Over the past few years, Christmas movies have proliferated as fast as kids ripping open their holiday presents. Several streamers have rolled out slates of festive fare tailored to nearly every niche — but there's something compulsively rewatchable about the true classics of the genre.
Love Actually (2003)
The Christmas rom-com to end all Christmas rom-coms, Richard Curtis' 2003 film brings together an all-star cast including Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Laura Linney, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman and Keira Knightley to prove that love is really all you need. Set in London during the holiday season, "Love Actually" tells 10 separate stories that eventually all weave together. The film celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, so check out your local movie theater listings to see if you can catch it newly restored in 4K.
Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1990, 1992)
It's hard to imagine a movie and its sequel being equally funny, heart-warming and memorable. The John Hughes films, starring Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Heard and Catherine O'Hara, among other stars, follow Kevin McCallister, the young boy in a big family who's constantly left behind at the holidays. In the first, he's left at home as the family vacations and creates a series of booby traps to protect himself from robbers. In the second, he accidentally boards a plane to New York City and finds a way to once again, protect himself when said robbers break out of prison. Throw in a creepy-yet-friendly neighbor here and a warm-hearted pigeon lady there, and you've got two holiday must-watch movies.
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
The first-ever Peanuts TV special holds a special place in history and the hearts of many fans. The 25-minute special went on to earn Emmy and Peabody awards, entered the Grammy Hall of Fame and the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry and became essential viewing for the holiday season. The catchy "Christmas Time Is Here" song, jazzy Vince Guaraldi soundtrack and the messages of friendship, commercialization and the meaning of Christmas still ring true to this day. Quite an accomplishment for Charlie, Snoopy, Lucy and the gang!
The Holiday (2006)
"I'm a book editor from London. You're a trailer maker from L.A. We're worlds apart." Such is the defining preposterous lament of director Nancy Meyers' affluent but romantically disillusioned characters. Both lovesick after some bad break-ups, a Hollywood career woman (Cameron Diaz) and a British columnist (Kate Winslet) swap their gorgeous, spacious abodes for the Christmas season — and find themselves courted by two handsome locals (Jude Law and Jack Black). At a sweeping runtime over two hours, the romantic comedy has more than enough charm and hysterics to keep your holiday guests entertained through an evening.