# The best Christmas movies of all time

The Christmas films voted best by Empire readers and ranked highest on IMDb, from It's a Wonderful Life to Home Alone and Elf.

- 248 votes · 13 items
- Nov 16, 2025 · Sean
- https://even.best/en/l/552/the-best-christmas-movies-of-all-time

## Top 12

1. **It's a Wonderful Life** (26 · ▲28 ▼2) — Frank Capra, 1946. George Bailey sees what the world would be like without him; 8.6 on IMDb.
2. **Elf** (24 · ▲24 ▼0) — Jon Favreau, 2003. Will Ferrell, a human raised by Santa's elves, arrives in New York.
3. **Home Alone** (20 · ▲23 ▼3) — Chris Columbus, 1990. Kevin defends the house from two burglars; often voted the ultimate Christmas film.
4. **Love Actually** (20 · ▲22 ▼2) — Richard Curtis, 2003. Ten love stories in Christmas-time London.
5. **Scrooge (A Christmas Carol)** (18 · ▲19 ▼1) — Brian Desmond Hurst, 1951. Alastair Sim's definitive Scrooge; 8.1 on IMDb.
6. **The Muppet Christmas Carol** (13 · ▲17 ▼4) — Brian Henson, 1992. Michael Caine as Scrooge among the Muppets.
7. **A Christmas Story** (12 · ▲15 ▼3) — Bob Clark, 1983. Ralphie and his dream of a Red Ryder BB gun.
8. **The Nightmare Before Christmas** (12 · ▲14 ▼2) — Henry Selick, 1993. Jack Skellington discovers Christmas Town; Tim Burton's stop-motion.
9. **Die Hard** (11 · ▲15 ▼4) — John McTiernan, 1988. Bruce Willis at a Christmas Eve office party taken hostage; the eternal 'is it a Christmas film?' debate.
10. **Miracle on 34th Street** (11 · ▲12 ▼1) — George Seaton, 1947. A department-store Santa claims to be the real one; 7.9 on IMDb.
11. **Gremlins** (8 · ▲10 ▼2) — Joe Dante, 1984. Three rules for a mogwai, broken just before Christmas.
12. **Klaus** (6 · ▲6 ▼0) — Sergio Pablos' 2019 Netflix animated film about the origins of Santa Claus, BAFTA winner.
13. **National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation** (3 · ▲11 ▼8) — Jeremiah Chechik, 1989. Chevy Chase and a family Christmas where everything goes wrong.

How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.