The Best Christmas Movies to Watch in 2024

Christmas movies have become a staple of cinema and now span a wide range of sub-genres. Even if you don’t celebrate the holiday, you might still find some Christmas movies worth watching. The term “Christmas movie” isn’t strictly defined, but we love movies that take place around Christmas time and make us really feel the holiday spirit.

That said, we’re not going to do the typical thing here and tell you to go watch Home Alone or Die Hard. They’re good movies in their own right, but by now they’ve been recommended about as many times as people have joked about Mariah Carey defrosting on November 1. Instead, here’s a list of the best Christmas movies that were released this side of the decade.

The Best Movies to Watch this Christmas

You’re probably sick of seeing the same old Hallmark stories every year, so you’ll find a balanced selection of sub-genres here. We haven’t ranked these aren’t ranked in any particular order. Treat it like a Christmas family dinner — just pick the best-looking option and maybe come back for seconds later. 

Note: You’ll find these movies on a range of streaming platforms, but, depending on where you are, they might not be available in your location. We haven’t included availability here so you’ll have to check which platform has rights for each film in your region. Anything produced by providers like Netflix and Amazon will be available everywhere the streaming service is accessible.

1. The Holdovers

If you don’t like cheesy Christmas films and want something that embodies that tinge of sadness many often feel around the holiday season, don’t pass on this one. This unusual Christmas film manages to straddle the line between thought-provoking drama and laugh-out-loud comedy without being sappy. 

The dramedy takes place at a New England prep school in 1970 and mainly focuses on three characters who had to stay on campus for the holidays. Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa) is a “holdover” student who desperately wants to leave the grounds. He’s at odds with Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti), a strict classics professor who got punished with having to supervise the students after an incident at the school. They also meet cafeteria administrator Mary Lamb (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), who’s grieving the loss of her son in the Vietnam War.

Through misadventures and heartfelt moments, the three end up bonding while trying to heal their respective wounds.

2. Merry Little Batman

Didn’t expect to see a Batman movie on this list, did you? This animated superhero film focuses on Bruce Wayne’s son, Damian (Yonas Kibreab), who’s left alone in Wayne Manor over Christmas. Batman (Luke Wilson) gets called away to help the Justice League right before the holiday but fails to get back in time. Naturally, supervillains don’t believe in taking vacations, so that leaves Damian to defend the house by himself. 

On Christmas Eve, Damien decides to transform himself into “Little Batman” to battle it out against the villains of Gotham. This seems intended for a younger audience than we’re used to with Batman animations. Still, if you’re a big fan of the big bat (or even Home Alone), then this might hit just the right spot.

3. The Velveteen Rabbit

Based on the much-loved classic children’s book, this short film brings the stuffed toy to life (again) in a live-action/animated fantasy format. You’ll want to keep at least some tissues on standby for this quaint retelling of a coming-of-age story. The directors manage to adapt the novel’s deeply rich ideas about unconditional love and the loss of childhood innocence in an impactful way. 

In the 1920s, William (Phoenix Laroche) gets a stuffed rabbit for Christmas, which quickly becomes his favorite toy. His earnest love is so powerful, it brings the toy to life. As shy William tries to navigate a new school in the country, his rabbit tries to make friends with the inhabitants of William’s playroom. These inhabitants include the unforgettable Wise Horse, voiced by Helena Bonham Carter.

If you need some nostalgia and TLC this holiday period, The Velveteen Rabbit might be the cozy Christmas movie that jingles your bells.

4. Family Switch

If you enjoy body-swap movies like Freaky Friday but want a dash of Christmas cheer mixed in, then swap that phone for a TV remote and start watching. Jess and Bill Walker (played by Jennifer Garner and Ed Helms) feel their children are emotionally distant and want the family to spend some time together over the holidays. So they take their kids, CeeCee, Wyatt and Miles, to the observatory for a rare planetary alignment.

This celestial event also happens to secretly grant wishes (guess Wish Upon a Star got it all wrong). As luck would have it, both Jess and CeeCee and Bill and Wyatt simultaneously wish for each other to know what it’s like to live in their shoes. 

It’s not an original story by any means, but the multiple-body switches provide plenty of humor and chaos. If you’re looking for a feel-good Christmas movie with some family drama and hijinks then this is a solid way to spend 2 hours.

5. Genie

This Christmas comedy focuses on Bernard (Alan Cumming), a severely overworked man whose job ruined his relationship with his family and his Christmas spirit. Bernard finds a jewelry case which just so happens to contain an extremely goofy genie named Flora (Melissa McCarthy). Flora, who hasn’t been out of the box for two millennia, provides some genuinely funny moments as she navigates the new world while granting Bernard’s wishes.

The story is predictable but provides enough cheery silliness — thanks to its charismatic cast — to serve as a bit of holiday escapism. 

6. Spirited

Whether you’ve heard of Charles Dickens or not, you’ve probably at least heard of the classic, A Christmas Carol. Let’s just be honest here — getting some helpful advice from a Ghost of Christmas? Now that would be the real Christmas miracle. Still, a Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds team-up is the present we didn’t know we wanted. You can catch the funny duo dancing and singing Christmas carols together in this modern retelling of the story with its own unique twist.

The Ghost of Christmas Present (Will Farrell) is about to retire but needs to find his replacement first. He sets his eye on Clint Briggs (Ryan Reynolds), a person who’s considered unredeemable. The Ghost of Christmas Present makes it his final mission to redeem Clint, which leads to a lot of laughter and high-spirited entertainment.

7. Something from Tiffany’s

Something from Tiffany’s is a romantic comedy based on a book by Melisa Hill. Kendric Sampson plays Ethan, a guy who’s about to propose to his long-time girlfriend. Except the ring he purchased at Tiffany’s got mixed up with the earrings a certain Rachel (Zoey Deutch) was supposed to get as a present from her boyfriend. Rachel meets with Ethan to exchange the goods and they immediately feel a connection and start questioning their existing relationships.

Christmas rom coms like this one are packed with cliches, but sometimes we need a simple feel-good movie that goes with a cup of hot chocolate on an easy-going evening.

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