The Best Christmas Movie of All Time, According to Critics
These beloved holiday classics are the best reviewed of the bunch.
We might have our own favorite holiday traditions, but most of us can at least agree on one—gathering together to watch a beloved Christmas film. Trying to pick the right one to watch is somewhat more contentious, even within families, so we decided to consult the critics for this ranking of the best Christmas movies ever made. Some of these films are mainstream classics, while others are slightly newer or more obscure, but all earned overwhelmingly good reviews.
To make the list, we used Rotten Tomatoes' guide to the best Christmas movies. The Rotten Tomatoes algorithm ranks movies by a wide variety of factors, including number of reviews, release date, genre, and weight given to certain critics. So the movies aren't just ranked by overall percentage.
Read on for the top 50, which range from wholesome family films to quirky indie comedies to holiday horror. See if your personal pick made the cut, and maybe find a new favorite to watch this year. And for more Christmas classics, These Are the Most Popular Holiday Movies of All Time.
50
Home Alone (1990)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 65 percent
And for a walk down memory lane, revisit more Beloved Movies You Won't Believe Are 30 Years Old.
49
Frosty the Snowman (1969)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 73 percent
48
The Best Man Holiday (2013)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 71 percent
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47
Scrooged (1988)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 71 percent
46
The Santa Clause (1994)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 71 percent
45
Black Christmas (1974)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 71 percent
And for more horror films to check out, discover The Scariest Movie That Came Out the Year You Graduated.
44
The Ref (1994)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 72 percent
43
Joyeux Noël (2006)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 74 percent
42
Happy Christmas (2014)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 76 percent
41
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 76 percent
40
A Christmas Horror Story (2015)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 83 percent
39
Let It Snow (2019)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 81 percent
38
White Christmas (1954)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 77 percent
37
Anna and the Apocalypse (2018)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 77 percent
36
While You Were Sleeping (1995)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 80 percent
35
Bad Santa (2003)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 79 percent
34
The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 79 percent
33
Batman Returns (1992)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 80 percent
32
The Bishop's Wife (1948)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 84 percent
31
Elf (2003)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 84 percent
30
Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 88 percent
29
A Christmas Carol (1951)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 85 percent
28
Un Conte de Noël (2008)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 86 percent
27
Gremlins (1984)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 85 percent
26
Trading Places (1983)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 87 percent
25
Better Watch Out (2017)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 89 percent
24
Tokyo Godfathers (2003)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90 percent
23
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2005)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 86 percent
22
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90 percent
21
A Christmas Story (1983)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 89 percent
20
Little Women (1994)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92 percent
19
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90 percent
18
Klaus (2019)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94 percent
17
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 93 percent
16
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 95 percent
15
Arthur Christmas (2011)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92 percent
14
Die Hard (1988)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94 percent
13
Remember the Night (1940)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100 percent
12
Babes in Toyland (1934)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100 percent
11
Tangerine (2015)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96 percent
10
Carol (2015)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94 percent
9
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100 percent
8
Little Women (2019)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 95 percent
7
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 95 percent
6
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100 percent
5
The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100 percent
And for more recent movies the critics loved, check out The Best Movies of the 21st Century, According to Critics.
4
Holiday Inn (1942)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100 percent
3
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96 percent
And for holiday movies you can skip, These Are the Worst Christmas Movies of All Time, According to Critics.
2
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94 percent
1
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94 percent
And for more all-time greats, find out The Best Movie That Came Out the Year You Graduated, According to Critics.
