Last Updated on 30 November 2024

The following list is the Official Definitive List of the 300 best Christmas movies of all time.

During the early 2020s there has been an explosion of “best of” lists online. So many that I felt I needed to re-create my list of Christmas movies. In 2020, I found 38 lists of best Christmas movies. In November 2024, I found 89 lists! More than double! And as new movies come out and sensibilities and tastes change over the years, this kind of update keeps my list relevant. Here is a side-by-side comparison of the two lists.

I found 89 different ranked lists online of “best Christmas movies of all time” and pulled them all into Excel and merged them all to get this definitive compilation.  See my Methodology page for the research process that was used, including links to all 89 lists that were averaged. Below is a checklist you can print to track which ones you’ve seen, followed by the ranked list with links to IMDb. There is a corresponding IMDb list.

1. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
2. Elf (2003)
3. A Christmas Story (1983)
4. Home Alone (1990)
5. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
6. Die Hard (1988)
7. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
8. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
9. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
10. White Christmas (1954)
11. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
12. The Santa Clause (1994)
13. The Polar Express (2004)
14. Gremlins (1984)
15. Love Actually (2003)
16. Scrooged (1988)
17. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
18. Bad Santa (2003)
19. A Christmas Carol (1951)
20. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
21. The Holiday (2006)
22. The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
23. How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)
24. Klaus (2019)
25. Trading Places (1983)
26. Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
27. The Apartment (1960)
28. Carol (2015)
29. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
30. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
31. Little Women (2019)
32. Batman Returns (1992)
33. Arthur Christmas (2011)
34. Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
35. Jingle All the Way (1996)
36. Black Christmas (1974)
37. A Christmas Tale (2008)
38. Holiday Inn (1942)
39. Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
40. Tangerine (2015)
41. Little Women (1994)
42. Happiest Season (2020)
43. The Best Man Holiday (2013)
44. While You Were Sleeping (1995)
45. The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974)
46. Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2005)
47. The Bishop’s Wife (1947)
48. Tokyo Godfathers (2003)
49. Krampus (2015)
50. The Grinch (2018)
51. The Family Stone (2005)
52. Four Christmases (2008)
53. The Preacher’s Wife (1996)
54. The Night Before (2015)
55. Christmas with the Kranks (2004)
56. The Christmas Chronicles (2018)
57. Joyeux Noel (2005)
58. The Holdovers (2023)
59. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
60. Rare Exports (2010)
61. Jack Frost (1998)
62. Happy Christmas (2014)
63. Christmas, Again (2014)
64. The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017)
65. Frosty the Snowman (1969)
66. The Snowman (1982)
67. The Santa Clause 2 (2002)
68. Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town (1970)
69. Almost Christmas (2016)
70. Remember the Night (1940)
71. Anna and the Apocalypse (2017)
72. Lethal Weapon (1987)
73. Metropolitan (1990)
74. Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020)
75. The Princess Switch (2018)
76. About a Boy (2002)
77. A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas (2011)
78. Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)
79. Violent Night (2022)
80. A Christmas Carol (2009)
81. Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983)
82. A Christmas Carol (1984)
83. Eastern Promises (2007)
84. A Christmas Carol (1999)
85. A Christmas Prince (2017)
86. March of the Wooden Soldiers (1934)
87. A Christmas Carol (1938)
88. Better Watch Out (2016)
89. The Ref (1994)
90. Office Christmas Party (2016)
91. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
92. Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)
93. Last Christmas (2019)
94. Holiday Affair (1949)
95. 8-Bit Christmas (2021)
96. It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947)
97. Fred Claus (2007)
98. A Bad Moms Christmas (2017)
99. Let It Snow (2019)
100. Scrooge (1970)
101. Prancer (1989)
102. Deck the Halls (2006)
103. Ernest Saves Christmas (1988)
104. Eloise at Christmastime (2003)
105. Rise of the Guardians (2012)
106. The Knight Before Christmas (2019)
107. This Christmas (2007)
108. You’ve Got Mail (1998)
109. Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas (1999)
110. 2046 (2004)
111. Christmas with a Prince (2018)
112. Noelle (2019)
113. Last Holiday (2006)
114. A Boy Called Christmas (2021)
115. Babes in Toyland (1961)
116. In Bruges (2008)
117. Mean Girls (2004)
118. C.R.A.Z.Y. (2005)
119. Nativity! (2009)
120. A Very Murray Christmas (2015)
121. Frozen (2013)
122. Spirited (2022)
123. Holidate (2020)
124. Tuesday, After Christmas (2010)
125. I’ll Be Home for Christmas (1998)
126. Serendipity (2001)
127. A Christmas Story Christmas (2022)
128. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
129. Single All the Way (2021)
130. Just Friends (2005)
131. Black Nativity (2013)
132. Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas (1977)
133. The Family Man (2000)
134. 3 Godfathers (1948)
135. Spencer (2021)
136. Falling for Christmas (2022)
137. Santa Claus: The Movie (1985)
138. Christmas Evil (1980)
139. The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006)
140. The Ice Harvest (2005)
141. The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two (2020)
142. Love Hard (2021)
143. The Great Rupert (1950)
144. Blast of Silence (1961)
145. Daddy’s Home 2 (2017)
146. The Lemon Drop Kid (1951)
147. Christmas on the Square (2020)
148. All I Want for Christmas (1991)
149. It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002)
150. Christmas Coupon (2019)
151. My Uncle Antoine (1971)
152. Die Hard 2 (1990)
153. Bell, Book and Candle (1958)
154. Christmas in July (1940)
155. Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964)
156. Silent Night (2021)
157. The Thin Man (1934)
158. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022)
159. One Magic Christmas (1985)
160. Holiday Rush (2019)
161. Holiday in the Wild (2019)
162. The Nativity Story (2006)
163. The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)
164. Mixed Nuts (1994)
165. Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)
166. Noel (2004)
167. Christmas Break-In (2018)
168. Holiday in Handcuffs (2006)
169. 8 Women (2002)
170. Operation Christmas Drop (2020)
171. Fanny and Alexander (1982)
172. The Lodge (2019)
173. We’re No Angels (1955)
174. Unaccompanied Minors (2006)
175. Mister Magoo’s Christmas Carol (1962)
176. A Christmas Horror Story (2015)
177. Get Santa (2014)
178. The Little Drummer Boy (1968)
179. Bachelor Mother (1939)
180. The Silent Partner (1978)
181. The Noel Diary (2022)
182. Your Christmas or Mine? (2022)
183. The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945)
184. Iron Man 3 (2013)
185. White Reindeer (2013)
186. The Holiday Calendar (2018)
187. Christmas Carol: The Movie (2001)
188. Scrooge (1935)
189. Christmas Bloody Christmas (2022)
190. Candy Cane Lane (2023)
191. Eight Crazy Nights (2002)
192. Alien Xmas (2020)
193. Santa Camp (2022)
194. The Merry Gentleman (2008)
195. A Mom for Christmas (1990)
196. The Holly and the Ivy (1952)
197. Bad Santa 2 (2016)
198. Santa Claus (1985)
199. Battle of the Bulbs (2010)
200. Comfort and Joy (1984)
201. Why Him? (2016)
202. Barbie in the Nutcracker (2001)
203. Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (1997)
204. The Star (2017)
205. Best. Christmas. Ever! (2023)
206. Last Holiday (2006)
207. Peace on Earth (1939)
208. A Castle for Christmas (2021)
209. Good Luck Charlie, It’s Christmas! (2011)
210. The Shining (1980)
211. The Gathering (1977)
212. Godmothered (2020)
213. Friday After Next (2002)
214. Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love (2016)
215. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (2001)
216. When Harry Met Sally… (1989)
217. Pottersville (2017)
218. The Ultimate Christmas Present (2000)
219. The Nutcracker (1993)
220. Something from Tiffany’s (2022)
221. Christmas Cupid (2010)
222. Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus (1991)
223. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
224. Beyond Tomorrow (1940)
225. A Madea Christmas (2013)
226. Night of the Comet (1984)
227. The Mistle-Tones (2012)
228. The Princess Switch: Switched Again (2020)
229. A Norman Rockwell Christmas Story (1995)
230. The Christmas Candle (2013)
231. The Christmas Dream (1901)
232. The Princess Switch 3 (2021)
233. Christmas Inheritance (2017)
234. Kung Fu Panda Holiday (2010)
235. One Christmas (1994)
236. Scrooge: A Christmas Carol (2022)
237. Surviving Christmas (2004)
238. Fatman (2020)
239. Christmas at Pee-wee’s Playhouse (1988)
240. The Christmas Wife (1988)
241. Dashing Through the Snow (2023)
242. Christmas in August (1998)
243. A Christmas Without Snow (1980)
244. Come to the Stable (1949)
245. Toys (1992)
246. Black Christmas (2006)
247. Frosty’s Winter Wonderland (1976)
248. I’ll Be Seeing You (1944)
249. A Princess for Christmas (2011)
250. An American Christmas Carol (1979)
251. Nothing Like the Holidays (2008)
252. Stepmom (1998)
253. A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish (2019)
254. Go (1999)
255. My Night at Maud’s (1969)
256. The Christmas Star (1986)
257. Silent Night (2002)
258. A Christmas Visitor (2002)
259. This Is Christmas (2022)
260. My Reputation (1946)
261. The Christmas Wish (1998)
262. The Perfect Holiday (2007)
263. Beethoven’s Christmas Adventure (2011)
264. Meet the Parents (2000)
265. Moonstruck (1987)
266. Santa Girl (2019)
267. Mrs. Santa Claus (1996)
268. Stranger in the House (2016)
269. The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special (2020)
270. The Fourth Wise Man (1985)
271. Life-Size 2 (2018)
272. Ben Is Back (2018)
273. Phantom Thread (2017)
274. The Man Who Came to Dinner (1941)
275. Christmas Jars (2019)
276. Eve’s Christmas (2004)
277. A Boyfriend for Christmas (2004)
278. A Diva’s Christmas Carol (2000)
279. The Spirit of Christmas (2015)
280. A Miser Brothers’ Christmas (2008)
281. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1948)
282. The Insects’ Christmas (1913)
283. I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown (2003)
284. Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (1983)
285. Christmas Catch (2018)
286. Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh (2008)
287. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys (2001)
288. Christmas Story (2007)
289. Dashing in December (2020)
290. A Christmas to Remember (1978)
291. Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas (2004)
292. Olive, the Other Reindeer (1999)
293. Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway (2008)
294. The Angel Doll (2002)
295. A Smoky Mountain Christmas (1986)
296. The Lion in Winter (1968)
297. Mousehunt (1997)
298. To Grandmother’s House We Go (1992)
299. A Holiday for Love (1996)
300. The Miracle of the Bells (1948)