Top 10 Christmas Movies of All Time

First up on today’s list of our top ten Christmas movies of all time is The Holiday. This movie told the story of two women struggling with heartbreak during Christmas: Iris (Kate Winslet), a journalist from England, and Amanda (Cameron Diaz), a movie maker from Los Angeles, who decided to swap homes for the holidays.

Amanda moved into Iris’s cottage in Surrey. Later, she fell unexpectedly for Iris’s brother Graham (Jude Law). On the other hand, Iris stayed in Amanda’s L.A. mansion, where she befriended Arthur (Eli Wallach), an elderly screenwriter, and found romance with film composer Miles (Jack Black).

The warm, cozy world in this film was the perfect holiday escape, while Hans Zimmer‘s score brought all the pieces together. By the end, both women found not just love but themselves, making The Holiday a beloved Christmas classic that people watch again yearly.

Next on our list of Christmas classics is A Charlie Brown Christmas, which first aired in 1965. In this special, Charlie Brown felt depressed during the Christmas season and couldn’t understand why everyone seemed so excited about it.

Later, when Lucy picked him to direct the school Christmas play, nothing went right. The kids misbehaved during rehearsal, and his sister Sally only cared about getting presents. Frustrated, Charlie bought a Christmas tree for the play, choosing a tiny, real pine tree instead of the shiny ones everyone wanted. Of course, the kids all laughed at his sad little tree. That was until Linus stepped up and told the story of the first Christmas. This changed everything, and the gang decorated Charlie’s tree beautifully with Snoopy’s ornaments.

Vince Guaraldi‘s jazz piano music played through it all, including the now-famous “Linus and Lucy” theme. The special became an instant hit when it aired. It drew in millions of viewers and turned A Charlie Brown Christmas into a tradition families have share every December.

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While some may consider this a Halloween movie, I would also consider The Nightmare Before Christmas to be one of the most iconic Christmas movies of all time. Tim Burton and Henry Selick‘s stop-motion movie followed Jack Skellington, who stumbled through a door into Christmas Town and became obsessed with Christmas.

In an attempt to bring Christmas back home, Jack ordered the Halloween creatures to make presents (which turned terrifying) and kidnap Santa Claus. He even tried to deliver gifts himself! Until it all went horribly wrong.

Additionally, Danny Elfman‘s songs captured both the spooky and sweet sides of the story, especially “What’s This?” as Jack discovered Christmas for the first time. By the end, Jack learned that he needed to appreciate himself rather than trying to be something else. And he also brought a touch of Christmas spirit back to Halloween Town.

Ultimately, this Christmas movie made our list by creating a classic that works just as well in December as it does in October.

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Another Christmas movie worthy of our list is the classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas! This one is even loved by Christmas haters! Chuck Jones brought Dr. Seuss‘s story to life in 1966, with Boris Karloff cast as both narrator and the Grinch.

The mean green creature was disgusted by the Christmas joy of the Whos down in Whoville. So he came up with a plan to steal their presents, decorations, and feast… and even the roast beast.

When the Whos still sang on Christmas morning without their gifts, the Grinch learned that Christmas meant something more. And his heart grew three sizes that day. “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” became a holiday favorite, and families loved the story’s simple message about Christmas spirit. It’s probably why this grumpy green character has even won over audiences who normally roll their eyes at holiday cheer.

Rolling down the tracks into our next spot on the list is The Polar Express. This nostalgic movie told a story about a young boy doubting Santa. But, on Christmas Eve, a steam train pulled up in front of his house, and the conductor invited him on a trip to the North Pole along with other kids in their pajamas.

Quickly, the train ride became an adventure through snowy mountains and frozen lakes. The kids became friends, drank hot chocolate (served by dancing waiters), walked across the top of the train, and even nearly derailed on an icy track. When they reached the North Pole, the boy was chosen to receive the first gift of Christmas from Santa himself. He picked a silver bell from Santa’s sleigh, which only true believers could hear ring.

In the end, Robert Zemeckis turned this simple picture book into a movie about holding onto that childhood Christmas magic just a little longer, earning its spot on our list.

Next up on our list of our top ten Christmas movies of all time is National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, which was released in 1989. In this movie, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) wanted to create the perfect family Christmas.

He dragged his family through the snow to find the biggest tree and covered the house with tons of lights; he even prepared for a surprise pool he’d buy with his Christmas bonus. But everything went wrong. Cousin Eddie showed up uninvited in his RV, the tree caught fire, the cat got electrocuted, and the turkey dried up. Topping it off, when Clark’s bonus turned out to be a jelly-of-the-month club membership… he lost it completely.

John Hughes wrote this comedy about holiday expectations vs. reality and audiences connected with the chaos. The movie captured that universal truth about family Christmas: it’s never perfect, but that’s what makes it memorable. Now, people everywhere watch the Griswolds’ disasters every year to feel better about their own holiday mishaps.

Landing in the next spot on our list is Home Alone, which hit theaters in 1990. This movie focused on eight-year-old Kevin McCallister, who got his holiday wish when his family accidentally left him behind on their Christmas vacation to Paris.

At first, he loved having the house to himself. He jumped on beds, ate junk food, and watched gangster movies. But, after two burglars targeted his house for a Christmas heist, Kevin had to defend his territory with homemade traps and tricks. He sent the burglars, Marv and Harry, through hell. They slipped on ice, stepped on nails, and got hit with paint cans.

Macaulay Culkin turned Kevin into a smart-mouthed hero kids everywhere wanted to be. I mean, who wouldn’t want to defeat some burglars like a mini Napoleon? Ultimately, Kevin learned about family while his mother learned about listening. The movie became an instant Christmas classic, showing that even an eight-year-old could save the day.

Another one of our top ten Christmas movies of all time is A Christmas Story, which hit theaters in 1983. This one is actually one of my own family’s favorites, so it surely earned this spot on our list.

In this movie, young Ralphie Parker had just one Christmas wish: an official Red Ryder BB gun. But he had a problem. His mom said no. His teacher said no. I mean, even the department store Santa told him he’d shoot his eye out!

Meanwhile, life went on in 1940s Indiana. Ralphie’s dad won a fishnet-stocking leg lamp that drove his mother crazy. His little brother Randy couldn’t move in his winter snowsuit. And his friend Flick stuck his tongue to a frozen flagpole on a dare. Now, that’s a scene I will never be able to erase from my memory. Over time, the movie became a holiday tradition, with TBS playing it for 24 hours each Christmas.

If you flick through channels on the TV during the holiday season, odds are you’ll come across Elf—one of the funniest Christmas movies of all time. Will Ferrell played Buddy, a human raised as an elf at the North Pole.

In this movie, he traveled to New York in search of his real father. But, his dad turned out to be a grumpy publisher on Santa’s naughty list. Nonetheless, Buddy showed up at his office wearing his elf suit, ready to spread Christmas cheer.

As soon as he arrived in Manhattan, culture shock hit Buddy hard. He put syrup on spaghetti, fought with a fake department store Santa, and even fell in love with a Gimbels employee named Jovie (Zooey Deschanel).

Also, I couldn’t talk about this movie without mentioning the iconic quotes it gave us, like “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear“. In the end, Buddy made everyone smile. He saved Christmas. He even got his grumpy dad to appreciate the spirit of Christmas.

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Capping our list of the top ten Christmas movies of all time is Love Actually. This 2003 British romantic comedy wove together eight different love stories during the holiday season in London.

Hugh Grant played a dancing Prime Minister falling for his assistant. Emma Thompson discovered her husband’s secret. Colin Firth learned Portuguese for his housekeeper. And Liam Neeson helped his stepson win a first love.

The stories all connected in surprising ways as Christmas approached. Director Richard Curtis filled the film with Britain’s finest actors. It showed how love actually pops up everywhere during the holidays. In families, friendships, and even at the Prime Minister’s office.