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For the ten completed calendar years from 2016 through 2025, these are the best Christmas movies by an editorial standard that values a distinctive, well-realized holiday viewing experience—not a claim of objective consensus. The list includes fiction and documentary, and ranges from horror to family fantasy. For 2025, that means a documentary about Christmas-tree vendors; for 2024, a family gathering film rather than the year’s Christmas-set thriller.
What counts as a Christmas movie?
There is no single boundary. Metacritic’s editorial note uses what it calls “Die Hard” rules: “This list plays by ‘Die Hard’ rules, meaning that movies that take place during the November/December holiday season or have significant moments during the holidays still count, even if their plots do not completely rely on any festivities.” Its list spans genres and ranks titles by Metascore. Rotten Tomatoes describes a different approach to its all-time guide: it ranks by Tomatometer, puts Certified Fresh titles first, and also considers positive audience reception for seasonal rewatch appeal. Film critic William Mullally takes a more traditionalist view, saying a Christmas movie needs “holiday cheer, comforting sentimentality, themes of togetherness and families of all shapes and sizes” (The National, December 10, 2025).
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This list takes a broad, documentary-inclusive approach: Christmas can be central to the story, a substantial setting, or the subject being documented. The picks are editorial judgments shaped by each film’s fit, craft, tone and usefulness to a Christmas watchlist. Different rules—and different moods—can produce different winners.
The best Christmas movie from each year, 2016–2025
2016 — Better Watch Out
For viewers who want their holiday viewing tense rather than cozy, this Christmas-set home-invasion thriller turns the familiar setup of a babysitter and child into something far darker. Olivia DeJonge plays babysitter Ashley, with Levi Miller as Luke. WatchMojo describes it as a horror take on Home Alone; that comparison is a premise cue, not a promise of family-friendly hijinks. Its disturbing thriller tone makes it a deliberately selective pick for adult horror fans. WatchMojo’s decade-by-decade list includes it among its 2016 choices.
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2017 — Anna and the Apocalypse
A British zombie musical is about as far from a conventional Christmas comfort watch as the season gets. Anna and the Apocalypse mixes festive-season chaos, comedy, songs and graphic action, making its tonal collision the main attraction. It is the pick for viewers who want seasonal atmosphere with horror-comedy energy—not for a gentle family movie night. WatchMojo names it for 2017 in its annual selections.
2018 — The Christmas Chronicles
Kurt Russell gives Santa a lively, adventure-ready presence in this family fantasy. Two children disrupt his deliveries, turning a Christmas Eve premise into a fast-moving story built around a modern take on Santa. It is the most straightforward family-oriented choice in the early years of this list. Netflix released a sequel in 2020, according to WatchMojo’s selection.
2019 — Klaus
This animated alternative Santa origin story places postman Jesper and toymaker Klaus in 19th-century Norway, where an unlikely connection gives the film its emotional center. Its hand-crafted feel and warm character arc make it a strong choice for viewers looking for animation with a Christmas story at its heart. The National also described Klaus as distinctive and warmly received, though it fell outside Mullally’s top ten because its November 8 release did not fit that article’s seasonal framing. WatchMojo and The National’s 2025 guide offer useful context.
2020 — Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
For a musical holiday fantasy, this story follows toymaker Jeronicus Jangle, a former apprentice and a family reconnection. Its steampunk-inspired setting gives the familiar themes of invention and reconciliation a colorful visual identity, while songs make it a natural fit for viewers who want their Christmas movie to feel theatrical. WatchMojo highlights both the setting and music in its 2020 choice.
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2021 — A Boy Called Christmas
Based on Matt Haig’s book of the same name, this fantasy origin story follows a boy on the way toward becoming Santa. It suits viewers seeking a storybook-style Christmas adventure rather than a contemporary holiday comedy. If you want to compare the adaptation with its source, look for Matt Haig’s A Boy Called Christmas; this recommendation does not imply that a particular edition or current marketplace listing is available. WatchMojo’s 2021 selection identifies the film and its source novel.
2022 — Violent Night
When mercenaries hold a wealthy family hostage, Santa becomes the unlikely figure confronting them in this action-comedy. The high-concept clash of Christmas iconography and violent action is the draw, but it is explicitly not for children. Choose it for a grown-up movie night that wants seasonal mayhem rather than sentiment. WatchMojo’s 2022 pick flags that audience distinction.
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2023 — The Holdovers
Set over Christmas break at a New England boarding school, this comedy-drama follows a teacher and students who remain behind while others leave. Instead of treating the holiday as nonstop cheer, it balances seasonal warmth with downbeat realism and the uneasy intimacy of people sharing an empty campus. That mix makes it the decade’s most grounded fiction pick. Both WatchMojo and the BFI select it; the BFI specifically praises its blend of festive warmth and realism. See WatchMojo’s selection and the BFI’s recent Christmas-film picks.
2024 — Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point
This family-gathering film makes the holiday itself the occasion for watching relatives come together, offering a quieter alternative to action-driven Christmas entertainment. It is the pick here because the gathering is central to its seasonal appeal. The choice is not universal: the BFI names Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point, while Rotten Tomatoes ranks the Christmas Eve flight thriller Carry-On first in its 2024 list and Miller’s Point second. That difference illustrates how genre boundaries and ranking methods shape a “best” list; current Rotten Tomatoes scores can change. Compare the BFI selection with Rotten Tomatoes’ Christmas movie guide.
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2025 — The Merchants of Joy
This documentary follows New York’s Christmas-tree vendors and their rivalries, making the seasonal economy and the people who sustain it the subject rather than a backdrop. For a documentary-focused site, it is a particularly apt year-end pick: Christmas is not just the time of year but the work and world the film observes. The BFI selects it. A narrative-only list would point elsewhere: The National discusses fiction features including Jingle Bell Heist and The Baltimorons. The choice depends on whether documentary belongs in the category; this list includes it. See the BFI’s recent picks and The National’s 2025 guide.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to choose the right one for your watchlist
- For a family-oriented fantasy: start with The Christmas Chronicles, Klaus or A Boy Called Christmas.
- For something strange or frightening: try the zombie musical Anna and the Apocalypse, the home-invasion thriller Better Watch Out, or the adult action-comedy Violent Night.
- For music and visual spectacle: choose Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey.
- For a more realistic holiday mood: watch The Holdovers or the family gathering in Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point.
- For a documentary: The Merchants of Joy turns the seasonal business of selling Christmas trees into its subject.
Streaming availability varies by country and changes over time, so check a current local catalog rather than relying on a fixed platform listing.
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