25 Best Christmas Movies & Where to Watch Them + FREE Countdown Printable!

It’s time to get cozy and watch the best Christmas movies ever!

Countdown the holiday season with our top 25 best Christmas movies list! We shared where you can buy, rent, or stream them for free!

From classics to kids’ movies to titles filled with adult humor, we’ve got something everyone will enjoy. Plus, download our FREE Hip2Save 25 Days Christmas Movie Countdown so you don’t miss a single one.

Classic holiday movies:

1. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)

This Christmas, America’s most dedicated dad, Clark Griswold (played by Chevy Chase), is determined to stay at home to create “the most fun-filled old-fashioned family Christmas ever.” This Christmas comedy classic is a must-watch!

Released in 1989, rated PG-13

2. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)

This classic Dr. Seuss book-turned-movie is one everyone will love! Watch to see how the Grinch tried to steal Christmas from the Whos in Whoville.

 Released in 1966, rated G

3. A Christmas Story (1983)

In the 1940s, a young boy named Ralphie attempts to convince his parents, his teacher, and Santa that a Red Ryder BB gun really is the perfect Christmas gift. This charming Christmas classic is one you won’t want to miss!

Released in 1983, rated PG

4. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

This is another movie from the classic Christmas capsule! When a nice old man who claims to be Santa Claus is institutionalized as insane, a young lawyer decides to defend him by arguing in court that he is the real thing.

Released in 1947, rated G

5. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

This is a true classic that everyone’s probably seen at least once. A Charlie Brown Christmas is a 1965 animated television special based on the comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. Charlie Brown tries to find the true meaning of Christmas.

Released in 1965, rated G

6. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)

This charming classic Christmas movie featuring Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is the most beloved special of all time! Packed with so many memorable songs and unforgettable characters, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer lights up all of our holiday hearts.

Released in 1964, rated G

7. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

The film stars James Stewart as George Bailey, a man who’s given up his dreams to help others, and whose suicidal thoughts on Christmas Eve bring about the intervention of his guardian angel, Clarence Odbody (Henry Travers). Clarence shows George all the lives he has touched and how different life in his community of Bedford Falls would be if he had never been born.

Released in 1946, rated PG

Pre-2000 Christmas film favorites:

8. Home Alone (1990)

Eight-year-old troublemaker Kevin McAllister must protect his house from a pair of burglars when he is accidentally left home alone by his family during Christmas vacation.

Released in 1990, rated PG

9. Jack Frost (1998)

We recommend getting the tissue box for this Christmas movie! A year after the tragic death of Charlie’s dad, Jack, he plays a mournful tune on his father’s harmonica on Christmas Day. Much to his surprise, his dad is magically brought to life as a snowman in the front yard! Given a second chance, Charlie and Jack struggle to make up for the lost time.

Released in 1998, rated PG

10. The Santa Clause (1994)

Go on a journey with a divorced dad, Scott (played by Tim Allen). After the real Santa falls off his roof and disappears, Scott and his son are magically transported to the North Pole, where an elf explains that Scott must take Santa’s place before the next Christmas arrives. Watch this movie to find out if Scott really turns into Santa or if it was all a dream!

Released in 1994, rated PG

11. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Released in 1993, rated PG

Our favorite holiday movies from 2000 and beyond:

12. Elf (2003)

This hilarious Christmas film tells the tale of a young orphan child, Buddy, who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts on Christmas Eve and is transported back to the North Pole and raised as an elf. Years later, Buddy learns he’s not really an elf and goes on a journey to New York City to find his true identity and family!

Released in 2003, rated PG

13. Christmas with the Kranks (2004)

Alone for the Holidays? Invite some friends over and watch this hilarious Christmas comedy when the Kranks decide to skip Christmas altogether. That is, until their daughter decides to unexpectedly come home, causing an uproar when they have to celebrate the holiday at the last minute.

Released in 2004, rated PG

14. Jingle All The Way (2006)

A team-favorite, Jingle All The Way follows the adventure of a dad who just wants to get his son the coveted Turbo Man action figure for Christmas. The problem? All the other parents want the toy too!

Released in 1996, rated PG

15. The Polar Express (2004)

We love the classic Christmas book-turned-movie, The Polar Express. When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.

Released in 2004, rated G

16. Arthur Christmas (2011)

This is one your kids are sure to love! Santa’s clumsy son, Arthur, sets out on a mission with St. Nick’s father to give out a present they misplaced to a young girl. Watch this fun Christmas movie to see their very high-tech operation beneath the North Pole and to see if they get the mission accomplished in time!

Released in 2011, rated PG

17. 8-Bit Christmas (2021)

This team-favorite holiday movie isn’t one to miss! Jake Doyle tells his daughter all about that Christmas in the 1980s. When all he wanted was a Nintendo system. Did he get his heart’s desire, or did the holiday bring him something much more important? Stars Neil Patrick Harris and Steve Zahn.

Released in 2021, rated PG

And just for the adults, here are our favorite PG-13 & Rated R Christmas hits:

18. The Holiday (2006)

This is the perfect comedy-drama-romance for Christmas! Two women troubled with their relationships at home swap houses in each other’s countries. Much to their surprise, they each meet a man with close ties to the respective homeowner and develop new romances amid their single-life vacations.

Released in 2006, rated PG-13

Hip Tip: Want more Christmas Rom-Coms? Check out Hallmark Channel’s Christmas movie schedule!

19. The Family Stone (2005)

An uptight, conservative businesswoman accompanies her boyfriend to his eccentric and outgoing family’s annual Christmas celebration and finds that she’s a fish out of water in their free-spirited way of life.

Released in 2005, rated PG-13

20. Love Actually (2003)

This is the perfect movie to grab some wine and curl up with your significant other! Watch this movie about nine intertwined stories, and examine the complexities of the one emotion that connects us all: love.

Released in 2003, rated R

21. Die Hard (1988)

Who doesn’t love a low-key Christmas story? Haha! John McClane, an officer of the NYPD, tries to save his wife, Holly Gennaro, and several others who were taken hostage by German terrorist Hans Gruber during a Christmas party at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles. This is one even your husband will be sure to love!

Released in 1988, rated R

22. Office Christmas Party (2016)

Prepare for some laughs when you watch this Christmas comedy for adults. After the CEO threatens to close their branch, her brother and his right-hand man must race to close a deal. Their plan to do it? Put on the most epic Christmas party ever! Stars Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, T.J. Miller, Olivia Munn, and Kate McKinnon.

Released in 2016, rated R

23. Four Christmases (2008)

When their plans for an exotic vacation fall apart, the unmarried couple Brad and Kate must spend Christmas Day going to all the family get-togethers they were hoping to avoid. While Brad counts the hours until he can escape the onslaught of crazy relatives, Kate begins to wonder about her own choices and ponders whether her family members aren’t so crazy after all.

Released in 2008, rated PG-13

24. Scrooged (1988)

In this take on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Frank Cross (Bill Murray,) a selfish, cynical television executive, is haunted by three spirits bearing lessons on Christmas Eve.

Released in 1988, rated PG-13

25. The Family Man (2000)

Jack, a fast-lane investment broker, offered the opportunity to see how the other half lives, wakes up to find that his sports car and girlfriend have become a minivan and wife. We love this Christmas movie, and it proves that life really is about family and the little things! After watching this movie, I’m always left feeling extra thankful for so much!

Released in 2000, rated PG-13

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