25 Modern Christmas Classics You Can Listen to Right Now
Christmas movies have been a tradition for decades, but the days of watching George Bailey try to jump off a bridge year after year are long gone. Holiday movies are an industry unto themselves, with dozens if not hundreds of new seasonal offerings being released starting around June. Most of them are cozy Christmas cookie cutters, relaxing and mostly disposable. But still the classics appear. At the completely arbitrary two-decade mark, we take a look at modern masterpieces of the form.
Luckily, the Christmas genre is wide and deep: silly comedies, cozy dramas, gruesome horrors, weird romances, and surprisingly literal adaptations of Bang! songs. It’s all here!
Elf (2003)
Will Ferrell’s comedy about a man who identifies as a real elf has no right to be so cute and smart. Ferrell is Buddy, a child who was accidentally sent to the North Pole as a child and now travels to New York during the holiday season to find his biological father (James Caan). An impressive cast (Ed Asner, Zooey Deschanel, Peter Dinklage, Bob Newhart) doesn’t hurt one bit.
Where to stream: Max
Tokyo Godfathers (2003)
Loosely inspired by John Ford’s 1948 film The Three Godfathers , the film follows a drag queen, a teenage runaway and a kind-hearted middle-aged man battling alcoholism and living on the streets of Tokyo when they come across a child in a trash can on Christmas Day. Eve. This next beautiful, heartwarming adventure comes from director Satoshi Kon, who in his all-too-short life and career also directed the classic films Perfect Blue , Millennium Actress and Paprika .
Where to watch: Tubi, The Roku Channel, Hoopla, Pluto TV.
Love Actually (2003)
The modern Christmas movie, which begins weeks before the holiday and counts down to the big day, brings together a variety of love stories featuring British familiar faces such as Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Keira Knightley and Colin Firth. If anyone has ever confessed their love to you through a series of cue cards on your doorstep, you can thank (or blame) Love Actually .
Where to watch: Netflix
Bad Santa (2003)
2003 was a banner year for modern Christmas classics of all flavors. The platonic ideal of a gritty Christmas movie, Terry Zwigoff ‘s Bad Santa stars Billy Bob Thornton as Willie Sock, a mall Santa who is actually a con man who uses his seasonal gigs to find stores he can rob at night. . He represents everything you probably don’t want your child to be around during the holidays (or really any time): he’s foul-mouthed, cynical, and abusive whenever he doesn’t make the slightest hint of child-friendly cover. The film does feature a solid Christmas redemption storyline with scenes of seasonal debauchery in and around it, but still, it’s probably not for kids.
Where to watch: Paramount+
The Polar Express (2004)
Traveling into the uncanny valley may seem a little unnerving, and rightfully so. The animation style here is either beautiful and innovative, or very creepy, and possibly both. However, the doubting boy’s journey to the North Pole carries timeless messages about the value of childhood wonder, and the slightly bittersweet ending balances out the film’s moments of holiday bustle.
Where to stream: Max
Joye Noel (2005)
A fictionalized version of a true story, the Academy Award-nominated film tells the story of an extraordinary moment in the first year of World War I, when French, German and British soldiers negotiated a series of unofficial truces at several points along the front line. often mixed to celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The German Crown Prince even sent a soloist from the Berlin Opera to perform at the front, entertaining both sides. By dramatizing the event, the filmmakers understand that the truce was both glorious and absurd. These complex feelings, and the realization that what we are seeing represents a momentary lull in a war that will continue for years, create powerful emotional moments.
Where to watch: Tubi
Family Stone (2005)
Holiday gatherings always offer great potential for comedy and drama, and The Family Stone has both. In the story, Dermot Mulroney brings home his new girlfriend for Christmas, played by the fearless, fragile Sarah Jessica Parker. This is not very good: the visitor constantly feels out of place and is embarrassed among a closed, close-knit and reserved clan. But in the background, strong-willed matriarch Sybil Stone (Diane Keaton) is also searching for an opportunity amid the holiday chaos to uncover a terminal medical diagnosis. The subtle final shot hits the target like a sledgehammer every time.
Where to watch: Fubo
Holiday (2006)
Depressed Englishwoman Iris (Kate Winslet) decides to temporarily swap homes and lives with Californian Amanda (Cameron Diaz), who is equally unlucky in love. Now Iris lives in a giant Hollywood mansion, while Amanda explores a quaint country village. Naturally, romance awaits every woman in her new environment. It was largely ignored when first released, but has grown into a charmingly silly Christmas cult classic.
Where to watch: Hulu, Starz
Rare Export: A Christmas Tale (2010)
In the film, a greedy government’s exploration team drills into land best left untouched: an ancient mound that legends suggest is the resting place of Joulupukki, the pagan predecessor of our modern-day Santa Claus. BAD IDEA. Old Joulupukki is not much different from Krampus in that he is much more interested in punishing sinners than rewarding the good. It’s an action-packed, darkly comical, cynical winter tale (pretty perfect for our times) that culminates in a wild climax.
Where to watch: Peacock, Tubi, Kanopy, Redbox, Pluto TV.
Arthur Christmas (2011)
Aardman Animations, the company behind Wallace and Gromit/Shaun the Sheep , produced this fun, quirky, computer-animated family film. James McAvoy plays Arthur Claus, the son of the current title holder of Santa. Operations at the North Pole are largely automated, and Arthur has a hard time convincing management that one undelivered toy is worth a lot of effort. So, the clumsy and clueless Arthur comes to the rescue, knowing full well that ruining the holiday for at least one child would be a failure.
Where to stream: Max
Best Man’s Holiday (2013)
The long-awaited sequel to the 1999 film “The Best Man” . It quickly updates us on the aftermath of the previous film before moving into new territory (you don’t have to watch the original if you want to jump right into the holiday festivities). ). Morris Chestnut, Taye Diggs, Regina Hall, Terrence Howard and Sanaa Lathan lead the sequel, which offers a bold mix of raunchy humor, hot shirtless guys, heartfelt religious themes and unashamedly heartbreaking plot twists.
Where to stream: Peacock
Mandarin (2015)
Just a typical girl/buddy/revenge comedy movie about two trans sex workers who are on the hunt for the man who did one of them wrong. As heartwarming and zany as it is, it all takes place on Christmas Eve in Hollywood (so don’t expect snow). Shot on a pair of iPhones, director Sean Baker and company demonstrate the intimacy and spontaneity that modern technology can bring.
Where to stream: Mubi, Kanopy, Hoopla, Plex
Carol (2015)
Mara Rooney’s Teresa and Cate Blanchett’s glamorous Carol ignite sparks when they meet in a department store during the 1952 Christmas season. Women suffer because of their growing attractiveness, and it’s certainly not the most light-hearted of holiday films, but there is light and beauty and hope for the future.
Where to watch: Netflix
The Eve (2015)
What else are you going to do on Christmas Eve other than spend the night with your best friends (Seth Rogan, Anthony Mackie and Joseph Gordon-Levitt) at a Nutcracker ball? Yes, that sounds terrible to me too. Luckily, they have a ton of medicine to help them get through the night. A reliably entertaining Christmas story.
Where to watch: Tubi
Krampus (2015)
Among the best films of the decade that revive ancient, scary European traditions featuring much less jolly versions of Santa, Krampus is a Gremlins -style horror-comedy with creative creature effects created by the folks at Weta Workshop. It may not be the darkest or creepiest of holiday-themed horror films, but it’s a lot of fun, with effects that feel like a twisted winter wonderland as we follow a family being hunted by a major demon.
Where to stream: Peacock
Anna and the Apocalypse (2017)
Zombies for Christmas? FINE! In this mash-up of High School Musical and Shaun of the Dead that you never knew existed, the main character Anna just wants to make it through the Christmas show at her high school in Little Haven, Scotland. She is so busy with her own problems that she does not notice the infection of the undead spreading around her. It’s an odd mix of styles, no doubt, but it’s filled with bloody fun, musical numbers and surprising, seasonal heart.
Where to watch: Shudder
The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017)
There are many versions of A Christmas Carol , but this story looks at the story from a different perspective. This is the story of Charles Dickens (Dan Stevens) himself and his journey to create a hugely successful work. Eschewing typical biographical tropes in favor of something more suited to the theme, Dickens interacts with his fictional characters in a film that combines realism with whimsical fantasy.
Where to watch: Starz, Kanopy, Hoopla.
The Grinch (2018)
While I might still stick with the 1966 animated version (Boris Karloff FTW), as updates come out, this 2018 version is bright, colorful and energetic without being stressful (looking at you, the Jim Carrey version from 2000). Benedict Cumberbatch plays the Grinch, Pharrell narrates, and Rashida Jones, Kenan Thompson and Angela Lansbury round out the solid voice cast.
Where to stream: Peacock
The Christmas Chronicles (2018)
In a very sweet Christmas adventure, a couple of kids (Judah Lewis and Darby Camp) accidentally crash Santa’s sleigh (Kurt Russell plays Santa here). There’s a lot of fun here (for the whole family) and Russell seems to be having a lot of fun. If you like this one, the sequel is about as good.
Where to watch: Netflix
Last Christmas (2019)
Emilia Clarke and America’s sweetheart Henry Golding have amazing chemistry: a down-on-her-luck aspiring singer and a slightly mysterious man with whom she shares a wonderful and inspiring holiday season. The twist that ends here, inspired by a literal reading of the title song, is just crazy , but it works better than it has any right to.
Where to watch: Prime Video
Klaus (2019)
A charming Santa origin story based on nothing in particular, Klaus finds Jesper Johansen, the lazy son of the postmaster general in 19th century Norway, forced to move to a remote island town where he is tasked with delivering 6,000 letters within a year or else he will be laid off. from family fortune. When he arrives there, he discovers that the two main feuding families haven’t bothered to send him letters, but that reclusive widower Klaus might be willing to help him with a scheme he’s come up with to convince the town’s children to write letters in hopes of receiving toys in return – toys, created by old Klaus in hopes of creating a family that never materialized. It’s beautifully done and I encourage you not to cry during the final act.
Where to watch: Netflix
Little Women (2019)
Before Barbie , Greta Gerwig took on an American classic, and while I’m not sure there’s ever been a bad adaptation of Little Women , this one is at the top of the list, staying true to the novel’s themes while changing the narrative a bit. beat and adding elements from Alcott’s own life to hint at the ending the author really wanted.
Happiest Season (2020)
With a colorful cast (Kristen Stewart, Mackenzie Davis, Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza, etc.), this bright Christmas comedy straddles the line between a Lifetime/Hallmark Christmas movie and a traditional rom-com. Abby and Harper are a couple who have been dating for almost a year, but it turns out that Harper lied about coming out to her parents. And with the stress of the holidays, she’s hoping Abby will play along and pretend to be her roommate until Christmas. What could go wrong?
Where to watch: Hulu
Jingle Jungle (2020)
It’s an outright fantasy in which toymaker Jeronicus Jungle (Forest Whitaker) invents the sentient figure of a matador (Ricky Martin) who fights for his right to be something other than a mass-produced toy. This leads to a series of misfortunes for Jeronicus, but his granddaughter Journey (Madalen Mills) is ready to try to make things right. The pedigree here includes playwright David E. Talbert in the director’s chair and an almost all-black cast that includes Whitaker, Keegan-Michael Key and Anika Noni Rose, who have a lot of fun with the colorful (and musical!) adventure.
Where to watch: Netflix
Lonely Completely (2021)
Fed up with questions about loneliness, Peter (Michael Urie) decides to invite his best friend Nick (Philemon Chambers) to pose as more than just a roommate. He has a very stressful job in Los Angeles, he’s going home to New Hampshire for the holidays, and he just can’t handle the resentment of being single. However, his mom (Katie Najimy) was already planning to set him up with her fitness instructor (Luke MacFarlane). Now James must deal not only with his family responsibilities and a new date, but also with his developing feelings for the guy who was supposed to be just a pretend romance.
Where to watch: Netflix