With the cozy season fully upon us and Christmas right around the corner, people have been binging their favorite holiday staples to get into the cheerful and jolly spirit. Rotten Tomatoes is a go-to site for audiences' many streaming needs, and for years moviegoers have been turning to the platform's expertise to wade through the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to silver screen releases.
Rotten Tomatoes has carefully crafted a list full of their choices of the greatest holiday movies, basing their selections on the festive flicks' various Tomatometer scores assigned to them by various critics. From undisputed classics like It's a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street to more fiercely debated entries such as Die Hard, here are the 11 best Christmas movies according to Rotten Tomatoes.
11 'Arthur Christmas' (2011)
92% Tomatometer
- Release Date
- November 10, 2011
Golden Globe-nominee James McAvoy voices the titular character in the wholesome holiday comedy Arthur Christmas, which follows Santa Claus' youngest son as the eccentric and kind-hearted Arthur sets out to save the day and deliver some Christmas cheer after his father accidentally forgets to deliver a toy to a child when the North Pole's high-tech operation malfunctions. With the help of his free-spirited grandpa (Ben Nighy), a determined elf, and trustee reindeer, Arthur sets out to deliver the cherished toy.
A Dazzling Visual Spectacle
Arthur Christmas was notably created byAardman Animations, who are responsible for helping produce a slew of animated hits like Chicken Run and Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, and the company spent 18 months crafting the captivating storyline and characters. The comedy went on to become both a critical and commercial success, grossing $147.4 million and being nominated for six Annie Awards including Best Animated Feature, earning praise for its uplifting message and stellar cast performances.
10 'The Apartment' (1960)
93% Tomatometer
Set in the Upper West Side during the festive Christmas season, cinema legend Billy Wilder's romantic dramedy The Apartment focuses on the lonely insurance clerk C.C. "Bud" Baxter (Jack Lemmon) who in hopes of climbing up the corporate ladder lends his apartment out to his company higher-ups for them to carry out their extramarital affairs. When his boss Mr. Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray) brings the object of his affection Fran Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine) to the secret spot, Bud must decide between love and his career.
An Award-Winning Cinematic Hit
Widely regarded as one of the greatest movies ever made, The Apartment was nominated for a whopping ten Academy Awards and ultimately won five including Best Picture and Best Director for Wilder; both Lemmon and MacLaine also won Golden Globes for their spirited performances. Appreciated for its gentle humor, cozy atmosphere, and engrossing romance, the comedy has continued to grow in prestige in the decades since its release and is one of Wilder's greatest silver screen achievements.
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9 'It’s a Wonderful Life' (1946)
94% Tomatometer
- Release Date
- December 20, 1946
Undeniably one of the most celebrated and enduring Christmas classics of all time, the supernatural holiday drama It's a Wonderful Life famously features James Stewart as the depressed George Bailey, who struggles to come to terms with the decisions he's made and the dreams he gave up in order to better those in need in his community, prompting the loan banker to contemplate suicide. George is given a look at what life would be like had he never been born when his guardian angel Clarence Odbody (Henry Travers) arrives.
Time Helps the Drama Become a Classic
Now a beloved Christmas staple year after year, It's a Wonderful Life was initially not a smash success and failed to make a splash with both critics and audiences, though thanks to the drama entering public domain in 1974 and being aired on television it emerged as a certified holiday fan-favorite. Acknowledged as a silver screen triumph and one of the best American films ever made by the AFI, It's a Wonderful Life was poignantly declared by the Chicago Reader as, "The epiphany of movie sentiment and a transcendent experience."
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10 Reasons Why It's a Wonderful Life is the Greatest Christmas Movie of All Time
A true classic that never gets old, here are 10 reasons why It's a Wonderful Life is regarded as the greatest Christmas movie ever made to this day.
8 'Carol' (2015)
94% Tomatometer
- Release Date
- November 20, 2015
Touting an exceptional cast led by Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, and Sarah Paulson, the captivating romantic drama Carol is based on the Patricia Highsmith novel The Price of Salt and chronicles the forbidden love affair between aspiring photographer Therese Belivet (Mara) and the glamorous soon-to-be divorced mother Carol (Blanchett) in New York City during the Christmas season. The women's passionate and profound bond ultimately leads to complications in their respective personal lives.
Blanchett & Mara's Moving Love Story
The electrifying chemistry between Blanchett and Mara was raved about by critics and audiences alike, as their tender and all-consuming courtship movingly unfolds on-screen. Carol premiered at the Cannes Film Festival where it competed for the Palme d'Or and took home the Queer Palm, while also garnering six Academy Award nominations (with both Mara and Blanchett earning a nod). The drama has also been lauded as one of the finest LGBTQ films of all time and currently holds a phenomenal 94% Rotten Tomatoes score.
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7 'Die Hard' (1988)
94% Tomatometer
- Release Date
- July 15, 1988
For over three decades, there has been a fierce debate about whether or not the iconic '80s action classic Die Hard is in fact a Christmas movie, with the unforgettable Bruce Willis flick taking place on Christmas Eve and following the tough and sardonic NYPD detective John McClane as he sets out to attend a holiday party at a Los Angeles skyscraper to win back his estranged wife. When the tower is taken over by terrorists, McClane must step up and take down the dangerous bad guys before it's too late.
Die Hard Becomes an Unlikely Christmas Staple
Though there are certainly skeptics out there who refuse to accept Die Hard as a Christmas flick, there's no denying that it definitely falls under the category as it is set during Christmas Eve, features a man trying to put his family back together, and holiday imagery is heavily included all throughout the cinema knockout. Both director John McTiernan and screenwriter Steven E. de Souza have openly declared Die Hard is without a doubt a Christmas movie, and it remains a must-watch all year round.
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6 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' (1993)
95% Tomatometer
- Release Date
- October 9, 1993
- Director
- Henry Selick
The spellbinding and transcending stop-motion fantasy musical The Nightmare Before Christmas was famously conceived by revered filmmaker Tim Burton and was directed by Henry Selick, telling the timeless tale of the King of Halloween Town Jack Skellington as he stumbles upon the wondrous world of Christmas Town, prompting him to hatch a scheme to introduce the festive holiday to his fellow monsters and ghouls. Naturally, things don't go according to plan for the well-intentioned pumpkin king.
An Animated Favorite For Any Season
Similarly to Die Hard, there has been an ongoing discussion about whether or not The Nightmare Before Christmas is best enjoyed in either the spooky or festive holiday season, with audiences tuning in to the animated hit for both sensational occasions. A massive box office hit and adored by fans both old and young, the musical features exciting tunes like "What's This", "This is Halloween", and "Kidnap the Sandy Claws" and has amassed a passionate cult following in the years since its brilliant debut.
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5 'Klaus' (2019)
95% Tomatometer
- Release Date
- November 8, 2019
- Director
- Sergio Pablos
Sergios Pablos made his spectacular directorial debut with the adventure comedy Klaus, which serves as a magical alternate origin story about Santa Claus and how he came to be, with the gorgeous picture being set in 19th-century Norway and following the compassionate postman Jesper Johansen (Jason Schwartzman) as he befriends the kind and reclusive toymaker Klaus. Together, the two earnest men set out to combine forces and bring happiness and joy to the perpetually-feuding residents of their community.
A Heartwarming Origin Story
Klaus attracted universal critical acclaim for its emotional complexity, heartwarming story, and winning vocal performances, and it became the first animated film from Netflix to be nominated for an Academy Award (earning a nod for Best Animated Feature). The endearing movie won seven Annie Awards and a BAFTA, and achieved rave reviews by fans and critics, with Klaus racking up nearly 30 million views on the popular streaming platform within just a month of its release.
Stream on Netflix
4 'Tangerine' (2015)
96% Tomatometer
A more unconventional-yet-nonetheless emotionally stirring holiday film is the dramedy Tangerine, which takes place in sunny Hollywood on Christmas Eve where transgender sex worker Sin-Dee Rella (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) has just completed a stint in jail and hopes to get into the festive spirit. When she discovers her boyfriend and pimp was unfaithful to her while serving her sentence, Sin-Dee enlists the help of her best friend Alexandra (Mya Taylor) to teach the cheater and his fling a lesson.
A Refreshing & Innovative Dramedy
Director Sean Baker uniquely shot Tangerine on three iPhone 5S smartphones to offset the film's small $100,000 budget, and the refreshing dramedy premiered at the Sundance Film Festival where it was lauded for its old-fashioned humor, wonderfully progressive casting, and innovative techniques. Tangerine also historically marked the first time Academy Awards campaigns were launched for openly transgender actresses who were also supported by a film producer, though neither Rodriquez nor Taylor received nominations.
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3 'Miracle on 34th Street' (1947)
96% Tomatometer
- Release Date
- June 11, 1947
- Director
- George Seaton
- Cast
- Maureen O'Hara , John Payne , Edmund Gwenn , Gene Lockhart , Natalie Wood , Porter Hall
- Runtime
- 96
Touting an illustrious cast of silver screen legends like Maureen O'Hara, Natalie Wood, and John Payne, the events in the undisputed '40s classic Miracle on 34th Street unfolds between Thanksgiving and Christmas and takes place in New York City where an old man named Kris Kringle fills in for a drunk Santa Claus and takes his spot in the parade, becoming the department store's go-to Claus. When Kringle claims he really is jolly Saint Nick, the store's director and her young daughter turn to a charismatic lawyer to argue Kringle's case.
Hollywood's Cherished Christmas Favorite
A beloved perennial Christmas favorite, Miracle on 34th Street was the recipient of three Academy Awards including Best Supporting Actor for Edmund Gwenn's scene-stealing performance. Fans couldn't get enough of Gwenn's wholesome chemistry with Wood, and the dramedy has kept audiences completely enchanted for over seventy years, with the New York Daily News writing in their retrospective review, "It is light, it is charming, it is delightfully funny and completely captivating. It is all that, and something more."
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2 'The Shop Around the Corner' (1940)
99% Tomatometer
James Stewart and Margaret Sullivan made some delightful movie magic when they shared the screen in the transcending romantic dramedy The Shop Around the Corner, a loose adaptation of the Miklós László play Parfumerie that centers on the unlikely relationship between the constantly at-odds leathergoods shop employees Klara Novak and Alfred Kralik, who end up unknowingly falling in love with one another through their anonymous correspondence to one another during the holidays.
An Influential & Iconic Rom-Com
The heartfelt and sweeping picture has been hailed as one of the most influential romantic comedies to ever grace the silver screen, going on to inspire future remakes like Judy Garland's In the Good Old Summertime and the '90s smash hit You've Got Mail starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. The Shop Around the Corner was named by both the British Film Institute and Sight & Sound as one of the greatest films ever made, with the classic currently holding a dazzling 99% Rotten Tomatoes score and 91% Popcornmeter.
1 'Meet Me in St. Louis' (1944)
100% Tomatometer
- Release Date
- November 28, 1944
- Director
- Vincente Minnelli
- Cast
- Judy Garland , Margaret O'Brien , Mary Astor , Lucille Bremer , Leon Ames , Tom Drake
- Runtime
- 113
According to the prominent and respected review aggregator site, the best holiday film of all time is the exceptional Judy Garland-led '40s musical Meet Me in St. Louis, in which the legendary The Wizard of Oz star appears as Esther Smith, who along with her other three spirited sisters as their family anxiously prepares for the exciting St. Louis World's Fair in 1904. The siblings learn about the highs and lows of life and love, doing so with the help of toe-tapping tunes and vibrant musical numbers.
A Festive Musical Full of Christmas Cheer
Garland showcased her impeccable skills as both an actress and singer in the revered classic, as the cinema staple belted out iconic songs like "The Trolley Song" and "The Boy Next Door," while also introducing the enduring holiday ballad "Have Yourself a Marry Little Christmas." Meet Me in St. Louis was a knockout with critics and at the box office, grossing $6.6 million during its original run and being celebrated for turning Garland into a bona fide leading lady in Tinseltown and emerging as an adored cozy season staple.
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