Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without watching at least one film featuring sleighs, snow or the odd elf. But what makes a really top-notch seasonal movie?
A great Christmas movie is like a great Christmas pudding: A selection of sweet and savoury ingredients, skilfully blended and seasoned to perfection.
BBC Bitesize speaks to journalist and film critic Adam Smith about what he thinks are the essentials for the perfect Yuletide film.
Santa!
Father Christmas, Santa Claus, Saint Nick… Whatever you call him, the star of the holiday season is the guy in the red suit, so it’s no surprise he’s the centre of attention in some of the greatest Christmas movies.
Among the many actors doing the ho-ho-ho on film are Tim Allen in The Santa Clause (1994), Paul Giamatti in Fred Claus (2007), Tom Hanks (well, his voice) in The Polar Express (2004) and John Goodman in The Year Without a Santa Claus (2006).
But, for looks alone, king of the crop must be Sir Richard Attenborough in 1994’s remake of the 1947 classic Miracle On 34th Street.
He didn’t even need to grow a beard.
A darker flavour
Like the strong brandy that gives the Christmas pud its oomph, some of the most memorable Christmas movies have a surprisingly dark elements running through them - even though, since it’s a Christmas movie, we all know things won’t get too worrying.
Joe Dante’s hilarious Gremlins (1984) has mischievous monsters overrunning a small town, Home Alone (1990) pits young Macaulay Culkin against dastardly burglars - who don’t stand a chance - and Tim Burton’s A Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)… Well, the title says it all, really.
An uplifting message
Author Charles Dickens is often credited with having shaped Christmas as we know it today with his story A Christmas Carol. So it’s not surprising the classic tale of miserly Ebeneezer Scrooge who is visited by the ghosts of Christmases Past, Future and Present, has been adapted dozens of times for the big screen - from the 1951 classic black and white film with Alastair Sim to The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), with Sir Michael Caine as Scrooge amidst a host of furry supporting players.
But the story’s uplifting theme, of Christmas bringing redemption and good cheer even to the hardest of hearts, and of it being a time where slightly magical things happen, runs through many great Christmas movies from It’s A Wonderful Life (1946) to How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000). All thanks to Mr Dickens.
A hit Christmas song
It’s surprising how many classic Christmas earworms have their origins in a movie, and often old ones. White Christmas is from Holiday Inn (1942) starring Bing Crosby and Marjorie Reynolds, Silver Bells is from The Lemon Drop Kid (1951) with Bob Hope, while Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas is originally sung by Judy Garland in Meet Me In St. Louis (1944).
And if a movie doesn’t have an original seasonal song, it can always borrow some, like the movie Last Christmas starring and co-written by Emma Thompson, which features the Wham! track of the same title.
Romance
Perhaps it’s because it’s so chilly outside, but heartwarming love stories are at the centre of many great Christmas movies. When Harry Met Sally (1989) has Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan seeing if a man and a woman can be ‘just friends’ (err, yes) and star-studded Brit-hit Love Actually (2003) follows 10 romances over the Christmas period.
And it doesn’t stop there: While You Were Sleeping (1995) has Sandra Bullock finding Christmas romance with Bill Pullman and A Christmas Prince (2017) sees Rose MacGyver falling for heartthrob Ben Lamb. Bring on the mistletoe!
A happy ending
Christmas is no time for grumps or Grinches, and a happy ending is absolutely guaranteed in a great Christmas movie. But the happiest ending of them all must be George Bailey’s in Frank Capra’s It’s A Wonderful Life (1946).
The film often tops Best Christmas Movie lists, and the heartwarming final sequence, which has George reunited with his family around the Christmas tree after being put through the wringer by evil bank manager Henry F. Potter (Lionel Barrymore), is one reason why.
But a shamelessly soppy ending is the hallmark of a great Christmas movie. After all, even The Grinch finally gives Christmas back…
This article was written in December 2019 and updated in December 2025.
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