Top 20 Best Christmas Movies of All Time

It wouldn't be Christmas without these films! For this list, we’re looking at our favorite Christmas flicks, including holiday specials, but focusing on films where Christmas plays a large role in the plot, and excluding “alternative” Christmas movies like “Die Hard”... no matter how awesome it is. Our countdown includes "Elf", “Love Actually”, "It's a Wonderful Life", "Home Alone", “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, and more! Which movie gets you excited for the holidays? Let us know in the comments below!

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[WatchMojo]

Which movie gets you excited for the holidays? Let us know!

[chaosdromanah]

Our christmas is not Complete without watching Home Alone

[markgriffin]

The original Grinch cartoon for all of 30 minutes... Christmas perfection...

[michaelvasques]

Modern Christmas movies like: A Christmas Story (1983), National Lampoon’s A Christmas Vacation (1989), Home Alone (1990), The Santa Clause (1994), Jingle All the Way (1996), How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), Elf (2003), The Polar Express (2004), and A Christmas Carol (2009) all have a special place in my heart, I must say that the 80s, 90s, and 00s holiday movies are golden for me.

[racheldavin]

How about some love for "Year Without a Santa Claus"? Christmas isn't Christmas without a heavy dose of the Miser Brothers. They're too much!!!!

[DreamLand]

Listening to this with my 86 year father and my wife on Christmas evening. What a throw back to an absolutely brilliant time for music and performers, so much talent. Played this during and after Christmas supper. WOW! What a treasure this us.

[normanwhite]

Fun fact: "Miracle on 34th Street" was released in June of 1947. It was a huge hit, and pretty much ran in theaters till Christmas.

[stuckinquarantine]

Personally, I have always considered “The Nightmare Before Christmas” to be a Halloween movie, even though it could be both a Christmas and Halloween movie. There’s just something about it’s atmosphere, animation style, and storyline that makes it seem like a Halloween movie to me. Oh well, love it either way!

[Strongbad]

#20: Love Actually (2003)
#19: Bad Santa (2003)
#18: The Bishop's Wife (1947)
#17: The Polar Express (2004)
#16: The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
#15: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
#14: The Santa Clause (1994)
#13: Scrooged (1988)
#12: The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
#11: Frosty the Snowman (1969)
#10: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
#9: White Christmas (1954)
#8: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
#7: Elf (2003)
#6: Home Alone (1990)
#5: Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
#4: A Christmas Carol (1938)
#3: A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
#2: A Christmas Story (1983)
#1: It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Honorable Mentions:
- Jingle All the Way (1996)
- Arthur Christmas (2011)
- A Christmas Tale [aka Un conte de Noël] (2008)
- The Holiday (2006)
- The Apartment (1960)

[lonewolfjediosswfan]

Any Rankin Bass Christmas movie is a must for me

[shawnsept]

I guess Die Hard isn't "welcome to the party, pal."

[OtakuDeju]

So many Christmas movies to choose from. But how did you overlook "Little Drummer Boy", "Jack Frost", "Santa Claus is Coming to Town", and "A Year Without Santa Claus"?

[lestat]

20. Love Actually
19. Bad Santa
18. The Bishop's Wife
17. The Polar Express
16. The Nightmare Before Christmas
15. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
14. The Santa Clause
13. Scrooged (1988)
12. The Muppets Christmas Carol
11. Frosty the Snowman
10. Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer
09. White Christmas
08. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
07. Elf
06. Home Alone
05. Miracle on 34th Street
04. A Christmas Carol (1938)
03. A Charlie Brown Christmas
02. A Christmas Story
01. It's a Wonderful Life

Honorable Mentions:
Jingle All the Way
Arthur Christmas
A Christmas Tale
The Holiday
The Apartment

[raiderrowen]

Is anyone else dumbfounded that “The year without a Santa Claus” was not on this list? It has some of the best Christmas songs of all times

[nv]

The 1951 A Christmas Carol is the definitive classic. Alistair Sim is a joy to watch. It's atmospheric and when Jacob Marley howls in despair, you won't ever forget it.

[gizmo_joy]

I remember renting Elf on DVD for Christmas the year it came out, and it was so fun to "unlock" the fireplace, which we TOTALLY used all Christmas!

[chelseylin]

Y’all straight up forgot about the stop motion version of “Santa clause is coming to town” it’s a must watch every year at Christmas in my house.

[williambilyeu]

I can't believe that "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol" wasn't even in the honorable mentions. It is one of the best Christmas specials.

[Peyton_S]

Christmas Vacation, Home Alone and Polar Express are my favourites!

[justinpettas]

Scrooged is the most underrated Christmas movie of all time