Christmas movies cover more ground than any other holiday genre: 1940s musicals, stop-motion animation, romantic dramas, an action thriller and R-rated comedies. The 20 below run from It’s a Wonderful Life in 1946 to Violent Night in 2022, so there is something for every night between now and December 25.
They are ranked by one combined score that averages the Rotten Tomatoes critics score, the Rotten Tomatoes audience score and the IMDb rating. Each pick comes with its runtime, rating and a still from the film, plus the production story that explains why people keep watching it.
Christmas Movies by Year, Director, Runtime and Rating
| # | Film | Year | Director | Runtime | Rated | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | It’s a Wonderful Life | 1946 | Frank Capra | 2h 9m | PG | 91.7 |
| 2 | Klaus | 2019 | Sergio Pablos | 1h 38m | PG | 91.0 |
| 3 | Die Hard | 1988 | John McTiernan | 2h 12m | R | 90.0 |
| 4 | The Shop Around the Corner | 1940 | Ernst Lubitsch | 1h 37m | Not rated | 90.0 |
| 5 | The Nightmare Before Christmas | 1993 | Henry Selick | 1h 15m | PG | 88.3 |
| 6 | Little Women | 2019 | Greta Gerwig | 2h 15m | PG | 88.0 |
| 7 | Miracle on 34th Street | 1947 | George Seaton | 1h 36m | Not rated | 87.3 |
| 8 | Edward Scissorhands | 1990 | Tim Burton | 1h 45m | PG-13 | 87.0 |
| 9 | Holiday Inn | 1942 | Mark Sandrich | 1h 41m | Not rated | 86.3 |
| 10 | A Christmas Story | 1983 | Bob Clark | 1h 33m | PG | 85.0 |
| 11 | Carol | 2015 | Todd Haynes | 1h 58m | R | 80.7 |
| 12 | The Muppet Christmas Carol | 1992 | Brian Henson | 1h 25m | G | 80.7 |
| 13 | Arthur Christmas | 2011 | Sarah Smith | 1h 40m | PG | 80.3 |
| 14 | White Christmas | 1954 | Michael Curtiz | 2h 0m | Not rated | 80.3 |
| 15 | Gremlins | 1984 | Joe Dante | 1h 46m | PG | 79.0 |
| 16 | Elf | 2003 | Jon Favreau | 1h 37m | PG | 78.3 |
| 17 | Christmas Vacation | 1989 | Jeremiah S. Chechik | 1h 37m | PG-13 | 77.7 |
| 18 | Violent Night | 2022 | Tommy Wirkola | 1h 52m | R | 76.3 |
| 19 | Home Alone | 1990 | Chris Columbus | 1h 42m | PG | 75.0 |
| 20 | Bad Santa | 2003 | Terry Zwigoff | 1h 33m | R | 74.3 |
20 Christmas Movies Worth Watching Every December
1. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946): Bedford Falls on Christmas Eve
Frank Capra | 2h 9m | PG | Combined score 91.7
James Stewart and Donna Reed lead Frank Capra’s drama, built on Bedford Falls sets at RKO’s 89-acre movie ranch in Encino. RKO moved its release from January 1947 to December 20, 1946 so it could compete at the 19th Academy Awards.
The famous dance floor that opens over a swimming pool is real: it is in the gym at Beverly Hills High School. The film first lost money, then became a December fixture on TV once its copyright lapsed in 1974.
2. Klaus (2019): An Animated Origin Story From Netflix
Sergio Pablos | 1h 38m | PG | Combined score 91.0
Sergio Pablos released a teaser for Klaus in April 2012 while his studio, SPA Studios, was still looking for investors. Netflix, which had not been making original animated features, made an exception because the project was a new Christmas story.
It reached theaters on November 8, 2019 and Netflix a week later. Its 96 percent audience score is the highest in the top 20, and it lost the Best Animated Feature Oscar to Toy Story 4.
3. Die Hard (1988): One Night in Nakatomi Plaza
John McTiernan | 2h 12m | R | Combined score 90.0
Bruce Willis spends almost the whole film inside one office tower, and the production used Fox Plaza in Los Angeles for nearly all of it, filming from November 1987 to March 1988. McTiernan cut the story from three days down to a single Christmas Eve night.
It came from Roderick Thorp’s 1979 novel Nothing Lasts Forever, earned four Oscar nominations and joined the National Film Registry in 2017. More than a million IMDb users have rated it, more than any other film here.
4. The Shop Around the Corner (1940): Romance Behind the Counter
Ernst Lubitsch | 1h 37m | Not rated | Combined score 90.0
Ernst Lubitsch shot this romantic comedy in the order the scenes appear, on the low budget MGM allowed it. James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan play colleagues at Matuschek and Company, a shop whose record sales night is Christmas Eve.
It premiered at Radio City Music Hall on January 25, 1940 and is the top film on Rotten Tomatoes’ own list of Christmas movies, with 99 percent from 96 reviews.
5. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993): Jack Plays Santa
Henry Selick | 1h 15m | PG | Combined score 88.3
Henry Selick directed this stop-motion musical from a script by Caroline Thompson, with Danny Elfman singing Jack’s songs. It premiered at the New York Film Festival on October 9, 1993 and opened wide on October 29, two days before Halloween.
That timing is why people argue about which holiday it belongs to, though its story is about Jack taking over Christmas. It joined the National Film Registry in 2023.
6. Little Women (2019): The March Family at Christmas
Greta Gerwig | 2h 15m | PG | Combined score 88.0
Greta Gerwig began writing her script in Big Sur soon after the 2018 Oscars, drawing on Louisa May Alcott’s letters and diaries. The Writers Guild later placed it at No. 89 among the greatest screenplays of the 21st century.
It premiered at the Museum of Modern Art on December 7, 2019 and opened on Christmas Day. In the story, Beth recovers in time for Christmas, one of several holiday scenes that frame the film.
7. Miracle on 34th Street (1947): Filmed at the Real Parade
George Seaton | 1h 36m | Not rated | Combined score 87.3
George Seaton wrote and directed the film from a story by Valentine Davies, and in Britain it was released as The Big Heart. Natalie Wood, pictured, plays a young girl opposite Edmund Gwenn’s Kris Kringle.
Fox opened it on May 2, 1947, a spring release for a Christmas film. It won three Oscars and joined the National Film Registry in 2005.
8. Edward Scissorhands (1990): Snow From a Scissor-Handed Artist
Tim Burton | 1h 45m | PG-13 | Combined score 87.0
Tim Burton’s fable opened on December 7, 1990, and falling snow, as in the key art above, runs through its story. Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder and Dianne Wiest lead the cast.
Bo Welch’s production design won a BAFTA, and the film also won the Hugo Award. It grossed $86 million worldwide, more than four times its $20 million budget.
9. Holiday Inn (1942): Crosby, Astaire and a New Song
Mark Sandrich | 1h 41m | Not rated | Combined score 86.3
Irving Berlin signed with Paramount in May 1940 to make a film around his idea of an inn open only on public holidays. Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire star, and the film premiered on August 4, 1942.
It became the highest-grossing film musical up to that time, and its new song “White Christmas” won the Oscar. Every review counted on Rotten Tomatoes is positive.
10. A Christmas Story (1983): Ralphie and the Department-Store Santa
Bob Clark | 1h 33m | PG | Combined score 85.0
The department-store scenes were filmed at Higbee’s in Cleveland, and the parade was shot at 3 a.m. so modern office towers would stay hidden in the dark. Interiors were filmed in Toronto.
MGM released it on November 18, 1983, and it made $20.8 million on a $3.3 million budget. It entered the National Film Registry in 2012.
11. Carol (2015): A 1950s Romance Over the Holidays
Todd Haynes | 1h 58m | R | Combined score 80.7
Carol premiered at Cannes on May 17, 2015 and opened in the US that November. Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara star, in a story adapted from Patricia Highsmith’s novel The Price of Salt.
Critics gave it 94 percent from 324 reviews, and it collected six Oscar nominations and five Golden Globe nominations. It is the quietest film on this list, and one for adults.
12. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992): The Best Dickens for Young Viewers
Brian Henson | 1h 25m | G | Combined score 80.7
Michael Caine said he would play Scrooge as if he were acting with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and he walks narrow planks above the puppeteers in several scenes. It was the first Muppet film with a human lead.
It is dedicated to Jim Henson and Richard Hunt, and it is the only G-rated film here. It took $34.5 million worldwide on a $12 million budget.
13. Arthur Christmas (2011): Inside the North Pole Command Center
Sarah Smith | 1h 40m | PG | Combined score 80.3
Aardman spent 18 months in pre-production in the UK and another 18 months in Culver City making Arthur Christmas, its second computer-animated film. James McAvoy voices Arthur, with Hugh Laurie and Bill Nighy.
Critics gave it 93 percent, and it grossed $151.5 million worldwide.
14. White Christmas (1954): “Sisters” and a Snowy Finale
Michael Curtiz | 2h 0m | Not rated | Combined score 80.3
Michael Curtiz directed Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen, whose blue-dress “Sisters” number is pictured. Paramount put up its $2 million budget and released it on October 14, 1954.
Audiences like it more than critics did: 89 percent against 76. It was added to the National Film Registry with the class of 2025.
15. Gremlins (1984): Gizmo and the Rules
Joe Dante | 1h 46m | PG | Combined score 79.0
Gizmo, the mogwai in the box, is the gift that sets off Joe Dante’s horror comedy. Warner Bros. released it on June 8, 1984, and it grossed $153.6 million in the US.
Complaints about its violence followed, and within two months the MPAA had created the PG-13 rating. Watch it with older children rather than young ones.
16. Elf (2003): Snow Angels and a Sugar Rush
Jon Favreau | 1h 37m | PG | Combined score 78.3
David Berenbaum wrote Elf, and Jon Favreau directed it with as little computer imagery as possible, using practical tricks instead. Will Ferrell, James Caan and Bob Newhart lead the cast.
It grossed $179.8 million in the US and $232.9 million worldwide on a $33 million budget, the second-biggest earner in the top 20.
17. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989): The Griswold Family Portrait
Jeremiah S. Chechik | 1h 37m | PG-13 | Combined score 77.7
Filming began on March 27, 1989 in Summit County, Colorado, across Silverthorne, Breckenridge and Frisco. Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo and Juliette Lewis star.
Warner Bros. released it on December 1, 1989, and it took $75.5 million in the US. Audiences rate it 86 percent.
18. Violent Night (2022): An R-Rated Santa
Tommy Wirkola | 1h 52m | R | Combined score 76.3
David Harbour was cast in November 2021, and the film was shot in Winnipeg early the next year. It opened to $13.5 million in the US.
Critics gave it 74 percent but audiences 88, and it grossed $76 million worldwide. Keep it for adults: it is as violent as the title suggests.
19. Home Alone (1990): Kevin Defends the House
Chris Columbus | 1h 42m | PG | Combined score 75.0
Home Alone was the second-highest-grossing film of 1990 and stayed the highest-grossing live-action comedy for two decades. Its $477.4 million worldwide is the most of any Christmas film considered here.
It joined the National Film Registry in 2023. Critics were cooler, at 66 percent, and that is what pulls it down to No. 19 on a combined score.
20. Bad Santa (2003): The Anti-Holiday Comedy
Terry Zwigoff | 1h 33m | R | Combined score 74.3
Terry Zwigoff turned down Elf to make Bad Santa, and the Coen brothers came up with the concept. Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox and Lauren Graham star, with Bernie Mac.
It grossed $60.1 million in the US on a $23 million budget. Strictly for adults.
Pick a Christmas Movie by Mood
- Black-and-white classics: It’s a Wonderful Life, The Shop Around the Corner, Miracle on 34th Street and Holiday Inn.
- Animated: Klaus, The Nightmare Before Christmas and Arthur Christmas.
- Musicals: Holiday Inn, White Christmas and The Muppet Christmas Carol.
- Family comedy: Elf, Home Alone, A Christmas Story and Christmas Vacation.
- Romance: The Shop Around the Corner, Carol and Little Women. Our list of the best romance movies has more.
- Action and adults only: Die Hard, Violent Night, Gremlins for older kids, and Bad Santa.
Christmas Movies That Opened Outside the Holidays
Several of the best Christmas movies were never meant as December releases. Box Office Mojo’s release dates show how often studios ignored the calendar:
- Miracle on 34th Street: May 2, 1947
- Gremlins: June 8, 1984
- Die Hard: July 15, 1988
- Holiday Inn: August 4, 1942
- White Christmas: October 14, 1954
- The Nightmare Before Christmas: October 29, 1993
Christmas Movies in the National Film Registry
Eight of these 20 have been chosen by the Library of Congress for preservation as culturally, historically or aesthetically significant:
- It’s a Wonderful Life (1990, in the first group of 25)
- The Shop Around the Corner (1999)
- Miracle on 34th Street (2005)
- A Christmas Story (2012)
- Die Hard (2017)
- The Nightmare Before Christmas (2023)
- Home Alone (2023)
- White Christmas (2025)
What Makes a Movie a Christmas Movie
A Christmas film is usually defined by when its story happens rather than by its genre, which is how a heist thriller, a stop-motion musical and a romantic drama all qualify. Every film here is set around Christmas or builds to it.
To keep the order fair, the scores blend three groups. The Tomatometer, the share of positive professional reviews, is averaged with the Rotten Tomatoes audience score and the IMDb rating times 10. Ratings follow the MPA rating system, which began in 1968, so films from before then are listed as not rated. If you want a different kind of comedy, see our ranking of Jim Carrey movies, which covers his 2000 Grinch.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are good Christmas movies for kids?
The Muppet Christmas Carol is the only G-rated pick here. Klaus, Arthur Christmas, Elf, A Christmas Story and Home Alone are PG and suit most children, and Miracle on 34th Street is a gentle older choice.
Is The Nightmare Before Christmas a Halloween or Christmas movie?
Both, which is why the question never goes away. It opened wide on October 29, 1993, two days before Halloween, but its story follows Jack Skellington trying to take over Christmas.
What is the oldest movie on this list?
The Shop Around the Corner, released on January 12, 1940. It has the highest critics score of any film here among those with Rotten Tomatoes’ Certified Fresh mark, at 99 percent.
Why is Love Actually not on the list?
Its combined score of 70.7, from 65 percent with critics, 72 percent with audiences and a 7.5 on IMDb, falls short of No. 20, Bad Santa, at 74.3. The Santa Clause, The Holiday and The Polar Express also miss out.
