I am one of those people who starts listening to Christmas music the first day of November, and will never get tired of watching Home Alone. While not everyone will agree with me on this, I think everyone can agree that this year, more than ever, we are all in need of some extra holiday happiness. One of the easiest ways to start the celebration is to watch a holiday movie! There’s no better way to lighten your mood than with a plate of cookies and your favorite movie. In case you’re struggling to get started, I’ve ranked some of my all-time favorite Christmas movies to provide some inspiration!
Home Alone– 10/10
In my opinion, Home Alone gets a perfect score. This is by far my all-time favorite Christmas movie. The main character, Kevin, is left behind by his whole family for Christmas vacation, and has to navigate creepy neighbors and robbers by himself while his family tries to get back to him. It’s the perfect mix of funny and cheesy, and a good movie to watch when you need a laugh.
Elf– 8.5/10
A close second behind Home Alone, Elf is the perfect goofy Christmas movie. Buddy winds up at the North Pole as a baby and grows up there his whole life. One year he journeys to New York for the holidays to try to find his family. As he tries to adapt to life in New York, he also tries to reintroduce his family and friends to the true meaning of Christmas.
Polar express– 8/10
Although this movie is the only animated one on my list, it definitely deserves its high score. Despite the animation, this movie is great for when you need some nostalgic, feel good Christmas vibes. A boy who has stopped believing in Santa hops on a train on Christmas Eve, and travels to the North Pole to bring back his holiday spirit. No matter how old you are, this one is a must see, and it’s usually one of the first ones I watch at the beginning of the holidays.
Christmas with the Kranks– 7.5/10
I hadn’t seen this movie until only a few years ago, but it quickly became one of my favorites. A married couple spends their first holiday season without their daughter, who is traveling during Christmas. Not wanting to celebrate without her, they “cancel Christmas,” and try to go about life ignoring the holidays and everything about them, to the disappointment of their neighbors. But a sudden change of plans causes them to enlist the help of their friends to make the holidays happen on time.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation– 7/10
This movie is a well-known comedic classic that many people probably have on their list of favorites. A family of four with a Christmas crazy father tries to survive the holiday with the unexpected arrival of all their chaotic and dysfunctional relatives. Even after everything goes wrong, the Griswold family still manages to pull together a happy Christmas.
Hopefully you enjoy these movies as much as I do, and find time to enjoy the holiday season, even in these uncertain times. Happy watching!
Want to see another seasonal movie list? Check out My Top 10 Fall Movies by claire_waldrop.