Top 25 Best Christmas Movies & TV Specials
by jacobwaters-94298 | created - 5 months ago | updated - 1 month ago | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. A Christmas Story (1983)
PG | 93 min | Comedy, Family
In the 1940s, a young boy named Ralphie Parker attempts to convince his parents, teacher, and Santa Claus that a Red Ryder Range 200 Shot BB gun really is the perfect Christmas gift.
Director: Bob Clark | Stars: Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin, Scott Schwartz
Votes: 168,608 | Gross: $20.61M
2. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
PG | 130 min | Drama, Family, Fantasy
An angel is sent from Heaven to help a desperately frustrated businessman by showing him what life would have been like if he had never existed.
Director: Frank Capra | Stars: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell
Votes: 499,054
3. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965 TV Movie)
TV-G | 25 min | Animation, Comedy, Drama
Depressed at the commercialism he sees around him, Charlie Brown tries to find a deeper meaning to Christmas.
Director: Bill Melendez | Stars: Ann Altieri, Chris Doran, Sally Dryer, Bill Melendez
Votes: 44,092
4.
Hey Arnold! (1996–2004)
Episode:
Arnold's Christmas
(1996)
TV-Y7 | 25 min | Animation, Comedy, Family
When Arnold receives Mr. Hyunh's name in the boarding house's annual Secret Santa draw, he decides to make it the most special Christmas ever for the lonely boarder, and tries to reunite Mr... See full summary »
Directors: Stark Howell, Steve Socki, Tuck Tucker, Jamie Mitchell | Stars: Toran Caudell, Francesca Marie Smith, Jamil Walker Smith, Tress MacNeille
Votes: 528
5.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005– )
Episode:
A Very Sunny Christmas
(2009)
TV-MA | 43 min | Comedy
Dennis and Dee decide to teach Frank a lesson "A Christmas Carol"-style, and Mac and Charlie learn some shocking things about their childhood Christmas traditions.
Director: Fred Savage | Stars: Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney, Kaitlin Olson
Votes: 5,347
6. Klaus (2019)
PG | 96 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A simple act of kindness always sparks another, even in a frozen, faraway place. When Smeerensburg's new postman, Jesper, befriends toymaker Klaus, their gifts melt an age-old feud and deliver a sleigh full of holiday traditions.
Directors: Sergio Pablos, Carlos Martínez López | Stars: Jason Schwartzman, J.K. Simmons, Rashida Jones, Will Sasso
Votes: 189,615
7. Elf (2003)
PG | 97 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
Raised as an oversized elf, Buddy travels from the North Pole to New York City to meet his biological father, Walter Hobbs, who doesn't know he exists and is in desperate need of some Christmas spirit.
Director: Jon Favreau | Stars: Will Ferrell, James Caan, Bob Newhart, Zooey Deschanel
Votes: 310,772 | Gross: $173.40M
8. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
PG | 76 min | Animation, Family, Fantasy
Jack Skellington, king of Halloween Town, discovers Christmas Town, but his attempts to bring Christmas to his home causes confusion.
Director: Henry Selick | Stars: Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara, William Hickey
Votes: 375,090 | Gross: $75.08M
9. How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 26 min | Animation, Comedy, Family
A grumpy hermit hatches a plan to steal Christmas from the Whos of Whoville.
Directors: Chuck Jones, Ben Washam | Stars: Boris Karloff, June Foray, Dal McKennon
Votes: 59,016
10. Home Alone (1990)
PG | 103 min | Comedy, Family
An eight-year-old troublemaker, mistakenly left home alone, must defend his home against a pair of burglars on Christmas Eve.
Director: Chris Columbus | Stars: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Heard
Votes: 652,749 | Gross: $285.76M
11. Christmas Vacation (1989)
PG-13 | 97 min | Comedy
The Griswold family's plans for a big family Christmas predictably turn into a big disaster.
Director: Jeremiah S. Chechik | Stars: Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Juliette Lewis, Johnny Galecki
Votes: 220,097 | Gross: $71.32M
12. The Polar Express (2004)
G | 100 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
On Christmas Eve, a young boy embarks on a magical adventure to the North Pole on the Polar Express, while learning about friendship, bravery, and the spirit of Christmas.
Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Tom Hanks, Chris Coppola, Michael Jeter, Leslie Zemeckis
Votes: 241,276 | Gross: $183.37M
13. Krampus (I) (2015)
PG-13 | 98 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
A boy who has a bad Christmas accidentally summons a festive demon to his family home.
Director: Michael Dougherty | Stars: Adam Scott, Toni Collette, David Koechner, Allison Tolman
Votes: 84,064 | Gross: $42.59M
14.
South Park (1997– )
Episode:
Woodland Critter Christmas
(2004)
TV-MA | 22 min | Animation, Comedy
Stan helps a group of woodland critters by killing a mountain lion, only to discover that he's helping them give birth to the Antichrist.
Director: Trey Parker | Stars: Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Dante Alexander, Adrien Beard
Votes: 5,158
15.
Pinky and the Brain (1995–1998)
Episode:
A Pinky and the Brain Christmas
(1995)
TV-Y7-FV | 30 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
The Brain designs a mesmerizing doll, Noodle Noggin, and plans to have Santa Claus deliver one to every house so he can make people do his every command through mind control.
Directors: Toshihiko Masuda, Rusty Mills | Stars: Jeff Bennett, Earl Boen, Maurice LaMarche, Tress MacNeille
Votes: 439
16. Die Hard (1988)
R | 132 min | Action, Thriller
A New York City police officer tries to save his estranged wife and several others taken hostage by terrorists during a Christmas party at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles.
Director: John McTiernan | Stars: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald VelJohnson
Votes: 945,431 | Gross: $83.01M
17. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
G | 85 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
The Muppets present their own touching rendition of Charles Dickens' classic tale.
Director: Brian Henson | Stars: Michael Caine, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Jerry Nelson
Votes: 70,636 | Gross: $27.28M
18. The Snowman (1982 TV Movie)
G | 26 min | Animation, Adventure, Family
On Christmas Eve, a young boy builds a snowman that comes to life and takes him to the North Pole to meet Father Christmas.
Directors: Jimmy T. Murakami, Dianne Jackson | Stars: David Bowie, Raymond Briggs, Mel Smith
Votes: 16,833
19. A Christmas Carol (1951)
TV-PG | 86 min | Drama, Family, Fantasy
Ebenezer Scrooge, a curmudgeonly, miserly businessman, has no time for sentimentality and largely views Christmas as a waste of time. However, this Christmas Eve, he will be visited by three spirits who will show him the error of his ways.
Director: Brian Desmond Hurst | Stars: Alastair Sim, Jack Warner, Kathleen Harrison, Mervyn Johns
Votes: 25,725
20. Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983)
G | 26 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
The classic Disney animated characters play the roles in this animated retelling of the Charles Dickens masterpiece.
Director: Burny Mattinson | Stars: Alan Young, Wayne Allwine, Hal Smith, Will Ryan
Votes: 15,355 | Gross: $21.00M
21. The Small One (1978)
G | 26 min | Animation, Short, Drama
Ordered by his father to sell his old, small donkey, named Small One, a boy in ancient Palestine takes the donkey to the Jerusalem market. Finding no buyers there, the boy is about to give up when he meets a kind man named Joseph.
Directors: Don Bluth, Jack Cutting, Wolfgang Reitherman | Stars: Sean Marshall, William Woodson, Olan Soule, Hal Smith
Votes: 2,090
22. Joyeux Noel (2005)
PG-13 | 116 min | Drama, History, Music
In December 1914, an unofficial Christmas truce on the Western Front allows soldiers from opposing sides of the First World War to gain insight into each other's way of life.
Director: Christian Carion | Stars: Diane Kruger, Benno Fürmann, Guillaume Canet, Natalie Dessay
Votes: 31,984 | Gross: $1.05M
23. Dragons: Gift of the Night Fury (2011 Video)
TV-G | 22 min | Animation, Short, Adventure
Hiccup and Toothless discover an island of never-before-seen dragons.
Director: Tom Owens | Stars: Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera
Votes: 7,504
24. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022 TV Special)
TV-14 | 42 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Star-Lord, Drax, Rocket, Mantis, and Groot engage in some spirited shenanigans in an all-new original special created for Disney+.
Director: James Gunn | Stars: Luke Klein, Sean Gunn, Michael Rooker, Pom Klementieff
Votes: 94,527
25. The Night Before (II) (2015)
R | 101 min | Comedy, Fantasy
On Christmas Eve, three lifelong friends spend the night in New York City looking for the Holy Grail of Christmas parties.
Director: Jonathan Levine | Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Jillian Bell, Lizzy Caplan
Votes: 82,622 | Gross: $43.04M
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