Top Christmas Movies You Haven't Heard About
Movie buffs and the general audience eagerly anticipate new Christmas releases every season, always on the lookout for something fresh to lift their holiday spirits.
It seems our instincts are correct—there are more Christmas movies we haven't seen in the entire history of cinema than we'll ever be able to watch in the future.
It's time to explore which Christmas films have been forgotten or slipped under our radar. You'll definitely find some gems in this article to enhance your holiday playlist.
Why Christmas Movies Lift the Holiday Spirit
Essential aids in creating the holiday mood aren't just ornaments and gifts from loved ones but also Christmas movies. They can conjure up the illusion of an approaching Christmas miracle and bring back familiar warm emotions through strong associations with the most delightful memories of life: childhood, fun games in the snow, the excitement of surprises under the tree. Holiday films also promise:
- Visible Magic. Holiday films make us feel like Christmas has arrived, even if fall-like weather persists outside due to global warming. The magic of cinema encourages us to decorate our surroundings and create a festive atmosphere ourselves.
- Heartwarming Stories. At their core, themed movies are simple tales about essential things: family, love, and faith in better times. These stories warm us and make us believe that miracles might indeed happen.
- Familiar Christmas Tunes. With jingling bells and chimes, classic holiday melodies help shift us into anticipating Christmas. Many of us are auditory learners, emotionally experiencing the world through sounds.
- Time-Honored Traditions. Many holiday films remind us of traditions—decorating the Christmas tree, gatherings with family, or exchanging gifts. This evokes pleasant memories and creates a subconscious connection with the holiday for most people. So profound are these traditions that many cannot imagine their lives without this celebration, tying generations through powerful rituals.
- A Bit of Fantasy Without the Routine. At the end of the year, it’s just what’s needed to recharge with positive energy and stop dwelling on unresolved work issues or difficulties. Being able to shift focus is a crucial aspect of successfully celebrating the holiday season.
Films for the Modern Day
These are the films released when we were conscious teenagers and adults, self-sufficient individuals. There's a chance that we relate most to the characters of these films. They offer a look at the holiday season through the lens of our relationships, modern issues, and faith in marvels.
Daddy's Home, 2015
Famous Actors: Mark Wahlberg, Will Ferrell.
Synopsis: The emotional battle between two men for the love of their partner's children is at the heart of the story. The wonderful stepfather and new husband of Sarah, Brad, faces off against her former, confident and charming Dusty. Their clash leads to a genuine war that won't end until they impart some valuable life lessons to each other.
Spoiler
In the end, Brad and Dusty join forces to help Dylan, their child who is struggling at school. Despite their obvious differences, they begin to work as a team, improving their relationships with each other and with the kids.
Love the Coopers, 2015
Famous Actors: Olivia Wilde, Amanda Seyfried, Ed Helms, Diane Keaton.
Synopsis: The Coopers gather for a Christmas dinner. The story revolves around the varied emotions and disputes of different generations. Each family member grapples with their own life's issues, and Christmas becomes a time to untangle these knots.
Spoiler
In the film's conclusion, the oldest Coopers confess that divorce is inevitable. This moment helps the family reassess their views on love and rally together.
Last Christmas, 2019
Famous Actors: Emma Thompson, Emilia Clarke.
Synopsis: Kate, a girl with a troubled childhood, dreams of auditioning and becoming a singer. She works in a Christmas shop and struggles to find her place in life, continually getting into scrapes and feeling lost. One day, she meets Tom, and they quickly fall for each other. Tom's unique outlook on life inspires Kate to embrace change. However, she soon discovers their connection is more profound and tied to her difficult past.
Spoiler
Kate discovers that Tom, with whom she felt so emotionally close, had passed away in an accident a year ago and was the organ donor of the heart she received in a transplant.
Silver Skates, 2020
Famous Actors: Oscar nominee Yuri Borisov, Alexei Guskov.
Synopsis: In the snowy twilight of 1899 in St. Petersburg, the paths of Matvey, the light-keeper's son with a passion for ice skating, and Alisa, the aristocrat's daughter dreaming of science, intersect. Their relationship becomes closer and more complicated over time.
Spoiler
At the train station, as Matvey prepares to depart for Paris, he is shot by Trubetskoy, but the bullet strikes his skates, saving his life.
Atmosphere of the 2000s
Movies from the early 2000s now seem warm and vibrant. Back then, it felt like people lived life more fully and celebrated important dates with more atmosphere than we do today. Let's discover together if that's truly the case.
The Family Man, 2000
Famous Actors: Nicolas Cage, Don Cheadle.
Synopsis: Jack has worked hard for years to secure a great job and income, sacrificing his love for Kate in his youth to achieve this. Throughout life, he's been getting signs suggesting he made the wrong choice. Then, on Christmas Eve, he wakes up to find himself in bed with Kate.
Spoiler
Jack returns to his original life but concludes that he cannot miss the chance to reunite with Kate.
Call Me Claus, 2001
Famous Actors: Whoopi Goldberg.
Synopsis: Santa chooses young Lucy to be his successor. As she grows older, Lucy loses all faith in Christmas. Now Claus's mission is to convince the cynical businesswoman otherwise.
Spoiler
After many doubts, Lucy embraces the role of Santa.
Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus, 2004
Famous Actors: Steve Guttenberg.
Synopsis: Leading up to the holiday, two lonely souls find resolution: single mom Beth, who has lost faith in the power of the season, and Santa's son Nick, who must find a bride by Christmas Eve to become the next holiday bearer.
Spoiler
Nick falls in love with Beth, and through persistence and a little Christmas magic, restores her belief in miracles and marries her, becoming the new Santa. They begin a new life at the North Pole with Beth and her son Jake.
Surviving Christmas, 2004
Famous Actors: Ben Affleck, James Gandolfini, Catherine O'Hara.
Synopsis: Successful ad man Drew refuses to spend Christmas alone, though he has no friends willing to invite him. Instead, he offers a family living in his childhood home to help him relive past memories by pretending to be his family.
Spoiler
Drew reveals his loneliness is related to a tragic past: his father abandoned the family, and his mother died while he was in college. This confession helps him build a new relationship with Alisha and find a new family.
Deck the Halls, 2006
Famous Actors: Danny DeVito, Matthew Broderick, Nicola Peltz, Kristin Davis.
Synopsis: A neighborly feud erupts between Steve Finch, a lover of traditional Christmas, and his new neighbor Buddy Hall, who aims to light his house so bright it can be seen from space. Their competition escalates, but ultimately, the men realize the true meaning of the holiday season.
Spoiler
The climax comes when Buddy sacrifices everything, including family values, to make his dream come true. His house indeed becomes visible from space with neighborly support, bonding families, saving their Christmas, and giving the town a real miracle.
Four Christmases, 2008
Famous Actors: Reese Witherspoon, Vince Vaughn, Robert Duvall, Jon Voight.
Synopsis: Kate and Brad are blissfully happy together for three marvelous years. They're firm opponents of marriage and children as past experiences have taught them otherwise. Forced to spend Christmas with their four divorced parents, they'll either be reassured in their views or reconsider family values.
Spoiler
After arguments and doubts, Brad and Kate realize they want to be together and are ready for family life. A year later, they welcome their first child.
Animated Holiday Specials
Animated specials are full-length or short features where the lives of cartoon characters carry on, creating the sense that they are as real as the rest of us. The characters in this collection are ready to celebrate Christmas with you—all you need to do is press play.
TaleSpin: Jolly Molly Christmas, 1990 (Season 1, Episode 43)
Synopsis: On Christmas Eve, Molly makes a special wish. She longs to make this holiday unforgettable for her family. Throughout the story, her faith in miracles faces various challenges, and her friends do everything they can to restore her belief in wonder.
Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas, 1997
Synopsis: Belle decides to open the Beast's castle to Christmas, hoping to fill the enchanted corridors with warmth and joy. However, her plans are thwarted by the scheming pipe organ Forte, who tries to turn the Beast against the holiday. Belle and her friends must overcome numerous obstacles to ensure the celebration happens.
Mickey Mouse: Once Upon a Christmas, 1999
Synopsis: Christmas has arrived, and Huey, Dewey, and Louie wish for the holiday to last forever. Amazingly, their wish is granted, and Christmas begins to repeat day after day. Initially, it's a fun adventure, but as monotony sets in, the ducklings are forced to take action.
Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year, 2002
Synopsis: While preparing for Christmas, Pooh accidentally breaks Piglet's gift. Soon all his friends gather, sharing Christmas stories and pondering how to make the coming year better.
Shrek the Halls, 2007
Synopsis: Shrek sets out to host his first Christmas, following a guidebook. However, chaos ensues when Donkey invites all their friends over for a celebration. Arguments and misunderstandings threaten the fragile holiday spirit.
Phineas and Ferb: Christmas Vacation, 2009 (Season 2, Episode 22)
Synopsis: On the brink of the holiday, Phineas and Ferb build a stop for Santa on their home's roof and decorate all of Danville. Meanwhile, Dr. Doofenshmirtz endangers Christmas, and Perry the Platypus has a secret mission to set things right.
Merry Madagascar, 2009
Synopsis: When Santa crashes on Madagascar and loses his memory, Alex, Marty, Gloria, Melman, and the penguins rush to save Christmas, even at the cost of returning to Africa.
Kung Fu Panda Holiday, 2010
Synopsis: Po is assigned an important task: hosting a winter feast for the kung fu masters, but everything goes awry. Po teams up with an exiled chef to prepare a truly impressive celebration for the villagers.
Dragons: Gift of the Night Fury, 2011
Synopsis: Hiccup and his loyal friend Toothless embark on an exciting journey to uncover the mystery of a new island and find their missing dragons. The events unfold on the eve of the Viking holiday Snoggletog.
It's a SpongeBob Christmas!, 2012 (Season 8, Episode 23)
Synopsis: SpongeBob prepares for Christmas, while the scheming Plankton can't resist causing trouble. This time, he creates a dangerous substance turning Bikini Bottom's residents into villains and grumps, putting the city's well-being and the holiday celebration at risk.
Movies from the Past
To understand the origins of Christmas movie magic, we recommend watching any film from this list. You'll discover which holiday era resonates most with you—modern or bygone.
Miracle on 34th Street, 1994
Famous Actors: Richard Attenborough.
Synopsis: Young Susan, disillusioned by her mother, unexpectedly encounters the real Santa Claus. Can an average wizard deliver true magic to a child and prove his existence?
Spoiler
By the film's end, Santa proves his genuineness in a court of law.
While You Were Sleeping, 1995
Famous Actors: Sandra Bullock, Peter Gallagher.
Synopsis: Lucy, secretly in love with a stranger she knows nothing about, saves him from an accident on Christmas Eve. She then finds herself in uncharted circumstances that forever change her life.
Spoiler
At the film's end, Jack arrives at Lucy's workplace with his entire family to propose to her, gifting her a long-awaited trip to Florence.
Jack Frost, 1998
Famous Actors: Michael Keaton.
Synopsis: Jack Frost, a successful rock musician, devotes all his time to his career, often neglecting his family. One day, a tragedy strikes, and a year later, his soul returns in the snowman his son built.
Spoiler
Charlie lets Jack go to the afterlife, saying goodbye to him in his earthly human form one last time.
I'll Be Home for Christmas, 1998
Famous Actors: Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Jessica Biel.
Synopsis: On Christmas Eve, college student Jake faces a choice: his dad's vintage Porsche or a holiday in Mexico. His big adventure will lead Jake to more important life choices.
Spoiler
Jake declines the opulent gift from his father, choosing love and family instead.
Unusual Genres
Fans of horror, thrillers, and action movies aren't left out during the Christmas season. It's said the more you scare yourself, the more you'll appreciate home comforts and family closeness during the holiday season. Shall we find out?
Gremlins, 1984
Famous Actors: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Corey Feldman.
Synopsis: Screenwriter Chris Columbus, a master of creating cinematic holiday atmosphere, brings the tale of a father gifting his son what seems to be an adorable, harmless gremlin for Christmas.
Spoiler
Billy, the inventor's son, triumphs over the gremlins and returns his beloved pet, leader of the eerie tribe, to the antique store.
Krampus, 2015
Famous Actors: Adam Scott, Toni Collette.
Synopsis: In a typical holiday plot, members of a large family gather before the Christmas holiday. When they start to quarrel and mock one another, an ancient spirit of Christmas comes to teach them a lesson.
Spoiler
Although the nightmare seems to end for the Angel family, the film's final scene suggests otherwise—Krampus continues to keep watch over the misbehaving family through his enchanted snow globe.
Fatman, 2020
Famous Actors: Mel Gibson.
Synopsis: A holiday film in an unusual genre, where a surprisingly fierce Santa fends off resentful, selfish children.
Spoiler
Santa exacts revenge on Kris, who hired a hitman, and warns he will watch him and step in if the evil deeds continue.
Conclusion
There is no holiday people love more than Christmas, nor a season better, more intriguing, and fulfilling than winter. Holiday movies contribute to people's understanding of this, some of which have made this list, while others we'll happily watch until the last snowflake falls. Discover something new, diversify your traditional movie marathon, and let's uncover new stories together.