Top 20 best Christmas movies 2025

Of course A Christmas Story and Home Alone are all-time Christmas classics that embody the Christmas spirit, but there are so many more holiday movies out there to delve into! From side-splitting studios comedies to sweet stories of holiday romance to Disney favorites come to life, there literally is a little something for everyone in this collection of holiday movies. From a comical Christmas catastrophe to a delightful romance to a fantastical animated feature for kids to watch together, these films are therefore just a few alternatives to the standards. If you feel ready to spice up your holiday watchlist, these may be excellent options to guide joy, warmth, and laughter in your heart this season.

1- Elf

This hilarious film tells the story of a young, orphaned boy who is mistakenly taken to the North Pole in Santa's bag of presents on Christmas Eve and raised as an elf.

Will Ferrell and James Caan played the main roles in the screenplay.

2- It's a Wonderful Life

On the verge of bankruptcy, George Bailey (James Stewart) is about to commit suicide by throwing himself into the river on Christmas Eve. Bailey, who has lived in the same small town since he was born, is a tolerant, reliable and helpful person who has devoted himself to this place and its people. He has survived the Great Depression without any damage, and has made almost all of the townspeople homeowners through the housing and finance company he inherited from his father. In the meantime, he has had to postpone earning money, the opportunity to become an architect, and traveling the world, in short, all of his dreams. All of the good he has done for the town conflicts with the interests of the evil banker Henry F. Potter (Lionel Barrymore). Potter is now constantly after Bailey. One day, the opportunity he is looking for comes across him and a significant amount of money belonging to the finance company falls into Potter's hands as a result of the absent-mindedness of Bailey's elderly and alcoholic uncle Billy Bailey (Thomas Mitchell). After an inspection by bank inspectors, the company's deficit is revealed. This means bankruptcy and arrest. Bailey, who finds the solution in suicide, is about to throw himself into the river when the angel Clarence (Henry Travers) sent to Earth saves him from death. The angel fulfills one of Bailey's wishes and shows him a world "where he was never born or lived." Bailey sees that this world shown to him is not as ideal as he thought, and understands that people have countless contributions and good deeds to their environment, but they do not always realize it.

3- Miracle on 34th Street

Miracle on 34th Street is a 1947 American Christmas comedy-drama film released by 20th Century Fox. It was written and directed by George Seaton, based on a story by Valentine Davies. It stars Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Natalie Wood, and Edmund Gwenn. The story takes place in New York City between Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, and focuses on the influence of a department store Santa Claus who claims to be the real Santa Claus. The film has become a favorite Christmas film.

4- Die Hard

John McClane is a New York City police detective who comes to Los Angeles to spend the Christmas holiday with his estranged wife. But while McClane is waiting for his wife's office party to start, terrorists take control of the building.

5- Home Alone

Kevin, who does not like his family, spends the night in the attic because of the punishment he received. When he wakes up the next day, he realizes that his family is not home and that they left him at home while they went on vacation. Kevin, who panics in this situation, soon realizes that he has an opportunity and starts to enjoy the solitude.

6- A Christmas Story

A Christmas Story is a 1983 Christmas comedy film directed by Bob Clark and based on Jean Shepherd's 1966 book In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash, with some elements from his 1971 book Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories and Other Disasters.

7- The Nightmare Before Christmas

Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas" is a musical animated film made in 1993. Although it is animated, this film, made with stop motion technique, attracts attention especially with its gothic atmosphere. The director of this film is Henry Selick.

8- National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

"National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" is a 1989 American Christmas comedy film and the third film in National Lampoon magazine's Vacation film series. Christmas Vacation was directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik and written and co-produced by John Hughes.

9- The Santa Clause

"The Santa Clause" It is a 1994 American Christmas comedy film written by Leo Benvenuti and Steve Rudnick and directed by John Pasquin. In the first film of the Santa Claus film series, Scott Calvin, an ordinary man played by Tim Allen, accidentally causes Santa Claus to fall off a roof on Christmas Eve. After Scott and his young son Charlie complete their St. Nick trip and deliveries, they travel to the North Pole, where Scott learns that he must become the new Santa Claus and convince his fans that he is really Santa Claus.

10- Gremlins

Gremlins is an American horror comedy film directed by Joe Dante and released by Warner Bros. in 1984. Randall Peltzer, a failed inventor, buys a creature from a shop in Chinatown for his son's birthday. There are instructions for the creature.

11- Bad Santa

Bad Santa is a 2003 American Christmas black comedy crime film directed by Terry Zwigoff, written by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, and starring Billy Bob Thornton, with a supporting cast including Tony Cox, Lauren Graham, Brett Kelly, and Lauren Tom.

12- The Muppet Christmas Carol

The Muppet Christmas Carol is a 1992 film directed by Jim Henson's son Brian Henson, based on Charles Dickens' novel A Christmas Carol.

13- Scrooged

Scrooged is a 1988 American Christmas fantasy black comedy film directed by Richard Donner and written by Mitch Glazer and Michael O'Donoghue.

14- The Polar Express

In the film, we watch the curiosity of a child who questions whether Santa Claus is real or not. This little boy, who goes on an exciting train journey to the North Pole with his friends, experiences the biggest adventure of his life. The children, who find themselves in an unexpected and fascinating adventure, discover both their own inner worlds and the realities of the outside world during this journey.

15- The Holiday

Two women who are constantly disappointed and in turmoil in their love lives, Amanda and Iris... One lives in sunny Los Angeles, the other in romantic England. These two are tired of the monotony in their lives and dream of getting rid of this monotony that has been going on for a long time. One day, they found an opportunity that could excite their lives on a house exchange site they discovered on the internet. With the help of this site, they decided to swap their houses for a while. Their aim was not only to change their environment, but also to meet new people and maybe to make a new beginning in their lives.

Hoping to get away from their daily routines and boring love lives, Amanda and Iris set off for each other's countries with great curiosity and excitement. At this point, a warm and entertaining story about love, friendship and self-discovery began. Nancy Meyers, a director who has previously produced successful works in the romantic comedy genre such as "What Do Women Want?" and "Everything is Possible in Love", brings the emotional and funny stories of women to the big screen. In this film, Meyers' unique style and the deep stories of the female characters are at the forefront. Don't miss this film that will make you laugh and move you!

16- White Christmas

White Christmas is a 1954 American musical film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen.

17- Love Actually

Love Is All Around is a 2003 British romantic comedy film. Written and directed by Richard Curtis, the film stars Alan Rickman, Bill Nighy, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson and Keira Knightley.

18- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a fictional reindeer created by Robert L. May. Rudolph is usually depicted as the ninth and youngest of Santa Claus's reindeer, who uses his bright red nose to lead the reindeer team on Christmas Eve and to guide Santa's sleigh.

19- Meet Me in St. Louis

Alonzo and Anna have a family of five children. They have four daughters: Rose, Esther, Agnes, Tootie. They also have a son named Lon Jr. Everyone in the Smith family has their own troubles. Rose is waiting for Warren Sheffield to propose. Esther falls in love with their neighbor's son John and waits for an opportunity to meet him. However, Alonzo learns that he will have to go to New York for work. This means that the whole family will leave everything and move there with him. This big change has a negative effect on all the children, especially the girls.

20- A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol was directed by David Izatt and written by Stuart Brennan. The film, which is an American production, is a fantasy, drama, mystery. It was released on December 01, 2018 (United Kingdom). A contemporary retelling of the Dickens play adapted for the new century. Bonnie Right, who plays the character of Ginny Weasley in the Harry Potter film, plays the leading role.

Happy Watching