The 50 Best Christmas Movies You Can Watch Right Now
The holidays are the perfect time to curl up on the couch and watch a classic Christmas or ’12 movie. The proliferation of streaming services has made virtually any of it available at will, from traditional classics like Miracle on 34th Street to potential future ones. classics like Happiest Season, but actually finding your favorite movie can be a challenge. That’s why I’ve compiled the 50 best Christmas movies and specials into one alphabetical list so you can find and watch your favorite or watch a classic you’ve never seen before.
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Bad Santa (2003)
Break the molasses of the season with this classic Christmas-themed dark comedy starring Billy Bob Thornton as the Very Bad Santa. It could have been a purposefully “offensive” comedy, but the holiday-oriented redemption storyline lifts it above the muck.
Where to watch : Fubo, Paramount+, PlutoTV.
Carol (2015)
This soft, beautiful, layered film proves that holiday movies don’t have to be frivolous fluff. Based on Patricia Highsmith’s seminal lesbian novel The Price of Salt , Carol tells a story of love and loneliness perfect for thoughtful holiday viewing.
Where to watch : digital rental
Best Man’s Holiday (2013)
It’s usually a bad sign when a movie gets a Christmas-themed sequel, but The Best Man is better than the original. The charismatic cast and laid-back atmosphere of this comedy transform Christmas clichés into something fresh.
Where to watch : Peacock
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
A Charlie Brown Christmas is an enduring classic because it doesn’t shy away from real pathos. It doesn’t try to protect its children’s audience from the sadder, darker side of life, so the celebratory ending is truly deserved.
Where to watch : AppleTV
A Christmas Carol (a lot)
There are too many “traditional” retellings of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens to list individually, and everyone has their favorite version, but I’m choosing the 1951 Scrooge as the definitive version simply because.
Where to watch : Plex
Christmas Evil (1980)
“The Evil of Christmas” is the strange and dirty story of a troubled man’s murderous obsession with Christmas. It’s better than it has any right to be and features the best surprise ending in movie history. Plus, it’s one of John Waters’ favorite holiday movies, and that’s good enough for me.
Where to watch : Fubo, AMC+, Roku, Vudu, Tubi, Shudder, Night Flight.
Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
Hollywood’s vision of a 1940s Christmas reaches its zenith in Christmas in Connecticut , a romantic comedy starring Barbara Stanwyck that can be watched over and over again and never fails to be delightful.
Where to stream : Max
Christmas production (2020)
This movie hasn’t been around long enough to say whether it will sink or swim in the world of Christmas movies, but it’s Lifetime’s first LGBTQ+ Christmas movie and it has an 85% positive review rating on Rotten Tomatoes, so I’m reaching for it. .
Where to watch : Hoopla
A Christmas Story (1983)
Filled with quotable lines and unforgettable moments, A Christmas Story is in the running to become the most iconic American Christmas movie ever. I’m sure you’ve seen this before, and I’m also sure you watch the whole thing whenever it comes out.
Where to watch: Max, TNT, TBS, TruTV
Christmas with the Weird (2004)
In the movie Christmas with the Kranks , a family throws a last-minute Christmas for their grown-up child. It’s very stupid and the critics hated it, but it seems to get better and better every year.
Where to watch : Prime Video, AMC+, Hoopla, DirecTV, AMC+.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
It’s not deep. It doesn’t matter. But “Christmas Vacation” is funny enough to watch and light enough to ignore while you’re wrapping gifts. These look like comfy old slippers from a movie, perfect for slow-motion vacations.
Where to watch: Hulu
Die Hard (1988)
Die Hard is, without a doubt, a Christmas movie. It is also the most action-packed film in the entire genre. Bruce Willis is great and the “average Joe caught up in a huge situation” plot flows smoothly.
Where to watch : Starz, DirecTV
Eight Crazy Nights (2002)
There aren’t many movies made about Hanukkah, so this animated Adam Sandler vehicle is something of a classic by default. But either way, it’s a fun little movie.
Where to watch : Prime, Hulu, AMC+.
Elf (2003)
Kid-friendly and fun for adults, you can’t beat Elf if you’re looking for a holiday comedy. Will Ferrell is superb as Buddy, the fish-out-of-water elf at the center of this story, whose wide-eyed optimism and unwavering faith will melt even the coldest heart.
Where to watch: Max, Hulu, Paramount+
Christmas with the Emmett Otter Jug Band (1977)
The fact that the Riverbottom Nightmare Band clearly won the battle of the bands is not enough to ruin this Muppet Christmas Festival.
Where to watch : Prime Video
Ernest Saves Christmas (1988)
Time has been surprisingly kind to Ernest’s films: farce has aged better than any other form of comedy. If you haven’t seen it yet, check it out. It’s deliciously silly Christmas fun.
Where to watch : Disney+.
Family Stone (2005)
Every year, dozens of filmmakers are on fire trying to capture the subtle blend of drama, laughter and pathos that makes a holiday movie a classic. The Family Stone is one of the rare films that gets the recipe right.
Where to watch : Fubo
Friday After Next (2002)
Friday After Next isn’t usually considered a Christmas movie, but the holiday is an integral part of the plot. The third film in Ice Cube’s Friday series begins with Craig and Day-Day’s apartment being robbed by a guy in a Santa suit, setting off a slew of Christmas-themed Friday antics.
Where to watch: Tubi
Frosty the Snowman (1969)
Frosty came out at a time when there were only three channels, so kids liked what was on TV because those were the only things on TV. But he rises well above this low bar with naturalistic performances from child actors—a rarity at the time.
Where to watch : Digital rental on Plex
Gremlins (1984)
Joe Dante’s horror comedy isn’t afraid to poke fun at Christmas movies and Christmas itself, and sometimes that’s what’s needed during the holiday season.
Where to stream : Max
Happiest Season (2020)
Happiest Season breathes new life into the holiday rom-com genre by eliminating heterosexuality while preserving the magic of Christmas. This is my choice for a future classic.
Where to watch: Hulu
Holiday (2006)
Like the best Christmas movies, this frothy, “appreciate what you have” romantic comedy will charm you, even if you’re trying desperately not to let yourself be charmed.
Where to watch : Fubo, Starz, AMC+, DirecTV.
Holiday Affair (1949)
Robert Mitchum plays against type without being creepy in this light-hearted romantic comedy from Hollywood’s golden age.
Where to stream : Max
Home Alone (1990)
The story of eight-year-old Kevin McCallister, abandoned by his parents and pursued by hardened criminals, could easily have been a horror film, but instead it’s a Christmas classic. Such wild films.
Where to watch : Disney+, Fubo, Starz, DirecTV.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
I love any Christmas movie that involves misanthropes, and the Grinch is so hateful that his name has become synonymous with disdain for the holidays. It’s a shame he’ll have to be redeemed in the end, but hey, it’s Christmas.
Where to watch : Peacock
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
The original is much better than the Jim Carrey reimagining, but maybe I only think that because I saw the 1966 version as a kid.
Where to watch : Fubo
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
There’s nothing that hasn’t already been said about It’s a Wonderful Life , the best Christmas movie of all time. You know you’re going to watch it, so just give in.
Where to watch : Prime Video
Jack Frost (1998)
Holiday classics become such either because they are great movies or because you happened to watch them at the right time in your life. Jack Frost seems more like the latter to me, but a lot of people love this sentimental Christmas movie, so who am I to argue?
Jingle to the End (1996)
Arnold Schwarzenegger turns down the role of action hero in this fast-paced slapstick comedy about consumerism and the holidays. It won’t change anyone’s life, but it is a perfectly conceived and impeccably constructed artifact of 1990s big Hollywood.
Where to watch : Disney+, DirecTV.
Klaus (2019)
Christmas stories about “how Christmas got to be what it is” seem very 1960s, but this beautifully animated Netflix feature brings the genre back in a big way by telling the story of Santa teaming up with an unlikely ally.
Where to watch: Netflix
Last Holiday (2006)
This Christmas movie, produced by the star power of Queen Latifah, Al. L. Cool Jay and Timothy Hutton, extols the virtues of living in the moment. Queen Latifah’s performance as a woman who reacts to a terminal diagnosis by saying, “I think I’ll party until I die” is amazing.
Where to watch: Paramount+, PlutoTV.
Let It Snow (2019)
This film breaks the mold by mixing the teen romance genre with the snow and tinsel of the holiday movie genre. It works surprisingly well, thanks in large part to the talented young cast.
Where to watch: Netflix
Love Actually (2003)
Despite appearances, good holiday movies and romantic comedies need to be subtle, otherwise they fall into cheap sentimentality. Love Actually manages to balance between sentimentality and real emotion as well as any film ever made.
Where to watch : Netflix, AMC+.
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
Before she fell into the alcoholic abyss, Judy Garland was as big a star as it gets, and this is Garland at the height of her powers. Meet Me in St. Louis is a celebration of singing and dancing.
Where to stream : Max
Metropolitan (1990)
It’s a lesser-known Christmas movie, but it’s been gaining popularity in recent years for its portrayal of extremely rich, extremely young townsfolk who aren’t nearly as smart as they think they are.
Where to stream : Max
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Miracle on 34th Street’s tale of the reality of Santa Claus being put on trial is sentimental and saccharine nonsense, but so is Christmas, so just relax and accept it. (But don’t watch the 1990s version. There’s a limit .)
Where to watch : Disney+, Prime Video.
A Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
Like Bill Murray’s Scrooge , A Muppet Christmas Carol is different enough from other adaptations of the Dickens tale to avoid being lumped in with the others, mainly because most of the cast is made of felt. The rest of the movie plays pretty straight forward, but if you have kids, they’ll enjoy it better than any dusty old black and white version.
Where to watch : Disney+.
Night of the Hunter (1955)
The “classic Christmas movie” genre is broad enough to include both Jingle All the Way and The Night of the Hunter , the disturbing tale of a murderous preacher with a tattoo of “love” on one arm and “hate” on the other. Hunter’s portrayal of Christmas as a brief moment of joy and imagination in the lives of joyless children makes it one of the most honest holiday films ever made.
Where to watch : Hoopla, Tubi, DirecTV, Pluto, FreeVee.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
You get two holidays for the price of one in this stop-motion classic as Jack Skellington, king of Halloween Town, tries to take over Christmas to bring some much-needed spooky atmosphere to the holiday. (It’s a shame he didn’t succeed.)
Where to watch : Disney+.
The Polar Express (2004)
“The Polar Express” adds a new dimension to the ancient legend of Santa Claus by introducing a ghost train that takes children on an express journey to the North Pole to meet the man himself. The dead animation and too much variety in the film creates a sense of mystery and otherworldliness that is a little unsettling, but so is Santa Claus.
Where to watch : Max, Hulu
Prancer (1989)
Prancer , a film about a little girl who saves Christmas by nursing an injured reindeer, could easily become forgotten children’s trash, but it’s better than it has any right to be. It remains realistic and reveals a deeper story about the nature of faith rather than lapsing into sentimentality.
Where to watch : AMC+.
The Preacher’s Wife (1996)
Flawless performances from Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston transform The Preacher’s Wife from a holiday romantic comedy into a comfortable film of the highest caliber that can be seen every year.
Where to watch : Fubo, Tubi, DirecTV.
Rare Export: A Christmas Tale (2010)
A Rare Export may just be a timeless holiday classic in my house, but this Santa-nature horror film is pure cinematic ingenuity and a delightful blend of Christmas mythology, but don’t watch it with your kids.
Where to watch : Fubo, Peacock, Hoopla, Tubi, Kanopy, RedBox, PlutoTV, PopcornFlix, Fandor.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
Rudolph can never go wrong when it comes to the perfect Christmas entertainment. The animation is stunning, the songs are unforgettable, and the story has the power usually reserved for myth – it’s like Christmas itself compressed into 55 minutes.
Where to watch : Available for purchase only on AppleTV, Amazon, GooglePlay, YouTube, Vudu.
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964)
Christmas is for everyone, even the weirdos who enjoy inexplicable movies that the rest of the world ignores. For them (or rather, for us), the annual viewing of “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” is the same holiday tradition as “It’s a Wonderful Life” is for ordinary people.
Where to watch: Prime Video, Fubo, MGM+, Roku, Vudu, Tubi, PlutoTV, Night Flight, Shout Factory.
Santa Claus (1994)
Tim Allen stars in this story about a curmudgeon who kills Santa and must take over the office himself. He learns something about himself, strengthens his bond with his family, and indulges in some holiday magic—you know the drill.
Where to watch : Disney+, Fubo.
Scrooged (1988)
Bill Murray really sells this reworking of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol with his pitch-perfect portrayal of a cynical 1980s TV executive’s capitulation to the Christmas spirit. It’s no better than Dickens, but it’s close.
Where to watch: Prime Video
Shop Around the Corner (1940)
There’s something about Jimmy Stewart and Christmas movies. Like It’s a Wonderful Life , The Shop Around the Corner isn’t strictly a Christmas movie, but the climactic events take place during the holidays, so it’s close enough.
Where to stream : Max
A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas (2011)
Some Christmas movies take themselves very seriously. This is not one of those films. It’s dumb entertainment from start to finish, and Neil Patrick Harris is a national treasure. Stoners need Christmas movies too, right?
Where to stream : Max, Paramount+
White Christmas (1954)
Rounding out the list is White Christmas , a timeless Christmas classic that features Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney crooning a light musical that is the perfect holiday escapism.
Where to watch : Netflix