Christmas is around the corner, and the holiday season means time for some heartwarming stories about love, friendship, forgiveness, kindness, and joy. They are best for the winter celebration, and watching holiday movies is a kind of ritual now.
These movies bring viewers to the fictional world but depict things that happen in the real world. At the same time, these movies provide reaffirmation and solace to people, writes The Conversation.
It encourages them to continue working on and moving forward and makes them believe everything will be alright in the end. Here are some of the best Christmas movies of all time.
1. The Shop Around The Corner (1940)
The Shop Around The Corner explores the bitter-sweet love story of Alfred Kralik and Klara Novak. Both of them work at Matuschek & Company, a Budapest leather goods shop, but despite being colleagues, they are always at odds, butting heads and arguing about nearly everything.
Both are charmed with their pen pals, which serve as some happy distractions in their lives. But they have no idea that they are each other’s, pen pals. And, despite their differences, they have unintentionally fallen in love through their letters.
The movie’s main cast is Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullivan, and it is ranked 28 on AFI’s 100 Years… 100 Passions and is listed in Time’s All-Time 100 Movies.
Likewise, the Library of Congress also selected the film for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 1999 as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically important.”
2. Holiday Inn (1942)
The American musical features Bing Crosby, Virginia Dale, Fred Astaire, and Marjorie Reynolds. The movie features Jim and Lila, a performing trio member who plans to quit and run a country hotel.
Jim leaves town with a wounded heart after Lila declares her love for the dancer in the act, Ted. He turns his farm into a “Holiday Inn,” where he comes across Linda Mason. But, problems arise when Ted returns to the inn after being abandoned by Lila, and he, too, sets his sights on the lovely Linda.
3. Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
The romantic comedy tells a story about a single lady named Elizabeth Lane. She is a city magazine writer who poses as a farmwife and mother and sites about her Connecticut farm, husband, and baby, as well as about her food recipes.
However, she is at risk of being exposed to the war hero who reads all her articles. So then, to prevent her lie from being caught, she gives up on love and decides to have a marriage of convenience.
4. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
What else could complement Christmas Vibes if not fantasy? George Bailey is thinking of suicide because he is having so many issues. Finally, it’s Christmas, and the prayers of his family and friends reach Heaven, where the angels talk about him.
Clarence, George’s guardian angel, is saved by George just as he is about to leap over a bridge. Clarence then shows George what his town would have looked like if he had not done any good deeds throughout the years.
5. Miracle On 34th Street (1947)
Many Christmas movies were released in 1947, and one of the popular ones was Miracle On 34th Street. It is the story of an elderly man named Kris Kringle. He stands in for a drunk Santa Claus in Macy’s annual Thanksgiving Day parade.
Kringle becomes so successful that he soon makes frequent appearances at the chain’s flagship location in midtown Manhattan. He starts to claim that he is Santa Claus, leading to a court case. The court will determine both his mental state and his authenticity.
6. White Christmas (1954)
The song White Christmas was first heard in 1942 when people had just started adjusting to World War II’s loss and separation. It was also included in the musical Holiday Inn that year.
After 12 years, Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Irving Berlin, and Danny Kaye teamed up for another holiday musical, White Christmas. It is a story of the life of war heroes after World War II.
Betty and Judy Haynes perform a Christmas show in a small Vermont town with singers Bob Wallace and Phil Davis. They encounter General Waverly, the boys’ World War II leader.
But, they discover that he is having financial issues and that his charming country inn is crumbling. So the four of them arrange a show to help him get some customers.
7. A Christmas Story (1983)
It is a well-known holiday film based on the writings of Jean Shepherd. It centers on the adventures of little Ralphie Parker, who spends most of his time avoiding a bully and daydreaming about receiving a “Red Ryder air rifle” for Christmas.
The movie received critics’ positive reviews and earned two Canadian Genie Awards in 1984.
8. Die Hard (1988)
Many wonder if the action film is a Christmas movie, but the writer Steven De Souza and director John McTiernan have confirmed it is a Christmas movie, writes The Conversation.
It revolves around John McClane, a police officer in New York City who is visiting his two daughters and estranged wife, Bonnie Bedelia. He attends a holiday party with her at the corporate office of the Japanese-owned company she works for, but a group of terrorists attacks the elite high-rise and everyone inside, interrupting the celebrations.
McClane quickly concludes that he is the only person who can save the hostages. Because the movie engages some Christmas movie theme, it is said to be a holiday movie despite its genre.
9. Home Alone (1990)
Home Alone gives nostalgia to 90s kids. After all, it had won everyone over, and not including it in the list of one of the best Christmas movies of all would be a mistake.
Even as a grown-up, this movie is something anyone would like to rewatch. It follows a story of a boy named Kevin McCallister who is forced to sleep in the attic by his mother, Catherine O’Hara, the night before the family travels to Paris.
As a result, he accidentally misses the McCallisters’ departure for the airport, and when he returns home to find the house vacant, he believes his yearning to be alone has been granted.
However, he realizes that two con artists have come to rob the house when he is home alone. And he tries his best to stop them.
10. A Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
A Muppet Christmas portrays Bob Cratchit, the mistreated employee of meager Ebenezer Scrooge. Scrooge receives visits from the ghosts of three Christmases—the past, present, and future who make him aware of the mistake of his self-serving attitude, but he does not seem to have much hope left for happiness.
The movie was produced following the demise of the Muppets creator Jim Henson and the performer Richard Hunt. It was dedicated to them.
11. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
The dark fantasy movie may look more like a Halloween movie than a Christmas, but since the story centers around a Pumpkin king of Halloween learning the true meaning of Christmas, it surely deserves to be one of the holiday movies.
Jack Skellington, the popular pumpkin king of Halloweentown finds a new adventure in his life after growing bored of scaring people in the real world. He unintentionally stumbles onto Christmastown, which is full of vibrant colors and friendly people.
Jack then makes a plan to take control of Christmas by kidnapping Santa Claus and assuming the role. But he quickly learns that the best plans of mice and skeletons can sometimes go horribly wrong.
12. Bad Santa (2003)
Bad Santa is a heartwarming movie that tells the story of a man’s redemption. Willie T. Stokes and his partner meet for a holiday con and rob retail establishments on Christmas Eve by pretending to be a mall Santa and his elf.
However, Willie is falling off this year because of his alcoholism and depression. Thus, he is suspected by mall security, but when a little child he befriends brings out his softer side, Willie starts to question whether there is still hope for him.
13. Elf (2003)
Will Ferrell portray the character Buddy in this movie. Buddy was raised among Santa’s elves at the North Pole as a youngster because of a mistake that he may be an elf.
In search of his real father, the adult Buddy travels to New York while dressed as an elf since he cannot get rid of the feeling that he does not belong. Finally, he meets Jovie, who will bring changes to his life.
They are completely opposite to each other, and it is fun to watch how people with contrasting personalities fall in love.
14. The Holiday (2006)
Iris, a depressed society columnist who is still in deep love with her ex, decides to accept Amanda, a similarly unlucky-in-love Californian, to swap houses with her in exchange for a much-needed holiday.
While Amanda navigates the streets of a picture-perfect English village, Iris finds herself in a large Hollywood house. Both of the lonely women eventually run into local guys who are ideal pick as lovers.
Thus, it is a story of four people who have to pass some hurdles that keep them from getting together.
15. Arthur Christmas (2011)
The Santa Claus who brings gifts to every child on Earth on Christmas has a dilemma. He is reluctant to give up his post to one of his sons, who seems like an obvious successor while running the operations for his father with military precision.
However, Santa knows that his other son, Arthur has the heart and spirit of Christmas, which is evident from his action of making sure that the kid whose gift was wrongly delivered does not wake up unhappy on Christmas morning.
16. A Christmas Melody (2015)
Kristin is a single widowed mother who moves back to her homeland of Silver Falls, Ohio, with her daughter after her fashion business closed down.
While moving back and settling into a new life has been difficult, she comes across her former rival from high school and the current president of the local Parent-Teacher Association.
Now, the two women are constantly on bad terms, which makes their loved ones help them overcome their differences and show them the Christmas spirit.
17. Carol (2015)
Carol tells a story of forbidden romance in the 1950s. In a Manhattan department shop, Therese Belivet notices the stunning, sophisticated Carol looking through the doll exhibits. The two ladies quickly become friends before falling in love, which has complicated consequences.
18. Krampus (2015)
Christmas is considered a magical time of the year, but ancient European folklore warns kids about Krampus. It is a horned creature that punishes naughty children at Christmas.
Young Max loses his festive spirit due to arguments in his dysfunctional family which also causes the family to fall prey to Krampus.
19. Klaus (2019)
Jesper Johansen is sent to a cold village in the North after performing worst at the postman training academy. He finds a lonely toymaker named Klaus in the village with whom he starts his new journey.
The movie drew praise from critics for its animation, plot, and vocal talents. It also won Best Animated Film at the 73rd British Academy Film Prizes and seven awards, including Best Animated Feature at the 47th Annie Awards.
Likewise, the movie received a nomination for Best Animated Feature at the 92nd Academy Awards, making it the first Netflix animated movie to receive such a nomination. The story is also heartwarming and can be on the must-watch list this holiday season.
20. Happiest Season (2020)
Happiest Season chronicles the life of two young women, Harper and Abby, who have been dating each other for nearly a year.
While going to Harper’s family’s yearly Christmas gathering, Abby had planned to propose to her girlfriend, but she learns that her partner has not yet come out to her conservative parents.