What are the top Christmas movies? This question is in the mind of every movie lover out there.
The answer is that the top Christmas movies are those which are popular among the masses and have been watched by a large number of people like The Preacher’s Wife (1996), The Christmas Chronicles (2018), Love Actually (2003) and more.
It’s a time of cozy gatherings, reminiscing old memories with your loved ones as you snuggle on couches together and drink coffee or eggnog.
Christmas time is a moment of joy, forgetting about the worries and reminding yourself of the good to remember as this year ends and we progress to the next one.
What proper way to spend time with loved ones than to relax underneath fairy lights with some feel-good, light-hearted collection of the best Christmas movies that remind you to embrace the season of gift-giving and warmth.
We are bringing you some of the best family movies on Netflix that span across a variety of genres: two strangers have an accidental encounter to realize they were always meant to be, an estranged child and parent reunited after a tragedy, two adults creating a found family of their own that teaches them that love spans across boundaries and families.
Scroll below to view some of these amazing and best Christmas movies of all time!
67 Best Christmas Movies in Canada
After so many years, people are still wondering what the top Christmas movies are. This is because there are just so many great ones to choose from!
To help narrow things down, we’ve compiled a list of the best 67 Christmas movies that you can watch in Canada. So sit back, relax and enjoy the show!
Remember the Night (1940)
Director: Mitchell Leisen
Writer: Preston Sturges
Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Fred MacMurray, Beulah Bondi
Running time: 1hr30 min
IMDB: 8/10
The best family Christmas movies remind us that family is all that matters and isn’t only built by people close to you but can also include strangers with whom you feel more connected than before.
Lee Sandra is a multiple-time shoplifter, and during the moment she is trying to steal a purse she can sell to feed her younger siblings, she is caught and immediately sent to prison and set to stand for trial for her crimes.
The prosecutor, John, is at first determined to ensure Lee receives her due punishment, but the courts are closed because of Christmas. Feeling bad for her once he realizes she is not truly a bad person, he takes her to his home and introduces her to his mother.
Among a lovely crowd, cookies and the joy of Christmas in the air, Lee and John realize they’re slowly falling in love with one another. Read also: best movies on Netflix in Canada
Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
Director: George Seaton
Writer: George Seaton, Valentine Davis
Cast: Edmund Gwenn, Maureen ‘O’Hara, John Payne
Running time: 1 hr 40 min
IMDB: 8/10
Ten-year-old Susan had a tragic life, with the death of her parents when she was just a baby and her relatives refusing to take her in. She has been shifted into a foster home with only one thing to cope with: her wild imagination.
Susan also remembers her mother’s last message to her that miracles do happen. She firmly believes that Santa Claus is real, even though her school fellows and the teachers bully her about this.
One day, she meets an old man who works as Santa at a department store, and he lets her in on a special secret that makes her realize that miracles do happen.
The Preacher’s Wife (1996)
Director: Penny Marshall
Writer: Robert Nathan, Robert E. Sherwood, Leonardo Bercovici
Cast: Denzel Washington, Whitney Houston, Courteney B. Vance
Running time: 1 hr 33 min
IMDB: 8/10
We love feel-good family Christmas movies that remind us to count our joys and forget our sorrows in the holiday season.
Reverend Henry Briggs feels like his world is collapsing: his marriage to his wife Briggitta has lost its spark because of how much time he spends away from his family and focuses on his work.
His church is also losing membership, and a development man is threatening to break it down to establish a building. Henry prays to God for a miracle, and the next morning his family wakes up to find an angel in their house who has been sent to resolve all of their problems.
Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square (2020)
Director: Debbie Allen
Writer: Dolly Parton
Cast: Dolly Parton, Jenifer Lewis, Josh Segarra,Jenanine Mason
Running time: 2 hr 10 min
IMDB: 8/10
We have to include this in our list of the best new Christmas movies because of Dolly Parton and its heartwarming message about the importance of community.
A woman who is drowning in debt and cannot find any happiness in life after the death of her child feels like only one good solution remains: sell her small town to a real-estate agent and move to California to spend the remainder of her life.
The town members are outraged and try to convince her to change her mind, but the woman is adamant until a guardian angel shows up and gently reminds her to reflect on her actions that can impact her loved ones around her.
Single All the Way (2021)
Director: Micahel Mayer
Writer: Chad Hge
Cast: Micahel Urie, Philemom Chambers, Luke Macfarlane
Running time: 1hr 55 min
IMDB: 8/10
We can’t make a list of the best new Christmas movies without this film which promotes equality and welcomes new people. Peter and Nick have been best friends since their childhood.
And now, they’re both adults with full-time jobs, but the only problem is that Peter is single and has never been able to get a partner.
So when his family announces that they are coming to visit him in his hometown, Peter panics and asks Nick to pretend to be his boyfriend so his parents would stop badgering him by setting him up on dates.
Their meeting with the family goes smoothly until Nick’s mother sets him up with a gym trainer, and that’s when true feelings begin coming out.
Silent Night (2021)
Director: Camille Griffins
Writer: Camille Griffins
Cast: Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Roman Griffin Davis
Running time: 1hr 40 min
IMDB:6/10
Nell, Simon and their only son Art look like a picturesque couple from the outside because they have everything that a family could want: a lavish home, a lot of wealth and a loving family.
They host huge dinners for their friends and family members every Christmas eve where everyone gets presents, and there is a lot of laughter and joy in the air.
Except for this time, this will be their last ever dinner because an oncoming apocalypse will destroy all of humanity.
The Christmas Chronicles 2 (2020)
Director: Chris Colombus
Writer: Chris Colomubus, Matt Lieberman, David Guggenheim
Cast: Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell, Darby Camp
Running time: 1 hr 20 min
IMDB: 6/10
Katie Pierce is now a teenager and is vacationing in the mountains with her mom and dad when she and her brother are kidnaped by a Santa-hater, whose plan is to bait Santa in and murder him so that Christmas is over forever.
However, Santa rescues the two kids and takes them to the North pole, where they receive food and warm clothes from Mrs. Santa. The Santa-hater starts a propaganda campaign to convince people to stop believing in Santa.
The Christmas Chronicles (2018)
Director: Clay Kartis
Writer: Matt Leiberman, David Guggenheim
Cast: Kurt Russell, Darby Camp, Judah Lewis
Running time: 1 hr 40 min
IMDB: 7/10
It isn’t the holiday season without some family Christmas movies that are heartwarming and full of adventures. Katie and her little brother Todd are tired of being bullied by the rest of their classmates because of their long-standing belief that Santa is real.
They decide that they will provide proof to their classmates and set up a trap to record him dropping presents on Christmas Day.
But instead of catching him on videotape, the two children are hitched up along with Santa and are taken on a magical journey to the North Pole, where they witness things they had never seen before.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
Director: Jeremiah S. Chechik
Writer: John Hughes
Cast: Chevy Chase, Beverley D’Angelo, Juliette Lewis
Running time: 1hr 23 min
IMDB: 7/10
A Christmas movie isn’t good if it’s not a family Christmas movie that involves struggles and the honest message that your family is the only support system you need. Harold Griswold isn’t having a good year at all.
His work hours are getting longer, his boss is getting tougher, and he hasn’t spent a lot of time with his wife or children. S
o when he receives his Christmas bonus check and the holidays arrive, he decides that the perfect way to make up for his absences would be to take his family to the mountains where they can have a wonderful time together.
Love Actually (2003)
Director: Richard Curtis
Writer: Richard Curtis
Cast: Kiera Knightley, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson
Running time: 1 hr 33 min
IMDB: 7/10
Some of the best new Christmas movies we have included were made by legends like Richard Curtis, so you should definitely watch them! Love is all around us because it transcends boundaries like race, religion, gender or even age.
Christmas is around the corner, and we meet eight lonely adults who are either getting married, getting out of a long relationship, trying to look for love, or learning that love exists in multiple forms rather than one.
They all have the same thing in common that during Christmas time, their lives will magically change.
A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas (2011)
Director: Todd Strauss-Schulson
Writer: John Huruwitz, Hayden Schlossberg
Cast: KalPenn, John Cho, Neil Patrick Harris
Running time: 1hr 39 min
IMDB: 7/10
Harold and Kumar are life-long stoner buddies who just came back home for Christmas from a wild vacation at Guantanamo Bay.
However, their holiday plans are scratched when Harold accidentally burns down his father’s favourite Christmas tree, which had a lot of priceless decorations that he had taken ages to search for.
Now Harold and Kumar have only 24 hours till Christmas Eve to find a tree and the decoration pieces to prevent suffering from Harold’s father’s wrath.
Stranger in the House (1974)
Director: Bob Clarke
Writer: Roy Moore
Cast: Olivia Hussey, Keir Dullea, Margot Kidder
Running time: 1 hr 50 min
IMDB: 8/10
Some of the best new Christmas movies we have included also have some treats for horror fans. A group of sorority girls take a much well-deserved break by vacationing at a cabin in the woods for the Christmas holidays.
However, things start going awry when they begin receiving prank calls from a strange man, and then Jess goes missing and can’t be found.
The police detectives find a 13-year-old girl dead in the park, and they strongly suspect that the person who murdered her is hiding in the cabin where he plans to kill more people.
Godmothered (2020)
Director: Sharon Maguire
Writer: Kari Granlund, Melissa K. Stack
Cast: June Squibb, Jillian Bell, Sonia Manzano
Running time: 1 hr 33 min
IMDB: 6/10
The best family Christmas movies are the ones that remind us that bonds aren’t solely strong because of blood but can be created with outsiders as well.
Noelle is a young and unskilled fairy godmother who is determined to prove to her superiors that she has the talent and the skill to become a certified fairy godmother.
So when her office notifies her that they found the wish of a thirteen-year-old orphan girl, which they neglected, she sets out determined to fulfill that child’s wish and prove to her office that she deserves to be a fairy godmother.
The Best Man Holiday (2013)
Director: Malcolm D. Lee
Writer: Malcolm D. Lee
Cast: Monica Calhoun, Morris Chestnut, Melissa De Souza
Running time: 1 hr 34 min
IMDB: 7/10
Mia and Lance Lawrence decide that they are going to invite their old friends back for a huge family dinner at their house for the Christmas holidays this year.
Twenty-five years have gone by since high school, and these friends have their own baggage to deal with: Thomas and his wife are finally having a baby together, but Thomas hasn’t told her that he had been removed from his teaching position at the New York University, and also his book sales are declining.
Howard has kept his feelings to himself about Ashley since they were in high school, but a rival lover finally motivates him to find the courage to talk.
Scrooged (1988)
Director: Richard Donner
Writer: Mitch Glazer, Charles Dickens
Cast: Bill Murray, Karen Allen, John Forsythe
Run Time: 1 hr 23 min
IMDB rating: 7/10
Bill Murray plays a selfish, cold-hearted television executive who keeps his employees on their toes all day and then fires his staff member when he makes a single mistake and Christmas Eve is just around the corner.
On the night before Christmas Eve, he goes to bed and then is suddenly awakened by three guardian angels who ask him to seek forgiveness from the people he has wronged before Christmas Eve or he will be given awful punishment.
Home Alone (1990)
Director: Chris Colombus
Writer: John Hughes
Cast: Macaulay Caulkin, Joe Peski, Daniel Stern
Run Time: 1hr 45 min
IMDB rating: 8/10
Kevin McCalister cannot stand how his family, time and time again, took his big brother Bruce’s side when he was the one who humiliated Kevin at their school concert and vows to keep bullying him time and time again.
Sent to bed without supper for punishment, Kevin wishes that his entire family is gone so he could live peacefully without them. He wakes up the next day to find them gone and the house empty.
Kevin thinks his best days have arrived, but two burglars are spying at his house and are ready to break in since they think the house is empty.
Frosty the Snowman (1969)
Director: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr.
Writer: Romeo Muller
Cast: Jackie Vernon, Billy De Wolfe, Jimmy Durante
IMDB rating: 7/10
Run time: 1 hr 45 min
A group of school children come across a magical scarf and decide to use it on the snowman they are making. To their surprise, the snowman comes to life and calls himself Frosty! But an evil magician is after Frosty because the scarf belongs to him and will melt the snowman to steal it.
So Frosty and young Karen take a journey to the North Pole, where Frosty can find his family and they can escape the evil magician.
Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983)
Director: Burny Mattinson
Writer: Charles Dickens, Burney Mattinson
Cast: Alan Young, Wayne Allwine, Hal Smith
IMDB rating: 8/10
Run time: 28 min
In a re-telling of the classic story by Charles Dickens, “A Christmas Carol,” Mickey and his friends seek shelter in the cold winter, and all of them are being chased by the evil landlord Mr. Brunt.
He intends to enslave them in his factory to repay a debt Mickey had to provide years ago. They disguise themselves among travellers and travel to a new town to begin a new life.
The Night Before (2015)
Director: Jonathan Levine
Writer: Jonathan Levine, Kyle Hunter, Ariel Shaffir
Cast: Mindy Kailing, Seth Rogan, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
IMDB Rating: 6.3/10
Run time: 1hr 50 min
Ethan, Isaac and Kathy have been lifelong friends since their high school years, and every Christmas Eve, they host some of the most outrageous parties anyone in New York has ever seen.
As they are approaching their thirties, the trio decides that this will be the last Christmas bash they host before they settle down to become adults.
So they decide to spend it at the Holy Grail of Christmas Balls: the Nutcracker Ball.
The Ref (1994)
Director: Ted Demme
Writer: Marie Wess, Richard LaGravenesce
Cast: Dennis Leary, Judy Davis, Kevin Spacey
IMDB Rating: 6.9/10
Run time: 1hr 30 min
Robert is a low-lying cat burglar who has bills due, so he decides to rob one more house before heading West and restarting his life again. Unfortunately, the Dennises, whose house he chooses to rob, are more than what he had chosen to bargain with.
With their lazy son, irresponsible neighbours, and the constant bickering between the couple, Robert decides he has to keep the couple quiet and act as a peacemaker between their problems before the police arrive.
The Santa Clause (1994)
Director: John Pasquin
Writer: Steve Rudnick
Cast: Tim Allen, Judge Reinhold, Wendy Crewson
IMDB rating: 6/10
Run time:1 hr 40 min
Our list of best Christmas movies of all time wouldn’t be complete without mentioning such a classic that includes Tim Allen. Scott Palvin is disappointed to discover that his son’s mother and her husband are consistently trying to convince him that Santa Clause is not real.
While he is reading “The Night Before Christmas’, ” one night, he wakes up to some banging on his rooftop and then accidentally injures the real Santa Claus.
Santa relieves himself of his duties, and now Scott has been handed the reins to become Santa Clause and deliver gifts to all the children before Christmas Eve tomorrow.
LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special (2020)
Director: Ken Cunningham
Writer: George Lucas, David Shayne
Cast: A. J. Locascio, Anthony Daniels, Ben Prendergast
IMDB Rating: 6.3/10
Run time: 44 min
When Rey is setting off for an adventure at the Fright Zone, where only advanced champions are given the privilege to participate and win gold, she is suddenly kidnapped and sent to another dimension where aliens surround her.
With the time ticking as the competition ends soon, Rey has to go by all means to find a way to escape and fly back home in time.
Happy Christmas (2014)
Writer: Joe Swanberg
Director: Joe Swanberg
Cast: Anna Kendrick, Mark Webber
Running time: 1hr 22 min
IMDB rating: 5.4/10
After a messy breakup with her long-time boyfriend, Kelly is distraught and stays for months cooped up in her apartment and feels like she will remain single forever.
Until her best friend, Jenny, encourages her to move into her house with her husband and child for the holidays.
Kelly, who has solely identified as a pessimist who hates the holiday season, soon realizes that life doesn’t solely revolve around romantic relationships, and love exists in different forms.
Merry Christmas (2005)
Director: Christian Carion
Writer: Christian Carion
Cast: Diane Kruger, Gulliame Canet
Running Time: 1 hr 50 min
IMDB rating: 7/10
In December 1914, both sides of the war called a truce for the holidays and allowed a feast to be set up so both German and British soldiers could interact and relax with one another.
These soldiers, who haven’t ever met each other before except on the battlefield, learn the stories and struggles of one another.
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
Director: Brian Henson
Writer: Charles Dickens, Jerry Juhl
Cast: Michael Caine, Dave Groelz
Running time: 1hr 20 min
IMDB rating: 8/10
The Muppet characters come together for a re-telling of a beloved Christmas classic written by Charles Dickens.
White Christmas (1954)
Director: Michael Curitz
Writer: Norman Krasna
Cast: Bring Cosby, Danny Kaye
Running time: 2 hr
IMDB rating: 8/10
Bill and Joel are a successful song and dance team who are vacationing in Vermont, where they fall in love with a sister duo, Sarah and Jessica.
But trouble strikes when the duo’s old mentor Harry calls them up to tell them that their theatre, where they had taken their first steps in the world of theatre, is shutting down due to low funds. So the gang teams up to prepare a spectacular show to prevent this from happening.
Let It Snow (2019)
Director: Luke Snellin
Writer: Laura Solon, John Green
Cast: Isabel Merced, Odeya Rush
Running time: 1hr 32min
IMDB rating: 5/10
Based on the successful novel by John Green of the same name, a snowstorm hits small-town Kansas unexpectedly. A group of teenagers who had plans to confess their love, break off a relationship or travel to a new town are suddenly shocked by this change of plans, and we watch them unravel the turmoil of love and friendships.
A Christmas Horror Story (2015)
Director: Grant Havey
Writer: James Kee
Cast: William Shatner, George Buza
Running time: 1 hr 39 min
IMDB rating: 5/10
On a boring snowy night, a radio host decides to allow people to call in and share ghost stories.
We are transported to different times like Santa picking up a sword and defeating evil, a group of teenagers at a slumber party are suddenly getting mysterious calls, and a boy walking home alone notices a strange old woman lurking behind the corner and following him.
While You Were Sleeping (1995)
Director: Jon Turteltaub
Writer: Daniel G. Suleivan
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Bill Pullman
Running time: 1hr 50 min
IMDB rating: 6/10
A compilation of the best Christmas movies of all time has to include this classic that is about the message that family isn’t just about blood bonds but can also include strangers.
Lucy works at a booth selling subway tickets and is in love with a handsome commuter who passes by her booth every day.
During Christmas eve, she saves him as he falls from a building and takes him to the hospital, where she is mistakenly identified as his fiance.
While the rest of the family falls for this facade, the patient’s brother feels suspicious and begins investigating whether these claims are true or not.
Anna And The Apocalypse (2017)
Director: John McPhail
Writer: Alan Macdonald
Cast: Ella Hunt, Malcolm Cumming
Running time: 1hr 33 min
IMDB rate: 7/10
A zombie apocalypse suddenly hits the sleepy town of New Haven on Christmas Eve, forcing its citizens to pick up armour to fight. Anna and her friends have to team up to fight their way to survival, as no one can save them this time but each other.
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
Director: Bill Melendez
Writer: Charles M. Schluz
Cast: Ann Alteri, Chris Doran
Running time: 25 min
IMDB rate: 8/10
It’s Christmas time, and Charlie Brown feels distaste at the amount of commercialism around him. Along with his best friend Snoopy the dog and Lisa, he sets on an adventure to discover the true meaning of Christmas.
On his journey to the North Pole, he encounters silly incidents and a mishap and watches his close friends betray him for the more popular kids in his classes.
When he feels like he is about to give up, a heartwarming encounter with a grandmother teaches him that the Christmas season is about love and spreading friendships.
Bad Santa (2003)
Director: Terry Zwigoff
Writer: John Requa
Cast: Billy Bob Thornton, Lauren Graham
Running time: 1 hr 32min
IMDB rate: 7/10
A miserable conman and his partner decide that the only way to make a lot of cash this Christmas would be to pose as a Santa and elf at a popular shopping mall. The plans are going smoothly until a problem arises when they befriend a small boy who tells them he has no company for Christmas.
Batman Returns (1992)
Director: Tim Burton
Writer: Bob Kane, Daniel Waters
Cast: Michael Keaton, Danny Devito, Michelle Pfiffier
Running time: 2 hr 6 min
IMDB rate: 7/10
For action fans who cannot handle slow-paced sappy films, this film has consistently been included in the list of best Christmas movies of all time.
Batman is once more called to the rescue as a new villain who goes by the alias “Penguin,” wreaks havoc all over Gotham and vows to create an army out of the criminals and murderers hiding all over the city and use them to make himself the Mayor.
Meanwhile, a part-time bookstore worker learns to embrace her newfound identity as “Catwoman” and save the city from destruction.
The Bishop’s Wife (1947)
Director: Henry Koster
Writer: Robert E. Sherwood, Robert Nathan
Cast: Cary Grant, David Niven
Running time: 1 hr 49 min
IMDB rating: 7/10
A bishop and his wife are falling on hard times as their church is going low on funds, and they are also unable to pay their daughter’s theatre fee.
So the wife prays to God for a miracle to help them in these unprecedented times. The next morning, an angel arrives at their doorstep to help solve all of their problems.
Trading Places (1983)
Louis Winthrop works for a powerful investment firm run by two brothers, Philip and Jack. Both of the brothers bicker over the most meaningless things.
The latest topic they debate is whether a person’s environment influences them to become the person they are.
So when Louis argues with a street con-man, they decide to test the theory by replacing the two men’s positions by getting Louis arrested by the cops and putting the con-man in their firm as an investor.
March of the Wooden Soldiers (1934)
Director: Gus Mein
Writer: Frank Butler, Anna Alice Chapman
Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Virginia Kans
Running time: 1hr 17 min
IMDB rating: 7/10
Stannie Dum and Oliver Dee take refuge in Mother Goose’s Toyland, where they find out that she has to pay back a loan she took from the evil Barnabey, who is threatening to kidnap and marry Little Bo-Peep if she is unable to hand over all of it.
So Stannie and Oliver Dee decide to help Mother Goose by getting together an army of toy soldiers who will battle Barnabey.
Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
Director: Peter Godfrey
Writer: Lionel Houser, Adele Comandio, Alieen Hamilton
Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan, Sydney Greenstreet
Running time: 1 hr 41 min
IMDB rating: 7/10
Jennie is a food writer who falsely boasts about being the perfect housewife to her boss and colleagues.
But now she has created a problem for herself as her boss and his son, who is a war hero, are coming to her house for a Christmas eve dinner, and she has only two days to learn all the etiquettes that come with being a perfect housewife.
A Christmas Carol (1951)
Director: Brian Desmond Hurst
Writer: Charles Dickens, Noel Langley
Cast: Alastair Sim, Jack Warner, Kathleen Harrison
Running time: 1 hr 34 min
IMDB rate: 6/10
Ebenzeger Scrooge is a cold-hearted businessman whose employees are terrified of him and remain on their toes while they are at work.
One morning he fires a lowly staff member when he makes a small mistake. That night, he is visited by three angels who show him the consequences of his actions and how they harm others.
Gremlins (1984)
Director: Joe Dante
Writer: Chris Colombus
Cast: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton
Running time: 1hr 46 min
IMDB Rating: 7.3/10
Joel receives a strange creature as a gift from his cousin on Christmas Eve and is only given a warning that he must never leave him alone and make sure not to feed him the fruit. However, a small incident occurs, and it causes a group of monsters to descend and start attacking the entire city.
A Christmas Tale (2008)
Director: Arnaud Desplechin
Writer: Arnaud Desplechin
Cast: Catherine Deneuve, Jean-Paul Roussillon
Running time: 2 hr 30 min
IMDB rate: 8/10
The Vuillard family has gone through divorces, estrangements, illness and grief, and now all family members have cut off communication with one another.
But when the matriarch pleads for help because she is dying from cancer, the members come back one last time for Christmas to search for a bone-marrow donor.
Elf (2003)
Director: Jon Favreau
Writer: David Berenbaum
Cast: Will Ferrel, James Cann, Bob Newhart
Running time: 1 hr 37min
IMDB rating: 7/10
The classic film by Will Ferrel has consistently been considered one of the best Christmas movies of all time. A businessman finds out that his love child has been staying at the North Pole, where he believes himself to be an elf and is looking for Santa Claus.
So he brings him back to New York for Christmas, where he tries to integrate himself with the rest of his family members.
The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017)
Director: Bharat Nalluri
Writer: Susan Coyne, Les Standiford, Charles Dickens
Cast: Dan Stevens, Mark Schrier, Patrick Joseph Byrnes
Running time: 1 hr 44 min
IMDB rate: 7/10
A biography based on the successful British writer Charles Dickens, the movie explores the events that inspired him to write his most successful novel, “A Christmas Carol.”
This film chronicles the darkest period of his life when Dicken’s found out that his mother was dying from cancer, his wife was also suffering from pneumonia which caused her to be bed-bound for long days, and how he strived to write his novel as a dedication to the children who were lonely and didn’t come a supportive family like he did to celebrate the Christmas season with.
White Reindeer (2013)
Director: Zach Clark
Writer: Zach Clarke
Cast: Nathan Williams, Kim Park, Anne Margaret Hollyman
Running time: 1 hr 50min
IMDB rating: 5/10
Suzanne’s life falls apart after finding her mother dead from a cocaine overdose in their house. Christmas is coming up, and she feels like there is nothing left to exist anymore as she stays in a lovely home in the suburbs of Virginia.
With the help of neighbors and friends, she learns that there is always light at the end of the tunnel.
Tokyo Godfathers (2003)
Director: Satoshi Kon
Writer: Satoshi Kon, Keiko Nobummuto
Cast: Toru Emori, Yoshiaki Umegaki
Running time: 1hr32 min
IMDB rating: 7/10
It is Christmas Eve, and three homeless people in the streets are shocked to find a baby in a waste bin. So they arm themselves with jackets and warm drinks and set out to search for the baby’s parents.
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2005)
Director: Shane Black
Writer: Brett Halliday, Shane Black
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, Michelle Monahagen
Running time: 1hr 45 min
IMDB rate: 7/10
A New York thief is trying to make ends meet by robbing homes when he is caught by someone who mistakes him for being an actor. He is sent to Los Angeles, where he is signed up to star in a murder mystery.
Before this man could even confess that he is not an actor, but then a lowly actress is paired up with him, and he is told that he has to do everything to ensure that the series ends up being successful.
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010)
Director: Jalmari Helander
Writer: Jalmari Helander, Juuso Helander
Cast: Jorma Tommila,Onni Tommila, Peeter Jakobi
Running time: 1 hr 24 min
IMDB rate: 6/10
At Christmas time, a group of merchants march to the depths of the Korvatunturi mountains to dig 486 meters deep to find a rare cave that they are sure is the place Santa Claus is hiding.
Better Watch Out (2016)
Director: Chris Peckover
Writer: Zack Kahn, Chris Peckover
Cast: Olivia DeJonge, Levi Miller
Running time: 1 hr 29 min
IMDB Rating: 6.4/10
Sally is left to take care of twelve-year-old Billy for the night as his parents are going for a movie night. Suddenly she starts receiving strange phone calls from a man who threatens to come inside and kill her.
Armed with a knife and determined to keep Billie safe, Sally has to fight hard to ensure they both stay safe until the police arrive.
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020)
Director: David E. Talbert
Writer: David E. Talbert
Cast: Forest Whitaker, Keegan- Michael Key, Hugh Bonneville
Running time: 2 hr 2 min
IMDB rating: 6/10
Magic comes to life after an eccentric toymaker creates a device that takes him and his brainy granddaughter on a life-changing adventure to the North Pole, where they will change the lives of the people living there with their inventions.
The Apartment (1960)
Director: Billy Wilder
Writer: Billy Wilder
Cast: Seth Rogan, Jack Lemmon, Shirley Maclaine
Running time: 2hr 5 min
IMDB rating: 7/10
An insurance clerk is afraid that holding down two jobs is not enough to keep paying for his bills, so he tries a new job: lending his apartment out to people for their romantic hookups, refuge or any other reason.
At first, the new job is going smoothly, but then problems arise when there is a new love affair sparking.
A Christmas Story (1983)
Director: Bob Clarke
Writer: Jean Shepherd, Leigh Brown, Bob Clarke
Cast: Peter Billingsly, Melinda Dillion, Daren McGavin
Running time:1hr33min
IMDB rate:8/10
Christmas is around the corner, and every kid has a dream gift that they wish to receive from their parents, and for nine-year-old Ralphie, it is a BB gun.
His parents are horrified, and teachers scold him for such a thought, but Ralphie believes having a BB gun is a great way to keep the bad men away from his house.
So when he doesn’t receive the gift he wants for Christmas, Ralphie goes out of his way to convince his parents and Santa that he has good intentions.
Little Women (1994)
Director: Gillian Armstrong
Writer: Louisa May Alcott, Robin Swicord
Cast: Winona Rhyder, Susan Sarandon, Kirsten Dunst
Running time: 1hr 55 min
IMDB rating:7.6/10
With their father gone to fight in the civil war, five sisters and their mother learn to cope together and teach each other lessons of bravery, sisterhood and resilience against the tragic times with the power of storytelling.
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Director: Tim Burton
Writer: Tim Burton
Cast: Johnny Depp, Winona Rhyder
Running time: 1 hr50 min
IMDB rating: 9/10
Tim Burton is the king of Christmas movies, and this film has been constantly mentioned on the list of best Christmas movies of all time. Peg, a hairdresser, ends up at the lonely castle of an inventor, where she finds a gentle and shy man who has scars on his face and scissors as hands.
Feeling bad for him, she takes him back to the suburbs, where she helps him adapt to a new life. Soon, Edward begins a job as a local hairdresser and attracts the attention of all the ladies in town, but he soon begins to fall for Peg’s daughter, who is also developing some fondness for him.
Happiest Season (2020)
Director: Clea DuVall
Writer: Clea DuVall, Mary Holland
Cast: Kirsten Dunst. Mackenzie Davis
Running time: 1 hr 45 min
IMDB rating: 6/10
Abby and Harper have been dating for over three years now, and this Christmas, Abby feels like she is ready to propose to the love of her life.
When Harper invites her to spend the holidays at her family home, Abby agrees because she wants the parent’s permission before asking Harper to marry her.
However, when they get there, Abby is shocked to find out that Harper hadn’t even come out to her parents, nor has she told them about their relationship.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
Director: Larry Roemer
Writer: Romeo Muller, Robert May, Johnny Marks
Cast: Billie Mae Richards, Burl Ives, Larry D. Mann
Running time: 47 min
IMDB rating:8/10
Based on the beloved Christmas carol, Rudolph is a young reindeer growing up in the North Pole whose father is one of Santa’s reindeer, so it is expected of Rudolph to do the same.
Little Rudolph is excited to participate in Santa’s journey, but then he discovers something wrong with him that will get him disqualified: his red nose.
Klaus (2019)
Director: Sergio Pablos, Carlos Martinez Lopez
Writer: Sergio Pablos, Zach Lewis, Jim Mahoney
Cast: J.K Simmons, Rashida Jones
Running time: 1 hr 36 min
IMDB:8/10
In a faraway town called Smeerenburg, a postman feels depressed after the death of his beloved wife and feels like nothing sparks any joy for him anymore.
A blossoming friendship with the local toymaker encourages him to create and deliver new toys at a children’s hospital for the kids to feel the joy of Christmas.
Arthur Christmas (2011)
Director: Sarah Smith, Barry Cook
Writer: Peter Baynham, Sarah Smith
Cast: James McAvoy, Jim Broadbent, Bill Nighy
Running time: 1 hr 37 min
IMDB: 7/10
Santa Claus is overworked and exhausted at the North Pole and wishes to pass down his work to his son, Arthur, but the boy is careless and forgetful.
Then after a slight accident because of which the gifts are misplaced, Arthur is determined to prove to his dad that he can inherit his business, so he sets out with grand-Santa to reunite a present with a young girl whose wish had been misplaced.
Die Hard (1988)
Director: John McTiernan
Writer: Roderick Thorp, Jeb Stuart
Cast: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia
Running time: 2 hr 12min
IMDB: 8/10
John McClane is exhausted from working long shifts as an NYPD officer, so he takes a vacation to visit his wife at the Nakatomi towers, where she is attending a company party.
When he reaches there, the tower is invaded by men of Hans Gruber who aim to keep the people hostage in exchange for a large amount of money.
But John has all the skills of an amazing detective to work behind the scenes and make sure everyone makes it out alive.
Tangerine (2015)
Director: Sean Baker
Writer: Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch
Cast: Mya Taylor, Karren Karagulain
Running time: 1hr 28 min
IMDB: 7/10
Freed from jail after serving some time for robbery, a prostitute teams up with a group of friends and drives throughout town to search for the man who broke her heart.
Along the way, the friends bond over past heartbreaks and childhood trauma, and they learn how to become each other’s support systems when life gets tough.
Carol (2015)
Director: Todd Haynes
Writer: Phyllis Nagys, Patricia Highsmith
Cast: Rooney Mara, Cate Blanchett
Running time:1 hr 27 min
IMDB:7/10
In the 1950s, a glamorous socialite and a budding photographer meet at a restaurant and begin to develop a deep friendship that soon turns into a romance.
However, as the socialite further proceeds to divorce her husband and he threatens to reveal her relationship to take full custody of their son and send her to an asylum, she has to make a difficult decision on what to do: fight for her son or stay with the person who has shown her what true love really looks like?
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
Director: Vincente Minnelli
Writer: Irving Brecher, Sally Benson
Cast: Judy Garland, Margaret O Brien, Mary Astor
Running time: 2hr 5 min
IMDB: 7/10
In 1903, the Smith family held a respectable place in their neighbourhood, and their daughters Jessie and Ashley are regarded for their beauty and manners. Jessie begins to fall for the boy next door and keeps staring at him, even though he doesn’t know she exists.
Things take a turning point when Mr. Smith announces that he has been offered a position with much higher pay in New York, and the sisters have to realize that they have to say goodbye to their loved ones before they leave.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Director: Tim Burton
Writer: Tim Burton
Cast: Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O’Hara
Running time: 1hr 50 min
IMDB: 8/10
Desperately out of ideas and fearing that the people of his town will oust him if he doesn’t find new ways to keep Halloween interesting, Jack Skellington finds a portal which shows him a new holiday called Christmas.
Excited, he tries to bring it back to Halloween Town, but it creates confusion. In the meantime, Sally, a young seamstress, has been hiding her feelings for Jack for a long time, so when trouble strikes, she is prepared to do anything to help him.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1967)
Director: Ron Howard
Writer: Dr. Seuss, Jeffery Price
Cast: Jim Carrey, Taylor Momsen, Kelly
Running time: 1 hr 44 min
IMDB:6/10
The people from the pleasant town of Whoville are planning their Christmas celebrations and the season of joy is in the air as they collect trees, wrap up their gifts and shop for the elaborate dinners they will hold.
All except for the Grinch, who lives on the outskirts of the town and hates the holiday season. He plans to steal the Christmas holidays from everyone until he meets seven-year-old Beth, who confesses that her long stay at the orphanage means she has never had a proper Christmas holiday before.
The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
Writer: Samson Raphaelson
Cast: James Stewart, Frank Morgan, Margaret Sullavan
Running time: 1 hr 40 min
IMDB: 8/10
James and Clara are rival employees at a gift shop who cannot stand each other and cannot spend three minutes in a room together without arguing over something petty.
James begins a letter correspondence with a stranger where they discuss their favorite books, and he suddenly requests that they meet up.
When he gets to the cafe where they agree to meet, he is shocked to find out that the person is Clara. Will the two be able to put aside their differences and fall in love?
Holiday Inn (1942)
Director: Mark Sandrich, Robert Allen
Writer: Claude Binyon, Elmer Rice, Irving Berlin
Cast: Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Marjorie Reynolds
Running time: 2 hr 4 min
IMDB: 8/10
At a holiday inn where decorations are being piled up, and turkeys are roasting in ovens because the Christmas spirit is in the air, the guests are busy wrapping up presents and finishing their last minute plans to enjoy the season with their families.
However, a piano player and a guitar man both fall for a budding performer who dreams of playing at Broadway someday, so they both compete with each other to win over her affections.
8-Bit Christmas (2021)
Director: Michael Dowse
Writer: Kevin Jakubowski
Cast: Winslow Fegley, Neil Patrick Harris, Steve Zahn
Running time: 1 hr 44 min
IMDB: 7/10
In the 1980s, the Christmas season descended over all of Brooklyn, and children were making lists of all the things they wished to get for the holidays.
Ten-year-old Brad lives with a single mother and his sister, and all he wishes for is the latest and most advanced video gaming system. So he sets out to work all sorts of jobs and even requests pocket money from his relatives to make his wish come true.
Conclusion
Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, and what better way to get into the Christmas spirit than by watching the best Christmas movies of all time? Whether you’re looking for a family-friendly film or something a little more festive, we’ve got you covered.
So put on your cozy socks, grab a mug of hot chocolate, and get ready to binge on holiday movies of your choice. Finish with the above list? try some of the best thriller movies in Canada too.