Let’s set the record straight with our list of the top ten best Christmas movies of all time, ranked.
The countdown to Christmas is on, so that means one thing – watching a different Christmas movie every night.
There are so many incredible Christmas movies out there, so it’s no easy task to narrow them down to the top ten.
This list will delight some and enrage others, depending on your Christmas movie styles and preferences. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the top ten best Christmas movies of all time, ranked.
- Let’s set the record straight with our list of the top ten best Christmas movies of all time, ranked.
- 10. Jingle All the Way (1996) – a classic tale of father and son
- 9. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) – a feel-good festive film
- 8. Scrooged (1988) – a delightful adaptation of a centuries-old story
- 7. The Santa Clause (1994) – get into the Christmas spirit
- 6. Miracle on 34th Street (1947) – a timeless classic
- 5. The Polar Express (2004) – an unpopular take?
- 4. Love Actually (2003) – the interweaving of many love stories
- 3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) – “That’s it, I’m not going”
- 2. Elf (2003) – one of the best Christmas movies of all time
- 1. The Holiday (2006) – the best of the best
10. Jingle All the Way (1996) – a classic tale of father and son
Arnold Schwarzenegger stars in this Christmas classic about a father who vows to get his son a Turbo Man action figure for Christmas.
However, his plans are foiled when he realises every store in town is sold out. Along the way, he’ll stop at nothing to make sure he doesn’t disappoint his son this Christmas.
9. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) – a feel-good festive film
No list of the best Christmas movies of all time would be complete without mentioning at least one Home Alone movie, and our favourite is the second in the series.
The second movie sees Kevin McCallister end up alone in the Big Apple while his family heads to sunny Miami.
Against all odds, he bumps into his old rivals, Marv and Harry, and interrupts their plans to rob Duncan’s Toy Chest, based on the real New York toy store FAO Schwarz.
8. Scrooged (1988) – a delightful adaptation of a centuries-old story
Starring Bill Murray as the cynical and selfish TV executive Frank Cross, Scrooged is based on the 1843 classic novella A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.
With the help of the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future, Frank realises he must reform himself before it’s too late.
7. The Santa Clause (1994) – get into the Christmas spirit
It’s somewhat of a theme in classic Christmas movies for dads being on a mission not to disappoint their kids, and this theme continues in The Santa Clause, starring Tim Allen.
When regular businessman and father Scott Calvin (Allen) accidentally causes Santa Claus to fall from his roof to his death on Christmas Eve, he learns that he has inadvertently become the new Santa.
6. Miracle on 34th Street (1947) – a timeless classic
Starring Irish actor Maureen O’Hara, Natalie Wood, and Edmund Gwenn, Miracle on 34th Street is a beautiful Christmas classic that sees a child, her mother, and a lawyer help save Kris Kringle from being institutionalised by proving that he is the real Santa Claus.
5. The Polar Express (2004) – an unpopular take?
This might be an unpopular take, but The Polar Express is one of the best Christmas movies of all time.
It’s a delightful animation that encourages children to embrace the magic and joy of Christmas despite any doubts they might be having.
4. Love Actually (2003) – the interweaving of many love stories
Love Actually follows the lives of eight different couples dealing with the ups and downs of love in a series of loosely interrelated tales that all take place in the hectic lead-up to Christmas.
Starring the likes of Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson, and many more A-list names, Love Actually might not make everyone’s top ten Christmas movie list, but we love it.
3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) – “That’s it, I’m not going”
Starring Jim Carrey as the spiteful, bad-tempered, and devious old Grinch who hates Christmas, How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a classic Christmas movie that makes us laugh and cry.
2. Elf (2003) – one of the best Christmas movies of all time
Starring Will Ferrell as Buddy the Elf, Elf follows his journey from the North Pole to New York City to find his biological father.
With a star-studded cast, including legendary actor James Caan, Zooey Deschanel, Peter Dinklage, and more, Elf is one Christmas movie we can’t go without in the lead-up to Christmas.
1. The Holiday (2006) – the best of the best
One hill we will die on is that The Holiday is the best Christmas movie of all time. When Iris (Kate Winslet) and Amanda (Cameron Diaz) swap homes in each other’s countries, their plans get very complicated as they both unexpectedly find love across the world.
This is a feel-good, easy watch that we LOVE to watch around Christmastime and is our favourite Christmas movie of all time.
