Winter is here! Along with the onset of cold weather and as the chill in the air deepens, the most awaited and globally celebrated festival of the year is just around the corner. In no time, we are going to witness the exquisitely decorated houses, streets, shops, and offices.
Christmas is a vibrant and joyous festival that brings families and friends together. When one talks about Christmas, the first thing that comes to our mind is the Christmas tree beautifully decorated with bells, lights, frills, stars, and candy pieces. Christmas is the time when families reunite and spend quality time together. One of the best ways to spend time and have fun with the family while immersing in the immaculate Christmas vibes is by watching wholesome Christmas movies with them. And the best part? There’s a wide variety of Christmas movies to choose from, each offering a unique blend of laughter, heartwarming moments, and festive cheer.
We have curated a list of the best top 10 Christmas movies you can watch with your family this Christmas. Read about their amazing plot and what the stories are about and select the one that intrigues you.
Beware: The following article contains spoilers regarding the movie’s plot and theme. If you want to avoid spoilers, we recommend reading only as far as you’re comfortable knowing.
1. The Polar Express (2004)
The Polar Express is an animated family classic film that explores the adventure of Christmas and the enchantment of Santa’s world at the North Pole. This heartwarming movie is about the ventures of a young boy who is skeptical about Santa Claus’s existence. At midnight, a magical train to the North Pole awaits his welcome outside his house. The boy meets other children and befriends a high-spirited girl, and a lonely boy called Billy; they experience the wonders of the train and adventures along the way. The movie deals with the magic and spirits of Christmas. Children meet Santa at the North Pole and experience the most magical Christmas ever. The boy who was once skeptical about Santa continues to cherish the wondrous moments, high spirits and beliefs in Christmas forever. Renowned actor Tom Hanks has given his voice to many characters, including Santa Claus, adult hero Boy and the train conductor. It is a beautiful, heartwarming movie that takes the audience on a dreamlike journey through Christmas and the fantasy world. It is the kind of story that stays with you.
2. Home Alone (1990)
No Christmas movies list is complete without mentioning Home Alone. Home Alone is an absolutely iconic Christmas classic! It is a hilarious, nostalgic, and wholesome movie about an 8-year-old boy named Kevin McCallister (played by Macaulay Culkin) who is accidentally left alone at home for Christmas after his joint family flies to Paris. When two burglars plan to rob his house, Kevin sets booby traps and rigs the house as he gets to know about their plan. The hilarious encounters of Burglars with Kevin’s traps are peak entertainment. It is a perfect blend of heart and humor. The love between Kevin and his family members, irrespective of the chaos and fights between them, is a key theme of the movie. The movie greatly emphasizes the significance of family bonds, showing that love and understanding between members can overcome any obstacle. This message of family unity is what delivers the “Holiday Magic” we need from a Christmas movie. Home Alone is a timeless classic and an absolute favorite among all age groups.
3. Elf (2003)
Elf is an endearing Christmas movie, directed by Jon Favreau, that highlights how family is more important than anything. It is the story of a man named Buddy, who was born as a human and raised as an elf by the elves. He was accidentally transported to the North Pole when he was a baby. Upon discovering his true identity, he sets on a mission to find his birth father in New York, who is unaware of Buddy’s existence. Buddy struggles to fit between humans as he is ridiculed for his childlike behavior and over-enthusiasm. The story revolves around Buddy’s quest and adventures in the human world. Will Ferrell plays Buddy fantastically. It is considered an iconic portrayal and one of the best performances by him as he rightfully captures the essence and innocence of the character. Elf is a light-hearted and touching movie that shows how Buddy eventually manages to form a meaningful and loving bond with his father and family. The movie is full of cheerful, hilarious, and heartwarming themes. The story is set at Christmas time in New York, and the movie dramatically delivers Christmas appeal and alluring festivities to the audience.
4. The Christmas Chronicles (2018)
The Christmas Chronicles is an action-packed and fresh conceptual adventure movie based on Santa’s tales. It is a fantastic choice for a family movie, an entertainment banger for all ages. Siblings Kate and Teddy help Santa find reindeer, hat, and bags of presents after they accidentally cause a crash and teleportation of Santa’s sleigh to Chicago. The story is full of adventures that the children and Santa endure. The role of Santa is played by the famous actor Kurt Russell. He has portrayed Santa as a charismatic, cool, tough, yet jolly and kind-hearted old man. This portrayal offers a fresh take on the classic Santa. His portrayal of Santa is remarkable. The Christmas Chronicles is a fantastic movie with stunning and wondrous visuals. This movie is about love and family bonds. It showcases how grief can weigh you down and how you can transform grief into cherished memories and find meaning in life, as well as the holiday spirit of Christmas.
5. Jingle all the way (1996)
Jingle All the Way is a 90’s classic that teaches the real meaning of Christmas. The story is about a father, Howard, who goes to great lengths to get his son the Christmas gift he promised. It’s a classic comedy that shows the struggles and adventures of a busy man who’s often unable to give much time to his family. The movie captures the essence and significance of family, culminating in a heartwarming ending that underscores the superiority of love and quality time over materialism. It humorously highlights the satirical consumerism of Christmas. The role of Howard is played by the iconic Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the movie is directed by Brian Levant. It’s a fun, lighthearted film that’s perfect for the holiday season!
6. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
It’s a Wonderful Life is considered one of the best American films to be made. A timeless Christmas classic emphasizes self-value and how a single person impacts the world. The movie shows that there is always hope, even in the darkest times. It teaches the significance of kindness, hope, community, love, and individual worth. The story occurs during Christmas when George Bailey, a helpful, selfless, and compassionate man, faces a crisis threatening his family and company. Clarence Odbody, an angel, is assigned to help George understand his self-value and how his good actions have impacted the world. The movie leads to a happy conclusion, showcasing the strength of family and community connection.
George returns home on Christmas Eve, celebrating the festival with his family, when his daughter Zuzu says the famous line ‘every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings”. James Stewart has played the role of George Bailey phenomenally, showcasing a range of emotions from loss, despair, and grief to hope, renewal of belief, and happiness. His chemistry with Donna Reed, who plays the role of George’s wife, Mary, is fantastic. The actors did a great job. It is a heartwarming movie that is more than just a Christmas classic. The feel-good factor and beautiful cinematography make It’s a Wonderful Life one of the best picks.
7. A Christmas Carol (2009)
A Christmas Carol is an animated American classic based on a renowned novel by Charles Dickens novel ‘A Christmas Carol’ made by Robert Zemeckis. It is one of the most popular Christmas stories adapted cinematically multiple times. This movie is exceptional as it uses a motion-capture technique in which actors’ performances are digitalized to create life-like motions of the animated characters. Jim Carrey played multiple roles, including Ebenezer Scrooge and all three ghosts.
The story follows Ebenezer Scrooge, a lonely, cynical, bitter, and cold man who lacks compassion. During Christmas, when he refuses to celebrate Christmas and stays bitter for the holiday season, he is visited by three ghosts of Christmas: The Ghost of Christmas past, the Ghost of Christmas present, and the Ghost of Christmas future, who show him the truth of life, and make him realize how bitterness kills the joys of life and leads to adverse consequences.
It teaches the importance of compassion, generosity, and the value of relationships and the fact that it is never too late to change; one can always go through redemption and lead a purposeful life. A Christmas carol teaches the true meaning of life and the significance of joyous festivities in our lives. It is a must-watch Christmas movie for all ages.
8. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
The Nightmare Before Christmas is a quirky, spooky, gothic twist to a classic Christmas movie. Directed by Tim Burton, this animated classic is the perfect movie for Halloween and Christmas lovers. The movie shows Jack Skellington, the pumpkin king of the Halloween world, as the protagonist. Bored of the usual ways of celebrating Halloween, he attempts to recreate Christmas in the Halloween world after he experiences the wonders of the Christmas festival in the Christmas world.
The adventures of Jack, Sally (his love interest), and other creatures in his world, as well as the entertaining chaos that ensues between Christmas and Halloween, are fantastical and engaging. This animated movie’s slow-motion capture technique shows the filmmaking team’s creativity and detail-oriented artistry. The movie is full of magic, mystery and iconic musicals. It is considered both a cult classic and a Christmas classic. It is a top-rated movie with a huge fan following. The story teaches one to accept individuality and appreciate the uniqueness one possesses.
9. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Miracle on 34th street is an absolute classic movie that is an excellent choice for kids and adults both, a perfect family movie to watch this Christmas season. The story revolves around Kris Kringle who was hired to play Santa at the Macy’s New York store. However, he claims to be the real Santa, which causes a lot of skepticism by the people, leading to whimsical courtroom case.
This heartwarming and feel-good movie has a deeper meaning to all the chaos. The movie shows how belief in magic in fact leads to miraculous outcomes. The movie showcases the beauty of 1940s New York Christmas celebration. Edmund Gwenn as Kris and Maureen O’Hara as Doris have given amazing performances. Miracle on 34th street has a satisfying a miraculous ending, justifying the movie’s name.
10. The Santa Clause (1994)
The Santa Clause is a nostalgic, uplifting, magical and heartfelt movie directed by Joan Pasquin. It centers around a divorced father, Scott Calvin, who has lost his belief in Santa but encourages his son, Charlie, to keep his belief despite his ex-wife and her husband’s reluctance. Scott startles Santa and accidentally causes him to fall off and die. After Santa’s death, Scott is unexpectedly thrust into becoming Santa and delivering gifts to the children. The movie shows Scott’s emotional and physical transformation into Santa for the next Christmas and how once a skeptical man becomes the Saviour of the holiday spirit and Christmas. Being Santa is more than just looking like him; it requires a gentle and loving heart. The Santa Clause takes the audience on a whimsical, touching and enchanting journey of the holiday spirit. It is a beautiful movie with Tim Allen as Santa’s magical, comedic and exceptional performance. It is a modern classic with timeless charm. The Santa Clause will be an excellent pick for the whole family.
Conclusion
Holiday movies have the ‘feel-good’ factor, making them a special and suitable choice to watch with the family. Whether you pick one from the dark-themed yet meaningful animated classics like “A Christmas Carol” or The Nightmare Before Christmas” or classics like Jingle all the way and Miracle on the 34th street, that teach the real meaning of life. All of the movies listed above are absolute masterpieces in their own right. These Christmas classics have everything that you need to make the most of your holiday season. Pick your favorites and enjoy a Christmas filled with laughter, love and joy.
