Christmas Movie Guide: Best Festive Films to Watch This Year

Discover all your favourite Christmas movies plus a few new gems in our ultimate festive film night guide.

Discover all your favourite Christmas movies right here — plus new ones you’ll want on repeat. The blankets are cosy, the snacks are out, and the festive vibes are high. Not sure what to watch this Christmas? Our Christmas movie guide will help you find the perfect film for the ultimate holiday movie marathon.

Best Christmas Movies to Watch This Year

These are the “grab the cocoa, cancel your plans” essential Christmas films that give maximum festive joy that we love to watch on repeat:

Elf - Will Ferrell entertains in this Christmas classic with whimsical joy, quotable chaos and pure Christmas comfort.
- Love Elf? Be convinced to try the modern treat of Get Santa here.
The Polar Express – Embark on this magical train ride with a hot cocoa as enjoyable as the ones made in the unforgettable ‘Hot Chocolate’ musical number.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – Hosting Christmas rarely goes to plan… especially with the Griswolds.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966) – The ultimate Seuss-filled classic featuring the mean, green holiday icon.
A Christmas Story – Ralphie will go to no end to acquire the toy of his dreams in his Santa wish list in this heartwarming tale.

Classic Christmas Movies for Nostalgic Festive Nights

For those who love timeless magic and warm tradition, these golden-age Christmas movies are festive comfort at its finest:

A Christmas Carol (1938) – Scrooge must change himself if he wants to see another Christmas in this must-watch adaptation
Meet Me in St. Louis – Featuring the most iconic rendition of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by the one and only Judy Garland.
Christmas in Connecticut – Christmas dinner has never been more stressful when you can’t cook and fall in love with one of your dinner party guests…
The Nativity Story – A 2000s release but nevertheless taking Christmas back to where it all began through the eyes of Mary
It Happened on 5^th Avenue – a perennial Christmas favourite about rediscovering family and the joy of being together

Funny Christmas Movies for Family Laughs

Holiday mayhem, festive fails, and jokes the whole family can enjoy these Christmas comedies guarantee giggles:

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie’s Island Adventure - How will the family cope with their Christmas holiday now being stranded on a deserted island?
Four Christmases - Having to visit parents over the holidays can have its trials, but having to visit four sets of divorced parents becomes even harder for Brad and Kate in this Christmas comedy!
Fred Claus - A jealous Fred Claus is used to living in his brother’s shadow (Santa Claus) causes all sorts of chaos when he must work in the North Pole over Christmas!
A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas - Reuniting for one more adventure, Harold and Kumar set off on a hilarious adventure to find the perfect Christmas tree in New York.
Friday After Next - Holiday chaos comes for cousins Craig and Day-Day in this comedic film after their Christmas presents have been stolen by a mall Santa.
Unaccompanied Minors - Kids trapped in an airport on Christmas Eve, how will they reunite with their families?

Best Animated Christmas Movies for Kids (and Your Inner Kid)

Cosy family nights and nostalgic childhood vibes these animated Christmas films are perfect for kids and big kids alike:

The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974) - The Snow Miser and Heat Miser songs are timeless in this!
The Year Without a Santa Claus (2006 remake) - It’s up to elves Jingle and Jangle to reconvince Santa of the magic of Christmas.
Jack Frost – a heartwarming classic starring Michael Keaton as a snowman!
Tom & Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale – Tom and Jerry clash in this epic Christmas adventure in what I hear is Tchaikovsky’s favourite film…
Tom & Jerry: Snowman’s Land – Jerry and Tuffy create a real-life snow mouse in this magical tale!
Chill Out, Scooby-Doo! – The mystery gang run into the Abominable Snowman in the Himalayas!
The Flintstones: A Christmas Carol – Fred Flintstone becomes too much like his character when he plays Ebeneezer Scrooge in the Bedrock Community Players production of A Christmas Carol…
Yogi’s First Christmas – Yogi is stepping out in December to get his first taste of Christmas.
Happy Feet 1 & 2 – You can’t get more festive than dancing penguins in Antarctica!

New Christmas Movies to Try This Holiday Season

Want something fresh? These newer Christmas films still offer classic charm:

8-Bit Christmas — For some ‘80s nostalgia, return with this retro gaming epic Christmas adventure about the child determined to get the ultimate gaming console!
Get Santa – Santa as you’ve never seen before is back…and in prison?!
Holiday Harmony – Singer/songwriter Gail faces obstacles on her way to perform at the iHeart Radio Christmas Eve performance of her dreams.
The Hollywood Christmas – A hilariously ironic, meta romcom about a young filmmaker living in the tropes of a Christmas romcom.
A Christmas Mystery – Can a group of kids find their town’s missing magical Christmas bells?
Boxing Day – A family reunion as Christmas, what could go wrong?

Christmas Movies That Aren’t Really Christmas Movies (But Still Are)

Not on-the-nose festive but they feel like Christmas favourites anyway:

Toys of Terror – Don’t ask for these toys on your Christmas wish list…
Gremlins – A very hard rule to follow at Christmas if you have leftovers: don’t feed these creatures after midnight!
Batman Returns – It’s Christmas in Gotham, but crime doesn’t rest during the holidays as The Penguin threatens the city.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – Arguably the most Christmassy film in the series, rediscover the nostalgia of a Christmas at Hogwarts.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Winter is hard for the Bucket family until a golden ticket changes Charlie’s fate in this whimsical fun-filled film.

Christmas Movie Night Snack Guide

Based on your favourite Christmas film subgenre, we pick the perfect movie snacks for your next festive film night:

If you like nostalgic, golden-age classics: Treat yourself to a glass or mulled wine (or tea with a cinnamon stick to be extra cosy) to complete the night.
For comedy-heavy nights: If you’re a fan of the festive funnies, popcorn and sweet treats pair perfectly here. Maybe avoid the unique sugar-loaded spaghetti with maple syrup, chocolate sauce, marshmallows and candy concoction Buddy tries in Elf however.
For animated/family nights: In true Polar Express fashion, grab a hot chocolate with marshmallows and a cosy blanket for these warming watches.
For the magical, wonder-oriented picks: Like Santa’s favourite food, a warm mince pie just works for these festive films.

And that concludes our festive list!
If you’re feeling inspired for your next festive film night, check out our Cosy Christmas Classics collection here.