The holiday season is finally upon us. Regardless of your religion, it is unlikely that you will be able to escape the peppermint-flavored drinks, the string lights, the jolly music and, of course, the holiday movie nights this month. Maybe your friends will be looking to relax after a long study session this finals season or maybe your mom will force you to watch one at 8 p.m. this winter break. Perhaps you’re looking for a movie to show you the meaning of Christmas. In whatever circumstance you need it, I have compiled a list of my personal favorite holiday movies, ranging from the classics you just haven’t seen yet to some that are only lightly holiday themed. Whatever vibe you’re looking for, I hope I’ve included it here.
12. While You Were Sleeping
A Sandra Bullock rom-com with an absurd plot, While You Were Sleeping is more wintery than Christmassy as the events unfold over Christmas and New Year’s. It’s ridiculous, it’s silly, and Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman have excellent chemistry. If you’re in the mood for romance but you’re a little overwhelmed with the red and green, this is the one for you.
11. Love, Actually
Before watching, I had heard so much about Love, Actually that I felt like I had already seen it. Well, I finally watched it and I can admit it lived up to the hype. It’s genuinely sweet and features a strikingly poignant performance from Emma Thompson in what is an otherwise par-for-the-course holiday film. If you haven’t gotten around to watching it yet, it’s time to give in to the peer pressure.
10. The Holdovers
The Holdovers came out just last year and garnered quite a bit of awards buzz, with a best actor nomination for Paul Giamatti at the Oscars and a win in supporting actress for Da’Vine Joy Randolph. An immersive soundtrack, a clear directorial vision and a lovely message all make for a cute film that I will personally be rewatching this month. It may even make you feel like you personally attended an all-boys private school in 1970s New England. They cultivate a vibe!
9. Little Women (2019)
Greta Gerwig’s best. If you’re a fan of her work for either Lady Bird or Barbie yet you’ve somehow missed this one, the time is now. It stars Timothee Chalamet and Florence Pugh right as their careers begin to take off, and the always consistent Saoirse Ronan. This falls in the more wintery than Christmassy category, but there’s certainly a day this month where that will be what you’re in the mood for. Gerwig’s screenplay is an inspired reworking of the source material. This is my favorite Little Women adaptation, having seen the 1994 and the 1933 as well.
8. The Holiday
I won’t try to pretend that this movie is unknown, but with that being said, it somehow doesn’t have the Christmas classic status of say, Home Alone or Love, Actually, and it really deserves it. All four leads shine, it’s snappy, it’s romantic, it’s American but it’s also British? If you’re looking for an intensely Christmassy holiday romance, this is my personal favorite.
7. Eyes Wide Shut
Just hear me out. I won’t argue that this is a bona fide holiday movie, but there might come a day this month where you’re bored, you want to watch something of the season, but you just can’t do anything so overtly Christmas. Maybe you’re in the mood for something weird. Well here it is. It snows, Christmas occurs, but at the end of the day, Eyes Wide Shut has earned its merit because it’s Kubrick’s final film, it stars two of the best working actors (still true in 2024), and it’s a thriller that will leave you with something to think about.
6. Home Alone
Home Alone is so well known that it’s almost stupid that I’m telling you to watch it. However, I will mention it anyway on the off chance that you’ve just never found the time, or if you’re worried it won’t be as funny now as it was when you were seven years old. I promise, it’s still hilarious.
5. Carol
You may know this as the only gay movie that existed in 2015 (joke). Carol features the excellent Cate Blanchett directed by Todd Haynes, whose most recent project was the critically acclaimed May December. Haynes never fails to be sharp and specific in his vision, and this translates to an immersive and seriously substantial Christmas film.
4. Misery
If you’re into the weird Eyes Wide Shut vibe but you’ve already seen it, then this is your next watch. Starring absolute all-timer performances from Kathy Bates and James Caan, this film opens with a giant and very consequential snowstorm, but the plot is not so centered on the holidays themselves. Bordering the line between thriller and horror (it’s a Stephen King adaptation), it was scary enough and sharp enough that I actually screamed out loud. 10 out of 10.
3. Charlie Brown Christmas
Give in to the nostalgia of the season and take 25 minutes to watch this childhood classic. It’s still so sweet.
2. When Harry Met Sally
I’m throwing in a New Year’s one. Rightfully deemed one of the best romantic comedies of all time, while When Harry Met Sally takes us through many years and seasons, its most iconic moment takes place on New Year’s Eve. It is imperative that you squeeze this in that liminal Dec. 25 to Dec. 31 space.
1. It’s a Wonderful Life
I cannot emphasize enough to you how much you need to watch this movie. Maybe you think you don’t like old, black-and-white movies, but this is the one to try. Laugh-out-loud funny and genuinely touching, this is the Christmas classic because it emphasizes the best of the holidays while still just being excellently made.
Happy watching!
Chloe Asack is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at [email protected].