30 Modern Christmas Classics to Add to Your Holiday Movie List

Critics Consensus: Love Hard's interesting setup and charming cast have a definite rom-com appeal, even if the story never quite develops its main characters' love connection.

Synopsis: An LA girl, unlucky in love, falls for an East Coast guy on a dating app and decides to surprise him for the holidays, only... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Nina Dobrev, Darren Barnet, Jimmy O. Yang, Lochlyn Munro

Directed By: Hernán Jiménez

Critics Consensus: The Grinch gives the classic Seuss source material a brightly animated update that's solidly suitable for younger viewers without adding substantially to the story's legacy.

Synopsis: The Grinch and his loyal dog, Max, live a solitary existence inside a cave on Mount Crumpet. His main source of aggravation comes during Christmastime... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Cameron Seely, Rashida Jones, Pharrell Williams

Directed By: Scott Mosier, Yarrow Cheney

Critics Consensus: A sugary tale overstuffed with too many stories. Still, the cast charms.

Synopsis: Nine intertwined journeys examine the complexities of the one emotion that connects all individuals, love. Among these individuals is David, the handsome, newly elected British... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Hugh Grant, Laura Linney, Colin Firth, Alan Rickman

Directed By: Richard Curtis

Critics Consensus: While it's missing some of the magic of the original, The Christmas Chronicles 2 serves up a sweet second helping of holiday cheer that makes the most of its marvelously matched leads.

Synopsis: Teenager Kate Pierce is reunited with Santa Claus when a troublemaker threatens to cancel Christmas -- forever.

Starring: Kurt Russell, Goldie Hawn, Darby Camp, Judah Lewis

Directed By: Chris Columbus

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Desperate to avoid his family's judgment about his perpetual single status, Peter (Michael Urie) convinces his best friend Nick (Philemon Chambers) to join him for... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Michael Urie, Philemon Chambers, Kathy Najimy, Luke Macfarlane

Directed By: Michael Mayer

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: Six years after their last adventure, stoner pals Harold (John Cho) and Kumar (Kal Penn) have grown apart and found new friends. As each is... View Full Synopsis

Starring: John Cho, Kal Penn, Neil Patrick Harris, Danneel Ackles

Directed By: Todd Strauss-Schulson

Critics Consensus: Viewers seeking a fresh holiday viewing option -- or those simply in the mood for Santa Kurt Russell -- should find The Christmas Chronicles well worth a yuletide stream.

Synopsis: Siblings Kate and Teddy Pierce hatch a scheme to capture Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. When the plan goes awry, the kids join forces with... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kurt Russell, Darby Camp, Judah Lewis, Kimberly Williams-Paisley

Directed By: Clay Kaytis

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: For the last 10 years, lifelong buddies Ethan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Isaac (Seth Rogen) and Chris (Anthony Mackie) have gathered on Christmas Eve to celebrate the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anthony Mackie, Jillian Bell

Directed By: Jonathan Levine

Critics Consensus: The Best Man Holiday manages honest laughs out of broad humor, and affects convincing drama from a deeply conventional plot.

Synopsis: Nearly 15 years after they were last together as a group, college friends Lance (Morris Chestnut), Harper (Taye Diggs), Candace (Regina Hall), Quentin (Terrence Howard),... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Morris Chestnut, Taye Diggs, Regina Hall, Terrence Howard

Directed By: Malcolm D. Lee

Critics Consensus: Intelligent, well-acted, and satisfyingly low-key, Happy Christmas marks another step in prolific filmmaker Joe Swanberg's creative evolution.

Synopsis: An immature party girl (Anna Kendrick) moves in with her brother's family to get over a breakup and throws their lives out of whack.

Starring: Anna Kendrick, Melanie Lynskey, Mark Webber, Lena Dunham

Directed By: Joe Swanberg

Critics Consensus: Anna and the Apocalypse finds fresh brains and a lot of heart in the crowded zombie genre - not to mention a fun genre mashup populated by rootable characters.

Synopsis: A zombie apocalypse threatens the sleepy town of Little Haven - at Christmas - forcing Anna and her friends to fight, slash and sing their... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ella Hunt, Malcolm Cumming, Sarah Swire, Christopher Leveaux

Directed By: John McPhail

Critics Consensus: A gloriously rude and gleefully offensive black comedy, Bad Santa isn't for everyone, but grinches will find it uproariously funny.

Synopsis: In this dark comedy, the crotchety Willie T. Stokes (Billy Bob Thornton) and his partner (Tony Cox) reunite once a year for a holiday con.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox, Brett Kelly, Lauren Graham

Directed By: Terry Zwigoff

Critics Consensus: With a bombastic performance from Jim Broadbent, Get Santa brilliantly captures the joys of the Christmas holiday.

Synopsis: After crashing his sleigh, Santa Claus (Jim Broadbent) asks a father (Rafe Spall) and son (Kit Connor) for help to round up his reindeer and... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jim Broadbent, Rafe Spall, Warwick Davis, Kit Connor

Directed By: Christopher Smith

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: In 1843 London, author Charles Dickens finds himself in financial trouble after writing three unsuccessful novels in a row. Desperate for a hit, Dickens relies... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Dan Stevens, Christopher Plummer, Jonathan Pryce, Justin Edwards

Directed By: Bharat Nalluri

Critics Consensus: A jolly good time with heartfelt performances and more than enough holiday cheer, all you'll want for Christmas is Happiest Season.

Synopsis: This romantic comedy is about longtime lesbian couple Abby (Kristen Stewart) and Harper (Mackenzie Davis), who made plans to go home to the latter's family... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Mackenzie Davis, Mary Steenburgen, Victor Garber

Directed By: Clea Duvall

Critics Consensus: Refreshingly understated, Ben Is Back subverts family drama stereotypes - and provides a forum for terrific performances from Lucas Hedges and Julia Roberts.

Synopsis: Nineteen-year-old Ben Burns unexpectedly returns to his family's suburban home on Christmas Eve. Ben's mom, Holly, is relieved and welcoming but wary of her son's... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Julia Roberts, Lucas Hedges, Courtney B. Vance, Kathryn Newton

Directed By: Peter Hedges

Critics Consensus: For viewers seeking an undemanding and sweetly nostalgic ode to yuletide seasons past, 8-Bit Christmas boots up without a glitch.

Synopsis: A humorous and heartfelt look back at the adventures of childhood. Set in suburban Chicago in the late 1980s, the story centers on ten-year-old Jake... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Neil Patrick Harris, Winslow Fegley, June Diane Raphael, Steve Zahn

Directed By: Michael Dowse

Critics Consensus: A Boy Called Christmas offers few surprises, but makes up for its lack of originality with a heaping helping of winsome holiday spirit.

Synopsis: An ordinary young boy called Nikolas sets out on an extraordinary adventure into the snowy north in search of his father who is on a... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Henry Lawfull, Stephen Merchant, Michiel Huisman, Zoe Margaret Colletti

Directed By: Gil Kenan

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: Buddy (Will Ferrell) was accidentally transported to the North Pole as a toddler and raised to adulthood among Santa's elves. Unable to shake the feeling... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Will Ferrell, James Caan, Bob Newhart, Ed Asner

Directed By: Jon Favreau

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: When steely French matriarch Junon learns she has leukemia, she asks her children and grandchildren at the family Christmas gathering to see if they are... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Catherine Deneuve, Jean-Paul Roussillon, Anne Consigny, Mathieu Amalric

Directed By: Arnaud Desplechin

Critics Consensus: Tongue-in-cheek satire blends well with entertaining action and spot-on performances in this dark, eclectic neo-noir homage.

Synopsis: Two-bit crook Harry Lockhart (Robert Downey Jr.) stumbles into an audition for a mystery film while on the run from the cops. Winning the part,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan, Corbin Bernsen

Directed By: Shane Black

Critics Consensus: Carried by its charismatic young cast, Better Watch Out is an adorably sinister holiday horror film.

Synopsis: Ashley travels to the suburban home of the Lerners to baby-sit their 12-year-old son Luke at Christmastime. She must soon defend herself and the young... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Levi Miller, Olivia DeJonge, Ed Oxenbould, Dacre Montgomery

Directed By: Chris Peckover

Critics Consensus: Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey celebrates the yuletide season with a holiday adventure whose exuberant spirit is matched by its uplifting message.

Synopsis: Decades after his apprentice betrays him, a once joyful toymaker finds new hope when his bright young granddaughter appears on his doorstep.

Starring: Forest Whitaker, Keegan-Michael Key, Hugh Bonneville, Anika Noni Rose

Directed By: David E. Talbert

Critics Consensus: Rare Exports is an unexpectedly delightful crossbreed of deadpan comedy and Christmas horror.

Synopsis: A young boy named Pietari (Onni Tommila) and his friend Juuso (Ilmari Järvenpää) think a secret mountain drilling project near their home in northern Finland... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Onni Tommila, Jorma Tommila, Ilmari Järvenpää, Peeter Jakobi

Directed By: Jalmari Helander

Critics Consensus: Beautiful and substantive, Tokyo Godfathers adds a moving -- and somewhat unconventional -- entry to the animated Christmas canon.

Synopsis: Middle-aged alcoholic Gin (Toru Emori), teenage runaway Miyuki (Aya Okamoto) and former drag queen Hana (Yoshiaki Umegaki) are a trio of homeless people surviving as... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Yoshiaki Umegaki, Aya Okamoto, Toru Emori

Directed By: Satoshi Kon

Critics Consensus: Aardman Animations broadens their humor a bit for Arthur Christmas, a clever and earnest holiday film with surprising emotional strength.

Synopsis: Everyone knows that, each Christmas, Santa Claus delivers presents to every last child on Earth. What everyone doesn't know is that Santa accomplishes the feat... View Full Synopsis

Starring: James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Bill Nighy, Jim Broadbent

Directed By: Sarah Smith

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: Aspiring photographer Therese spots the beautiful, elegant Carol perusing the doll displays in a 1950s Manhattan department store. The two women develop a fast bond... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Sarah Paulson, Jake Lacy

Directed By: Todd Haynes

Critics Consensus: Beautiful hand-drawn animation and a humorous, heartwarming narrative make Klaus an instant candidate for holiday classic status.

Synopsis: A desperate postman accidentally brings about the genesis of Santa Claus.

Starring: Jason Schwartzman, J.K. Simmons, Rashida Jones, Will Sasso

Directed By: Sergio Pablos

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: After hearing that her boyfriend/pimp cheated on her while she was in jail, a transgender sex worker and her best friend set out to find... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Mya Taylor, Karren Karagulian, Mickey O'Hagan

Directed By: Sean Baker