50 of the best Christmas movies of all time

The SPA Studios The holidays have arrived, and that makes now the time to revisit history’s most beloved Christmas movies. But what is a Christmas movie, exactly? So goes a question that continues to be hashed out on the internet, with titles such as “Die Hard” inspiring heated levels of debate. As if to fan the flames, the following list contains certain movies that only feature Christmas or the holidays in a fleeting capacity yet still make for quality viewing. Then there are the no-brainer inclusions, which employ a holiday-based setting and run with the concept. Popular examples include timeless classics like “A Christmas Story” and “Elf,” as well as the recent animated fantasy “Klaus.” On the other end of the spectrum are bleaker titles such as “Black Christmas” and “Gremlins,” which arguably subvert the holiday spirit by dispensing pure chaos or occasional bouts of violence. Just as all moviegoers are not the same, neither are all Christmas movies. Stacker used IMDb and Metacritic to round up 50 of the best Christmas movies of all time. To qualify for the list, films had to have at least a 7.0 IMDb user rating or 70 Metascore and at least 5,000 IMDb user votes. Films are listed chronologically. Whip up the hot chocolate, pick your personal favorite, and enjoy. You may also like: Mistakes from the 50 best movies of all time Remember the Night (1940) Paramount Pictures – Director: Mitchell Leisen – IMDb user rating: 7.6 – Metascore: 78 – Runtime: 94 minutes In “Remember the Night,” Barbara Stanwyck plays a shoplifter who falls in love with the man prosecuting her. Such a premise might sound tawdry at first, but sprinkle on a little Hollywood fairy dust, and you end up with a bona fide Christmas classic, not to mention a film that’s truly stood the test of time. The Shop Around the Corner (1940) MGM – Director: Ernst Lubitsch – IMDb user rating: 8 – Metascore: 96 – Runtime: 99 minutes Two rival gift shop employees (James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan) forge an unwitting romance as anonymous pen pals in this old Hollywood classic. The 1998 comedy “You’ve Got Mail” later adapted the same source material, replacing letters with emails. Meet John Doe (1941) Frank Capra Productions – Director: Frank Capra – IMDb user rating: 7.6 – Metascore: data not available – Runtime: 122 minutes Before making “It’s a Wonderful Life,” director Frank Capra helmed this prescient romantic dramedy. Ambitious reporter Ann Mitchell (Barbara Stanwyck) conjures a human interest story out of thin air and spawns an unexpected social movement. The narrative builds toward an emotional Christmas Eve climax. Holiday Inn (1942) Paramount Pictures – Directors: Mark Sandrich, Robert Allen – IMDb user rating: 7.3 – Metascore: data not available – Runtime: 100 minutes With Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire sharing screen time, you already know you’re looking at vintage movie gold. That gold is called “Holiday Inn,” and was released in 1942. True to its name, the movie centers around an exclusive inn only open on the holidays, where Crosby and Astaire go head-to-head over a young woman’s affection. One of the songs written for the film was “White Christmas,” which won Irving Berlin an Oscar and remains a holiday favorite. Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) MGM – Director: Vincente Minnelli – IMDb user rating: 7.5 – Metascore: 94 – Runtime: 113 minutes This blockbuster musical takes place in St. Louis at the turn of the 20th century and tells the story of the well-to-do Smiths. With plans to move after Christmas, the family must learn to let go of the things they hold dear. It introduced a number of iconic holiday songs, including “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” You may also like: 50 times actors hated their own movies Christmas in Connecticut (1945) Warner Bros. – Director: Peter Godfrey – IMDb user rating: 7.4 – Metascore: 64 – Runtime: 101 minutes “Christmas in Connecticut” sees film star Barbara Stanwyck playing a food writer who doesn’t actually know how to cook. Things are going smoothly for the writer until her boss and a war hero invite themselves to Christmas dinner. The premise might seem like something out of a modern-day sitcom, but the movie makes it work, hence the solid ratings and enduring reputation. The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945) Rainbow Productions – Director: Leo McCarey – IMDb user rating: 7.2 – Metascore: data not available – Runtime: 126 minutes Bing Crosby reprised the Oscar-winning role of Father Chuck O’Malley from 1944s “Going My Way” in this musical dramedy. He and a stubborn nun (Ingrid Bergman) must overcome their differences if they want to save an inner-city parish. Between its original December release date and the inclusion of a holiday pageant scene, the movie has become associated with Christmas. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) Liberty Films – Director: Frank Capra – IMDb user rating: 8.6 – Metascore: 89 – Runtime: 130 minutes As if sent by an angel, “It’s a Wonderful Life” is pure holiday perfection. Witness the story of George Bailey (James Stewart), who discovers what life would have been like had he never existed. Something of a flop upon theatrical release, it’s now one of the most enduring Christmas movies ever made. It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947) Roy Del Ruth Productions – Director: Roy Del Ruth – IMDb user rating: 7.6 – Metascore: 66 – Runtime: 116 minutes Actor Victor Moore delivers an indelible performance as drifter Aloysius T. McKeever in this Christmas-themed comedy. When the world’s second-richest man (Charles Ruggles) heads to Virginia for the winter, McKeever moves into the millionaire’s vacated mansion. “In the long run the sour millionaire is sweetened up, all disguises are cast off, and everybody is happy, including the audience,” wrote critic James Agee for Time Magazine. The Bishop’s Wife (1947) Samuel Goldwyn Company – Director: Henry Koster – IMDb user rating: 7.5 – Metascore: 72 – Runtime: 109 minutes Based on a 1928 book of the same name, “The Bishop’s Wife” is about an angel taking human form to help a bishop build a cathedral and save his marriage. Originally, star Cary Grant wanted to play the bishop, but he was convinced to take on the role of the angel instead. It ended up being one of his most noteworthy performances. You may also like: Famous movie quotes from the year you were born Miracle on 34th Street (1947) Twentieth Century Fox – Director: George Seaton – IMDb user rating: 7.9 – Metascore: 88 – Runtime: 96 minutes The 1994 version may be the one most children would have seen, but 1947s “Miracle on 34th Street,” about a man who claims he’s the real Santa Claus and must convince others of the same thing, proves the original is usually the best. Not just one of the best Christmas movies to be found, it’s also #9 on the American Film Institute’s list of the 100 Most Inspiring Movies of All Time. 3 Godfathers (1948) Argosy Pictures – Director: John Ford – IMDb user rating: 7.1 – Metascore: 82 – Runtime: 106 minutes One among many collaborations between director John Ford and actor John Wayne, this colorful Western reimagines a famous Bible story. Three rugged bank robbers double as stand-ins for the three Wise Men, who must bring a newborn baby to New Jerusalem. It takes place around the holidays and features a rendition of “Silent Night.” Holiday Affair (1949) RKO Radio Pictures – Director: Don Hartman – IMDb user rating: 7.2 – Metascore: 63 – Runtime: 87 minutes Starring screen legends Robert Mitchum and Janet Leigh, “A Holiday Affair” is about the romance between a young widow and the shop clerk she accidentally got fired. RKO Studios originally released the film, but it’s been given a second life on TCM, which airs it during the holidays. A Christmas Carol (1951) Walt Disney Pictures – Director: Brian Desmond Hurst – IMDb user rating: 8.1 – Metascore: data not available – Runtime: 86 minutes One of the best adaptations of Charles Dickens’ famous tale, this film features a deft performance by Alastair Sim as Scrooge. Sim later voiced a made-for-television version of the Dickens novella that also made it to the silver screen. White Christmas (1954) Paramount Pictures – Director: Michael Curtiz – IMDb user rating: 7.5 – Metascore: 56 – Runtime: 120 minutes Starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye, “White Christmas” hits many of the same pitch-perfect notes as “Holiday Inn.” This time around, a duo of male entertainers teams up with their female counterparts to save a failing inn. To call the film a song and dance-filled extravaganza would be practically redundant. You may also like: Most widely watched but universally hated movies of all time The Apartment (1960) The Mirisch Corporation – Director: Billy Wilder – IMDb user rating: 8.3 – Metascore: 94 – Runtime: 125 minutes This Billy Wilder comedy explores infidelity and interoffice romance while using Christmas as an occasional plot device. Insurance clerk C.C. Baxter (Jack Lemmon) lets executives use his apartment for their extramarital affairs as means to a promotion. It features an office holiday party and a recurring joke about Christmas fruitcake. Scrooge (1970) Cinema Center Films – Director: Ronald Neame – IMDb user rating: 7.5 – Metascore: 58 – Runtime: 113 minutes The Charles Dickens novella “A Christmas Carol” inspired countless film adaptations, including this musical version from 1970. Albert Finney plays the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge, who’s shown the true meaning of Christmas by an assortment of ghosts. Black Christmas (1974) August Films – Director: Bob Clark – IMDb user rating: 7.1 – Metascore: 65 – Runtime: 98 minutes Nearly a decade before he helmed “A Christmas Story,” director Bob Clark churned out this holiday-themed slasher classic. It unfolds over a college winter break and finds a crazed killer stalking a sorority house. Some say it walked so that 1978s “Halloween” could run. Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (1983) National Film Trustee Company – Director: Nagisa Ôshima – IMDb user rating: 7.2 – Metascore: 53 – Runtime: 123 minutes This World War II drama takes place in a Japanese prisoner of war camp and examines the divide between two different cultures. Christmas isn’t a backdrop as much as it is a signifier of the aforementioned divide. Music icons David Bowie and Ryuichi Sakamoto both star. The latter also scored the film. Trading Places (1983) Cinema Group Ventures – Director: John Landis – IMDb user rating: 7.5 – Metascore: 69 – Runtime: 116 minutes Eddie Murphy cemented his status as a comedy icon with his performance in this box office blockbuster. He plays a down-on-his-luck con artist who’s swapped out with a spoiled investor (Dan Aykroyd) as part of a twisted plan. A key sequence takes place during a Christmas party. You may also like: Why these famous films were banned around the globe A Christmas Story (1983) Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) – Director: Bob Clark – IMDb user rating: 7.9 – Metascore: 77 – Runtime: 93 minutes It’s the one, the only: “A Christmas Story.” If you haven’t already seen it, turn on the TV on Christmas day and you soon will. Directed by Bob Clark and based on the anecdotes of Jean Shepherd as published in the 1968 book “In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash.” The movie details the exploits of young Ralphie Parker and his perpetual quest for a Red Ryder BB gun. The film is an all-you-eat buffet of iconic scenes, which helps explain its repeat “watchability.” Gremlins (1984) Warner Bros. – Director: Joe Dante – IMDb user rating: 7.3 – Metascore: 70 – Runtime: 106 minutes Director Joe Dante’s seminal creature feature sends nasty gremlins on a deadly Christmas Eve rampage. With help from his girlfriend (Phoebe Cates) and a cuddly pet mogwai, a young man (Zach Galligan) sets out to save his small town. It was later followed by an outright bonkers sequel. Die Hard (1988) Twentieth Century Fox – Director: John McTiernan – IMDb user rating: 8.2 – Metascore: 72 – Runtime: 132 minutes Fans are still hashing out whether this violent classic is actually a Christmas movie, but there’s no disputing its holiday setting. What begins as an office party in Nakatomi Plaza becomes a bloody showdown between Officer John McClane (Bruce Willis) and international terrorists. Along with films like “Lethal Weapon,” it helped usher in a new era for the action genre. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)