50. The Santa Clause 2 (2002)
The sequel to Tim Allen’s The Santa Clause, Santa has to get married by midnight or lose the title forever. Plus, his son’s on the naughty list.
49. Arthur Christmas (2011)
The son of Santa Claus is portrayed by James McAvoy on a journey to retrieve a lost present, in this family-friendly animated film.
48. Trapped In Paradise (1994)
Nicolas Cage stars in a crime comedy about three brothers trying to rob a bank on Christmas.
47. Surviving Christmas (2004)
Ben Affleck stars as a young millionaire who, trying to avoid being alone on Christmas, pays a family to pose as his own.
46. Jack Frost (1998)
Michael Keaton dies in an accident and reincarnates as a snowman, revisiting his family.
45. Frosty The Snowman (1969)
A snowman comes to life with the help of a magic hat, and travels with a couple of unlikely companions to escape the melting snow.
44. The Family Stone (2005)
Claire Danes and Diane Keaton head an ensemble cast in this dramedy about a family get-together on Christmas, and a proposal about to happen.
43. Metropolitan (1990)
A group of rich socialites discusses the fate of their debutante culture while getting to know a middle-class student who comes across them.
42. Fred Claus (2007)
Paul Giamatti and Vince Vaughn play Santa Claus and his criminal brother Fred, whom Santa bails out by having him work at his North Pole toy factory.
41. Nothing Like the Holidays (2008)
A Puerto Rican family spends what might very well be their last Christmas together.
40. Deck the Halls (2006)
Danny DeVito and Matthew Broderick star as neighbours clashing over their homes’ Christmas decor.
39. Christmas Eve (2015)
Six different elevators get stuck on Christmas Eve, and the different groups inside each have nowhere to go.
38. Holiday Affair (1949)
A store clerk gets fired for his Christmas-time generosity to a widow and her son, and he begins to fall in love with her.
37. Four Christmases (2008)
Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn play a couple who celebrates four separate Christmases with each of their divorced parents.
36. The Bishop's Wife (1947)
Cary Grant plays an angel who helps a bishop with his spiritual guidance.
35. Prancer (1989)
A young girl in a troubled family encounters a wounded reindeer and cares for it on her farm.
34. The Family Man (2000)
Nicolas Cage plays a banker who wakes up one Christmas morning and is offered a glimpse of what life would be like if he made a different choice.
33. It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947)
A homeless bum holes up in a mansion with some friends and changes the lives of the owners in the process.
32. A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas (2011)
The third installment in this stoner comedy series takes Harold and Kumar on a journey to find a replacement Christmas tree.
31. The Santa Clause (1994)
Tim Allen’s character accidentally knocks Santa off his roof on Christmas Eve, and must do the job of Father Christmas for the night.
30. You've Got Mail (1998)
Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks play two strangers who hate each other, but unknowingly begin an anonymous online relationship.
29. The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
The source material for You’ve Got Mail, with the online relationship replaced with a pen pal arrangement.
28. Scrooged (1988)
Bill Murray is a modern-day Scrooge in this update of A Christmas Carol.
27. The Holiday (2006)
A very Love Actually-esque rom-com with multiple storylines and a Christmas theme, Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz enter a home exchange to help them forget their broken hearts.
26. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2008)
This Dr. Seuss adaptation stars Jim Carrey as a creature who hates Christmas.
25. A Christmas Tale (2008)
In this French film, a troubled family reunites on Christmas when their mother falls ill with leukemia.
24. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
Kevin McAllister is left behind again for Christmas vacation, and must evade the same criminals he encountered.
23. Babes in Toyland (1961)
A Christmas musical starring Ray Bolger, and telling a fantasy Christmas story featuring characters from nursery rhymes.
22. White Christmas (1954)
This musical features Bing Crosby as a US Army Captain who tries to save his former General’s inn on Christmas Eve.
21. The Lemon Drop Kid (1951)
Bob Hope stars as a con artist in New York who needs to scam as much as he can by Christmas, to pay off a gangster.
20. The Preacher’s Wife (1996)
A remake of The Bishop’s Wife, Denzel Washington plays an angel who helps a preacher as he struggles with his church’s finances.
19. Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983)
This short, family-friendly feature retells the Dickens classic—but with a Disney twist. Great for toddlers!
18. Serendipity (2001)
John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale play a pair who meet one Christmas Eve, and search for each other years later believing that fate would bring them together.
17. Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
Barbara Stanwyck plays a food writer who pretends to live a charmed farm life in Connecticut, and must host a Christmas dinner while covering up the lie.
16. The Nativity Story (2006)
Keisha Castle-Hughes and Oscar Isaac are Mary and Joseph in this Christmas origin story.
15. The Best Man Holiday (2013)
An ensemble cast reunites in this sequel to Malcolm D. Lee’s 1999 The Best Man, this time with a reunion over the Christmas holiday.
14. Gremlins (1984)
Zach Galligan and Phoebe Cates star in this cult classic about a supernatural pet that multiplies and wreaks havoc upon his town on Christmas.
13. Little Women (1994)
A Civil War-era period drama with an ensemble cast portraying the March sisters and their family.
12. The Polar Express (2004)
This magical Robert Zemeckis film tells a truly unique Christmas story about love, courage, and friendship, all on a journey aboard a train to the North Pole.
11. The Apartment (1960)
Billy Wilder portrays a man who lends his apartment to his bosses for their affairs, but falls in love with one of their paramours on Christmas.
10. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
A mall Santa claims to be the real thing, and a lawyer must defend this assertion in court to prevent him from being institutionalised.
9. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Tim Burton’s story of tolerance and acceptance for those who are different rings especially true in today’s social landscape. A great lesson for kids almost three decades later!
8. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
A criticism of Christmas commercialism, this famous TV movie is a true season tradition that provides a counterpoint to all the marketing around us.
7. The Nightmare Before Christmas
The King of Halloween Town (Danny Elfman) tries to bring Christmas to his homestead in Tim Burton’s most Christmasy film ever.
6. A Christmas Carol (1951)
This classic adaptation of Charles Dickens’s novel tells the story of the misanthropic Ebenezer Scrooge (Alastair Sims) as he’s visited by various ghosts on Christmas Eve.
5. Die Hard
Bruce Willis’ big hit tells a surprising story of family and friendship amidst a Christmas-themed action extravaganza with a deliciously evil Alan Rickman as a terrorist.
4. Home Alone
Macaulay Culkin plays Kevin McAllister, a little rascal who has to protect his home from burglars when he’s left behind during Christmas vacation.
3. A Christmas Story
Widely agreed to be one of the best Christmas films ever made, Peter Billingsley stars as a child tries to convince his parents to get him a BB gun for Christmas.
2. Love, Actually (2003)
This romantic comedy features a massive ensemble cast and ten interconnected storylines in a heartwarming Xmas special. Not one for the kids, though—it’s a bit raunchy.
1. It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)
This James Stewart-headed classic is the ultimate Christmas flick. The film tells the story of a depressed man who’s given a glimpse of a world without him in the picture. Perfect for the entire family.
