21 Iconic Holiday Movies To Watch Before The New Year
Push play on your holiday movie binge.
‘Tis the season for a festive movie marathon. With SO many good ones to choose from, it can be hard to narrow down which ones are the best. Here are the most iconic holiday movies of all time:
1. To start, the holiday season isn’t complete without watching Elf at least once (or a million times).
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2. A Christmas Story is always on repeat on December 25th, automatically making it a holiday must-watch.
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3. I was late to the game watching Love Actually, but it has since become one of my favorite rom-coms because the multiple plotlines weave together so seamlessly.
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4. One of my absolute favorites as a kid was Jingle All the Way. It’s equal parts funny and chaotic when Sinbad and Arnold Schwarzenegger battle it out over Turbo-Man, the most sought-after Christmas gift of the season.
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5. Is it a Christmas movie or a Halloween movie? No matter what you think, The Nightmare Before Christmas is always a top pick on the two holidays.
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6. The ways Macaulay Culkin hilariously pranks the burglars in Home Alone never gets old season after season.
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7. The Muppet Christmas Carol is a Brian Henson twist on the beloved holiday tale with Kermit the Frog as Bob Cratchit and Michael Caine as the grumpy Ebenezer Scrooge. It’s one of my favorite Muppet tales, only after Muppet Treasure Island.
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8. Nothing brings back childhood nostalgia like A Charlie Brown Christmas and the sparse tree that won us all over.
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9. Having to take on Santa’s role after he accidentally falls off your roof? Yeah, that wasn’t on anyone’s bingo card either until The Santa Clause.
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10. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer has been a stop-motion childhood favorite since 1964.
11. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is a comedic ride proving the holidays can go awry for us all sometimes.
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12. Since people always argue Die Hard is a Christmas movie, it obviously had to make an appearance on this list.
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13. The 1966 How the Grinch Stole Christmas! TV special made our hearts grow three sizes and taught us it isn’t always just about the presents.
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14. The Holiday is why everyone says it’s Jude Law flirting season.
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15. Bad Santa is the reason why there’s a naughty and nice list.
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16. If you’ve ever had to pull something together at the last minute, Christmas with the Kranks is 100% your movie.
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17. If you’ve ever found yourself running to multiple holiday celebrations in one day, Four Christmases will be hilariously relatable in a way you didn’t know your soul needed.
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18. Every story has an origin, and Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town brings us the wholesome stop-motion tale of Kris Kringle.
19. If you’re a Love Actually fan, Let It Snow will be up your rom-com alley as friendships and love collide on Christmas Eve.
Steve Wilkie / © Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection
20. What happens when you mix an episode of Catfish and a rom-com? You get Love Hard.
Bettina Strauss / © Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection
21. And finally, if you need a dose of laughter from wrapping gifts and hosting the perfect party, A Bad Moms Christmas gives a comedic break from the seemingly endless holiday pressures.
Hilary Bronwyn Gayle / © STX Entertainment / Courtesy Everett Collection
