Top 10 Holiday Movies

Carter Henken

With the holiday season just around the corner, many families are gearing up for another winter of huddling around the TV and bonding over holiday movies. Therefore, here are 10+ holiday movie ideas to get you in the festive spirit, beginning with some honorable mentions.

Honorable Mention #1: Die Hard (1988)

Released back in 1988, this holiday movie is typically overlooked on lists because it focuses less on traditional Christmas celebrations and more on action-packed scenes similar to those found in a Terminator movie. The film follows NYC police detective John McClane as he tries to save his estranged wife from terrorists at a Christmas Eve party in Los Angeles. Originally, critics hounded this film for its lack of a Christmas theme when it was released in 1988, but over time, Die Hard became one of the most critically acclaimed holiday movies ever (mostly for reviving the action genre).

Honorable Mention #2: The Polar Express (2004)

When Warner Bros. released The Polar Express in 2004, it had the highest budget of any animated film ever. The film stars a young boy named Chris who boards a mystical train express to the North Pole after questioning his belief in Santa Claus. After his adventure with other children aboard the train, the group arrives at the North Pole to celebrate Christmas with Santa Claus, but Chris has to believe in Santa in order to see the celebrations.

#10: Home Alone 2: Lost In New York (1992)

Following the success of the first Home Alone movie in 1990, the entire main cast was brought back in 1992 for a sequel set in the streets of New York City. The movie once again stars Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister, who boards the wrong flight before his family vacation and ends up lost in New York City for the holidays. Along his journey, he learns the value of compassion as he fights off the wet bandits from the first film in another action-packed Christmas classic.

#9: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)

Based on Dr. Seuss' book of the same name, released a decade earlier in 1957, How the Grinch Stole Christmas is widely understood as a holiday staple. Kids across the world recognize the hairy, green Christmas monster stealing presents just as well as Santa Claus or Frosty the Snowman, largely because of the success of this animated film. The Grinch wanted everyone on Christmas to be as miserable as he was. So, on Christmas Eve, he disguised himself as Santa Claus and stole the entire Christmas spirit from the town of Whoville. However, after he realizes the people of Whoville are still singing Christmas carols in the town square with no presents or decorations, The Grinch realizes Christmas is more than just material possessions, so he returns the presents and celebrates with the town.

#8: Frosty the Snowman (1969)

The 1969 animated film Frosty the Snowman is one of the few films based on a song. It begins with children building a snowman when a magic hat lands on his head and brings him to life in front of the children. However, as the temperature rises, Frosty and the children fear that Frosty will melt if he cannot get to the North Pole in time. The children hatch a plan to send Frosty home aboard a refrigerator cab on a train, but somebody is after the magic hat that keeps Frosty alive, Professor Hinkle. Hinkle runs into the children and snatches the hat, but Santa tracks him down and makes him return the hat to Frosty and the children before apologizing. 

#7: Elf (2003)

Starring Will Ferrell as Buddy the Elf, this 2003 comedy follows a human raised by Santa’s elves who learns about his biological father and travels to New York City to meet him. However, after his father doesn’t accept him because of how he acts, Buddy has to get him to embrace the Christmas spirit so he will accept him as his son. Interestingly, director Jon Favreau originally planned for Buddy the Elf to be played by Jim Carrey, but he ultimately decided on Will Ferrell.

#6: Home Alone (1990)

When the first Home Alone was released in 1990, it stunned the film industry with its box office performance and quickly became a holiday classic. The story follows young Kevin McCallister as he fends off home invaders while home alone for Christmas vacation. Played by Macaulay Culkin, Kevin McCallister is one of the most widely recognizable film characters ever, and the role boosted Macaulay Culkin to childhood stardom. In 2023, Home Alone was chosen for preservation in the United States Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” The movie's sudden success prompted the production of a sequel film almost immediately, which was released two years later in 1992.

#5: The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

1993’s The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of those movies that falls under both holidays: Halloween and Christmas. The film follows Jack Skellington, king of Halloween town, as he discovers Christmas town and attempts to take it over out of boredom from his own town. Jack Skellington then kidnaps Santa and makes the entire holiday Halloween-themed. This film was also chosen in 2023 to be preserved in the United States Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

#4: A Christmas Story (1983)

The tale of Ralphie in A Christmas Story is culturally etched into the brains of Americans forever. The story is told from the perspective of 9 year old Ralphie Parker living in Northeast Indiana with just one dream: to own a Red Ryder BB Gun. It's Christmastime, and it's all Ralphie can think about. However, every adult tells him the same thing: “You’ll shoot your eye out!” Ralphie is distraught by these comments until Christmas morning ,when his old man pulls out a box from behind the tree, revealing the Red Ryder BB Gun he's been wanting.

#3: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, released in 1989, is a holiday comedy centered around family man Clark Griswold and his struggles to throw together a quality Christmas for his family. The movie’s comedic beginning really sets the tone; Clark and his family drive out to the wilderness to find a nice, big Christmas tree before they forget to bring the supplies to properly cut it down, so the family is forced to tear the tree from its roots. The film’s reception was mixed upon release. However, the movie morphed into a cult classic with fans adoring the misfortunes brought to the Griswold family Christmas.

#2: A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

A Charlie Brown Christmas was released in 1965 and aired annually during the holiday season for 56 consecutive years until it moved to streaming services, cementing the short film as a holiday classic. Struggling to find the “true meaning” of Christmas, Charlie Brown is encouraged to direct the holiday play, taking over as director at the suggestion of Lucy. In order to control the play and set a Christmas mood, Charlie Brown gets a Christmas tree for the set. However, after going to the tree lot and seeing that all but one tiny tree is fake, he buys the singular real tree, and the cast laughs at it because it has only one branch. Dejected, Charlie Brown leaves his tree next to Snoopy’s decorated doghouse, where the cast finds it and decorates it with decorations from Snoopy’s doghouse. Charlie Brown returns, stunned to see how admirable the tree looks, and the kids celebrate and sing Christmas carols after Charlie Brown has deepened his understanding of the Christmas spirit.

#1: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer may be the most widely recognized Christmas tale ever written, scoring major popularity points with both adults and children every holiday season. The story follows Rudolph, the reindeer son of Donner, and his odd red-glowing nose. which he conceals from his reindeer peers out of shame. Because his nose is different, Rudolph struggles to assimilate with the other young reindeer, leading to his nose covering flying off during the annual reindeer games and Coach Comet expelling him. Rejected, Rudolph storms off, never to be seen again, and meets a runaway elf who wants to be a dentist named Hermey. Together, they meet explorer Cornelius Yukon and travel to Misfit Toys Island where toys that no kids want reside. The leader of Misfit Toys Island, a lion named King Moonracer, asks Rudolph for help finding the toys a home. After agreeing to help, Rudolph returns home to learn his parents have been taken by a snow monster. When Rudolph gets knocked out fighting the snow monster, Hermey and Yukon save Rudolph and his parents and return home heroes. However, they learn of a snowstorm blocking Santa’s vision from his sleigh when Rudolph’s glowing nose saves the day by lighting a path for the reindeer.