The List of Best Christmas Movies to Watch This December 2025

Holiday chaos is great, but the real seasonal luxury is shutting the lights, grabbing something warm to drink, and putting on a Christmas movie that actually feels like Christmas. That last part matters. So I put together a lineup that leans into the spirit of the season, not just movies that happen to have a wreath in the background.

What counts here (and what doesn't)

Quick ground rule: this list is for movies that are about Christmas — stories built on goodwill, family, and that specific December warmth. Not just films set in December. Which means, yes, I know Die Hard is a Christmas movie. It's just not on this particular list.

The picks

• It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

  Hard to beat the original heart-warmer. James Stewart plays George Bailey, who hits rock bottom on Christmas Eve and decides the world would have been better if he'd never been born. An angel — eager to earn his wings — steps in and, via a series of flashbacks and a reality-bending wish, shows George exactly how many lives he's changed without realizing it. It's classic for a reason: a reminder that gratitude and connection don't always look flashy, but they matter.

• National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)

  The most quotable holiday meltdown ever filmed. The Griswolds stay home this time, determined to host the perfect family get-together as relatives roll in and the wheels immediately come off.

  "We're gonna have the hap-hap-happiest Christmas..."

  Chevy Chase's Clark wants what a lot of adults want in December: to feel the same magic he felt as a kid. The more he tries to force it, the funnier (and messier) it all gets. Even if broad, over-the-top comedy isn't your thing, it's worth it just to be conversant in the quotes everyone lobs around this time of year.

• The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

  Yes, I'm planting my flag: this might be the best Christmas Carol on film, period. It threads Dickens' heart with Jim Henson-world charm — sharp jokes, great songs, gorgeous puppetry and design — and lets Michael Caine play Scrooge completely straight opposite a bunch of felt icons. For a lot of us who grew up in the 90s, this is our It's a Wonderful Life.

  One important tip: many versions trim the devastating ballad "When Love is Gone." On Disney+, scroll to the "Extras" and pick the full-length version to get it back. Bring tissues.

• The Holiday (2006)

  Had to pick one rom-com. This beat out Love Actually (which we all watch, even if half those characters make you wince) and While You Were Sleeping (which I do love but can skip some years). Nancy Meyers writes and directs; the cast is A-list cozy: Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Jack Black.

  Winslet's Iris, a journalist nestled in the Cotswolds, finally snaps after learning her long-time lousy almost-man (Rufus Sewell) is engaged. She swaps houses for Christmas with Diaz's Amanda, an LA movie-trailer editor nursing her own cheating-ex drama. They cross the globe to avoid romance and, obviously, romance refuses to be avoided. Formulaic? Sure. Irresistible anyway.

• Home Alone (1990)

  As a kid, it's pure slapstick bliss. As an adult, it's a nostalgia hit with a surprising amount of craft to admire. Nearly every frame is soaked in red and green (once you see it, you can't unsee it). Credit roll call worth noting: script by John Hughes, direction by Chris Columbus, production design by John Muto, score by John Williams.

  Macaulay Culkin's Kevin, the overlooked youngest of five, gets accidentally left behind when the family jets to France for Christmas. Two burglars set their sights on the McCallister house, and Kevin — an eight-year-old Rube Goldberg machine — fights back. Critics have dinged it as too silly, and yes, the traps are... medically unwise. Relax and let Joe Pesci worry about the consequences.

How I narrowed it

There are a lot of great holiday films across the map — cozy classics, musicals, kids' animation, even the bloody stuff. To keep this tight, I pulled from across those subgenres with one real rule: the movie has to be about Christmas or carry a genuine message of goodwill, not just take place in December. If you're looking to keep the queue going, near-misses included Elf, A Christmas Story, White Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street, Little Women (either version), plus the aforementioned Love Actually and While You Were Sleeping.