home for Christmas, he is shocked to discover them already celebrating
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#7
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Overwhelmed by Christmas events and a surprise visit from her parents, photographer Dani asks lawyer Amelia for help. Pretending to
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#8
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: An overwhelmed waitress, along with a pastor, a hospice nurse, and a manager, all desperately in need of a Christmas
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#9
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: HOLIDAY TWIST centers on a high-powered female executive and Grinchy workaholic CEO (Kelly Stables), whose whole world comes crashing down
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#10
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: An unconventional elf and a shy boy meet and discover the value of friendship.
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#11
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A young couple preparing to welcome their first child; an empty-nester and her fiancé ready to start a new chapter;
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#12
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Mr. Wolf and his crew of animal outlaws realize they'll need to restore the city's Christmas spirit to keep their
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#13
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: To celebrate their engagement, Thea takes Jashan home, but his Indian roots and her family's Norwegian traditions clash in a
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#14
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A Mexican father's Christmas celebration goes from merry to messy when his daughter shows up with her new boyfriend --
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87%
51%
85%
100%
85%
0%
41%
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