Christmas is finally here! It’s time to kick back, relax and switch on a wholesome film with a cup of hot chocolate.
But there are just so many to choose from, whether that be Die Hard, It’s A Wonderful Life or Scrooge, finding a film the whole family wants to watch can feel near impossible.
Thanks to IMDb, MailOnline has collated the Top 10 Christmas films of all time – as voted by the public – so you don’t miss out on the must-see festive favourites.
From timeless classics to modern holiday hits, these films sleigh the competition and warm even the Grinchiest of hearts.
The top ten does feature some timeless classics, but some of the festive flicks that made the list may come as a surprise.
So, did your favourite festive film make the list this year?
Christmas is finally here! It’s time to kick back, relax and switch on a wholesome film with a cup of hot chocolate
The top ten does feature some timeless classics, but some of the festive flicks that made the list may come as a surprise. So, did your favourite festive film make the list this year?
10. The Nightmare Before Christmas
There is no better film to help you transition from the Halloween season to the Christmas period than The Nightmare Before Christmas.
In a unique twist, writer Tim Burton gripped the nation with it’s iconic rendition of Jack Skellington, king of Halloween Town, becoming infected with the Christmas bug.
Voiced by Chris Sarandon, Jack the Skeleton attempts a new speciality after experiencing the joy in Christmas town.
Eager for a change, the town feels inspired by Jack’s newfound love for Christmas, but his love interest, Sally, appears doubtful.
Despite his best intentions, the Pumpkin King wreaks havoc across the homes of little children as he confuses some of Santa’s iconic happy traditions with some sinister and dangerous alternatives.
While the animation has a dark, spooky twist, it has been considered a festive classic since its debut in 1993.
The 1 hour 15 minute flick scored an impressive 7.9 stars from 389,000 ratings, solidifying its place at No.10.
Whether it’s Jack’s ghoulish grin or Sally’s stitched heart, the story of Halloweentown’s misfit king has left an incredible mark on pop culture.
At the time of its release, the animation was considered groundbreaking as it consisted of over 100,000 frames and paid great attention to the deal.
Over the years, this Halloween-Christmas fusion has evolved into a global brand, scoring an impressive 95 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer and 92 per cent on their popcornmeter.
Voiced by Chris Sarandon, Jack the Skeleton attempts a new specialty after experiencing the joy in Christmas town
Despite his best intentions, the Pumpkin King wreaks havoc across the homes of little children as he confuses some of Santa’s iconic happy traditions with some sinister and dangerous alternatives
9. The Holdovers
A less common Christmas special that just about hit the top ten was David Hemingson’s The Holdovers.
With Paul Giamatti starring as Paul Hunham, this 2023 film has been hailed as the 9th greatest festive movie of all time.
It sees Paul take on the role of an ill-tempered old man at a New England prep school who has been left to supervise children who have nowhere to go for Christmas in the 1970s.
Three people form an unlikely connection as they share comical misadventures during their two-week break.
Paul creates a bond with head cook Mary Lamb (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) after she opens up about her only child being killed in Vietnam.
And it is not just Mary. He establishes a surprising connection with friendship with Angus Tully – a bright, damaged, troublemaker student – but a good kid underneath.
With free rein across the whole school, the trio gets up to some fun-filled festive fun and put their newfound freedom to good use.
After winning one Oscar, bagging 153 other awards and being put up for 205 nominations in total, The Holdovers has seen huge success.
Since its release, it has struck a chord with audiences and critics alike as it has earned praise for its sharp script, stellar performances and emotional depth.
With over 178,000 ratings, the R-rated movie scored an impressive 7.9 stars on the database and scored a whopping 97 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer and 92 per cent on their Popcornmeter.
As the snow falls and the credits roll, The Holdover leaves its audience with a quiet but powerful reminder – sometimes the most profound gifts aren’t the ones wrapped under the tree, but they are the bonds made with the people you least expect to.
The Holdovers sees Paul take on the role of an ill-tempered old man at a New England prep school who has been left to supervise children who have nowhere to go for Christmas
After winning one Oscar, bagging 153 other awards and being put up for 205 nominations in total, The Holdovers has seen huge success over the years
8. A Christmas Carol
You can’t mention Christmas without one of Charles Dickens’ most famous tales – A Christmas Carol.
There are many TV and film adaptations of the iconic festive story, but according to IMDb it’s the 1951 version of the tale is the best.
Just in case you don’t know how it goes, a selfish and frugal Ebeneezer Scrooge (Alastair Sim) outright refuses to celebrate Christmas at all.
He opts not to give any donations to two businessmen collecting money for the poor and also hits out at his nephew, Fred (Brian Worth), for inviting him over for dinner.
In the dead of night, his late business partner, Jacob Marley (Michael Hordern), eerily appears covered in chains from the shadows, warning the grumpy old man to change his ways or he too will spend the afterlife in chains.
Three ghosts visit Scrooge throughout the night: ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future.
All three show him the different aspects of his life that he fails to see, displaying to him that the true meaning of life is the people we care about – not money or material things.
After being shown a dreary future by the Ghost Of Christmas Future, where Tiny Tim (Glyn Dearman) passes away, Scrooge is dead and all is left is people selling his items – the dreary businessman begs the ominous spirit for his life back.
Scrooge’s outlook on life dramatically changes following his supernatural experience, as he gleefully returns to his life, raising the salary of his employees and helping Tiny Tim and his family.
The Christmas classic achieved bronze medal status on IMDb’s festive list, bagging an immense rating of 8.8 out of 10.
You can’t mention Christmas without one of Charles Dickens’ most famous tales – A Christmas Carol (pictured: Alastair Sim as Ebenezeer Scrooge, 1951)
A warning from his deceased ex business partner, Jacob Marley, as well as visits from the Ghost Of Christmas Past, Present and Future manage to change Scrooge’s perception on life
7. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
The wholesome 1964 rendition of Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer managed to land in 7th place on IMDb’s list for best Christmas films of all time.
Bagging an incredible IDMb rating of 7 out of 10, the film starts off with Santa’s top reindeer, Donner (Paul Kligman), taking in a new fawn called Rudolph (Billie Mae Richards).
Much to his parents surprise, young Rudolph was born with a glowing red nose.
They initially try to cover the nose with mud, later resorting to a fake nose to hide Rudolph’s stand-out feature.
As he grows up, Rudolph is drafted by Santa for sleigh duty; during this time, he also meets a fellow reindeer, Clarice (Janice Orenstein).
In an unfortunate turn of events, Rudolph’s faux nose falls from his face as he jumps for joy after Clarice calls him cute.
He then runs away with a mischievous elf Hermey (Paul Soles), venturing across the globe to the Island of Misfit Toys.
To his horror, Rudolph discovers Clarice has been taken hostage by the Abominable Snowman, and is forced – alongside his elf sidekick – to face off the monster to save his love interest.
The wholesome 1964 rendition of Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer managed to land in 7th place on IMDb’s list for best Christmas films of all time (pictured 1964)
Rudolph is made to hide his poignant feature, but after his fake nose accidentally falls off, chaos quickly follows
6. Fanny and Alexander
Just missing out on the top five, Swedish period drama, Fanny and Alexander, portrays a stark message surrounding grief, autonomy and the taxing demands of life.
First hitting cinemas in 1982, Fanny And Alexander sees two young children in 1900s experiences a range of tragedies that affect their family – the Ekdahls.
In the festive hit, the two youngsters see their beloved father pass away.
This has a tremendous impact on their usually free-spirited mother, who struggles to cope with the loss of her husband.
But, Alexander does not lose his father completely, as he often sees his spirit around their home.
After some time, the children’s mother decides to marry another man, Bishop Edvard Vergerus.
Unlike their father, the Bishop’s house is a dreary place and he is a strict disciplinarian who demands structure and rule-following.
When the rules are broken, the Bishop beats the children, which triggers the mother to finally realise that she needs to send her children away.
Released in both a three-hour theatrical version and a five-hour television mini-series, Fanny And Alexander is Ingmar Bergman’s most personal and accessible work.
After 69,000 ratings, the flick was rated a whopping 8.1 stars on IMDb and scored a rare 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer.
Fanny and Alexander has won four Oscars and 12 nominations.
As the Ekdals gather their dining table in the final moments, their laughter echoing through the halls, the film leaves viewers with a sense of hope – that even the shadow of despair, the light of love and art can guide us through.
Just missing out on the top five, Swedish period drama, Fanny and Alexander, portrays a stark message surrounding grief, autonomy and the taxing demands of life
First hitting cinemas in 1982, Fanny And Alexander sees two young children in 1900s experiences a range of tragedies that affect their family – the Ekdahls
5. Klaus
After being rated 8.2 by 202,000 ratings, the 2019 animation Klaus secured itself in the IMDB’s top five Christmas movies of all time.
A stellar cast sees J.K. Simmons voice the leading role of Klaus and Jason Schwartzman voice Jesper, the festive film has seen great success since its release.
Despite also securing itself in the top 200 films in the world, Sergio Pablos’ film was only ever nominated for one Oscar and bagged just one BAFTA for Best Animated Featured Film.
The PG-rated film sees the lazy, unmotivated son of a Postmaster general, Jesper, deliberately slack off in the workplace.
After having enough of his son’s lack of appreciation, Jesper’s father sends him away to the island town of Smeerensburg to post a challenge of 6,000 letters in a year.
If he failed, he was told he would be cut off from the family estate and lose his rights to the fortune.
But, unfortunately for him, when he arrives at the town, he discovers an age-old feud between the founding families.
In true Christmas spirit, after befriending toymaker Klaus, his gifts melt their seemingly unbreakable feud and deliver a sleigh full of holiday traditions.
With its breathtaking animation, memorable characters and timeless message, Klaus isn’t just a movie – it’s a new holiday tradition.
As Jesper quips in the film, ‘a true selfish act always sparks another’, this films sees the true Christmas joy and meaning behind what it means to be a great festive production.
After being rated 8.2 by 202,000 ratings, the 2019 animation Klaus secured itself in the IMDB’s top five Christmas movies of all time
In true Christmas spirit, after befriending toymaker Klaus, their gifts melt their seemingly unbreakable feud and deliver a sleigh full of holiday traditions
4. Die Hard
Landing the fourth spot on the list is a slightly more controversial ‘Christmas’ film.
Many enjoy debating whether Die Hard is a festive film or not, but according to IMDb’s list – it most definitely is.
New York City policeman John McClane (Bruce Willis) heads to his estranged wife – Holly’s (Bonnie Bedelia) – home to visit his two daughters on Christmas Eve.
The cop decides to join his wife as she heads for her work Christmas party at Nakatomi Plaza, named aptly after the company – Nakatomi Organisation.
However, things quickly go awry when a group of terrorists crashes the festivities in a bid to steal $640 billion in bearer bonds that are completely untraceable.
It soon dawns on John that there is no one else in the building to save the hostages but him.
The action-packed film sees him face off with the main villain, Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman), in a bid to save Holly.
The hit heart-racing 80s film landed a phenomenal 8.2 rating from IMDb, alongside a metascore of 72.
Many enjoy debating whether Die Hard is a festive film or not, but according to IMDb’s list – it most definitely is (pictured: Bruce Willis as John McClane, 1988)
The hit heart-racing 80s film landed a phenomenal 8.2 rating from IMDb, alongside a metascore of 72 (pictured: Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber and Bonnie Bedelia as Holly)
3. A Charlie Brown Christmas
Edging in at the top three, A Charlie Brown Christmas, unsurprisingly, has become one of the top-rated Christmas films of all time.
Despite the 1965 animated movie only being 25 minutes long, the festive flick bagged an 8.3-star rating on IMDb with over 46,000 votes.
The cartoon shows Charlie Brown feeling disillusioned by the flashy commercial nature of the holidays.
After becoming the director of his school’s Christmas play, he struggles to inspire his friends to embrace the true spirit of Christmas.
Through the guidance of his friends and Linus’s heartfelt recitation of the Nativity story, Charlie discovers that there is more to Christmas than just decorations and presents.
With its sweet meaning and creative production, the short film won one Primetime Emmy and was nominated for a Grammy.
It also scored a respectable 86 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes’s Tomatometer and 93 per cent on their Popcornmeter.
A Charlie Brown Christmas isn’t just a holiday special – it is a gentle reminder of joy and meaning that can be found in the simplest of acts.
Edging in at the top three, A Charlie Brown Christmas, unsurprisingly, has become one of the top-rated Christmas films of all time
Despite the 1965 animated movie only being 25 minutes long, the festive flick bagged an 8.3-star rating on IMDb with over 46,000 votes
2. How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
There are several TV and film adaptations of the iconic festive story, but according to IMDb, the 1966 rendition of Dr. Suess’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas is hailed as superior.
With a playing time of just 26 minutes, the animated movie proved quality was worth more than quantity, as it was rated 8.3 stars with over 61,000 votes.
Directed by Chuck Jones and written by Dr Seuss, the animated flick sees the grumpy Grinch hatch a plan to steal Christmas from the Whos of Whoville.
The Grinch becomes irritated at the thought that the village at the bottom of Crumpit Mountain will spend their Christmas celebrating and having fun.
So, disguised as Santa Claus and with his dog made to look like a reindeer, he raids the village by stealing all their presents and other Christmas goodies.
Climbing down an inhabitant’s chimney, he steals the stockings, the presents, and the tree, even stealing candy canes away from sleeping children.
But after experiencing a Christmas miracle and seeing the Whovians still celebrate without their material purchases, the Grinch becomes moved and has a change of heart.
The green creature is welcomed back into the village after he returns all the presents and is given the honour of carving the turkey.
There are many TV and film adaptations of the iconic festive story, but according to IMDb, the 1966 rendition of Dr. Suess’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas is hailed as superior
1. It’s A Wonderful Life
Coming out top of the list is one of the most emotional festive movies of all time – It’s A Wonderful Life.
New Yorker George Bailey (James Stewart) has faced one hurdle after the other, and is contemplating ending it all.
He sees no possible way out after his employee, Billy (Thomas Mitchell), loses a huge amount of money from the company which leads to a scandal.
But the prayers of George’s loved ones reach the pearly gates of heaven and are quickly answered.
As he prepares to take his own life, he ends up saving his guardian angel, Clarence (Henry Travers), in the process, who goes on to show him all the good deeds he has done throughout his life.
The main event is George saving his brother, Harry (Todd Karns), from drowning when he was 12 years of age.
While he spends time with Clarence, his wife, Mary (Donna Reed) and Billy gather the townspeople to make donations so that they can front the missing cash.
His younger brother hails George, the ‘richest man in town’ upon his return, and he is left with a copy of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer from his guardian angel.
In the book, Clarence writes: ‘Remember, no man is a failure who has friends. Thanks for the wings!’
As the bell rings, George’s daughter Zuzu (Karolyn Grimes) claims that an angel gains their wings with every chime, to which the father glances up at the sky and exclaims: ‘Atta boy, Clarence!’
IMDb scored the Christmas classic a stellar 8.6 out of 10, with a phenomenal metascore of 89 to boot.
And while IMDb may be what the public has dubbed the best Christmas films of all time, MailOnline has also compiled a list of some classics that are worth the watch to get into the festive spirit this year.
Taking the crown for BEST Christmas film of all time is It’s A Wonderful Life, which sees New Yorker George Bailey consider ending it all
But in a positive turn of events, he is saved by his guardian angel, Clarence who shows him all the good deeds he has done throughout his life
1. Gremlins
Gremlins may not be the first film that pops into your mind when you think of a Christmas classic, but it is still routinely watched every year.
The film kicks off with father and struggling inventor, Randall (Hoyt Axton), who is on the hunt for Christmas present for his son, Billy, the night before the big day.
Scurrying through Chinatown, New York, the father stumbles across a small fluffy creature called Mogwai.
The owner of the store vehemently refuses to hand over the little creature to Randall, saying that it is not for sale.
However, in the elderly man’s absence, his grandson sells the mysterious animal to the inventor – urging him to keep three rules in mind: not to allow Mogwai into the light, do not let it touch water and NEVER feed it after midnight.
Randall gifts the animal, he names Gizmo to his son on Christmas Day – and chaos erupts in the homes soon after.
Multiple Gizmos spawn after water is spilt onto the cute animal, and they then convince Bllly (Zach Galligan) to feed them after midnight – unleashing numerous Gremlins and absolute catastrophe within the community.
IDMb gave comedy horror a 7.3 out of 10, whilst it also bagged a metascore – the average movie rating from the world’s most respected critics – of 70.
Gremlins may not be the first film that pops into your mind when you think of a Christmas classic, but it is still routinely watched every year
2. Elf
Directed by Jon Favreau and starring funnyman Will Ferrell, Elf is bound to have the family in stitches of laughter this Christmas time.
Buddy (Will Ferrell) escaped to the North Pole via Santa’s Christmas bag whilst he was in an orphanage in New York.
Growing up in the North Pole, cheerful Buddy is convinced he is an elf – despite his 6ft plus height.
His loyal guardian, Papa Elf, later confesses to Buddy that he is in fact, human, and even worse yet – his father is on the Naughty List.
On the pursuit to find his only living parent, Walter (James Caan), Buddy The Elf, makes the long and arduous journey to New York City.
Along the way he makes both friends and foes, and even manages to spark up a romance with department store co-worker Jovie (Zooey Deschanel).
When Santa crashes his sleigh in Central Park, Buddy must put his arguments with his father secondary and must focus on raising enough Christmas cheer to save the day.
IMDb handed the feel-good festive film a 7.1 rating, and it also achieved an average critic score of 66.
Elf is a festive feel good film, which is guaranteed to have the family in fits of laughter this Christmas, with funnyman Will Ferrell taking centre stage as Buddy The Elf (pictured 2003)
3. Miracle on 34th Street (1947 version)
The festive film may be nearly 60 years old, but it still routinely watched every year proving how timeless this movie really is.
Miracle on 34th Street begins with Kris Kringle (Edmund Green), who becomes begrudged to find the man playing Santa in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, to be drunk.
After complaining to the coordinator of the event, Doris (Maureen O’Hara), he is convinced to take the intoxicated Santa’s place.
Taking to the role like a duck to water, Kris (John Payne) is offered a more permanent role as Santa in Macy’s on 34th Street.
Doris manages to persuade her neighbour, Fred Gailey – who is absolutely against fairytales of any kind – to take his daughter Susan (Natalie Wood) to visit Kris as Santa.
Susan is adamant Kris is actually Santa, after she overhears him speaking Dutch to another little girl, a belief he continues to fuel.
Threatened with dismissal by a concerned Doris, Kris is taunted by other employees, who convince him Granville Sawyer believes he is unstable.
He eventually confronts Granville, which quickly escalates into a tussle, where Kris hits him on the head with an umbrella.
After a worrisome turn of events, which includes a court trial and many arguments for and against the old man, a secret comes to light that shocks everyone.
The Christmas classic bagged an IDMb 7.9, with an incredible meta score of 88.
The festive film may be nearly 60 years old, but it still routinely watched every year proving how timeless this movie really is
4. A Christmas Story
Directed by Bob Clark, the 1983 American Christmas comedy is a heartwarming film guaranteed to make your family chuckle this season.
At the heart of the movie, we are introduced to Ralphie Parker (Peter Bilingsley) who is reflecting on the best Christmas gift he ever received.
Flashing back to 1940, we see a 9-year-old Ralphie who desperately wants a Red Ryder Carbine Action air riffle for Christmas.
But, the suggestion is quickly shot down by his mother, his teacher and even a grumpy Santa Claus in a store, who warns him that he would ‘shoot his own eye out’ with the weapon.
Ralphie is left disappointing when he fails to find the red air rifle among his gifts, but his father discreetly points to a final box hiding in the corner.
Filled with joy that he actually received the air riffle, Ralphie races to use it outside, but one of the BB pellets bounces off a surface and strikes away his glasses.
The young boy returns home and lies saying he an icicle broke his spectacles, fearing he would get in trouble with the truth.
The 80s Christmas movie scored a 7.9 rating from IDMb, and also bagged a fabulous metascore of 77.
The hilarious 80s festive film, A Christmas Story, landed in seventh place, with stellar rating from IMDb of 7.7 out of 10 (pictured: Peter Bilingsley as Ralphie)
5. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
Another classic that shouldn’t be missed is National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
With the holidays fast approaching, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) is desperate to have an absolutely perfect Christmas with his wife, Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo) and their children.
He wants the biggest tree, and abundance of lights, and for everything to be spot on – and will do anything to achieve it.
His incessant pestering begins to irritate his wife, and their arguments begin to not only annoy their children, but their own parents too.
Their holiday season quickly goes pear-shaped when Ellen’s country cousin, Eddie (Randy Quaid) unexpectedly arrives at their door.
Chaos quickly descends upon the house as their festive lights cause a power outage in town, their auntie’s cat is electrocuted during dinner, and their Christmas tree is burnt to a crisp.
Despite the catastrophe, the brood still manage to find a way to enjoy the day – even if it wasn’t as perfect as their father hoped.
The action-packed comedy landed a rating of 7.5, with a slightly measly average critics’ rating of 49.
With the holidays fast approaching, Clark Griswold (played by Chevy Chase in 1989, pictured) is desperate to have an absolutely perfect Christmas with his wife, Ellen and their children
6. Home Alone
It would not be a Christmas movie list, without one of the most iconic festive films of all time – Home Alone.
The smash 90s hit centres around mischievous Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) who is set to go on holiday with his family to Paris.
But the troublesome child forgets to wake up in time, and with an enormous brood of children in the McAllister clan – cousins and siblings alike – Kevin’s absence seemingly goes unnoticed until they are mid-air.
Whilst in a tizzy mid-flight his mother, Kate (Catherine O’Hara), famously screams : ‘Kevin’, but back home in Chicago scenes are remarkably calmer.
It would not be a Christmas movie list, without one of the most iconic festive films of all time – Home Alone
A young Kevin wakes up to an empty house, and seems to believe his wildest dreams have finally come true.
But it all comes to a head when the home is targeted by a pair of clumsy robbers – Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern).
Whilst Kate battles the chaotic Christmas traffic to make it home to her son, Kevin is forced to protect his family home with a bunch of hilarious but cleverly thought out and painful tricks.
Achieving fourth place on the festive list, IMDb rated the iconic film 7.7 out of 10, and it also boasts an average critic score of 63.
