10 Christmas Movies to Watch
Am I The Only One that has a Holiday Movie List?
Yes? Oh okay. Cool.
If you're on the hunt for something to watch after finishing your exams or after finally getting a few days off from work for the Holidays then look no further! These are must watch movies in order to get you feeling festive and in the mood for Christmas.
There are a million Christmas movies swimming out there in the movie universe, as a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure Hallmark completely dedicates their channel to Christmas starting after Thanksgiving. So there are literally hundreds of Christmas movies to choose from with more and more being released each year.
If you don't feel like sifting through the countless choices, then I can probably help you out. I feel like I've seen more Christmas movies than most. I'm not adding in Home Alone or The Christmas Story because frankly, both kids in those movies irritate me more than they should. Especially the kid from The Christmas Story. Can't stand him. It used to be one of my grandfather's favorite movies, but I always felt that kid was kind of a jerk. Judge ya mama, don't judge me.
1. Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas
A handful of Disney's famous characters spread Christmas magic and love through three heartwarming stories. Discover the true meaning of the holiday season with Donald, Goofy and Mickey.
Before you scrunch your face up like: "Lauren, you are an adult remember?" I have been watching this movie every year since I was a kid. It's pretty much embedded itself into my DNA.
If we are in the month of December, this movie will be played at some point. It counts as more than one movie if I'm being totally honest because it's got more than one story in it.
So it's like a three for one special. Who could argue with that? It's kid friendly and comes with all of the feel good emotions of Christmas.
2. Mickey Mouse's A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol is about a grumpy, selfish, melancholy old man called Ebenezer Scrooge who believes homeless people should go to prison or into workhouses. He hates Christmas and is not generous to anyone, even himself. One freezing cold night he is haunted by three Christmas ghosts.
It's tricky because I love so many different versions of this same Christmas story. I don't always watch this one, but I have made up in my mind to watch at least ONE version of A Christmas Carol every Christmas. The Muppet's have a pretty good version as well.
Why do I love this movie so much, you ask?
Purely for nostalgia purposes and the fact that it was one of my grandfather's favorite Christmas stories. He used to watch it every year when I was a kid and it just feels right to continue on that tradition.
3. How The Grinch Stole Christmas
It follows the Grinch, a cranky, solitary creature who attempts to thwart the public's Christmas plans by stealing Christmas gifts and decorations from the homes of the nearby town of Whoville on Christmas Eve. Miraculously, the Grinch realizes that Christmas is not all about money and presents
Okay, I have to specify this whenever I mention How the Grinch Stole Christmas, I only like the cartoon. The Jim Carey version creeps me out a little. I don't know why. Couldn't offer an explanation if you paid me. It just does.
So I don't watch that one, I only watch the cartoon. It makes me feel happy inside, especially at the end when the people of Whoville stop being douchebags and let him join in on the fun.
He didn't truly hate Christmas! He just hated feeling left out and was lashing out as a response. Makes me want to hug him and tell him everything is going to be okay. We can have our own Christmas. Forget those Whoville turds!
4. Jingle Jangle
Decades after being betrayed by his apprentice, a once joyful toy maker finds new hope when his bright young granddaughter arrives on his doorstep.
If you don't have this one on your list or if you haven't seen it, then start with this one immediately. It came out in 2020 around the time I was getting ready to get married. After the rehearsal "dinner" (we didn't really have an official one, just ate together) my Bridesmaids and I sat and watched this movie. We all loved it. Then I watched it with my husband, hater of all things Christmas, and he loved it too.
The music was dope. The dancing was dope. The visuals were, you guessed it, DOPE. It was an all around amazing movie. And since I experienced it for the first time during a monumental moment in my life, it will always represent good things for me. This is a must every year. Whenever I have kids, it will be a must watch for them too.
5. The Perfect Holiday
Nancy (Gabrielle Union), a divorced mother of three, feels especially lonely during the holidays. Sensing her sadness, Nancy's youngest daughter, Emily (Khail Bryant), has a plan to make her mom happy again. She asks Benjamin (Morris Chestnut), a department-store Santa Claus, to pay Nancy a compliment. And Benjamin, who is also a struggling songwriter, knows exactly the right words to say.
I think Morris Chestnut is in more than one Christmas movie, as is Gabrielle Union. I'll watch all of them, but this one is my favorite. It's such a cute movie. It's all of the feel-good emotions of the Holidays and sprinkled with black love, which is an absolute must.
If you haven't seen it, consider adding it to your list. I can guarantee that you won't be disappointed. I can also guarantee that there are probably a few movies with a similar premise but that's part of the fun. Most Christmas movies have the same plot. Do we know this? YES. Do we plan to watch them anyway? ALSO YES.
6. This Christmas
At holiday time, family matriarch Ma'Dere Whitfield (Loretta Devine) assembles her large brood for their first reunion in four years. However, family ties show signs of strain when various secrets come to light, especially concerning Marine Claude's (Columbus Short) true military status, Quentin's (Idris Elba) debts and teenage Baby's (Chris Brown) secret plans to become a singer.
This is a must. I mean just look at the cast. It's undeniable. Pretty sure I can quote this movie from beginning to end by now.
Will I continue to watch it every year even though I can quote it from beginning to end? Yes.
Will I sing along with Chris Brown when he performs Try a Little Tenderness in the club? Also yes. The holidays are incomplete without this movie. I said what I said and I meant what I said.
7. Almost Christmas
Walter Meyer (Danny Glover) is a retired mechanic who lost the love of his life one year earlier. Now that the holiday season is here, he invites daughters Rachel (Gabrielle Union) and Cheryl (Kimberly Elise) and sons Christian (Romany Malco) and Evan (Jessie T. Usher) to his house for a traditional celebration. Poor Walter soon realizes that if his bickering children and the rest of the family can spend five days together under the same roof, it will truly be a Christmas miracle.
This movie is basically "This Christmas" with a very slight difference. Still a similar dynamic. We love to see it either way beause we love Black Love and we love Black Families.
Plus, the cast has some notable names in it so you know you're in for a good time.
8. The Noel Diary
When a best-selling author returns home at Christmas to settle his mother's estate, he finds a diary that holds secrets to the past.
This is a new one. As a matter of fact, I think it just came out last year (2022). I watched it because I loved Barrett Doss in Station 19 and I loved Justin Hartley in This is Us.
I ended up liking the movie a lot more than I expected to. It's the type of movie you can curl up on the couch and watch while you sip a hot drink.
It wasn't your typical corny Christmas film, but it still managed to capture the feeling of Christmas. It also made you root for the characters to get the happy ending they deserved. I remember watching it while I was cooking dinner and I ended up watching it again so I could completely focus on it.
Definitely adding this one to the Christmas movie rotation. It might be one of those movies I have to watch by myself though. Don't think I could convince my husband to sit through it.
9. The Princess Switch
One week before Christmas, a duchess switches places with an ordinary woman from Chicago, who looks exactly like her, and they each fall in love with each other's beaus.
It's giving The Parent Trap, but make it a Christmas romance. This is definitely high up on the list of corny Christmas movies but for some reason there was something about it that stuck out to me.
They kept making them, I'm pretty sure there are like 4 movies in the series and I watched every single one of them. Even when I was cringing at the sheer predictability and corny storyline, I still enjoyed myself.
I'll probably add the first one to the rotation just because it was cute. I stumbled on it while I was folding laundry and it kept me company until the daunting task was completed. I don't necessarily recommend all of them unless you're a continuity fan like myself, but you should at least watch the first one.
10. A Christmas Prince
In the lead up to Christmas, a young journalist is sent abroad to go undercover to get the scoop on a playboy prince who is destined to be king.
It's very hokey. It's very cringy. But it's also full of Christmas spirit and royalty! I'm finding out that I love royalty when it comes to Christmas movies. Probaby why I sat through three different Prince Switch movies and sequels (see item number 9 on this list)
I love extravagant Christmas affairs and who better to do that than literal prince and princesses? You can't beat it. I dare you to try.
I put this last on the list because it is incredibly corny, so if you're looking for a cinematic masterpiece you will be severely disappointed, but it's still a fun watch.
Just yeet your disbelief out the window and you should be fine.
So many movies. So little time. Better get started!
Happy watching, babes! ❤