Christmas movies are a great way to spend time with loved ones and bond during the holiday season. There are countless films out there, some good, some bad. What matters most is who you’re watching them with. Here are fifteen fantastic films for Christmas 2021.
1. Elf
“Even though this hilarious but heartwarming movie, about a human man raised by Santa's elves in the North Pole, was released less than 20 years ago, it's quickly become a holiday classic. In short: If you don't think Elf is one of the greatest Christmas movies ever made, you're a cotton-headed ninny muggins.”
2. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
“Rudolph is a legend, and as an adult in these trying times, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer feels a bit like the underdog story we need. There’s clearly some social justice themes going on, but at the core of this story of Rudolph and his dental-savvy friends is a time-tested tale that proves that being different isn’t something to be ashamed of—it’s something to embrace.”
3. Krampus
“Krampus is gory good fun for fans of non-traditional holiday horror with a fondness for Joe Dante's B- movie classics, even if it doesn't have quite the savage bite its concept calls for.”
4. A Christmas Story
“There's a reason why TBS plays A Christmas Story for 24 hours straight every Christmas. This classic gave us the infamous leg lamp and Red Ryder BB guns — and most importantly, it taught us to never lick a frozen pole.”
5. Scrooged
“It’s a tough film to pin down, probably because the darkly comic sensibilities of star Bill Murray and writers Mitch Glazer and Michael O’Donoghue often seem at odds with that of blockbuster director Richard Donner. But what makes this Reagan-era update on Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol — in which Murray plays a cold-hearted TV network president visited by Christmas spirits — flawed also makes it fascinating, and Carol Kane is especially fun as the Ghost of Christmas Present.”
6. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
“Chevy Chase's Clark struggles mightily here -- to make his house the best-lighted one on the planet, to nab his year-end bonus, to fix the newel post, to keep cousin Eddie at bay, and on and on -- but his travails remind viewers that investing too deeply in Christmastime commerce can result in nerve damage. Wrapping smarmy jokes inside sitcommy wrapping paper, the third Vacation movie owns its position on the naughty list.”
7. Gremlins
“Not a Christmas movie, per se. But Joe Dante's mischievous monster-mash comedy is set during the holidays in a snowy Norman Rockwell-esque town. Plus, who didn't want a cuddly little pet like Gizmo waiting under their tree on Christmas morning? Assuming, you didn't feed it after midnight...”
8. A Charlie Brown Christmas
“Don’t leave this classic holiday flick out of your viewing lineup. This beloved "Peanuts" tale reminds us all of the reason for the season, and adults and kids alike are sure to enjoy the sweet story and colorful animation.”
9. White Christmas
“Legendary director Michael Curtiz helmed several of the most noteworthy films of Hollywood’s Golden Age, including The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), Casablanca (1942), Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), Mildred Pierce (1945) and this essential Christmas musical, the highest-grossing film of 1954. Filmed in vivid Technicolor, White Christmas was the first movie ever released in VistaVision, a widescreen process using twice the surface area of standard 35mm film.”
10. Home Alone
“Culkin is unfailingly precocious, and watching an 8-year-old foil a pair of clueless adult burglars in inventive fashion is fine and all. What's often forgotten amid the kiddie shenanigans, however, is what the film has to say about the importance of family.”
11. Miracle on 34th Street
“Maureen O’Hara and John Payne star in the original film about that time New York City authorities committed a man to a mental facility because he thought he was Santa Claus. And though it can be debated which version of the classic film—this one or the John Hughes contribution starring Mara Wilson—is your favorite, there simply would be no miracle without the George Seaton 1947 prototype.”
12. A Christmas Carol
“Still the finest adaptation of Charles Dickens' legendary tale, this superb 1951 feature charts the familiar Christmas Eve ordeal of nasty miser Ebenezer Scrooge (Alastair Sim), who's visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future.”
13. It's a Wonderful Life
“This 1946 Frank Capra film isn't just one of the best Christmas movies of all time — it's one of the best movies in general. It's a Wonderful Life was nominated for six Academy Awards and ranks #11 on the American Film Institute's original list of the 100 Greatest American Films of All Time.”
14. Frosty the Snowman
“Everyone knows the tale of jolly, happy Frosty the Snowman, but this animated classic is always worth a re-watch. When children accidentally build an enchanted snowman, some of them find themselves on a dramatic adventure to the North Pole to make sure he doesn’t melt, and learn plenty about the true meaning of Christmas on the way.”
15. Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas
“You won’t be a mean one when you watch this beloved animated film! Filled with catchy songs, imaginative animation and a story everyone knows, this beloved 1966 film is the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit.”
