I’ve always gotten upset that our stores jump from Halloween to Christmas; skipping over anything related to Thanksgiving. Even our culture and films barely mention the holiday.

…with that being said, let’s talk about my list of greatest Christmas films of all time! These are films that I try to watch every year during the holidays. They may not be Hallmark films, but these are the films that ALWAYS remind me of the season of Christmas.

  1. It’s a Wonderful Life

Unlike my father, I did not grow up watching this film. I saw it for the first time last year. Though, in one watch, it’s bumped up to my #5 spot. Something about a man finding out why he exists really inspires me. Yes, I cried.

  1. The Nightmare Before Christmas

There’s much debate over when you’re supposed to watch this film. Honestly, I think you could watch it at both Halloween and Christmas. Why not?

  1. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

Okay, I love this dumb family and I will follow them to the ends of the Earth. This film somehow sums up every Christmas I’ve ever had. But it also reminds me that family is the true reason for the season.

  1. Die Hard

Yes, it’s a Christmas movie. There’s no good argument against it. Not only is it full of Christmas imagery, it’s also about the importance of family. Even if it means wiping out a few German terrorists to get to them.

Honorable Mentions

Home Alone, The Muppets Christmas Carol, Scrooged, Gremlins, Krampus, Batman Returns, and The Ref are all fantastic Christmas films, but they didn’t quite make it to the top 5 spots. But let’s not forget the real reason for the season, and that’s any Claymation film by Rankin/Bass Productions. If you go a Christmas without seeing Rudolph playing somewhere, you’re not Christmas-ing enough.

  1. Elf

I get flack for this all the time, but nothing fills me with the Christmas spirit more than this film. It never gets old, it’s insanely quotable, and it’s still gut-busting hilarious to this day. It’s definitely the most creative Christmas of the past few decades.

What’s your must-see Christmas films that you’ll be watching this season?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sean Smith

Student Author - Fall 2019

Sean Smith is a student at Gulf Coast State College. He’s obsessed with film to the point of blurring the realities between it and real life. When he’s not rewatching The Office to see if Pam is the TRUE villain of the series, he’s working full-time and doing homework (like this). FADE OUT TO BLACK