We all have our yearly rotation of Christmas movies that we turn on to watch while doing something festive like decorating the tree or cracking open the first box of Little Debbie's Christmas Tree cakes. Or, maybe we're trying to escape all our romantic woes, so we turn to The Holiday (2006) or While You Were Sleeping (1995). And every year, whether it's an anniversary or some sort of social media trend, various movies blow up and become more popular than before, with new audiences discovering their magic for the first time. This year, it's the 25th anniversary of How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), and it's already America's favorite Christmas movie.
With data pulled from the JustWatch streaming charts, here's why this is one of the few decisions in America that actually makes sense this year, as well as why How the Grinch Stole Christmas deserves to be the top contender in 2025.
'How The Grinch Stole Christmas' Is America's Favorite Christmas Movie
According to our JustWatch stats, runners-up this year to the most popular Christmas movie are It's a Wonderful Life (1946), Die Hard (1988), and The Grinch (2018), as well as a few others. With 2025 being the 25th anniversary, it really isn't all that shocking that How the Grinch Stole Christmas is America's favorite. Earlier this year, stars Jim Carrey and Taylor Momsen also reunited at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, which made a lot of older fans giddy with excitement.
As one of the best and easily revered live-action adaptations of a children's story, the film has a number of great reasons under its belt to be deemed a favorite. It's sharp, well-cast, gorgeously developed, and the universal themes of acceptance continue to be a relevant talking point that makes us all turn to hopeful Christmas movies mixed with humor we can escape with.
Why 'How The Grinch Stole Christmas' Remains So Popular In 2025
It's often hard to explicitly say why something is so popular, but when we have anniversaries that go beyond a decade, and we still revisit these movies, then we can safely boil it down to the fact that they stand the test of time. Some of us rewatch Christmas movies even when they're bad, but movies like How the Grinch Stole Christmas are an example of excellent adapting, memorable casting, and solid production design that we can still geek out over.
Many of us also have a lot of nostalgia these days, and this is something we can tie in with how excessive CGI and AI are taking over filmmaking and diminishing some of the timeless magic. Movies are not only darker now (physically), but they also don't feel as cozy. If a live-action version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas were made today, it might be terrifying with all the VFX, because thoughtful hair and makeup with the people of Whoville is also what makes the 2000 film so charming.
So, in a lot of ways, How the Grinch Stole Christmas holds up as something we can admire both technically and emotionally. The message also feels especially relevant in today's climate, that othering people only ever leads to chaos and calamity. People should never be excluded from places, and all places should be welcoming. These themes ultimately tie into the spirit of Christmas, and whether we realize it or not, I think many of us are simply desperate to see kindness at the center of everything because everything around us is so bleak.
Should You Watch 'How The Grinch Stole Christmas'?
Absolutely, yes, 100%. The more I personally rewatch How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the more it holds up. It somehow gets funnier, which continues to be such a mood because I don't think any of us realize how often we quote this version of the story. (Help me! I'm feeling!) Show of hands, how many of you get frustrated when your outfit isn't working and you'd simply rather just not go? (I do.)
But also, we really don't give enough credit to Christine Baranski's Martha May in this movie. If you were rooting for The Creature and Elizabeth in Frankenstein (2025), rewatch How the Grinch Stole Christmas because the thematic similarities are as stunning as they are ridiculous.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas isn't the only worthy Dr. Seuss adaptation, but the 2018 version of The Grinch also holds up incredibly well, and the animated version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966) may be even more suited for kids. While the live-action movie is rated PG and not scary or anything of the sort, some of the innuendos may not be appropriate for impressionable minds. It may also fall under the radar for many of them because kids aren't as observant as adults, but still, it's certainly a more mature adaptation. Worthy, nevertheless.
