Editor’s note: This story was originally published Nov 26, 2023.
Break up the stress of the holidays this year with some Christmas comedies. These funny holiday movies will keep the Christmas joy alive as you laugh all the way through them.
Here are 10 Christmas comedies to keep you and your family laughing all season.
The 10 best Christmas comedies
1. ‘Home Alone’
Kevin McCallister’s (Macaulay Culkin) Christmas wish came early. His family is in Europe. And he’s finally home alone. While his mom (Catherine O’Hara) desperately searches for a way home to the son she accidentally left behind, Kevin is left to man the house. When he discovers that a pair of thieves plan to rob his home, Kevin booby-traps the home to keep them at bay.
Where to watch: Disney+.
Rated: PG.
2. ‘Last Holiday’
When reserved saleswoman Georgia Byrd (Queen Latifah) is diagnosed with a terminal illness, she decides to live up her final weeks of life. Georgia withdraws her life savings, heads to Europe and spends the holidays living like a millionaire. The only dream she can’t buy is her longtime crush, Sean Matthews (LL Cool J).
Where to watch: Paramount+.
Rated: PG-13.
3. ‘The Santa Clause’
Cranky single father Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) is spending Christmas Eve with his son, Charlie (Eric Lloyd). The night takes a wild turn when Scott accidentally kills a man in a Santa suit — who turns out to be the real thing. Now, it is Scott’s responsibility to take Santa’s place and save Christmas. Once the holiday is over, Scott dismisses the bizarre night as a dream. But over the following months, he experiences inexplicable weight gain and can’t stop growing a white beard.
Where to watch: Disney+.
Rated: PG.
4. ‘The Holiday’
Californian Amanda (Cameron Diaz) and English Iris (Kate Winslet) want the same thing this Christmas — to escape their depressing love lives. The pair meet online and create a plan to swap homes over the holidays. Iris finds herself in a Beverly Hills mansion and Amanda enjoys a cozy English cottage. They both find charming local men (Jude Law, Jack Black) who offer a romantic pick-me-up.
Where to watch: Hulu.
Rated: PG-13.
5. ‘Elf’
Buddy (Will Ferrell) was raised in the North Pole among Santa’s elves. Haunted by the feeling he does not belong, Buddy takes off for New York City in search of his biological father, Walter Hobbs (James Caan). Walter discounts Buddy as a nut, but when a DNA test proves Buddy’s claims, Walter attempts to embrace Buddy as a son.
Where to watch: Max.
Rated: PG.
6. ‘The Grinch’
The Grinch (Benedict Cumberbatch) lives an isolated existence on Mount Crumpet with only his dog, Max, to keep him company. Bitter about the Whos’ annual Christmas celebrations — which seem to get bigger, brighter and louder each year — the Grinch hatches a plan to steal their holiday.
Where to watch: Peacock.
Rated: PG.
7. ‘Scrooged’
In this modern adaptation of “A Christmas Carol,” successful television executive Frank Cross (Bill Murray) is a cold-hearted, self-absorbed grump who has driven away the woman he loves (Karen Allen). When he fires a staff member, Eliot Loudermilk (Bobcat Goldthwait), on Christmas Eve, Frank receives visits from a series of ghosts who urge him to rethink his ways.
Where to watch: Paramount+.
Rated: PG-13.
8. ‘Jingle All The Way’
The hottest toy of the season is a Turbo-man doll and that’s the only thing Jamie (Jake Lloyd) can talk about. His workaholic father, Howard Langston (Arnold Schwarzenegger), promises his wife Liz (Rita Wilson) that he already got the toy — but he didn’t. Now it’s Christmas Eve and Turbo-man dolls are impossible to find. Howard sets off on a mission to find the gift, slowed down by mailman Myron (Sinbad), who is on the same quest.
Where to watch: Disney+.
Rated: PG.
9. ‘A Christmas Story’
Ralphie Parker (Peter Billingsley) has one wish this Christmas, to get a “Red Ryder air rifle.” But making it to the holiday in one piece might be his biggest challenge. Between outsmarting (or outrunning) schoolyard bullies, staying calm around his curmudgeonly father and persuading a mall Santa to deliver his Christmas wish, Ralphie’s patience and Christmas spirit are put to the test.
Where to watch: Max.
Rated: PG.
10. ‘Christmas in Connecticut’
Journalist Elizabeth Lane (Barbara Stanwyck) is famous for her “Diary of a Housewife” column, but the entire thing is a sham. She has no husband, no children and cannot cook. Her secret is threatened when a returning war hero, Jefferson Jones (Dennis Morgan), is sent to spend the holidays with Elizabeth on her farm.
Where to watch: Max.
Rated: Not rated.