12 Classic Christmas Movies That Have Stood the Test of Time

White Christmas (1954)

Growing up, this one was a perennial in my household, along with my dad’s Andy Williams Christmas album. So, yes, this chestnut by an open fire has nostalgia appeal. But when you throw Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and the timeless songs of Irving Berlin into the mix, in a tale about a crooner duo’s romantic Yule duet with a sister act, then you’ve got a syrupy sweet recipe that’s tastier than a gumdrop-covered gingerbread house.

Where to stream: Netflix

The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

Jim Henson and his menagerie of felt-covered friends take on the Charles Dickens classic with Kermit as Bob Cratchit, Miss Piggy as Mrs. Cratchit and the always-game Michael Caine perfectly cast as Ebenezer Scrooge. Every minute of this movie will bring a smile to your face. For years, this flick was as rare as Halley’s Comet on TV. But now that the Muppets are under the Disney umbrella, you can (and should) watch it on their streaming platform any time of year.

Where to stream: Disney+, Hulu

Elf (2003)

A little of Will Ferrell’s oblivious man-child doofus act goes a long way for me. Even so, I would argue that this is his best film and his finest acting performance, playing an oversized elf who ventures from the North Pole in search of his real father. Maybe the greatest fish-out-of-water comedy since Splash.

Where to stream: Max, Hulu

The Best Man Holiday (2013)

In a very solid new addition to the Christmas classics list, the college pals (Nia Long, Sanaa Lathan, Regina Hall, Taye Diggs and Terrence Howard) who survived a wedding with way too much drama in Malcolm D. Lee’s 1999 comedy The Best Man reunite in middle age at Christmas. And they discover that old flames — romantic and resentful — have a way of reigniting.

Where to stream: Peacock

Love Actually (2003)

Over the past 20 years, writer-director Richard Curtis’ romantic roundelay has gathered a vocal minority of haters (especially on Reddit), but if loving it is wrong, I don’t want to be right. First, London never looks better than it does at Christmas. Second, it comes with the same creative pedigree as Curtis’ Notting Hill and Four Weddings and a Funeral (one Love Actually scene was actually cut from Four Weddings). Third, it features a kid belting out Mariah Carey’s infectious “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” And finally, the loaded cast is an absolute Murderers’ Row: Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Laura Linney, Liam Neeson, Keira Knightley, Bill Nighy, Colin Firth and the late great Alan Rickman.

Where to stream: Netflix

Bad Santa (2003)

It’s all too easy to overdose on sentimental uplift during the holidays, but here’s a film that decidedly belongs on the naughty list. Billy Bob Thornton gives a dyspeptic, foul-mouthed masterclass in humbug in this bruise-black comedy as a drunken department store Santa out to rob stores on Christmas Eve with his equally profanity-spewing “elf” sidekick/partner in crime (Tony Cox). Every list should have at least one film to watch after the kids or grandkids go to bed to dream their sugarplum dreams.

Where to stream: Paramount+

A Christmas Story (1983)

This is probably the closest to a true holiday perennial that we’ve been gifted since It’s a Wonderful Life. Told from the point of view of a now-grown child looking back semifondly at his bizarro family (dad Darren McGavin and his leg lamp are priceless), director Bob Clark’s wonderfully wistful tale feels like an evocative radio play, revolving around a kid named Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) and his yuletide fantasy of receiving an official Red Ryder, carbine-action, 200-shot range model air rifle on Christmas morning. We triple-dog dare you not to laugh when his pal’s tongue gets stuck to a frozen metal pole.

Where to stream: Prime Video

Die Hard (1988)

Let’s just settle this debate once and for all: Yes, Die Hard is a Christmas movie. And a great one, too. New York cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) heads to L.A. for the holidays to see his estranged wife (Bonnie Bedelia) and winds up having to save the day after her office building is taken over by Euro villains, including Alan Rickman’s deliciously sinister Teutonic ringleader Hans Gruber. In arguably the best action movie of the ’80s, you can watch Willis as he rings in the holidays with his iconic catchphrase “Yippee ki-yay, mother------!”

Where to stream: Prime Video