As someone who has somewhat of an aversion to Christmas, I have an unnatural appreciation for Christmas movies. Maybe it’s the longing for a white Christmas, or even just the longing for some form of attention by way of copious amounts of presents. We’ll leave the questions to a psychologist…
Anyway, here are the absolute best Christmas movies, ranked. Because, why not? Snacks at the ready and ugly Christmas jumpers on, let’s do this!
#13 Die Hard
Is Die Hard a Christmas movie? No one really knows, but we’re arguing yes. NYC Policeman wants nothing more than a simple visit to see his estranged wife and two daughters on Christmas eve. Obviously, Christmas is never that easy and the whole affair is interrupted by terrorists #classsic. Of course, there’s no one to save Christmas but Bruce Willis.
#12 National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
National Lampoon’s series are the best. But, when you add Christmas? So much better. The movie follows the story line of one family’s search for the perfect Christmas vacation that goes horribly, horribly wrong in the most hilarious way possible. And we love every second of it.
#11 Home Alone
Best. Christmas. Movie. Ever. So many epic one liners, great GIF reactions and the plot line of our childhood nightmares. Kevin McCallister is forgotten at home when his family heads off to Paris and must face the break-in attempts of some crooks all alone. If you haven’t seen it, do you even Christmas?
#10 Miracle On 34th Street
An OG Christmas classic, Miracle On 34th Street tells the tale of Kris Kringle who fills in for a drunk Santa for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and then tells everyone that he really is Santa Claus, but no one believes him!
#9 The Grinch
We’ve got one word for you: iconic. Dr Seuss’ much-loved book gets a hit of new life with this Jim Carrey adaptation. What happens? The Grinch decides to ruin Christmas by stealing all of their presents and Christmas cheer. Sounds easy enough, right? Not when Cindy Lou Who is involved! Will he stop Christmas? Will she save Christmas? What a nail-biter.
#8 Nightmare Before Christmas
Tim Burton does Christmas, and we love it! We meet Jack Skellington, who plots to kidnap Santa to much pomp and circumstance after getting tired of the same ol’ routine of scaring people every Christmas.
#7 The Santa Clause
It’s classic tale, really. Divorced dad gets custody of his only son only to accidently kill a man in a Santa costume and then be forced into taking Santa’s place when he realises he’s killed the real Santa. What follows is a pretty hilarious Christmas movie that you need to watch at least once this year.
#6 Scrooged
All we want for Christmas is Bill Murray. Scrooged is a modern-day take on the Dickens’ classic ‘A Christmas Carol’ that see’s Murray’s character—a POS TV exec who thinks it’s a good idea to fire someone on Christmas eve, no less—visited by a bunch of friendly ghosts who give him the chance to make good on how much of an a-hole he’s been. And trust us, that’s no easy task.
#5 Mean Girls
Because of that Jingle Bells number, duh. Don’t act like you don’t remember every move. Also, who doesn't love early Lindsay Lohan?
#4 The Family Stone
Ahh, SJP, what would Christmas be without you? Nothing. The answer is nothing. When a guy just wants to bring his girlfriend home for the holidays, his crazy family makes this kind of an impossible task. Obviously chaos ensues and we’re left wondering about the break-up: will they or won’t they? Are they even meant to be?
#3 The Holiday
An undeniable classic, The Holiday tells the tale of two women—one from America and one from the UK—who swap houses over the holiday season in response to some nasty breakups. Of course, they each find sweet, Christmas-y love with local babes and then of course face that dilemma of having to go home and er, break up with them.
#2 Love Actually
Love Actually is Christmas personified. One simply does not celebrate Christmas without watching Love Actually at least 10 times. The intertwining love stories, the British winter, the awkwardness, the everything. Love Actually is a winner in all regards and is just as Christmas-y as the nativity.
#1 Elf
No Christmas is complete without watching Elf. But, if we’re being honest, we usually whip Elf out by at least November (ok, maybe October). The movie follows the story of a human who’s actually an Elf and is thus kicked out of the North Pole. What follows is a hilarious tale of a crazy-tall human in NYC who thinks he’s an elf. Classic.
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Image credit: Odyssey