Every Grinch Movie Ranked for December 2025—The One That Still Steals Christmas

He is mean, he is green, and he exists mostly to remind us that being decent to other people is not the worst idea. The Grinch has not popped up a ton since the 1966 classic, but the appearances we do have range from essential to delightfully odd. Quick note: I am keeping this list on the cozier side. If you want a murderous riff, you can absolutely plug in 'The Mean One' on your own time. For traditional holiday viewing, I am sticking with the versions that keep the heart three sizes larger.

• How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)

  Still the champ. Chuck Jones took Dr. Seuss's drawings and spirit and distilled them into a perfect under-30-minute package you can throw on while the cookies are in the oven. No plot recap necessary: the Grinch swipes Christmas from the Whos, only to learn the whole thing was never about stuff in the first place.

  Why it endures: the instantly recognizable Jones animation, the needle-drop quality of the music (including the banger 'You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch'), and a clean, unfussy delivery of the story's message. It remains one of the easiest annual rewatches in the holiday rotation.

• Dr. Seuss' The Grinch (2018)

  Illumination (the 'Despicable Me', 'The Secret Life of Pets', 'Sing' folks) gives the tale a modern polish without sanding off the Seuss. The movie is bright, playful, and brisk, with comedy that actually lands for kids and adults. Benedict Cumberbatch voices the Grinch, which is frankly a perfect fit.

  What is new: the script expands the Grinch's childhood and lets Cindy Lou Who drive more of the story, but it never loses the core theme or the charm of the original. If you want a full-length animated feature that actually feels Christmas-y, this one does the job and then some.

• How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

  Ron Howard's live-action take is the loudest, wildest entry. As a kid, I bounced off it. On a rewatch, Jim Carrey's physical-performance clinic is hard to deny. The movie digs into the Grinch's past and why the guy bristles at holiday cheer in the first place.

  Production-wise, Whoville is a maximalist feast: character work, costumes, hair and makeup, and production design are all swinging for the fences. Yes, the relentless holiday pep can feel like a sugar rush you did not sign up for, but Carrey gives it a pulse that covers a lot of the rough edges.

• Halloween Is Grinch Night (1977)

  Curveball time. A Halloween special with the Grinch turns him into a childhood boogeyman, and the result is creepier than you might expect. The timeline is intentionally fuzzy, but it plays like a pre-redemption version of the character.

  The standout thing here is the 70s psychedelia baked into the imagery. It is not a full-on holiday-mashup in the 'Nightmare Before Christmas' sense, but it is a fun, slightly spooky side quest for Grinch fans. Bonus: it is easy to find on YouTube.

• The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat (1982)

  From the deeper vault: an animated TV crossover written by Dr. Seuss after the Halloween special hit. The Grinch squares off with the Cat in the Hat in a petty, inventive duel of pranks and gadgets that gets a shade dark before settling into a tidy heart-tug.

  It is very early-80s Saturday morning in its look, big on whimsy, and—fun fact—this oddball won two Emmys. Not essential for newcomers, but if you like seeing Seuss-world stretched in unexpected directions, it is a charming little artifact. The catch: tracking down a copy can be tricky.

How I picked these

There are not many Grinch movies, which makes this less 'ranking' and more 'what is worth your time.' I leaned toward versions that best capture the character and are easy holiday rewatches. If you only pick one, make it the 1966 original. Nothing else hits that exact note.