The short answer: if you only watch five
If you want the best Christmas movies without scrolling through a hundred lists, start here. These five cover the whole season: a timeless classic, a family comedy, a warm romance, a Dickens retelling and a modern favourite.
- It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) — the classic Christmas movie, and still the best answer to what the season is really about.
- Home Alone (1990) — the family favourite that children quote and adults still enjoy.
- Elf (2003) — pure, silly joy, and the easiest film on this list to watch with a mixed-age group.
- The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) — the most faithful, and most fun, way into Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.
- Love Actually (2003) — the grown-up, romantic, ensemble film for a late-night watch after the children are in bed.
Christmas Day 2026 falls on Friday, December 25, with Christmas Eve on Thursday, December 24. That gives you a full final weekend — and, realistically, most families start watching in late November. The lists below are organised by mood, not by a single ranking, because ‘best’ depends on who is in the room.
For the full story of the day itself, see our Christmas 2026 guide. For words to send with a film-night invitation, see Christmas wishes 2026.
Pick in two minutes: best Christmas movies by mood
| Mood | Best pick | Also try |
|---|---|---|
| The one true classic | It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) | Miracle on 34th Street (1947) |
| A film the whole family will love | Home Alone (1990) | Elf (2003), Klaus (2019) |
| To laugh until it hurts | National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) | Elf (2003), Home Alone 2 (1992) |
| A cosy romance | Love Actually (2003) | While You Were Sleeping (1995), The Holiday (2006) |
| Something animated | Klaus (2019) | The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), Arthur Christmas (2011) |
| A Dickens retelling | The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) | A Christmas Carol (2009), Scrooge (1951) |
| A film for adults, after bedtime | Die Hard (1988) | The Family Stone (2005), Bad Santa (2003) |
| A new 2026 release | The Man with the Bag (Prime Video, Dec 2) | Guarding Stars (Netflix, Nov 18) |
The all-time essentials: the best Christmas movies everyone should see once
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
George Bailey, a small-town man who has spent his life helping others, is shown what the world would look like if he had never been born. James Stewart carries a film that is darker, and warmer, than its reputation suggests — it earns its famous ending. Watch it when you want the season to feel meaningful, not just festive.
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
A department-store Santa claims to be the real thing, and a courtroom has to decide whether to believe him. Gentle, witty and quietly moving, it is the best Christmas movie for anyone who still wants to believe — and for children meeting the Santa question for the first time.
A Christmas Story (1983)
Ralphie wants one thing for Christmas: a Red Ryder BB gun. Everyone tells him he will shoot his eye out. Told through a child’s eyes, with a leg lamp, a frozen tongue on a flagpole and a Christmas dinner that goes gloriously wrong, it is the most quotable family Christmas film ever made.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
Clark Griswold wants the perfect family Christmas and gets the opposite: a house covered in 25,000 lights, a squirrel in the tree and relatives who arrive uninvited and stay too long. This is the funniest Christmas movie on the list, and the most relatable for anyone who has ever hosted.
Home Alone (1990)
Kevin McCallister, 8, is accidentally left behind when his family flies to Paris, and must defend his house from two burglars. Macaulay Culkin is brilliant, the slapstick still lands, and the ending gives it a heart the sequels never quite matched.
Family Christmas movies: by age, so nobody is bored or scared
For younger children
- A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) — short, gentle and about the true meaning of Christmas; a perfect first Christmas film.
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) — the stop-motion classic with the Island of Misfit Toys.
- The Santa Clause (1994) — a divorced dad accidentally becomes Santa, and his son is delighted. Warm, funny and easy for all ages.
- Arthur Christmas (2011) — how does Santa deliver every present in one night? Arthur, Santa’s clumsy younger son, has to save one missed gift before morning.
For the whole family, teens included
- Elf (2003) — Buddy, raised by elves at the North Pole, travels to New York to find his father. Will Ferrell’s wide-eyed enthusiasm never gets old, and it works for grandparents as well as children.
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) — Jim Carrey’s Grinch tries to steal Christmas from Whoville and learns, slowly, why he cannot. Loud, colourful and very funny.
- Klaus (2019) — a new take on how Santa began, told as an unlikely friendship between a lazy postman and a lonely toymaker. Beautifully animated and genuinely moving; the best modern animated Christmas film.
- The Polar Express (2004) — a boy who doubts Santa boards a magical train to the North Pole on Christmas Eve. Best watched with hot chocolate, lights low.
- Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) — Kevin, lost again, this time in New York at Christmas. Bigger, sillier and full of festive New York scenery.
Cosy Christmas romances and feel-good films
- Love Actually (2003) — nine intertwined love stories in London at Christmas. Funny, sad and romantic in turn; best for adults and older teens.
- While You Were Sleeping (1995) — a lonely transit worker saves a stranger’s life and is mistaken for his fiancée. Charming, gentle and very rewatchable.
- The Holiday (2006) — two women swap houses for Christmas, one in Los Angeles, one in a Surrey cottage, and both find something unexpected. The definition of a cosy December watch.
- The Family Stone (2005) — a woman meets her boyfriend’s chaotic, loving family at Christmas and everything goes wrong, then right. Warm, messy and honest about family.
- White Christmas (1954) — Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye put on a show to save an old general’s Vermont inn, with snow, songs and old Hollywood glamour.
A little darker, a little grown-up: best Christmas movies for after bedtime
Not every Christmas film is for children, and that is part of the fun. These are for adults, or older teens with parental judgement:
- Die Hard (1988) — yes, it is a Christmas movie: it is set at a Christmas party, on Christmas Eve, and John McClane just wants to see his wife. The best action Christmas film, and the great festive debate starter.
- The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) — Jack Skellington, king of Halloween Town, discovers Christmas and tries to run it himself. Gorgeous stop-motion, songs you will hum for days, and spooky enough to be a Halloween-to-Christmas bridge film.
- Bad Santa (2003) — a very rude, very funny comedy about a conman posing as a department-store Santa. Adults only, and not for everyone.
- Gremlins (1984) — a Christmas present with three rules, all of which get broken. Funny, creepy and a cult festive favourite.
Animated Christmas movies worth your time
- A Christmas Carol (2009) — Jim Carrey voices Scrooge in a faithful, visually rich animated Dickens adaptation.
- The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) — listed above, and worth listing twice: it belongs on both lists.
- Frosty the Snowman (1969) — short, sweet and perfect for the youngest viewers on a snowy afternoon.
New Christmas movies in 2026: what is actually new this year
Streaming libraries change constantly, so check your own service before settling in — but these 2026 titles have confirmed dates, checked on November 3, 2026:
- A Dog’s Perfect Christmas — Netflix, November 4, 2026.
- Tyler Perry’s The Gospel of Christmas — Netflix, November 11, 2026.
- Guarding Stars — Netflix, November 18, 2026, with Leighton Meester and Jared Padalecki.
- Ebenezer — in cinemas, November 13, 2026, a new take on A Christmas Carol.
- The Man with the Bag — Prime Video, December 2, 2026, with Arnold Schwarzenegger as Santa.
- In a Holidaze — Netflix, December 2, 2026.
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: The Getaway — Disney+, December 4, 2026 (US date).
- Violent Night 2 — in cinemas, December 4, 2026.
- Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas — 34 new films, running October 16 to December 20, 2026, with new premieres most Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings in the US.
If you only try one new film, start with The Man with the Bag or Guarding Stars — the two with the broadest family appeal — and treat the Hallmark season as a nightly background ritual rather than a single watch.
Three ready-made Christmas movie marathons
The classic marathon (one evening, three films)
- Miracle on 34th Street (1947) — start gentle, with the children.
- A Christmas Story (1983) — laughter and nostalgia in the middle.
- It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) — end with the film that makes everyone a little tearful, in a good way.
The family marathon (a whole snowy Saturday)
Morning: A Charlie Brown Christmas, then Arthur Christmas. Afternoon: Home Alone, then Klaus. Evening: Elf, with popcorn and hot chocolate. End with The Polar Express as a bedtime wind-down.
The grown-up marathon (Christmas Eve, after the children are asleep)
Love Actually, then Die Hard (settle the debate in your own house), then The Family Stone. Finish with a short walk, or a quiet cup of tea, before midnight.
How to make film night feel like Christmas, not just television
- Decorate first, watch second. Put the tree lights on, light a candle (safely), and make the room feel different from an ordinary evening.
- Match the food to the film. Hot chocolate for The Polar Express, cookies for Home Alone, a full festive snack board for a marathon.
- Let children choose one film each. A film night works best when everyone has a stake in it — and the list above gives every age a fair pick.
- Keep phones away for one film. The best Christmas movies earn their endings, and they work better without half-watching.
Frequently asked questions about the best Christmas movies
What is the best Christmas movie of all time?
Most critics and audiences put It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) first, for its story, performances and lasting message. If you want the most-loved family pick instead, Home Alone (1990) and Elf (2003) are the usual runners-up.
What is the best Christmas movie for kids?
For younger children, A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) and Arthur Christmas (2011). For the whole family together, Home Alone (1990), Elf (2003) and Klaus (2019) are the safest, most-loved choices.
What Christmas movies are new in 2026?
On Netflix: A Dog’s Perfect Christmas (Nov 4), Tyler Perry’s The Gospel of Christmas (Nov 11), Guarding Stars (Nov 18) and In a Holidaze (Dec 2). On Prime Video: The Man with the Bag (Dec 2). In cinemas: Ebenezer (Nov 13) and Violent Night 2 (Dec 4). Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas runs to December 20.
Is Die Hard a Christmas movie?
It is set at a Christmas Eve office party, features Christmas music and decorations throughout, and its hero’s motivation is reuniting with his family at Christmas. Many fans say yes; others say it is an action film that happens at Christmas. Either way, it is a great December watch for adults.
Where can I watch these Christmas movies?
Availability changes by country and by month, especially in December, as licences move between services. Search the film title on your own streaming service or TV guide on the night — do not rely on last year’s list. The new 2026 titles above are listed with their launch service and date.
How many days are there until Christmas 2026?
Christmas Day 2026 is Friday, December 25, 2026. See our How Many Days Until Christmas 2026 countdown for the live countdown.
Sources and further reading
- Classic Christmas film lists and rankings, including WatchMojo’s classic Christmas movies list: https://www.watchmojo.com/articles/top-10-classic-christmas-movies
- New Christmas films and release dates for 2026: https://cstonline.tv/christmas-movies-2026
- Christmas 2026 dates and traditions on this site: https://memorialday2026.com/christmas-2026/
Christmas is Friday, December 25, 2026 — but the best Christmas movies are for the whole season, from the first cold evening in November to the quiet night after the presents are opened. Pick one from the mood table, make the hot chocolate, and press play.