Once it hits mid-November, red and green decorations go up in the stores and the Christmas markets start to open up. Christmas movies start to pop up on the streaming apps and I slowly start to embrace the season. One of the reasons why I love Christmas time is because it is also my birthday season and my reflection season. I can throw myself into the holiday spirit more because I’m celebrating not only the true meaning of the season, but I’m also celebrating my life.
It is also a time where I can get to see my family and spend quality time with my siblings. One of the ways that we get into the Christmas spirit is by watching movies. It is one of my favourite activities to do during the season and of course, I have to watch the classics such as The Best Man Holiday and Home Alone. Today, I’m going to share 20 best Christmas movies that you have to watch this holiday season. Some of the movies on this list are classics and some new ones.
20 Best Christmas Movies To Watch
Christmas Movies: Comedy
1. This Christmas (2007)
The Whitfield siblings come home to their mother Shirley after four years to celebrate Christmas with her and pretend to not know the secret around her marital status and a boyfriend. What I like about this movie is that it shows different family dynamics and how children who become adults have their own traditions.
2. Love Hard (2021)
This is a recent addition to the list and it’s one that will make you laugh. It’s about a LA writer, Natalie Bauer, who meets her perfect match on a dating app. She decides to fly 3000 miles to surprise him for Christmas when she realises that she has been catfished. It’s a frustrating yet adorable romcom and something you can watch on a lazy afternoon.
Family Comedy
3. Home Alone (1990)
This is an all-time classic about Kevin McCallister accidentally left behind while his family travel to France for their Christmas holidays. By being at home by himself, he enjoys it for a while until some burglars try to break into his house. This movie will have you laughing for hours. It’s definitely one that I watch every Christmas without fail.
4. Klaus (2019)
This animated Christmas movie, Klaus, is about Jasper, a selfish postman, who is forced to relocate to Smeerensburg by his father. However, he joins forces with a reclusive Klaus, to spread joy in a dark town. It’s an origin story about Santa Claus through the eyes of a postman. It has so much personality, funny, warm and amazing.
5. Christmas Chronicles (2018)
To capture Santa Claus on camera, siblings Kate and Teddy devise a plan of Christmas Eve. However things don’t go to plan and so they team up with Saint Nick to save Christmas. I had seen this pop up on Netflix for a couple of years and decided to give it a try. It has a simple storyline and it is usually those simple movies that are more heartfelt.
6. Home Alone 2: Lost In New York (1992)
Lastly, we come full circle back to Kevin McCallister who accidentally boards a flight to New York City and gets separated from his family as they board a plane to Miami. You would think that after leaving Kevin behind in the ‘Home Alone’ that they would be careful not to make the same mistake twice. Most of the characters are back in this movie which makes you laugh all over again.
Comedy Drama
7. Almost Christmas (2016)
Almost Christmas is a comedic drama. Walter invites his four dysfunctional children home for Christmas a year after their mother’s death and hopes that they can set aside their problems for a nice, traditional holiday. Absolutely hilarious is how I would describe this movie.
8. The Family Stone (2005)
A traditionalist and uptight businesswoman goes with her boyfriend to his quirky and outgoing family for Christmas realising that she is very out of place. It’s messy and chaotic family comedy. I had a roommate introduce me to this in college. Since then, I’ve watched it every Christmas. It’s enjoyable, heartwarming and entertaining.
Romcom
9. Operation Christmas Drop (2020)
This is a relative new one to the list. It is a cute family-friendly romance with in a beautiful holiday message. Erica is tasked to an assignment close to a US Air Force base in Guam, while Andrew is an Air Force captain trying to convince her not to shut it down. I thought it would be one of those fluffy and cheesy Christmas movies but it’s a modern classic about the true meaning of the season.
10. The Best Man Holiday (2013)
This is a sequel to The Best Man (1999). It’s about college friends reuniting after 15 years over the Christmas holidays. They find out how easy it is for long-forgotten rivalries and romances can be passionately reignited. Grab your chocolate, a box of tissues and a blanket before you turn this on. You will be switching from laughs to tears for hours.
11. The Holiday (2006)
If you are looking for a light, fluffy and entertaining movie, I would recommend The Holiday. Two women from different countries swap homes for the holidays to escape their relationship issues. However, their lives change when they unexpectedly fall in love with two local men. For me, the characters are relatable and complex showcasing the different types of love that can be experienced.
12. The Holiday Calendar (2018)
An American photographer discovers that the antique Advent calendar she inherited seems to predict her future, including a budding romance. I enjoyed this movie. It’s sweet, lighthearted and shows that anything is possible during Christmas time.
Romcom Drama
13. The Last Holiday (2006)
Georgia Byrd, who lives a life with unfulfilled desires, is left shocked when she realises that she has a terminal illness. She quits her jobs, grabs her savings and sets off onto a luxurious trip to Europe. Queen Latifah is an amazing actress and she gives this movie the emotion and boldness it needs to make it what it is. Enjoy your life now is the motto.
14. Holiday Rush (2019)
When a widowed radio DJ is fired, he and his four spoiled children must leave their life of luxury behind and move in with his aunt before Christmas. This was a different take to the other Christmas movies in this genre and it really pushes the message that you don’t really know what you have until it’s gone.
Christmas Movies: Musicals
15. Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020)
Jeronicus, a toymaker, is shattered after his assistant steals his book of ideas and a unique matador toy. He loses his will and passion to create toys until years later when his granddaughter comes to visit. I enjoy musicals and this is colourful, magical, fun with so much overspilled joy.
16. Black Nativity (2013)
Langston, a street-smart teenager, is sent to live with his estranged relatives in New York City, to celebrate Christmas. It’s an adaptation of the Nativity story through the lens of a Black gospel church. I like the movie because it covers modern issues and generational issues. I didn’t grow up in a Black gospel church but they are some things that I find relatable in this movie.
Drama
17. It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)
It has been claimed that this is the best Christmas movie ever made. It’s about a desperately, frustrated businessman, George Bailey, who has suicidal thoughts. After prayers are heard for him in heaven, an angel is sent down to him to show him what life would be like if he never existed. After years of avoiding this movie, I watched it a couple of years ago. You will have a good time watching this with your family and experience a wide range of emotions.
Action
18. Die Hard (1998)
I don’t care what anyone says, Die Hard is a Christmas movie. Detective John McClane is hoping to spend Christmas with his estranged wife when he arrives in LA. However, he learns that there is a hostage situation in an office building and his wife is one of the hostages. What makes this great is that it’s an action movie with a funny protagonist that feels like a breathe of fresh air. You are will have a yippee ki yay time watching this.
Fantasy
19. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe (2005)
A lot of people would not class this movie as the genre of Christmas movies but I beg to differ. There are scenes of Christmas and a lot of snow. I tend to watch this movie during this season. A film adaptation based off the 1950 C.S Lewis novel titled the same. While playing, Lucy and her siblings find a wardrobe that transports them to mystical land called Narnia. They realise that it was fated and must unite with Aslan to defeat the evil queen. After tasting Turkish delight, I will never understand Edmund’s tastebuds to do what he did in this movie.
Horror Fantasy
20. Gremlins (1984)
If there is one movie in its own genre that is going to stick with you during Christmas, it’s definitely Gremlins. Billy’s father gets him a pet from China with three very specific instructions. Unfortunately, Billy doesn’t follow them and unleashes a horde of monster pets. This is a classic in itself. Although it is fantasy, I would say it is more a mix of horror and comedy.
These are 20 best Christmas movies to watch this Holiday Season. I enjoy these movies and there are some on this list that I watch every Christmas without fail. Today, I want to hear from you. Share your favourite Christmas themed movies in the comments below and let’s discover new movies together. Don’t forget to subscribe and become a member of the blog squad. Follow me on Instagram to join me in Reelsmas.
Until next time,
Folakemi
