Posted on 12/13/2025 4:02:22 PM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
It’s easy to be a Scrooge about Christmas movies, especially these days. Streaming platforms have shamelessly muscled into the Hallmark market, churning out quick, cheap holiday romcoms with C-list casts every year, hoping to land on something so irresistibly cheesy it briefly becomes a seasonal phenomenon. Put that cynicism aside, however, and most of us can admit that we all have at least one movie we return to every December – the one that allows us to embrace nostalgia unapologetically and lets us know that the most wonderful time of the year has arrived.
It doesn’t have to be schmaltzy and saccharine, either. Maybe it’s a golden era classic like It’s a Wonderful Life or Miracle on 34th Street. Maybe it’s something more modern and goofy, like Elf or Home Alone. Maybe it’s raunchy and rude, like Bad Santa or Christmas Vacation, or just plain dark, like Black Christmas. That full range of yuletide cheer can be found on this list of the best holiday movies ever made. No matter what kind of Christmas movie you prefer, you’ll find one that warms your core like a cup of hot cocoa.
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Thank you very much and God bless you,
Jim
If you go to the link it’s number 1
Ernest saves Christmas. I’m being earnest.
Those are at the top on mv list.
We also make a point of watching the the Three Godfathers every year.
It is about the power of good overcoming the darkness of greed and lust.
It is about a good man learning to forgive himself.
It is about a broken family coming back together.
It is about a small child getting her Christmas wish.
It is about a media personality getting socked in the face. And nothing says Merry Christmas like a purveyor of discord getting punched.
Good point.
Based on the notion that a movie takes place at Christmastime, we could say that “Eyes Wide Shut”, is a Christmas movie. How many people would consider it to be a Christmas movie?
Is Ben Hur on the list?
Thanks for posting this! Very entertaining reading.
Did love this bit: Time Out tip: That’s right, Die Hard 2 is also a Christmas movie. Cry about it.
LOL!
Quibbles:
They did not include the original TV version of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” which is a shame because it is perfect.
And one I’d recommend is “Spririted” which was an Apple Original musical that came out in 2022 I think. Will Farrell, Ryan Reynolds, and Octavia Spencer in a very inventive re-telling of A Christmas Carol. Some “mature themes”, and might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I do like it. Songs are good and the dancing is great. Plus, the good old message remains!
Merry Christmas and G-d bless us, everyone.
A Midnight Clear
My wife made me sit through The Christmas Candle, a British movie from around 2013. Very overtly Christian, which may be why it tanked at the box office. It’s a tad maudlin, but not bad.
The Chosen. 2 Christmas episodes.
It could be worse.
A few years ago, my brother thought it would be funny to watch “Bad Santa” with our elderly mother. 😬
I think Im going to try something new this year and watch Gremlins. Its set during Christmas. I remember it really funny as a kid at the theater.
My favorites though are,
Christmas Vacation
Charlie Browns Christmas
Its a Wonderful Life.
... Almost forgot The Nutcracker! And Sound of Music!
Die Hard is NOT a Christmas movie.
So said Bruce Willis and Director John McTiernan.
It’s a Wonderful Life is NOT a Christmas movie.
Filled with drunkenness, depression, attempted murder, dysfunctional and abusive family relationships, financial failures, theft and embezzlement, suicidal tendencies and more.
Just because it’s tied up at the end with a soapy dopey “Every time a bell rings....” only made it worse.
Now THAT is an awesome Christmas sweater!
I could wear that with pride. :D
Something else I watch ever year, it not a movie though. And its on youtube.
Rick Stevens - A European Christmas.
Probably soon to be a Historical Documentary and Required watching in every college European History class.
You’ll be happy to know Is a Wonderful Life was #1 on the list.
Yup
:)
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