‘Tis the season for cooler weather, darker nights, and cozying up with hot beverages. 🍵 Maybe your holiday season involves lots of gatherings with family and friends, or maybe it looks more like baking at home. Whatever your style, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite holiday flicks to get you into the spirit of the season. You’ll find plenty of Christmas classics like “Miracle on 34th Street” and “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town,” along with films featuring non-Christmas traditions and some cozy movies set in winter that aren’t necessarily about the holidays. Whatever mood you’re in, you’ll find something to watch on this list.
And let us know in the comments what you love to watch this time of year!
Vintage classics
- It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
George Bailey learns what life would be like if he had never existed in this Christmas Eve classic.
- White Christmas (1954)
Four performers save a rural country inn in Vermont when they go to perform a Christmas show.
- Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
It’s Christmas time in New York, and the real Santa has to start filling in for the fakes.
- A Christmas Carol (1951)
A mid-century adaptation of the Charles Dickens novella.
- Meet Me In St. Louis (1944)
A year in the life of four sisters at the turn of the century leading up to the World Fair in 1904.
- Christmas Eve (1947)
An heiress must local her long lost sons before her nephew steals her fortune.
- A Dream for Christmas (1973)
A Southern minister must relocate to California with his family to save a church scheduled for demolition.
- The Holly and the Ivy (1952)
Set in post-war Britain, a widowed minister reconnects with his family.
- I’ll be Seeing You (1944)
Two star-crossed lovers connect over the holidays in this film starring Ginger Rogers.
- The Lemon Drop Kid (1951)
A con artist has under Christmas to come up with $10,000 in the film that originated “Silver Bells.”
- Holiday Inn (1942)
Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby star in this musical comedy set at a country hotel.
- Remember the Night (1940)
In the spirit of the season, New York’s district attorney falls in love with a pretty shoplifter.
- Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
A single city magazine writer pretends to be a Connecticut housewife in this Christmas comedy of errors.
- The Bishop’s Wife (1948)
A debonair angel (Carey Grant) comes to Earth to help an Episcopalian bishop and his wife raise funds for a new church.
- Holiday Affair (1949)
A poor young widow is torn between a successful businessman and romantic bad boy.
Holiday TV specials
- A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
Charlie Brown searches for the true meaning of Christmas in this Peanuts classic.
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)
Dr. Seuss’s tale about Christmas in Whoville comes alive in this animated ‘60s classic.
- Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town (1970)
Mickey Rooney and Fred Astaire star in this claymation classic about Santa’s backstory.
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
A young reindeer with a red nose saves Christmas.
- The Year Without A Santa Claus (1974)
The jolly man in red gets sick and discouraged in this claymation film, while two elves save the day.
- Frosty the Snowman (1969)
Everyone’s favorite snowman comes alive and has to make it to the North Pole before he melts in this animated film.
Family-friendly favorites
- Elf (2003)
Will Ferrel stars as an elf looking for his father in one of the most popular holiday movies of all time.
- National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
Nothing goes according to plan over the holidays for the Griswolds.
- Home Alone (1990)
A spunky 8-year-old is left behind accidentally when his family goes on vacation for Christmas.
- Polar Express (2004)
A children’s book comes to life in this computer-animated film about a boy who travels to the North Pole on Christmas Eve.
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
Jim Carey stars in this live-action comedy remake of the ‘60s animated film.
- The Santa Clause (1994)
A divorced dad must become the new Santa Claus after a rooftop accident in this film starring Tim Allen.
- The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Some call it a Halloween movie, but we’re dubbing Tim Burton’s stop-motion animated fantasy film a holiday movie for now.
- A Christmas Story (1983)
Ralphie wants a BB gun for Christmas in this film set in a small midwestern town.
- A Christmas Story Christmas (2022)
In this long-awaited sequel, the actor who played Ralphie heads back to his hometown to give his kids a magic Christmas like the ones he grew up with.
- Jingle All the Way (1996)
A dad tries to find the sold-out toy his son wants for Christmas in this comedy starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
- Ira Finkelstein’s Christmas (2012)
A young Jewish boy switches plane tickets with another kid to head to Christmastown, Washington for the holidays.
- Grinch (2018)
Another Grinch! This one stars Benedict Cumberbatch and is computer-animated.
- The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
Another Dickens adaptation, this one stars the Muppets.
- Jingle Jangle (2020)
A joyful toy maker finds new hope when his young granddaughter arrives at his doorstep in this fantasy.
- Prancer (1989)
A young girl nurses one of Santa’s reindeer back to health.
- The Christmas Chronicles (2018)
Two siblings hatch a plan to kidnap Santa Claus, but the plan goes awry.
- The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)
Young Clara is on a mission in this fantasy adaption of the classic Christmas ballet.
- The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (2024)
New this year, this film follows a group of rowdy siblings who teach a community the true meaning of Christmas.
- Klaus (2019)
A new postman is sent to a northern town where he befriends a toymaker called Klaus.
- Rise of the Guardians (2012)
A magical team of holiday characters led by Jack Frost embark on a journey to save themselves.
- 8-Bit Christmas (2021)
It’s 1980s Chicago, and a young boy is on a quest for the latest and greatest video game.
- The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017)
This film stars Christopher Plummer and follows the writing of Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol.”
Laugh-out-loud comedies
- Scrooged (1988)
Bill Murray stars in this modern take on “A Christmas Carol.”
- Christmas with the Kranks (2004)
A couple must forgo their Christmas travel plans when their daughter comes home for the holidays.
- Deck the Halls (2006)
Danny DeVito and Matthew Brodrick star in this comedy about two neighbors trying to outdo each others’ holiday decorations.
- Bad Santa (2003)
Two con men pose as Santa and his elf each Christmas while they swindle malls.
- Office Christmas Party (2016)
A failing branch of a business must throw an epic holiday party to impress a client and save their jobs.
- The Night Before (2015)
Three college friends go all out for one last Christmas Eve of partying before one of them becomes a father.
- Fred Claus (2007)
Vince Vaughn is Santa’s Scrooge-like older brother who must help out at the North Pole.
- Four Christmas (2008)
Another Vince Vaughn flick, this one has him opposite Reese Witherspoon juggling all their family Christmas gatherings.
- Candy Cane Lane (2023)
A laid-off corporate marketer (Eddie Murphy) makes a deal with a mischievous elf to win his street’s holiday decorating contest.
- A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas (2011)
Stoner friends get into holiday antics as they attempt to replace a prized Christmas tree for one of their fathers-in-law.
- Little Fockers (2010)
The third and final movie in the Meet the Fockers series, this one follows the family during a Hanukkah-Christmas celebration.
- Eight Crazy Nights (2003)
Adam Sandler stars in this adult animated film about a party animal during Hanukkah.
- Trapped in Paradise (1994)
Three brothers attempt a bank heist on Christmas Eve in this film starring Nicholas Cage.
- Almost Christmas (2016)
A widowed mechanic invites his grown children home for the holidays, but they can’t stop bickering.
- Spirited (2022)
This new Christmas musical is a “Christmas Carol” adaptation and stars Will Ferrel and Ryan Reynolds.
- The Holdovers (2023)
A grumpy prep school instructor stays with the boys who aren’t going home for the holidays in this dramedy.
- Mixed Nuts (1994)
This Nora Ephron film follows the Christmas-time antics of a man (Steve Martin) who manages a suicide prevention hotline.
- A Bad Moms Christmas (2017)
A sequel to the 2016 comedy, this film follows overworked moms as they prep for the holidays and the arrival of their own mothers.
- Love the Coopers (2015)
Four generations of Coopers gather for their annual Christmas Eve celebration.
Holiday romances and rom-coms
- The Holiday (2006)
Two women, one in LA and one in the English countryside, swap homes for Christmas and both find unexpected love.
- Love, Actually (2003)
Interconnected love stories following eight different couples unfold in London over the weeks leading to Christmas.
- The Princess Switch (2018)
A baker and a duchess (both played by Vanessa Hudgens) switch lives and find love during the holidays.
- Happiest Season (2020)
A woman plans to propose to her girlfriend over the holidays, only to find out she isn’t out to her conservative family in this Kristen Stewart flick.
- While You Were Sleeping (1995)
A transit worker pretends to be engaged to a comatose man, but falls for his brother.
- Last Holiday (2006)
A woman who discovers her terminal illness just before the holidays lives life like a millionaire and looks for love.
- Serendipity (2001)
A chance holiday meeting leads two old flames to wonder if destiny will reunite them.
- Boyfriends of Christmas Past (2021)
The ghosts of her ex-boyfriends visit a marketing exec in the weeks leading up to Christmas to get her to open her heart.
- The Family Stone (2005)
A woman (Sarah Jessica Parker) navigates awkward family dynamics and unexpected romance over Christmas.
- Eight Gifts of Hanukkah (2021)
An anonymous suitor sends a woman gifts each night of Hanukkah in this Hallmark flick.
- A Christmas Prince (2017)
A journalist falls for a prince while covering a royal Christmas story in a small European kingdom.
- The Best Man Holiday (2013)
College friends reunite over the Christmas holiday, and old flames are reignited.
- Feast of the Seven Fishes (2019)
A big Italian family prepares for the traditional Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve.
- Feliz Navidad (2020)
Mario Lopez stars in this rom-com about a widowed dad looking for love.
- A Castle for Christmas (2021)
An author sparks romance with a grumpy duke while trying to buy his castle during the holidays in this flick starring Brooke Shields.
- Round and Round (2023)
A time loop movie that’s also about Hanukkah and also has romance.
- Home for the Holidays (1995)
A single mother travels to her childhood home for the holidays.
- Let It Snow (2019)
Teen friendships and romances blossom during a snowstorm on Christmas Eve.
- The Perfect Holiday (2007)
A single mom is wooed by a songwriter during Christmas time.
- Single All the Way (2021)
A man asks his best friend to post as his boyfriend when he goes home for the holidays.
- New Year’s Eve (2011)
This flick follows a group of intertwined couples and storylines on New Year’s Eve in New York.
Winter movies with holiday vibes
- The Wiz (1978)
Not exactly a holiday movie, this retelling of “The Wizard of Oz” has historically aired around the holidays.
- Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009)
A security guard saves the day when a team of criminals takes hostages at the mall where he works in this film set during the holidays.
- Little Women (2019)
Nostalgic and cozy though not necessarily about the holidays, “Little Women” the book begins and ends on Christmas, so it’s often connected with the holiday.
- Die Hard (1988)
A notoriously not-Christmas Christmas movie, the action flick follows a man who must save the hostages of a holiday party in New York.
- The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945)
Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman must save an inner-city Catholic school.
- When Harry Met Sally (1989)
The Nora Ephron film that everyone knows and loves has a pretty romantic New Year’s Eve Scene and cozy vibes all around.
- Rent (2005)
The movie adaptation of the musical following a group of friends at the dawn of the ‘90s in New York begins on Christmas Eve 1989.
- Tangerine (2015)
An LA sex worker goes looking for her unfaithful boyfriend on Christmas Eve in this crime comedy.
- Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
This Wes Anderson flick is set at a popular snowy European ski resort.
- A Tree Grows In Brooklyn (1945)
A young girl yearns for a life beyond her Brooklyn tenement.
- Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)
This classic rom-com kicks off with a Christmas party scene and ends with a kiss in the snow.
- Snow Day (2000)
Kids in upstate New York hijack a snowplow to keep school closed during a snowstorm.
- Fargo (1996)
This black comedy crime movie is set during a snowy Minnesota winter.
- The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005)
Four English siblings are swept into a snowy fantasy world.
- Ice Age (2002)
An unlikely group of animals reunites a human baby with its parents in this animated classic.
- The Golden Compass (2007)
A girl travels to the Arctic region of a parallel universe to rescue her best friend in this fantasy film.
Natalie Gale is a Contributing Editor at The Good Trade. She is a Boston-based freelance journalist. When she’s not writing about art, food, or sustainability, you can find her biking to the farmers’ market, baking, sewing, or planning her next Halloween costume. Say hi on Instagram!
