The holiday season is a great season to slow down and enjoy some much-needed rest and relaxation after a full year of hard work. One of the best ways to spend some winter downtime is to watch Christmas movies at home.
These Christmas-themed movies are produced by both amateur filmmakers and movie outfits. Some independent moviemakers utilize whoever they can get to work on the project based on their limited budget; a professional wedding videographer, a friend who can do video editing, an audiophile to score the film, whoever’s available and willing to work for a dime. Either way, the holiday season has inspired a lot of moviemakers to come up with fun Christmas movies for folks to see.
We have put together a list of Christmas movies that aren’t as famous as, say Miracle on 34th Street, Elf, or Home Alone, but are equally entertaining and heartwarming, nonetheless.
12 Fun yet Not-So-Famous Christmas-Themed Movies to Enjoy over the Holidays
1. Last Holiday (2006)
Starring: Queen Latifah, LL Cool J, Alicia Witt
What do you get when a person gets wrongfully diagnosed with a terminal disease and goes on to live life with no reservations, expecting to die soon? You have to watch this to find out the madness that ensues.
2. The Night Before (2015)
Starring: Seth Rogen, Antony Mackie, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
This movie might not be one of the classic Christmas comedies you watch every Christmas but it still gives you plenty of belly-aching laughter that is enough to make it earn its spot on this list.
3. Jack Frost (1998)
Starring: Michael Keaton, Kelly Preston
Bad special effects aside, this is a heartwarming story about a man who gets another chance to become the dad he was meant to be. Fun and funny, this movie has all the elements of a good Christmas movie if you can get past the not-so-cool (see what we did there?) SFX.
4. Die Hard (1988)
Starring: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman
Yes. Die Hard IS a Christmas movie. Watch Bruce Willis take on a group of terrorists who hijacked a company Christmas party. This is the ultimate guy-Christmas-flick.
5. Batman Returns (1992)
Starring: Michael Keaton, Danny de Vito, Michelle Pfeiffer
Since Die Hard made it to this list, we’re putting in Batman Returns as well. Although more of a geeky action flick than an actual Christmas movie, the movie took place right around wintertime in Gotham, so… Plus there’s no hotter mistletoe moment in any movie ever than the one here.
6. The Holiday (2006)
Starring: Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet
After facing some really disappointing romances, two women from Los Angeles and London decide to “swap lives” over the holidays. What was meant to be some time spent in isolation to heal and mend became a couple of new opportunities for love and romance.
7. Jingle All the Way (1996)
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sinbad
Watch Arnold and Sinbad, a couple of dads who totally forgot to get their sons a gift for Christmas, duke it out over an action figure and see if you will ever do last-minute Christmas shopping ever again.
8. The Family Stone (2005)
Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker, Dermot Mulroney, Rachel McAdams
This movie’s all-star cast delivers powerfully funny performances in this tale about a family’s hostility to an outsider — in this case, Dermot Mulroney’s girlfriend played by Sarah Jessica Parker. While the premise is all about kicking her out, the story takes a turn for the better.
9. Happy Christmas (2014)
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Melanie Lynskey, Mark Webber, Lena Dunham
This underrated indie offering from director Joe Swanberg is a touching serious comedy about family, parenthood, marriage, and creative life.
10. Little Women (1994)
Starring: Winona Ryder, Susan Sarandon
Among all movie adaptations of literary masterpieces, this 1994 movie is perhaps one of the best ever made. The powerhouse cast churned out exceptional performances for this timeless story.
11. The Santa Clause (1994)
Starring: Tim Allen, Judge Reinhold
This family-friendly Christmas movie deals with every kids’ nightmare: what if Santa fell off a roof and died? Watch funnyman Tim Allen’s shenanigans as he tries to fill in the Big Guy’s shoes.
12. While You Were Sleeping (1995)
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Bill Pullman
A lonely transit worker saves her long-time crush from being run over by a train, meets his family, and falls for his brother. It’s a love story that takes several twists and turns in a hilarious way.
Whip up a batch of eggnog or hot cocoa and get the fireplace started. It’s time to enjoy these Christmas movies with your loved ones.
