Em here! Caitlin wrote this fantastic Christmas movie must-watch list back in 2022, so we thought it might be time for an update. I added a few more of MY fave holiday flicks to the list, most of which are fairly current. Some perfectly sweet and festive rom coms and plenty of movies the whole family will love. Caitlin’s recs still hold up, so make sure to read on if you’re in need of some holiday movie inspiration!
My Christmas Flick Picks
Home Sweet Home Alone (2021): Absolutely laugh-out-loud funny, and with such a sweet message at the end. This was my favorite holiday movie the year it came out. 10/10
8 Bit Christmas (2021): A real favorite for all of us. Set in the analog 80s, this kid and parent pleaser is nostalgic, sweet, and so much fun.
Spirited (2022): Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell reinvent The Christmas Carol, with music. This is absolutely one of my favorites EVER MADE. It’s a bit raunchy and not for everyone, but I can’t get enough of it.
The Family Switch (2023): Can not love this more. I love a body switch movie, but this one goes so far as to add a dog in the mix. 10/10 in my book (Jennifer Garner always FTW).
Red One (2024): Action, adventure, and just so clever. Y’all, it has the Rock!! My family LOVES this one.
Nutcrackers (2024): Sweet and earnest, with a lot of funny moments. Ben Stiller nails this film (that is more of a 7/10 but still great).
Noelle (2019): So sweet, charming, and checks all the rom-com boxes that I want.
Let it Snow (2019): A sweet YA rom-com that has a fantastic cast, set over one night in the Midwest. Coming of age + holidays = my perfect film.
Now on to Caitlin’s round-up…
It’s time for my yearly magnum opus: an overly comprehensive roundup of holiday movies. In 2020 and 2021, I limited myself to Netflix original films (and you can catch up on those rankings right here!)…but today, I want to expand the pool a bit. After chatting with the rest of the EHD team, we identified four key Christmas movie categories – romantic comedies (because our team is a little corny, obviously), movies that are comfortable to watch with your adult friends and family (no awkward encounters!), classic films that are fun for the whole family (you’ll know these by heart), and picks that kids will love (both new and old!).
The other kicker: the movies had to actually be pretty good (or SO bad that it circles back into being hilarious – it’s weird how that works, isn’t it?). A lot of holiday films are formulaic, or forgettable, or just not worth your time (looking at you, Falling for Christmas – a devastating disappointment!), so I only included movies that are fun to watch. It’s a big list – get ready to skim, and keep an eye out for any new titles to add to your streaming service queue of choice! – but I’m sure there are a ton of other great Christmas movies out there that I missed or haven’t seen yet, so feel free to drop your favorites in the comments. LET’S BEGIN.
Rom Coms
Love Actually (2003): Nine (!!!) intertwined storylines; too many iconic moments to count. (Fun fact: Kiera Knightley was 18 and Thomas Brodie was 13 when this film was released.)
The Family Man (2000): A high-rolling Wall Street banker wakes in an alternate reality to find himself married to his college sweetheart. It’s nice to finally see a man have to choose between career and love in a Christmas movie for once, you know? (No shade to the whole “domineering woman meets small-town single dad” genre, of course).
Last Holiday (2006): After learning of a surprise terminal illness, Queen Latifah quits her job, cashes out her life savings, jets off to Europe, and lives the rest of her life to the fullest. (Spoiler: her work crush follows her across the world, too). This is my favorite Christmas rom-com, y’all!
Love Hard (2021): An LA blogger with a cute apartment (I’m halfway there, guys) spends the holidays in Lake Placid, NY (my childhood haunt!) with the guy who catfished her and his family. It’s sweet and fun.
The Holiday (2006): Two women swap homes for the holidays – one moves into a Hollywood mansion, the other takes residence in an English village – and naturally fall in love with local men. (Poll: would you go for Jack Black or Jude Law? I’m a Jack Black girl all the way!!!)
Holidate (2020): Two strangers-turned-friends agree to become each other’s platonic plus-ones for a year’s worth of holidays before catching feelings. It’s a Christmas movie you can watch all year long!
Serendipity (2001): John Cusak and Kate Beckinsale fall in love after reaching for the same pair of black cashmere gloves (cute). 10 years later – and living on opposite coasts – they trust fate to bring them together again. A must-watch for all my fellow ~woo woo~ “put it out into the universe” pals out there!
Single All The Way (2021): Tired of his family’s pestering, a man convinces his best friend to pose as his boyfriend on a trip home for the holidays. (Added bonus: Jennifer Coolidge also stars in it).
The Preacher’s Wife (1996): An angel is sent to answer a preacher’s prayer and then he, uh, falls for the preacher’s wife. Beyond that: Denzel! Whitney Houston! What else do you need?
New Year’s Eve (2011): Not totally Christmas, but still seasonally appropriate. It’s the Garry Marshall version of Love Actually, with an all-star cast and cheesy intertwined plot.
Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001): It’s not not a Christmas movie, you know? An early 30s woman finds herself in a love triangle with Colin Firth and Hugh Grant. It’s famously relatable (except for the fact that most of us will never find ourselves in a love triangle with Colin Firth and Hugh Grant).
Happiest Season (2020): A woman plans to propose to her girlfriend at a family Christmas party before learning that her partner hasn’t come out to her conservative parents. (Bonus: it was written and directed by Clea DuVall, who played Marjorie on Veep!).
Last Christmas (2019): Emilia Clarke works as an elf in a year-round Christmas store. Henry Golding sweeps her off her feet. Michelle Yeoh plays Santa!!! Why isn’t this movie bigger?!
While You Were Sleeping (1995): Festive, but not overwhelming, with lots of classic tropes – mistaken identity! A coma! Amnesia! Love triangles! Wedding disruption! It’s an easy watch.
Why Him (2016): This was an EHD team recommendation that’s also not technically a Christmas movie, but still pretty Christmas-y – a dad travels to Silicon Valley for the holidays and realizes that his daughter’s boyfriend, a tech multimillionaire who’s a little bit of a loose cannon, is about to propose. (I don