Some holiday movies are so bad they're actually good, while others have simply become modern classics. These are the movies worth watching every Christmas season and we have to say, while they are certainly a mixed bag, they all offer up a healthy dose of holiday fun. Whether reminding us of some classic Christmas life lessons, making us giggle until we snort hot chocolate, or simply offering a change of pace from the typical, these 17 films keep us coming back for more every December.
Now, we're not promising the best cinematic quality — or even acting — in every one of these films, but let's be honest, that's not exactly what Christmas movies are about. Sometimes the cheesier and more outlandish a Christmas movie is, the more indulgent and enjoyable it is to watch. One thing we love is there's literally a holiday movie out there for everyone, regardless of preferred genre. This list encompasses traditional Christmas rom-coms, family films, dramas, action flicks, and even scary Christmas movies. Talk about entertaining!
Keep reading to find out which holiday movies are so beloved they're worth watching right this very minute (see what we did there?), and every Christmas season from here on out. From classic to crass, they're all a treat.
'Almost Christmas'
Rated: PG-13
Almost Christmas is as formulaic a Christmas movie as there can be. Starring Mo'Nique, Danny Glover, Gabrielle Union, Omar Epps, and Kimberly Elise, it's about a big family who comes together for the holidays and must manage the tensions between the members and their own personal dramas while being in close quarters.
'Bad Moms Christmas'
Rated: R
The follow-up to 2016 Bad Moms, Bad Moms Christmas features an even more extensive ensemble cast of female actors delivering that special and absolutely knee-slapping brand of raunchy humor audiences saw in the first film. Only this time, it's Christmas and their own moms are in town to make things even more challenging for everyone's favorite crew of stressed-out moms.
'Four Christmases'
Rated: PG-13
Starring Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon, with cameos from comedy favorites Kristin Chenoweth and Jon Favreau, this is one of those films we just love to hate. Some of the humor is just absolutely ludicrous, but we can't help but laugh at it as the lead couple in the film navigates visiting all four sides of their complicated — and in some cases estranged — families on one Christmas.
'Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas'
Rated: PG
We've been watching the 2000 retelling of Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas starring funny man Jim Carrey for the past 20 years, and that's not gonna change now. It's of course the classic story of a misfit "Who" from "Whoville" who thinks he hates Christmas, but grows to understand the holiday's true meaning after meeting a sweet, Christmas-loving little girl named Cindy-Lou who helps warm his cold heart.
'The Holiday'
Rated: PG-13
Starring Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, and Jude Law, The Holiday is a romantic comedy about two unlucky-in-love women who decide to trade homes in their respective countries over the holidays. While assuming new lives far from their own, they of course finally end up finding love.
'The Family Stone'
Rated: PG-13
Featuring some of the biggest stars of its era, including Sarah Jessica Parker, Dermot Mulroney, and Claire Danes, The Family Stone is about a put-together, Type A businesswoman who visits her boyfriend's family for Christmas. Once she arrives, she quickly realizes that she's not going to mesh with his free-spirited family, making her holiday a lot more complicated.
'Ernest Saves Christmas'
Rated: PG
Ernest Saves Christmas may be absolutely awful, but we love it. It's nostalgic and takes us right back to childhood. But really, how much fun is it to watch goofy old Ernest P. Worrell and all of his wacky antics as he teams up with Santa to save Christmas when an aging "His Great Red Oneness, the Claus" can't pull it all off himself? Classic.
'Last Christmas'
Rated: PG-13
Last Christmas, which just came out in 2019, is already a modern classic. It's about a young woman with aspirations of becoming a famous singer whose known for making poor decisions. While working as an elf at a year-round Christmas store, she meets a mysterious new guy who seems to be helping her turn her life around. But she worries he's too good to be true.
'The Star Wars Holiday Special'
Rated: PG
The 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special is actually a full-length film that's completely ridiculous, but totally enamors die-hard fans of the enduring franchise. In it, Han Solo and Chewbacca must help Wookiee return to his home world in time for "Life Day." But of course, they are met with challenges when an Imperial blockade threatens to stop them.
'Silent Night, Deadly Night'
Rated: R
Need a break from all of the holiday fluff? Check out Silent Night, Deadly Night, a 1984 Christmas slasher. It's about a disturbed man who witnessed his parents murder by a man in a Santa suit and firmly believes that Santa punishes naughty people. After aging out of the orphanage where he spent most of his childhood, he gets a job playing Santa, and inadvertently witnesses a misdeed that sets him on his own murderous rage.
'Home Alone 2: Lost in New York'
Rated: PG
Because we of course have to watch the first Home Alone film each year, it's only right to follow it up with the second. The sequel also stars Macauley Culkin, making it a must-watch holiday treat. This follow-up sees little Kevin McAllister getting on the wrong plane for his family's holiday vacation and ending up alone in New York while the rest of his family is in Florida.
'Jingle All the Way'
Jingle All the Way, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, is one of those completely chaotic Christmas comedies that '90s kids were absolutely obsessed with. In the film, two overworked dads race to nab the year's "it" toy on Christmas Eve. In the process they literally and figuratively collide at every turn during their seemingly impossible mission to score the Turbo Man toy that is sold out everywhere.
'The Santa Clause 2'
Rated: G
The Santa Clause 2, the follow-up to 1994's The Santa Clause starring Tim Allen, didn't come out until eight years after the release of the original. Despite the almost decade-long gap in release dates, the second film was worth the wait. Sure, there's a certain degree of cheesiness offered in this film franchise, but it's just too dang Christmassy to resist. In the second installment, Scott Calvin, aka Santa Claus, must find a Mrs. Claus before he's stripped of his positon as the big man in red.
'Office Christmas Party'
Rated: R
Office Christmas Party, starring Jennifer Aniston, T.J. Miller, and Jason Bateman, is an utterly outlandish Christmas comedy about a business executive who throws a massive Christmas party in the hopes of landing a new client he thinks will save his job. The party gets way out of control, though, and the drunken holiday antics of this white-collar crew are sure to bring quite a few laughs.
'Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?'
Rated: PG-13
Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? is the quirky, creepy Christmas movie about an old woman who throws a Christmas party for the local orphanage every year. Everybody thinks she's just the nicest, but it turns out that she has a seriously sinister ulterior motive and has been using the party to hunt for a replacement for her dead daughter. Yup, that's creepy.
'Reindeer Games'
Rated: R
Released in 2000, Reindeer Games stars Ben Affleck and Charlize Theron and is a high-stakes action-thriller. It's about an ex-con who is released from prison just before Christmas. Only his cellmate, who was also set to go home, was killed in a riot the day before. When he leaves the prison and sees the beautiful woman his cellmate had been communicating with during his sentence, he decides to steal his identity. However, he doesn't realize by doing so, he's mixed himself up in a casino heist set to go down on Christmas Eve.
'The Polar Express'
Rated: G
Starring Tom Hanks, The Polar Express is the animated Robert Zemeckis-directed retelling of the children's book of the same name. It's a magical film that heavily weighs on its stellar animation. The story is that of a young boy who finds himself aboard The Polar Express on an unbelievable journey to the North Pole where his Christmas spirit is restored.
