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Christmas movies are an essential part of the celebration and setting the vibes around December! I’m quite specific about my choices, but there are quite a few of these movies that I just come back to year after year. I thought it would be nice to create a list of my personal favorites that I believe you should definitely watch this year! Some of these are classics that I’m sure are not going to surprise anyone, but I did include a couple of less-known movies too!
The List of Our Favorite Christmas Movies
Romantic Christmas Movies
The Holiday (2006)
The Holiday is one of those Christmas movies that is actually one of my favorite movies of ALL TIME. Probably in my top 5. I watch it religiously every Christmas and throughout the year whenever I need some cheering up. So it was obvious that it was going to get included in this list… The premise: 2 women who just suffered heartbreak decide to switch houses, cars, and essentially lives for the holidays. We follow Amanda and Iris as they set off on their new beginnings and encounter new loves! I’m telling you, it’s perfect… Both of the storylines are exceptional, the casting is phenomenal, the vibes are all there and cozier then ever!
The Family Stone (2005)
I just saw this last year for the first time, and I was confused at first, but then decided I loved it! At first sight, I found the Stone family so mean, but the movie just makes up for it when you get to know them better! The cast totally makes this movie, and it’s definitely a more emotional one, so maybe keep some tissues close. It’s about Meredith visiting her fiance’s eccentric family for Christmas. She’s trying to fit in, but they truly not making it easy for her. Will she be able to bond with them?
Last Christmas (2019)
Emilia Clarke starring as an edgy, wannabe singer who’s working as an elf in an all-year-round Christmas store, is probably the best thing we can ask for Christmas! Last Christmas truly has everything you could wish for from a romantic Christmas comedy– great music, set in London and an interesting plot! Kate (Emilia Clarke) is trying to get her life together and work towards her plans after recovering from some very serious health issues. She meets Tom, whom she slowly develops feelings for. But as she finds herself catching these feelings, Tom seems to come around less and less.
For The Whole Family
Family Switch (2023)
The Family Switch just came out last year, in 2023. I was skeptical before the first watch as I tend to not get too invested in newer Christmas movies, but I absolutely adored this one. The humor is just sooo good, it’s contemporary, funny, everything you need from a holiday comedy! It’s a Freaky Friday body switch kind of situation, but with the twist of the whole family involved – obviously, each of them having a super important day. Just a great reminder of how important for families to stick together and not lose sight of each other! Loved it!
Arthur Christmas (2011)
Oh this is simply in my unbiased (very biased) opinion the BEST Christmas cartoon! Arthur is Santa’s second son, working in the mailing department at the North Pole. When a gift gets misplaced, in order to save the Christmas Magic, Arthur has to deliver the gift with the help of his Grandsanta in under two hours. It’s set in the modern day, where most of Santa’s gift-giving operations are well-planned out and far from the old days when he just went around on his sleigh with the reindeer. Can Arthur’s adventure bring back the true spirit of the holidays?
Elf (2003)
Elf is the funniest, cheesiest, corniest Christmas comedy ever. And it’s set in NYC, which is an added bonus. It follows Buddy, who grew up on the North Pole, but then learns that his father who raised him, is not his biological dad. To find his biological father, he travels to New York City where he meets with him and has to realize his Christmas cheer is missing, big time. He also goes on various adventures, even meets Santa, and of course, saves Christmas.
True Christmas Classics
Home Alone 1&2 (1990, 1992)
I don’t think I have to introduce these movies to anyone, they are truly the ultimate classics. They just remind me of all the times they were running in the background in our living room, while Christmas dinner was in the making and I was just doing some puzzles! I have never seen the 3rd one though… Not really planning on it, either… sorry. If for some reason you’ve never heard of them, the plot is pretty simple… Kevin has a huge family and as they planning to leave for a vacation to Paris over the holidays, they oversleep. Leaving Kevin at home in the chaos. Home alone, Kevin has to protect his families home, and deal with some very unusual robbers.
The Santa Claus 1&2 maybe even 3 (1994, 2002, 2006)
This is another one of those titles that I’m sure are very familiar to a lot of people. It’s about a grumpy single dad, working at a huge toy company who totally lost the Christmas spirit. When on Christmas Day he hears something land on his roof, he heads outside and finds a strange guy up there. As he shouts for him to get off, he scares him and the stranger falls off the roof. As if it couldn’t get weirder, he was wearing a Santa costume. After the incident, Scott is recruited to take Santa’s place up at the North Pole. And we follow along as he’s getting used to his new role!
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
Jim Carrey’s portrayal of the character is just so on-point, it’s hard to imagine that it wasn’t created with him in mind. How the Grinch Stole Christmas is again, an iconic Christmas movie we can’t get enough of! If you’ve never seen it, it goes something like this: The Grinch loathes Christmas, so badly so that he decides he wants to ruin it for everyone. He plans to steal it. His plan seems to be going in the right direction, until Cindy Lou Who shows up and decides to befriend him.
Movies That FEEL Like Christmas (but not necessarily set in Christmas)
Little Women (2019)
Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of Little Women stuck with me for so long after seeing it for the first time. We follow the March sisters as they grow up and enter into womanhood, trying to find themselves through art, love and tragedy.
Harry Potter Movie Series (2001-2011)
The Harry Potter movies are the ultimate cozy movie series to put on all year around. Although its peak season goes from September to December, the movies carry beautiful, magical Christmas vibes. And some of them do have scenes that play out around Christmas time!
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
During WWII four siblings have to leave their home for a safer place. A professor and a woman take them in. One time the children are playing hide and seek, when Lucy finds a wardrobe and hides in it. The wardrobe is a truly special one, as it travels Lucy into a whole new world, called Narnia. Soon all of her siblings travel with her to Narnia where they meet talking animals, such as Aslan the lion, and even a evil witch.
That concludes our list of ultimate Christmas movies to watch this holiday season! I hope you have found some titles that you’ve not seen yet or you can reference this post later on if you’re in need of inspiration on what to watch on your next movie night!
Feel free to leave a comment with additional movies you think would fit into this post!