The holidays are just around the corner and what better way to get in the holiday spirit than to watch Christmas movies with the people you love most? Well, there is one roadblock… I don’t know what to watch! Luckily, here I am to share my Christmas movie expertise with you so that you may watch only the BEST Christmas movies this holiday season. And if you binge the life right out of all these movies, I’ve got plenty to catch your fall at the end! So, take a dip in the fountain of Christmas movie knowledge and follow me. Warning: The following movies are not ranked in any specific order. Also please note that, yes, I did include more than five movies but hey, lucky you!
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
A lot of people say that this movie gives them nightmares and that it’s “scary” and blah, blah, blah. But, hear me out, it’s Jim Carrey, it has to be good. And it is indeed. It’s funny and it’s SUPPOSED to be scary, at least a little. The Grinch eats glass bottles and garbage, he hates Christmas, and everyone is afraid of him so it’s only logical that people find him scary. Even so, it’s a heartwarming story, the casting is well done, and the sets are realistic and well thought out. So don’t bash this version because it’s the superior version of the Grinch and that’s that. If you’re wondering where you can watch this movie, I’ve got you covered. You can stream The Grinch on Hulu, FuboTV, and YouTube TV, as well as rent it on Prime Video, Vudu, and Apple TV, etc. If you’re not familiar with the story of how the Grinch stole Christmas, are you living under a rock? Before I give a summary of the story, there’s a spoiler alert! So if I spoiled it, don’t blame me, blame yourself for being not reading everything properly. The story is as follows: there’s a creature named the Grinch (Jim Carrey) that lives on Mount Crumpit with his dog Max on the outskirts of Whoville, away from all civilization, a.k.a. the Whos. As a child, the Grinch was orphaned and never given sufficient love, therefore causing his heart to be 2 sizes too small. He then plots to steal all the presents from Whoville so the Whos can’t have Christmas and in the process meets a little girl with a big heart named Cindy Lou Who. His plan to steal Christmas fails, Cindy Lou invites him to Christmas dinner, and Cindy Lou’s kindness causes his heart to grow not one, not two, but THREE sizes and he learns to love. I’m also providing you with the Grinch’s Rotten Tomatoes score (the higher the score, the better the movie was received by viewers and critics) which is 49% on the Tomatometer and an audience score of 58%. All I’m gonna say is: haters gonna hate.
- The Santa Clause 3
The 3rd Santa Clause movie is pretty good, but it’s definitely not a staple in my Christmas movie list; like that I absolutely HAVE to watch. It is good and I like how they incorporate new characters, despite some character’s actors having to change (Charlie, Scott’s son for example) but it’s still pretty heart-warming (if you watch the movie, you’ll get the joke). A couple streaming platforms the Santa Clause 3 is available on are Hulu and Disney+ and it is available to rent on Apple TV, Prime Video, and Vudu. Of course, everyone knows that the third movie of any series of movies is usually not as well-received as its predecessors (Toy Story 3 being the exception) and the Rotten Tomatoes score for the Santa Clause 3 definitely shows that. Tomatometer score: 17%. Audience score: 39%. Yikes. But don’t let that discourage you, go ahead and watch it.
- Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
Who doesn’t love Home Alone? Though, despite the two first movies being superior, the Home Alone movies that follow are all half-baked sequels that could never match the originals and that is the tough truth. The top streaming platforms that the two Home Alone movies are available on are Disney+, Prime Video, Hulu, YouTube TV, and they are available to rent on Apple TV and Vudu. If you haven’t yet watched these movies, again, are you living under a rock? If you have, allow me to refresh your memory. The first movie follows Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) and his family getting ready for a trip to Paris when he falls behind the family and they accidentally leave him at home. The local robbers (The Wet Bandits) stake out and try to rob the McCallister’s house but Kevin defends (or attempts to) his home with a few tricks up his sleeve. In the second movie the McCallister’s plan a trip to Florida but Kevin gets distracted and follows a man wearing a coat similar to his dad’s (thinking it is him). He then follows the man into the wrong gate, boards the wrong flight, and ends up in New York. Using his dad’s credit card, he lives in luxury at a hotel and does whatever he desires blissfully while being hunted down by the Sticky Bandits (formerly known as the Wet Bandits). Lastly, we have the Rotten Tomatoes score for both Home Alones which comes in at… 66% on the Tomatometer and an audience score of 80% for the first movie. As for the second, a score of 35% on the Tomatometer and an audience score of 62%?? Okay, so it turns out these critics and viewers were MAJORLY trippin’ and should be taken away to be examined for some sort of alien disease because they’re great movies. Go watch them.
- Christmas Inheritance
If you’re more of a rom-com type person, this one’s for you. To be honest, Christmas rom-coms are usually cliche, cheesy, and oh so predictable, especially those Hallmark and (some!) Netflix ones, but not this one… Well, okay maybe it is kinda predictable but this one is a little more unique because it’s not as cheesy and the protagonist is already engaged before falling in true love. Christmas Inheritance is only available on Netflix but it’s totally worth the watch. The movie follows a woman named Ellen who is on the verge of inheriting her father’s business. The catch is that she has to run a special errand for her dad before the business is hers. The errand being that she has to deliver a Christmas card to her dad’s old buddy in a small, (more or less) remote, town called Snow Falls (talk about a cliche name). But then she gets snowed in as she delivers the letter and is forced to stay in Snow Falls longer than she planned. Soon after, she meets a man and they inevitably fall in love. Want to know more? Sorry, go watch the movie and find out for yourself. Rotten Tomatoes Scores– Tomatometer score: 43%. Audience score: 39%.
- The Santa Clause and The Santa Clause 2
If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m hand-selecting mostly classics for you to watch during Christmas time because even though the Santa Clause is old, it never gets old. And classics are exactly that. Oxford Languages defines the word classic as “judged over a period of time to be of the highest quality and outstanding of its kind.” So be grateful and rest assured that I’m recommending only the best movies for your binging pleasures. The Santa Clause and The Santa Clause 2 are both only available to stream on Disney+, but they’re available to rent on Prime Video, Vudu, Apple TV, and a couple others. The (first) Santa Clause follows a divorced businessman, Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) who is spending Christmas with his 8-year-old son, Charlie, when Scott accidentally causes Santa Claus to fall off of his roof. Scott puts on the former Santa Claus’ coat and therefore begins his journey as the new Santa. The movie is heartfelt and its overall message is genuinely beautiful; “Seeing isn’t believing, believing is seeing.” The second movie follows Scott on his journey to find a wife after reading the Mrs. Clause that states he must marry before the deadline or else he will be forced to resign as Santa. Not only that, but his son Charlie (now grown up) is on the naughty list due to his mischievous behavior. Of course, the first movie is the best one (in my opinion) but the second one is just as great and witty as the first. Rotten Tomatoes Scores– The Santa Clause: 73% on the Tomatometer… Audience score of 66%. The Santa Clause 2: 56% on the Tomatometer… Audience score of 43%.
Conclusion
So there you have it! Seven Christmas movies to watch this holiday season to get you in the Christmas spirit. Now you have no reason not to make hot chocolate, cozy up on the couch, and binge-watch Christmas movies all day. This may be a conclusion but that doesn’t mean it’s the end. This is simply the beginning of your virtual journey. Below are 9 more movies (and their links for more info) to watch if you hunger for more Christmas cheer within, around, and in front of you. Given, they’re not ALL Christmas movies but they’re great nonetheless. Always remember that it doesn’t always matter what you watch, it just matters who you watch it with. I sincerely hope you enjoy these movies, and that you enjoy them with the people you love and cherish most. Happy holidays!!
- Elf
- The Polar Express
- The Nutcracker and the Four Realms
- The Star
- The Grinch
- The Holiday Calendar
- Ice Princess
- To All of the Boys I’ve Loved Before (I recommend the book series too!)
- Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour
Enjoy!!
