With Christmas just over a week away, we hope you’ve finished all of your shopping and decorating. Now, that you’ve done most of the hard work, you can sit back and reap the rewards. Even if you haven’t finished your long Christmas to-do list, take a load off. After all, it’s the holiday season. So, get the family together, pop some corn, put on your ugliest sweater, and enjoy these Christmas movies.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
There was a lot of discussion about our list of Christmas movies, but we all agreed on one thing. Christmas Vacation had to be here.
Countless people find themselves inviting the Griswold family into their homes around this time every year and for good reason. For one, the cast shines. Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, and Randy Quaid are at the top of their game here and their performances have all stood the test of time. On top of that, who can’t relate to Clark this time of year? He’s just trying to have the best Christmas possible. The odds just seem to be stacked against him.
You can stream this Christmas classic on HBO Max today.
Scrooged (1988)
Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is a classic story that inspired numerous movies and TV specials. You really can’t go wrong with any of them. In fact, we could have filled up most of this list with different iterations of the tale. However, this Bill Murray-led retelling will tug your heartstrings and tickle your funny bone. If you’re looking for something a little different this year, revisit this comedic classic.
Currently, it’s not available to stream anywhere, but you can rent it on Amazon Prime or YouTube.
A Christmas Story (1983)
What list of Christmas movies would be complete without A Christmas Story? This one definitely wouldn’t be. In recent years, this movie went from a hidden gem to a holiday classic. There’s a good chance you’ll find some cable stations running this one on a loop this Christmas Day. If you haven’t watched it in a while, do yourself a favor and check it out. Christmas isn’t Christmas without Red Rider BB guns, leg lamps, and Ovaltine.
This year, catch A Christmas Story on TNT, TBS, or the TNT app. Additionally, you can watch it on Hulu if you have the live TV add-on.
The Christmas Chronicles (2018)
This is one of those Christmas movies that has something for everyone. You get plenty of action and adventure as the brother and sister duo work with Santa to save Christmas. The cast also delivers plenty of laughs. And, on top of all that it features Kurt Russell as Santa. That alone makes the movie worth watching. Come for the Russell-led action and stay for the heartwarming holiday story that lies at the movie’s heart.
You can stream this one on Netflix right now.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)
There are three versions of this timeless classic. The original hit television screens in 1966. Then, the live-action remake starring Jim Carrey premiered in 2000. Most recently, Benedict Cumberbatch lent his voice to the Christmas-hating character for a feature-length animated remake in 2018.
My advice? Skip the remakes. The original short Christmas special is nearly perfect. For one, it isn’t packed with filler like the feature-length iterations. Additionally, the hand-drawn animation in the original is just incredible. On top of that, Boris Karloff narrates the short and it includes that song. You know the one. All of that, combined with the Grinch’s redemption story make this classic nearly flawless.
If you want to add How The Grinch Stole Christmas to your list of Christmas movies this year, you can stream it on Hulu with Live TV or on Peacock with a premium subscription.
The (Maybe?) Christmas Movie that Almost Made the List
After a bit of debate, we bumped this one off the list in lieu of movies with more Christmas spirit. However, I have to say that despite the heated debate surrounding the film, Die Hard should be part of every Christmas watchlist. The film’s backdrop is full of Christmas cheer and the action and humor in the film are top-notch. Stream it on IMDb TV, The Roku Channel, or Peacock.
