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7 Christmas Movies That You Forgot Were Awesome
With the Christmas holiday just around the corner, now is the time to fully get into the spirit of the season and that means movies. There are countless movies to indulge in this time of year and there really is a little bit of something for everyone when it comes to sitting down for your feel-good Christmas entertainment. However, while there are holiday classics that everyone turns to year after year, there are also some Christmas movies that somehow fly under the radar, hidden gems that somehow get overlooked.
Now, we’re not saying all of these movies are the best movies ever made. Admittedly, some of the movies on this list probably aren’t even “great”. However, when it comes to holiday movies, sometimes you just want something that’s fun and enjoyable and that alone makes them awesome. Here are seven Christmas movies that are exactly that: awesome. There’s a little bit of everything here, from romance to animation to even modern takes on beloved classics. If you’re looking for something to add to your holiday rotation — or something you haven’t seen in a while — this list will have you covered.
7) Deck The Halls
Released in 2006, Deck the Halls stars Danny DeVito, Matthew Broderick, Kristin Davis, and Kristin Chenowith and tells the story of optometrist and self-proclaimed Christmas expert Steve Finch (Broderick) who ends up in a competition with his new neighbor, car salesman Buddy Hall (DeVito) over holiday decorations with Buddy literally wanting his house to be so bright that they can be seen from space.
The movie did badly both with critics and at the box office and we’re not going to pretend its high art. That said, there is just something about silly holiday rivalry movies that are enjoyable in their own way and this one certainly fits the bill. It sort of falls into that so bad it’s good category and is worth a watch.
6) Let It Snow
Released in 2019, Netflix’s Let It Snow is a real underrated gem of a movie that not only have people forgotten is awesome, they just have forgotten about it altogether. The film is essentially sort of a Love Actually for teens and follows a group of high school students who are all dealing with different issues on Christmas Eve when a snowstorm hits a small Illinois town.
The film has an impressive ensemble cast that includes Shameik Moore, Kiernan Shipka, Jacob Batalon, Isabela Merced, Odeya Rush, and Mitchell Hope just to name a few. It’s a warm, comforting film that is full of heart, perfect for the holiday.
5) Fred Claus
Why 2007’s Fred Claus isn’t more popular is a mystery. The film features a solid cast that includes Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti, Miranda Richardson, John Michael Higgins, Elizabeth Banks, Rachel Weisz, Kathy Bates, and Ludacris and while it was a box office bomb and didn’t get the best reviews from critics, fans were a little warmer on it.
The film follows Fred (Vaughn), the bitter older brother of Santa (Giamatti) who gets bailed out by Santa and brought to the North Pole after he’s arrested and fired from his job. Of course, Fred being kind of a mess eventually causes Nick to snap which forces Fred to step up and be the one to save Christmas. It’s cheesy, but we love a good movie that expands on the holiday mythos and the idea of someone like Santa having something of a loser brother is honestly kind of great.
4) Scrooged
There are a lot of takes on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and that means that one of the most interesting ones sometimes gets overlooked. Released in 1988, Scrooged was directed by Richard Donner and stars Bill Murray as Frank Cross, a selfish television executive who, as he prepares for a live adaptation of A Christmas Carol, is visited by ghosts on Christmas Eve.
The movie performed well at the box office and did well with audiences, though critics were more mixed on the film. That said, it’s gone on to be viewed as a solid alternative to more traditional Christmas films and is an excellent, more modern retelling of a classic holiday tale. The performances in the film are outstanding as well. Murray in particular is delightfully mean in this movie and it’s oddly satisfying.
3) Klaus
2019’s Klaus is an incredible film. The animated film features the voices of Jason Schwartzman, J.K, Simmons, Rashida Jones, Will Sasso, Joan Cusack, and Norm Macdonald among others and was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 92nd Academy Awards, making it the first animated film from Netflix to be nominated. Klaus is something of an alternat origin for Santa Claus, set in the 19th-century and centering around a postman who befriends a reclusive toymaker, Klaus.
Not only is Klaus a heartwarming and surprisingly original story that offers a fresh take on Santa, it’s also just a gorgeous, traditionally animated film. It looks both modern and classic at the same time and might just be a perfect holiday movie experience for audiences of all ages.
2) The Santa Claus
A huge box office hit that spawned multiple sequels, 1994’s The Santa Clause has become something of a holiday classic, but it’s one of those movies that I feel like we just sort of take for granted in terms of how awesome it really is. Released in 1994, The Santa Clause stars Tim Allen as divorced marketing exec Scott Calvin who accidentally causes Santa to fall to his death on Christmas Eve and ends up in a contract that makes him become the new Santa Claus. The film also stars Judge Reinhold, Wendy Crewson, David Krumholtz, and Peter Boyle.
The Santa Clause is just a genuinely old-fashioned holiday movie with themes of family and focusing on what is really important about the season. It’s also funny in all the right ways, and there’s a lot of charm to the movie. It’s a bit predictable, but it’s a lot of fun to watch — and Krumholtz’s Bernard the Head Elf is a national treasure.
1) The Family Man
You can consider The Family Man as a twist on It’s a Wonderful Life. Released in 2000, The Family man stars Nicolas Cage, Tea Leoni, and Don Cheadle. In the film, wealthy Wall Street executive and bachelor who has basically sacrificed everything for his success Jack Campbell (Cage) encounters Cash (Cheadle) who ends up giving Jack a chance to see what his life could be like if his priorities were right.
The film was a box office success and it’s honestly one of Cage’s most underrated film performances. The movie isn’t especially complex and its themes are pretty universal in terms of holiday fare, but the overall experience is actually very grounded and while it is definitely a Christmas movie, it is also just a good movie overall, holiday or not.
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