Christmas movie watch-list!

OH MY GOODNESS!! Can you actually believe it? It is less than a week until Christmas, and I am more excited than an elf on a sugar-high. Christmas is right around the corner, and I’ve barely done the tip of the iceberg in terms of post ideas. Oh well – that means more ideas for next year, right?

One topic that I certainly couldn’t miss out on was Christmas movies. Whether you are enjoying a snowy, white Christmas or one with closer temperatures to the tropics, I doubt anyone would say no to curling up on the couch to watch a holiday film. It is the perfect kind of thing to do solo with a pot of tea or hot chocolate and a sizeable mound of Christmas survival rations, a really romantic date idea or even just a fun way to spend a little extra R and R time with your family.

In case it wasn’t clear already, what with all the Christmas-related blog posts and the abundance of holiday cheer I’m continually throwing out at all of you, I absolutely adore anything Christmas and movies are no exception. So … I’d like to invite you all to join a little challenge with me: to try and watch every single one of the movies on this list before Christmas. You can do it alone, with your partner or with your family but the goal of this challenge is to get you into the holiday spirit but also to force you to take some time for yourself and just relax with your snuggly blanket. So, without further ado, here is my list of favourite holiday films and my challenge for you to get that Christmas cheer going. Good luck!

P.S. If you don’t want to do the challenge that is totally okay. Why not see how many movies you’ve already watched? Or, you could simply use this list for inspiration if you are looking for a festive film. Whatever suits you and your holiday needs and time best.

Love Actually 

This one had to be the top of my list for one reason only – it is probably the only movie my dad has watched more than ten times without complaining. My dad loves films, but he is particular about what he watches and rarely watches a movie more than once unless it is spectacular. With that being said, you can only imagine how good this movie is if he has watched it so many times. It is an excellent mix of romance and comedy, following multiple characters lives as they intersect in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Filled with dozens of comic moments and plenty of love blooming, it is the perfect kind of movie to settle down with and leave you in a happy, Christmassy mood.

A Charlie Brown Christmas

What could be better than Christmas? Snoopy and Christmas that’s what. This is just an adorable movie to watch – I don’t have much more justification than that. I think Charlie Brown might be the original Grinch, or at least gave Dr Seuss the inspiration because if there is one person who has the Yuletide blues, it is Charlie Brown. It’s cute, fun and while it may seem like a silly kids’ movie, it really does get down to chatting about the true meaning of Christmas (which is the prerequisite for any good holiday movie right?)

Deck the Halls

I never would have thought that I would see Ferris Bueller as a tight, controlling character, but he certainly does an excellent job of it in this movie. A guy who claims that Christmas is his holiday, and has every part of it planned and organised to the second takes a disliking to his new neighbours, who have a far more carpe diem approach to the holiday, and life in general. Buddy, the father of the new neighbour family, decides that he would like his house to be seen from space with the use of Christmas lights. This goal sets the two male leads at odds with each other, but unfortunately for them, the rest of their respective families get on incredibly well. This is a heart-warming movie that is filled with so many great laughs and a lot of Christmas decorations. Not only is it incredible to see what that many lights can do, but this movie also perfectly captures the magic of Christmas and the beauty of family. It’s a fantastic watch, and a funny one, if you get the chance. (Plus Danny De Vito’s in it, so it has to be good and funny, right?)

How the Grinch stole Christmas

“You’re a mean one, Mr Grinch.” Well, that is undoubtedly true. This time-honoured Christmas story, thanks to the ingenious mind of Dr Seuss, has been a family favourite for generations. Following the story of a soured Grinch who decides he has had enough of Christmas and will now steal it from the overly festive Whos, this movie is just a marvel to behold. Jim Carrey does a fantastic job capturing the Grinch’s vile hatred for the festive season, as well as a humorous yet sarcastic approach to life. Whoville is what anyone should aspire to in terms of decorating for Christmas, and the purity and heart that emerges through this movie is like nothing I have ever seen before. This is a great movie to watch with the family, as it is not only kid-friendly but teaches some vital lessons about Christmas. However, don’t be deterred by that if you aren’t into overly cheesy, feel-good holiday movies. My boyfriend is a far more critical movie-watcher than I and avoids both cheesy and Christmas films as often as he can (earning the nickname Grinch, funnily enough), but this still stands as his favourite Christmas movie. Give it a watch – you won’t regret it (just make sure you watch the old one with Jim Carrey and not the new animation one. The classic one is better in my opinion).

The Polar Express

A surprisingly few number of people have heard of this movie, which makes me really sad because it really is a great choice. The Polar Express is essentially the story of a young boy who doesn’t really believe in Christmas but goes on an adventure with a bunch of other children on Christmas Eve – a train trip to the North Pole! The film is an excellent mix of fun, good humour, action, and some good old Christmas spirit. And a really catchy, well-choreographed song about hot chocolate. It may be a story that seems told far too often, but I feel that this one truly captures what it means to believe.

Elf

If you’re in the mood for an extremely light-hearted, cheery movie about Christmas, then this is definitely for you. Elf, I’d say, is up there as one of the most-watched Christmas movies, but surprisingly I only heard of it the first Christmas I spent with my boyfriend. Once I watched it, I didn’t understand how I had been missing this movie from my life for this long. Buddy the elf (a human living in the North Pole) is the embodiment of Christmas cheer. He is jolly, pure-hearted and just wants to eat sugar and have a merry time. Unfortunately, this personality doesn’t go so well with the rest of the world when he journeys to New York City to find his real father. It may be a little cheesy, and very Christmassy, but I don’t think any other film will ignite your holiday cheer quite as much as this one. Or it may just convince you to try putting maple syrup on your spaghetti. Who knows?

The Holiday

I restricted myself to one ‘cheesy’ romantic film for this list because otherwise, this whole list would basically be a replica of the Hallmark Channel Christmas romance specials. However, there is a reason this one made the cut above the rest. It is a beautiful love story mixed with a more modern, transatlantic version of the princess and the pauper and it will have you glued to the screen (if you enjoy a romance as much as I do) from the opening scene right up until the credits. Another great thing about this movie is that the Christmas part of it is quite subtle, it is more about the story of the four lead characters occurring around the time of Christmas. A really great display of how love can be found anywhere, this is the perfect film to watch on date night or if you are just in the mood to enjoy some hot chocolate and watch a movie with a lovey, happy ending.

Arthur Christmas

I know I’m mentioning quite a few animated movies on this list, but they tend to get excluded for no reason. Animated films are just as good as live-action, I think, but I also feel that the writers have to work that little bit harder. After all, they have to make the film kid-friendly while also ensuring there is enough in it to stop parents dying of boredom or falling asleep. This is just a really fun film. It isn’t serious or incredibly dramatic, but it is very watchable. It’s Christmas Eve, and Santa has just finished his deliveries except … there was a problem with the automated system, and a child didn’t get a present. Well, Arthur, Santa’s youngest, won’t stand for that and with the help of his geriatric grandfather and a gift-wrapping elf, this neurotic young lad is on a mission to make sure this girl gets the Christmas she deserved. Much like the other more child-friendly movies on this list, this is just another carefree, fun adventure orientating around everything that is Christmassy.

Nightmare before Christmas

Imagine Halloween and Christmas had a baby … Well, that would be this movie. My older brother would probably do a much better job advocating for this film than me because it is one of his all-time favourites, but it is still a great film. I mean can it get better than the king of Halloween deciding to get involved with Christmas too? I guess you’ll just have to watch the movie and see.

Fred Claus 

The story about Santa Claus has been told again and again. There are more traditional versions, more unusual versions, stories about Santa Claus’s kids or personal life. But what about a story about Santa’s older brother? That’s right. You heard me correctly. This is the story of Santa’s older brother, and he could not be more different from his selfless, jolly brother. A whole new approach to Christmas, filled with humour, a little drama and who could forget all the Christmas spirit showered with a little bit of love? This movie is what happens when Santa’s sarcastic, salesman-like brother joins his brother at the North Pole to help out to get some money for a business venture. However, things don’t go exactly as planned. All in all, this is another fun movie with a slightly different take on how to encourage the holiday spirit in everyone.

A Christmas Carol

Last but not least, we have the Grinch’s metaphorical cousin Scrooge. You can’t mention one without the other, as these two comrades with the bah-humbug attitude really do balance out all the Christmas cheer with their balloon-popping, tinsel trashing approach to the festivities. Fair warning though, this movie is not for the faint of heart, but if you can make it through the surprisingly ominous parts, I don’t think another film (apart from maybe The Grinch) captures a change of heart and reintroduction to the magic of Christmas than this one. A classic at its finest, this is undoubtedly a great choice to add to your list.

And so there you have it! I can’t believe I made this whole list without diving deep into my obsession for Hallmark Christmas romances. My family would be so proud (not that there is anything wrong with those films. I spend entire days binge-watching those movies, but they are for a particularly small audience so only listing those would have probably made this post far less popular). By the way, if anyone would like to know some good Hallmark Christmas romances, you can let me know in the comments section, and I’ll send you some of my favourites.

I really hope that you enjoyed this blog post and for those looking for a couple of films to get them into the holiday spirit, I hope you found a few options. I also hope that some of you take up the challenge I’ve set. Please let me know if you complete it and what your favourite film is from the list! I’d love to hear. Also, if you have a favourite holiday film that I’ve missed out, don’t hesitate to share it in the comments section because I am always looking for new Christmas movies to watch. As always, thank you all so much for reading. Please don’t forget to hit that little like button, share this list with your friends and challenge them to complete it and subscribe so that you don’t miss out on future blog posts. I’ll see you guys next time – happy holiday film watching!

Lots of Love

Blondey on a Mission xxx