Sleigh bells ring and you’re listening, he’s coming to town because it’s the most wonderful time of the year once again. But while you wait for when Christmas comes to town, here are some Christmas movies that I recommend to get you all nice and nestled in during the dark, cold, winter nights on the couch with your cozy blankets and hot chocolate.
11. Rise of the Guardians
Rise of the Guardians is a great movie, that surprisingly has been somewhat undermentioned these days, at least for me. It’s a little bit of a stretch to call it a Christmas movie, but it is set in winter and Santa Claus is one of the guardians. Furthermore, Jack Frost is the protagonist, and is a character tied to helping make winter a wonderland for kids. It’s a bit of a stretch, because we also have the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, and the Sandman as guardians, but nonetheless it is still a good movie to watch this holiday.
10. Tom and Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale
A Tom and Jerry special rendition of the Nutcracker. Tom and Jerry has done many things like this, but the Nutcracker movie will always be my personal favourite childhood Christmas movie. It is set in a theater in which many of the dolls come alive but are persecuted by Tom and his gang. Jerry must set off on a journey to call for help, following a bright star as his guide. He must save the kingdom from a cat king oppressing the people. Tom, who is just a soldier, must foil Jerry’s plan and save the kingdom of dolls.
9. Jingle All The Way
Jingle All The Way stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, a dad trying to mend his relationship with his son by buying him the toy Turbo Man as a gift. However, the toy is a hot item that everyone wants, and all parents are fighting to get the action figure for themselves.
8. Elf
Elf follows Will Ferrell’s character, a human who ended up in the North Pole and was raised as if he was an elf. Buddy journeys to New York in search of his father, all the while walking around in an elf costume. It’s an enjoyable movie that a lot of people love, and you may like it too.
7. The Santa Clause
The Santa Clause, starring Tim Allen, is about a divorced dad who is slowly turning into Santa Claus after accidentally interrupting him from giving gifts, resulting in the original Santa falling off a roof and vanishing, leaving his coat behind. It’s a great Christmas holiday movie. There are actually three parts, but the first will always be my favourite and it’s just an all-out fun movie.
6. Polar Express
This is the most mystical animated Christmas movie for me. The Polar Express is a story set around children boarding a train that has stopped in front of their houses. Our protagonist has begun to feel the spirit of Christmas leaving him, but now he journeys to where Santa Claus will be to meet the man in red himself, making friends with other children on the train along the way.
5. It’s a Wonderful Life
A man who has big dreams meets the reality of life. He’s humble enough to hold back this reality to sacrifice his ambitions and plans so that he can give others their dreams and keep hope alight, yet he doesn’t know this and now he is prepared to take away his gift of life. It’s a Wonderful Life is a great classic movie, that I myself have only recently watched. It’s a story about selflessness and compassion, but also about family and community, and is a great Christmas movie. Don’t let the black and white scare you folks, because this right here holds a well-written tale to tell.
4. The Family Man
If you are still adamant on refusing to watch It’s a Wonderful Life, the closest thing I could offer you picky watchers is The Family Man, starring Nicolas Cage. If that name doesn’t already sell you the movie, then let me have a shot. The Family Man has a plot that intersects with It’s a Wonderful Life. Though while the two movies has similarities, it is still different. While It’s a Wonderful Life is centred around a man who is selfless and doesn’t know about his own impact on other’s lives, The Family Man is centred around a selfish man who left his girlfriend for a corporate rich life. He meets a mysterious person that shows him how his life could’ve been if he had stayed with her, and now he has to navigate the life of a husband and a parent who doesn’t live the high-class life of the corporate world.
3. Jim Carrey’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas
While there is a new animated Grinch movie that recently released, Jim Carrey’s rendition of the Grinch is a classic. How The Grinch Stole Christmas is a great movie, set in a village called Whoville. The Grinch is a miserable character who hates Christmas and lives in a cave plotting to ruin Christmas for the people who always celebrate the holiday.
2. Klaus
Klaus was released in 2019, so it is very recent. However, it is a movie that I really, really relish, as the whole movie is just fun, cozy, and vibrant. The story is centred around the origin of Santa Claus, and follows a mailman sent to the farthest frontiers to a town called Smeerensburg. The town is enveloped in a Montague-and-Capulet-style family feud, and all the locals hate each other. The mailman meets Klaus, a toymaker living on the outskirts of Smeerensburg, and they cooperate together to get his quotas for mail in, with Klaus making the toys requested by the children.
1. Home Alone 1 & 2
Home Alone is, for me, the pinnacle of Christmas movies. The music by John Williams is one of the most beautiful renditions of Christmas music you’ll hear. The movie is fun and exciting to watch and is, personally, the greatest lighthearted comedy Christmas movie to watch. The synopsis is about a kid who is home alone for Christmas. That’s all I’m giving you - if you haven’t seen these movies, indulge yourself and watch them to know more.