The 100 Best Christmas Movies of All Time 

Adjusted Score: 112297%

Critics Consensus: A disarmingly sweet musical led by outstanding performances from Judy Garland and Margaret O’Brien, Meet Me in St. Louis offers a holiday treat for all ages.

Adjusted Score: 112571%

Critics Consensus: Deftly directed by Ernst Lubitsch from a smart, funny script by Samson Raphaelson, The Shop Around the Corner is a romantic comedy in the finest sense of the term.

Adjusted Score: 105267%

Critics Consensus: Irrefutable proof that gentle sentimentalism can be the chief ingredient in a wonderful film, Miracle on 34th Street delivers a warm holiday message without resorting to treacle.

Adjusted Score: 103723%

Critics Consensus: Tangerine shatters casting conventions and its filmmaking techniques are up-to-the-minute, but it’s an old-fashioned comedy at heart — and a pretty wonderful one at that.

Adjusted Score: 98327%

Critics Consensus: Beautiful hand-drawn animation and a humorous, heartwarming narrative make Klaus an instant candidate for holiday classic status.

Adjusted Score: 105464%

Critics Consensus: The Nightmare Before Christmas is a stunningly original and visually delightful work of stop-motion animation.

Adjusted Score: 118578%

Critics Consensus: With a stellar cast and a smart, sensitive retelling of its classic source material, Greta Gerwig’s Little Women proves some stories truly are timeless.

Adjusted Score: 101771%

Critics Consensus: Its many imitators (and sequels) have never come close to matching the taut thrills of the definitive holiday action classic.

Adjusted Score: 109476%

Critics Consensus: Shaped by Todd Haynes’ deft direction and powered by a strong cast led by Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, Carol lives up to its groundbreaking source material.

Adjusted Score: 108415%

Critics Consensus: The holiday classic to define all holiday classics, It’s a Wonderful Life is one of a handful of films worth an annual viewing.

Adjusted Score: 96525%

Critics Consensus: More of a stocking stuffer than a fully-rounded parcel, this yuletide excursion is a delightful showcase for Drax, Mantis, and a very game Kevin Bacon.

Adjusted Score: 95717%

Critics Consensus: Thanks to a powerhouse lineup of talented actresses, Gillian Armstrong’s take on Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women proves that a timeless story can succeed no matter how many times it’s told.

Adjusted Score: 107058%

Critics Consensus: Director Billy Wilder’s customary cynicism is leavened here by tender humor, romance, and genuine pathos.

Adjusted Score: 98488%

Critics Consensus: Aardman Animations broadens their humor a bit for Arthur Christmas, a clever and earnest holiday film with surprising emotional strength.

Adjusted Score: 93997%

Critics Consensus: Beautiful and substantive, Tokyo Godfathers adds a moving — and somewhat unconventional — entry to the animated Christmas canon.

Adjusted Score: 93654%

Critics Consensus: Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey celebrates the yuletide season with a holiday adventure whose exuberant spirit is matched by its uplifting message.

Adjusted Score: 95021%

Critics Consensus: Both warmly nostalgic and darkly humorous, A Christmas Story deserves its status as a holiday perennial.

Adjusted Score: 92753%

Critics Consensus: Rare Exports is an unexpectedly delightful crossbreed of deadpan comedy and Christmas horror.

Adjusted Score: 94233%

Critics Consensus: The first collaboration between Johnny Depp and Tim Burton, Edward Scissorhands is a magical modern fairy tale with gothic overtones and a sweet center.

Adjusted Score: 91309%

Critics Consensus: Carried by its charismatic young cast, Better Watch Out is an adorably sinister holiday horror film.

Adjusted Score: 92985%

Critics Consensus: Featuring deft interplay between Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd, Trading Places is an immensely appealing social satire.

Adjusted Score: 93165%

Critics Consensus: Whether you choose to see it as a statement on consumer culture or simply a special effects-heavy popcorn flick, Gremlins is a minor classic.

Adjusted Score: 90893%

Critics Consensus: A sharp black comedy about a chaotic family holiday gathering, A Christmas Tale is always involving, thanks to an impressive ensemble cast.

Adjusted Score: 92656%

Critics Consensus: Tongue-in-cheek satire blends well with entertaining action and spot-on performances in this dark, eclectic neo-noir homage.

Adjusted Score: 91925%

Critics Consensus: A movie full of Yuletide cheer, Elf is a spirited, good-natured family comedy, and it benefits greatly from Will Ferrell’s funny and charming performance as one of Santa’s biggest helpers.

Adjusted Score: 93881%

Critics Consensus: A jolly good time with heartfelt performances and more than enough holiday cheer, all you’ll want for Christmas is Happiest Season.

Adjusted Score: 85279%

Critics Consensus: While You Were Sleeping is built wholly from familiar ingredients, but assembled with such skill — and with such a charming performance from Sandra Bullock — that it gives formula a good name.

Adjusted Score: 89281%

Critics Consensus: Director Tim Burton’s dark, brooding atmosphere, Michael Keaton’s work as the tormented hero, and the flawless casting of Danny DeVito as The Penguin and Christopher Walken as, well, Christopher Walken make the sequel better than the first.

Adjusted Score: 88031%

Critics Consensus: The Man Who Invented Christmas adds holiday magic to the writing of A Christmas Carol, putting a sweetly revisionist spin on the story behind a classic yuletide tale.

Adjusted Score: 80724%

Critics Consensus: It isn’t as much fun as an official Red Ryder carbine action, 200-shot, range model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time, but A Christmas Story Christmas remains a sequel worth celebrating.

Adjusted Score: 85674%

Critics Consensus: A gloriously rude and gleefully offensive black comedy, Bad Santa isn’t for everyone, but grinches will find it uproariously funny.

Adjusted Score: 82093%

Critics Consensus: It may be too sweet for some, but this unabashedly sentimental holiday favorite is too cheerful to resist.

Adjusted Score: 84480%

Critics Consensus: Anna and the Apocalypse finds fresh brains and a lot of heart in the crowded zombie genre – not to mention a fun genre mashup populated by rootable characters.

Adjusted Score: 81711%

Critics Consensus: It may not be the finest version of Charles Dickens’ tale to grace the screen, but The Muppet Christmas Carol is funny and heartwarming, and serves as a good introduction to the story for young viewers.

Adjusted Score: 78672%

Critics Consensus: Perhaps it isn’t quite as much fun as a movie about a murderous robot Santa ought to be, but for fans of holiday horror, Christmas Bloody Christmas is still a gift.

Adjusted Score: 79039%

Critics Consensus: Intelligent, well-acted, and satisfyingly low-key, Happy Christmas marks another step in prolific filmmaker Joe Swanberg’s creative evolution.

Adjusted Score: 77566%

Critics Consensus: The Force isn’t fully with this Lego Star Wars adventure, but its affectionate franchise callbacks and self-aware humor should please fans looking to spend their holidays in a galaxy far, far away…

Adjusted Score: 77660%

Critics Consensus: The poignant humanity on display in Joyeux Noel makes its sentimentality forgivable.

Adjusted Score: 76755%

Critics Consensus: Undeniably uneven and too dark for some, The Ref nonetheless boasts strong turns from Denis Leary, Judy Davis, and Kevin Spacey, as well as a sharply funny script.

Adjusted Score: 77100%

Critics Consensus: The Santa Clause is utterly undemanding, but it’s firmly rooted in the sort of good old-fashioned holiday spirit missing from too many modern yuletide films.

Adjusted Score: 102686%

Critics Consensus: How the Grinch Stole Christmas brings an impressive array of talent to bear on an adaptation that honors a classic holiday story — and has rightfully become a yuletide tradition of its own.

Adjusted Score: 103149%

Critics Consensus: With the combined might of Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, and Irving Berlin working in its favor, Holiday Inn is a seasonal classic — not least because it introduced “White Christmas” to the world.

Adjusted Score: 102681%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Adjusted Score: 100783%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Adjusted Score: 100090%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Adjusted Score: 92077%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Adjusted Score: 42304%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Adjusted Score: 34046%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Starring:

Adjusted Score: 96599%

Critics Consensus: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a yule-tide gem that bursts with eye-popping iconography, a spirited soundtrack, and a heart-warming celebration of difference.

Adjusted Score: 94440%

Critics Consensus: Arriving with light-hearted cheeriness and the best musical numbers, Santa Claus Is Comin To Town is a magical story told by charming wood-figure animation.

Adjusted Score: 90546%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Adjusted Score: 91723%

Critics Consensus: Have no fear! Mrs Claus spreads holiday cheer in The Year Without Santa, a holiday classic full of unforgettable songs and characters that stays true to the Christmas spirit.

Adjusted Score: 90774%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Adjusted Score: 89232%

Critics Consensus: It may not offer much they haven’t seen before, but strong-stomached exploitation enthusiasts will savor The Retaliators.

Adjusted Score: 88127%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Adjusted Score: 91579%

Critics Consensus: The 1951 adaptation of Charles Dickens’ timeless classic is perhaps the most faithful film version — and Alastair Sim’s performance as Scrooge is not to be missed.

Adjusted Score: 89134%

Critics Consensus: The Bishop’s Wife succeeds thanks to the strength of winning performances from a stellar cast, which includes Cary Grant and Loretta Young.

Adjusted Score: 84647%

Critics Consensus: For viewers seeking an undemanding and sweetly nostalgic ode to yuletide seasons past, 8-Bit Christmas boots up without a glitch.

Adjusted Score: 84646%

Critics Consensus: A Boy Called Christmas offers few surprises, but makes up for its lack of originality with a heaping helping of winsome holiday spirit.

Adjusted Score: 83192%

Critics Consensus: If you’re in the mood for a fun enough genre film that kills its holiday theme, look no further than the surprisingly astute A Christmas Horror Story.

Adjusted Score: 34719%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Adjusted Score: 81498%

Critics Consensus: Comfortably cliché, Let It Snow wears its influences on its sleeve, but works anyway thanks an excellent ensemble and just the right amount of holiday cheer.

Adjusted Score: 21257%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Adjusted Score: 79483%

Critics Consensus: With a bombastic performance from Jim Broadbent, Get Santa brilliantly captures the joys of the Christmas holiday.

Adjusted Score: 75754%

Critics Consensus: The Little Drummer Boy is a mature addition to the Rankin-Bass catalogue, with a powerful conclusion that compensates for the special’s dour storytelling and unpolished animation.

Adjusted Score: 84833%

Critics Consensus: Violent Night isn’t as wildly entertaining as its concept might suggest, but for those seeking harder-edged holiday fare, it may be a ho-ho-whole lot of fun.

Adjusted Score: 74221%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Adjusted Score: 74310%

Critics Consensus: Frosty the Snowman is a jolly, happy sing-along that will delight children with its crisp animation and affable title character, who makes an indelible impression with his corncob pipe, button nose, and eyes made out of coal.

Adjusted Score: 47169%

Critics Consensus: Predictable but sweet, A Christmas Prince is pleasant enough to pass the time during the holiday season.

Adjusted Score: 75668%

Critics Consensus: The rare slasher with enough intelligence to wind up the tension between bloody outbursts, Black Christmas offers fiendishly enjoyable holiday viewing for genre fans.

Adjusted Score: 71105%

Critics Consensus: Tis the season for romantic misfortune, and there’s still time to get Something from Tiffany’s — a little box of derivative fun that bolsters a low-carat hand of comedy and good chemistry.

Adjusted Score: 76713%

Critics Consensus: Although it adds little to the long tradition of Dickens adaptations, Spirited is so genially overstuffed that it’s easy to at least intermittently enjoy.

Adjusted Score: 73838%

Critics Consensus: The Best Man Holiday manages honest laughs out of broad humor, and affects convincing drama from a deeply conventional plot.

Adjusted Score: 74558%

Critics Consensus: While Christmas Vacation may not be the most disciplined comedy, it’s got enough laughs and good cheer to make for a solid seasonal treat.

Adjusted Score: 62765%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Adjusted Score: 74065%

Critics Consensus: Scrooged gets by with Bill Murray and a dash of holiday spirit, although it’s hampered by a markedly conflicted tone and an undercurrent of mean-spiritedness.

Adjusted Score: 75308%

Critics Consensus: The Night Before provokes enough belly laughs to qualify as a worthwhile addition to the list of Christmas comedies worth revisiting, even if it isn’t quite as consistent as the classics.

Adjusted Score: 70615%

Critics Consensus: Viewers seeking a fresh holiday viewing option — or those simply in the mood for Santa Kurt Russell — should find The Christmas Chronicles well worth a yuletide stream.

Adjusted Score: 72682%

Critics Consensus: Still raunchy, still irreverent, and still hit-and-miss, this Harold & Kumar outing also has a Christmas miracle: The audience gets to see the sweeter side of the duo.

Adjusted Score: 69596%

Critics Consensus: A Very Murray Christmas preaches effectively to the converted with a parade of superstar guests and hummable songs that – combined with the host’s trademark presence – adds up to a unique holiday experience.

Adjusted Score: 71472%

Critics Consensus: More bippity boppity than boo, Godmothered tweaks fairytale conventions with just enough self-aware humor to overcome a disappointing deficit of genuine magic.

Adjusted Score: 68488%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Adjusted Score: 68466%

Critics Consensus: Prancer‘s good-natured holiday cheer — and a terrific performance from its young star — are enough to make this yuletide adventure a moderately rewarding watch.

Adjusted Score: 67165%

Critics Consensus: While its plot borders on the absurd, The Knight Before Christmas is endearing and charming enough to make it a worthy addition to the holiday rom-com genre.

Adjusted Score: 58605%

Critics Consensus: The Princess Switch offers a healthy dose of charming, light-hearted, twin-swap fun and is delightful viewing for any hopeless romantic.

Adjusted Score: 34283%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Adjusted Score: 70855%

Critics Consensus: Home Alone‘s uneven but frequently funny premise stretched unreasonably thin is buoyed by Macaulay Culkin’s cute performance and strong supporting stars.

Adjusted Score: 71802%

Critics Consensus: Krampus is gory good fun for fans of non-traditional holiday horror with a fondness for Joe Dante’s B- movie classics, even if it doesn’t have quite the savage bite its concept calls for.

Adjusted Score: 71327%

Critics Consensus: Spending time with these characters can be a lot to ask, but Silent Night peers into the abyss with admirable aplomb.

Adjusted Score: 67626%

Critics Consensus: While it’s missing some of the magic of the original, The Christmas Chronicles 2 serves up a sweet second helping of holiday cheer that makes the most of its marvelously matched leads.

Adjusted Score: 62614%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Adjusted Score: 71832%

Critics Consensus: A sugary tale overstuffed with too many stories. Still, the cast charms.

Adjusted Score: 65176%

Critics Consensus: Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square isn’t quite up to its star’s standards, but its overwhelming good cheer and campy self-awareness may be just what viewers are looking for.

Adjusted Score: 28656%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Adjusted Score: 64715%

Critics Consensus: Solid performances and a steady directorial hand help The Preacher’s Wife offer some reliably heartwarming – albeit fairly predictable – holiday cheer.

Adjusted Score: 64129%

Critics Consensus: It’s no Miracle on 34th Street, but viewers in the mood for some fa la la la Lohan will find Falling for Christmas as easy as falling on the couch.

Adjusted Score: 62019%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Adjusted Score: 18128%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Adjusted Score: 69371%

Critics Consensus: The Grinch gives the classic Seuss source material a brightly animated update that’s solidly suitable for younger viewers without adding substantially to the story’s legacy.

Adjusted Score: 20305%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.