With Christmas around the corner, audiences are eagerly awaiting the slew of holiday films that eventually make their way onto television screens. With the streaming era currently in vogue, various platforms are slowly beginning to roll out some truly delightful Christmas-themed movies.
That said, it's hard to characterize any film as a classic based solely on their release date, as a few stories are simply timeless. These movies will always remain in the hearts and souls of viewers who grew up watching them — perhaps even with the twinkling lights of Christmas trees in the background and an ice-cold glass of eggnog in their hands.
10 Die Hard Is A Christmas Movie Even If There's Not A Single Flake Of Snow Visible On Screen
Die Hard's status as a Christmas film has been debated for a long time. A few audience polls indicate that it is merely an action movie set during the holiday season, but 20th Century Fox countered this assertion by declaring Die Hard as "the greatest Christmas story ever told."
Unlike the vast majority of Christmas movies based in the Northern hemisphere, Die Hard doesn't depict a single flake of snow because it takes place entirely in Los Angeles. Whatever the case, there's no doubt that this Bruce Willis masterpiece is a definitive example of '80s action cinema. Die Hard has since become a sprawling franchise.
9 Jingle All the Way Parodies The Materialistic Underpinnings Of The Holiday Season
Although Christmas comedies are a dime a dozen, Schwarzenegger's and Sinbad's performances in Jingle All the Way make this movie a pure classic. The plot is deceptively simple — two men on the hunt for a last-second gift for their children — but Jingle All the Way incorporates a complex blend of narrative concepts, from slapstick to satire.
Critics didn't enjoy this film very much, claiming that it relies far too heavily on special effects while ignoring its cast's natural talents. Despite its formulaic approach and sitcom-esque ambiance, Jingle All the Way is far from being a total snooze-fest.
8 Miracle On 34th Street Remains As Heartwarmingly Poignant Today As It Did In 1947
Directed and written by George Seaton, Miracle on 34th Street is among the most memorable Christmas movies of all time. Set in NYC, the story revolves around a department store Santa who may or may not be the original Santa Claus. With three Oscars under its belt and an esteemed position in the United States National Film Registry, Miracle on 34th Street was widely acclaimed by both contemporary and modern critics.
The Rotten Tomatoes critics consensus calls it "irrefutable proof that gentle sentimentalism can be the chief ingredient in a wonderful film." Although overly maudlin narratives usually lose sight of their message, Miracle on 34th Street remains as heartwarmingly poignant as ever.
7 The Santa Clause Is A Genuinely Pleasant Watch For Viewers Of Any Age
The Santa Clause may not have aged very well, but Tim Allen's grumpy protagonist was extremely popular in the mid-90s. When Scott Calvin "kills" Santa and wears his suit, he's automatically ensnared by the eponymous loophole. Calvin becomes Santa Claus and spends the rest of the movie persuading his family to accept his new identity.
Narrative inconsistencies aside, The Santa Clause is a genuinely pleasant watch for viewers of any age. It received two sequels, neither of which obtained as much attention as the original. Disney+ has recently released a spin-off TV series called The Santa Clauses, in which Tim Allen reprises his iconic role.
6 A Christmas Story Revitalized The Holiday Movie Genre After Several Years
Bob Clark's A Christmas Story is constantly replayed during TV Christmas marathons, first on TNT and later on TBS. Adapted from author Jean Shepherd's various writings, this movie eventually became a staple of the yuletide season. While A Christmas Story is credited with revitalizing the holiday movie genre after several years, some reviewers found the film a bit too schmaltzy and overdone.
That said, critic Roger Ebert enthusiastically extolled the inherent moral scattered throughout the tale, stating that "there is a real knowledge of human nature beneath the comedy." A Christmas Story is presently considered one of the greatest holiday movies ever made.
5 The Nightmare Before Christmas Was Praised For Its Stop-Motion Visuals And Unexpectedly Lighthearted Storyline
Tim Burton's movies are renowned for their gloomy atmosphere and stylized neo-Gothic elements, as seen in Sweeny Todd and Beetlejuice. A Nightmare Before Christmas obeys the same tonal aesthetic, even though it wasn't actually directed by Burton himself. This ostensibly ominous film chronicles the wacky adventures of the King of Halloween Town, Jack Skellington.
Skellington is somewhat similar to the Grinch, except he doesn't really want to destroy the yuletide spirit as much as usurp it for himself. A Nightmare Before Christmas was an instant hit, with both viewers and reviewers praising the movie's masterful stop-motion visuals and unexpectedly lighthearted storyline.
4 National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation Is A Masterful Blend Of Family Drama And Screwball Comedy
National Lampoon's Vacation reframed the screwball concept to suit the 1980s, consequently spawning a comedy franchise that is still highly regarded to this day. The third installment, titled National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, contains delightfully engaging performances from Chevy Chase, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Randy Quaid.
14-year-old Johnny Galecki, later known for playing Leonard Hofstadter in The Big Bang Theory, was also involved in this holiday classic. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation earned a few good critiques — a 1989 article in Variety called it "solid family fare with plenty of yucks," an odd combination that somehow works in its favor.
3 Scrooged Is A Modern Retelling Of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol
Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is arguably one of the most adapted holiday-themed stories ever written. Richard Donner's Scrooged takes place in the late 20th century, with Bill Murray playing a modern version of Ebenezer Scrooge. Like his novella counterpart, Frank Cross loses his Christmas spirit on the quest for money, power, and prestige.
Scrooged contains numerous notable cameos, including Lee Majors, Jamie Farr, Buddy Hackett, and even legendary Jazz musician Miles Davis. Despite occasionally stumbling over the crux of its anti-capitalistic message, Scrooged remains a true Christmas classic.
2 Gremlins Is A Rare Example Of A Black Comedy That's Also A Christmas Classic
Loosely based on World War II folklore, the titular creatures in Gremlins spread their hilarious mischief all over the unnamed town. Christmas Eve is supposed to be a time of peace and comfort, but these troublesome mogwai wreak so much devastation that the protagonists have no choice but to destroy them.
Gremlins contains far too many elements of black comedy and macabre violence to be considered a children's film, but it is nevertheless a Christmas classic. According to Rotten Tomatoes, Gremlins can be simultaneously perceived "as a statement on consumer culture [and] a special effects-heavy popcorn flick."
1 It's A Wonderful Life Is Consistently Considered Among The Best Christmas Classics
Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life is an unflinchingly harsh portrayal of yuletide misery, albeit with a deliriously delightful conclusion. Starring James Stewart in the lead role, this film delves into some of the darkest undercurrents of the human condition. George Bailey is driven to take his life after experiencing severe duress, but his guardian angel manages to save his life by demonstrating George's positive influence on the world around him.
It's a Wonderful Life received negative appraisals from contemporary critics, who denounced the story's dependence on cotton-candy melodrama. Both Frank Capra and James Steward listed it among their favorite movies, as do most people who've watched it.