The 7 Best Christmas Movies to Watch in 2025

If you’re keen to dive into an alternative Christmas story, The Holdovers is the one for you. Sure, it’s got underlying themes of kindness, family, and purpose that ring true for most festive films, but this Alexander Payne dramedy also comes with a healthy dose of cynicism and comedic bite that you don’t often find in Christmas movies. It’s essentially a story of three rather lonely people – an abrasive tutor, a sweet cook, and a troubled teen – who find an unlikely connection after being forced to spend the holidays together.

I remember when The Holdovers was released and, over the course of a couple of weeks, each day it felt like a different friend of mine had seen it and fallen head over heels in love. I think I actually got to it last out of my friendship group, but I felt exactly the same. It’s now absolutely part of our annual tradition to all watch it and wax lyrical about how funny and utterly charming it is. If you’re a fan of films like The Edge of Seventeen, Submarine, and A Real Pain, this could well become your new favourite Christmas movie.

From one of the most charming Christmas movies to one of the downright coolest, Batman Returns is the ideal choice for any superhero-obsessed film fans who aren’t about to get bogged down in the debate as to what actually constitutes a Christmas movie. Is it set at Christmas? Yes. And that’s all we need to include it on this list! 

Batman Returns is the sequel to Tim Burton’s brilliant Batman of 1989, and this time, the Caped Crusader has not one, but two villains to deal with: Catwoman and the Penguin. Honestly, you can keep your MCU and forget about James Gunn’s nascent DCU; superhero movies simply do not look as good as this anymore. The snowy streets of Gotham City are captured by Burton with all the dark, surrealist style he’s renowned for, bringing a gothic twist to the festive season. But it’s not all style and no substance with this one; no, Burton puts together a thrilling Batman story that feels ripped right out of the comics, with thrilling twists, violence, and top-tier heroics. 

If you’re a fan of Burton’s other work like Sleepy Hollow, Guillermo del Toro’s Crimson Peak, or even The Crow, you’re going to really dig this film.

Christmas isn’t the same unless you’re watching quaint animated movies with the family, right? And if you need something to please adults and children alike, you should look no further than Klaus. 

This Netflix original offers an interesting take on the origins of Santa Claus, taking viewers to the remote town of Smeerensburg where conflict between two warring families has sucked the joy out of too many childhoods… Until a reluctant postman comes along and changes everything.

For me, the staples of Christmas movie viewing have always been Elf and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I never believed anything would muscle in on that territory, but Klaus did it. In fact, I’d go as far as to say it’s now my favourite Christmas movie. Its animation style is absolutely stunning, for a start, and it’s also incredibly funny. More than anything, Klaus will hit you in the feels. I hardly ever cry at films, but this one gets me every single time.

From a modern favourite to an old classic, I would go as far as to say that It’s a Wonderful Life is not just the best film on this list, it’s one of the most perfect movies ever made. 

Almost 80 years on, the story of George Bailey is still warming hearts every Christmas. It’s a movie packed with joy; one that reminds us the importance of selflessness, togetherness, and most of all, love. Be warned, though, it’s not without its sad moments – albeit those very special kind of sad moments where you wipe away a tear with a big smile on your face.

This film will always have a special place in my heart as it’s one my grandmother used to watch with me when I was a child (it’s her favourite Christmas movie). Now as an adult, I’ve made it my mission to watch It’s a Wonderful Life every year, and I somehow seem to love it more and more every time. I watched it at the cinema in 2024, and I’ll be doing so again this year. Whether it’s on a big cinema screen or cozying up in front of the fire at home, it’s impossible not to be enamored with this most magical of films.

If the thought of watching sweet Christmas movies that make you feel all fuzzy inside gives you the ick, you might want to inject a spot of horror into your holidays. The original Black Christmas is a great pick for this time of year. It’s basically a home invasion, slasher-style horror movie akin to the likes of Halloween and Scream, but it’s set in a sorority house at Christmas!

At just over an hour and a half, it’s also not going to take up much of your valuable time, but it still packs quite the punch, with several gnarly scenes and a really creepy, mysterious killer behind it all. I’ll admit, it’s not the kind of film I’ll be watching every year, but if you want to go against the grain, this would be a perfect choice for a fun and frightening movie night with your friends – just make sure you lock the door first.

New Christmas films come out every year, and all we can do is take a gamble on the ones we think look good and hope that they’ll become part of our festive roster for years to come. This year’s Christmas Karma is exactly that – a gamble. This twist on the classic Charles Dickens story, A Christmas Carol, has only just hit cinema screens, so you’d have to venture out and watch it, but that’s all part of the fun.

For a start, you can’t really go wrong when a film follows the blueprint of Dickens’ incredible tale. In many ways, It’s a Wonderful Life riffs on that core idea, and look how good that is! Plus, with a cast including the likes of Kunal Nayyar (who played Raj in The Big Bang Theory), Hugh Bonneville, Eva Longoria, and Danny Dyer, you just know this is going to be an entertaining take on the original story. 

And if you don’t fancy trying something new, you could always watch The Muppet Christmas Carol instead. I wouldn’t blame you – it’s absolutely perfect.

We’ll round out this list with a little something for the romantics in the room. Yes, it’s full of cheesy clichés, but The Holiday knows its target audience and it nails the required tone. So much so, in fact, that it’s a bona fide classic for this time of year. My partner insists we watch it every holiday season, and while I initially grumbled about this, it’s getting harder and harder to hide the fact that I now secretly quite like this rather endearing rom-rom.

It’s a story of two women who are unlucky in love and decide to swap lives for the holidays. One heads for the British countryside, while the other embarks on an adventure in LA. And wouldn’t you know it, they both find their dream man and live happily ever after. There’s no better Christmas movie for a lovely little date night, and anyone who’s into the likes of Bridget Jones’ Diary, Love Actually, or Nora Ephron movies like You’ve Got Mail is going to swoon over this one, for sure.