When you’re in the mood for a good Christmas comedy, you’ve got choices: rom-coms, musicals, puppet shows, cartoons… and a truly shocking number of Charles Dickens adaptations. There are also several streaming platforms at your disposal, most of which are awash with holiday content. In fact, there are so many seasonal titles out there that it can be difficult to find one that’s truly worth a watch (or rewatch).
Whether you’re looking for tried-and-true classics or new favorites, there are plenty of yuletide options available. Here’s Entertainment Weekly’s list of the 20 best Christmas comedies ready to stream right now.
A Christmas Story (1983)
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Look, TBS doesn’t shove this movie down our throats for 24 hours straight for no reason. We keep gobbling it up because there is nothing quite like A Christmas Story’s warped childhood fable. Who among us hasn’t desperately yearned for one specific gift (and shot ourselves in the eye with it)? Who hasn’t eaten mashed potatoes like a piggy? Whose father didn’t win a major award that embarrassed our mother in front of the entire neighborhood?
The film’s framing as a nostalgic look back at narrator Ralphie’s childhood makes it all the more relatable; it feels like our best, most surreal Christmas memory. —Chris Bellamy
Where to watch A Christmas Story: Max
Director: Bob Clark
Cast: Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin
Related content: A Christmas Story cast: Where are they now?
Bad Santa (2003)
Terry Zwigoff’s rude and crude Christmas comedy allows star Billy Bob Thornton to play merrily against his serious reputation. As a lowlife criminal who takes a job as a department store Santa each holiday season so he can rob the store on Christmas Eve, Thornton displays an admirable willingness to go as far as the role requires.
As he told PeopleTV about the drunk mall scene, “I drank about three glasses of red wine for breakfast… Then I switched over to vodka and cranberry juice, and then I had a few Bud Lights. By the time I got to that scene there, I barely knew I was in a movie.” Bad Santa is an exquisite, dark, festive classic, but you’d best avoid the 2016 sequel. —Declan Gallagher
Where to watch Bad Santa: Paramount+
Director: Terry Zwigoff
Cast: Billy Bob Thornton, Brett Kelly, Lauren Graham, John Ritter, Cloris Leachman
Related content: Violent Night star David Harbour says he’d fight Billy Bob Thornton’s Santa ‘any day of the week’
Elf (2003)
New Line
Elf could have just been a standard fish-out-of-water comedy, as adult human and honorary elf Buddy (Will Ferrell) travels from the North Pole to NYC in search of his father (James Caan). But Ferrell’s live-wire, wide-eyed wonder at urban drudgery makes for a far more magical Christmas movie.
Buddy is a maddening, fascinating presence to everyone he comes across, whether by garnishing his spaghetti with copious amounts of candy or tackling a Santa “imposter” at a toy store. What elevates this comedy into a classic is Ferrell’s unwavering commitment to the bit, being both an instigator of constant chaos and a symbol of true innocence. In other words, he’s pure Christmas perfection. —C.B.
Director: Jon Favreau
Cast: Will Ferrell, James Caan, Zooey Deschanel, Mary Steenburgen
Related content: Will Ferrell should have gotten an Oscar nom for Elf, says Love Actually director
Scrooged (1988)
Paramount Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection
A cruel, selfish TV executive is ghosted in this modern take on Dickens. Bill Murray makes an utterly convincing Scrooge figure, dripping with sarcastic disdain as he fires employees, gives miserly presents, and makes everyone work on Christmas. But soon a handful of ghost visitors — including Carol Kane and David Johansen — scare this sucker straight.
This truly is a dark comedy, from the gnarly character designs to the ruthlessly cynical heart of our corporate antihero. Murray’s unparalleled smarm and flawless comic timing give us a vintage feel-bad movie that gradually transforms into a feel-good charmer. —Danny Horn
Where to watch Scrooged: Paramount+
Director: Richard Donner
Cast: Bill Murray, Karen Allen, John Forsythe, Alfre Woodard, Bobcat Goldthwait, Robert Mitchum
Related content: Scrooged: The most underrated Christmas movie ever?
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
This highly rewatchable Christmas favorite satirizes the insanity of the holiday season. Husband and father Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) uproots an oversized Christmas tree, decorates his house with enough lights to cause a citywide power outage, and wrangles annoying family members, all in the hope of forcing a perfect Christmas. Naturally, just about everything goes wrong, with Clark reaching his breaking point when his year-end bonus doesn’t materialize.
Christmas Vacation excels best in the chaos, from Clark’s yuppie neighbors being perpetually tormented by him to the anarchic family dinners (blissfully unaware Aunt Bethany is our personal MVP). —Kevin Jacobsen
Where to watch National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation: Max
Director: Jeremiah S. Chechik
Cast: Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Randy Quaid, Juliette Lewis, Johnny Galecki
Related content: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation cast: Where are they now?
Love Actually (2003)
Universal/courtesy Everett Collection
It’s an annual debate: Is Love Actually the perfect Christmas rom-com or a bleak cringe-fest? On one hand, it’s chock full of movie stars messily linking up over the holidays. On the other hand, some romantic gestures involve betrayal and creepy wedding videos…
Whichever side you choose, the argument is just as engrossing as the film, so it’s probably doing something right. The cast is hard to argue with, and from a pure comedy standpoint, Bill Nighy’s brazenly un-P.C. aging rock star and Rowan Atkinson’s overcommitted gift wrap specialist add the perfect amount of salt to the sweet. —D.H.
Where to watch Love Actually: Amazon Prime Video
Director: Richard Curtis
Cast: Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Keira Knightley, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Laura Linney, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Bill Nighy, Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman
Related content: Love Actually director Richard Curtis admits the ‘stalker scene’ is ‘a bit weird’
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020)
Gareth Gatrell/NETFLIX
A Willy Wonka-esque inventor brings magical toys to life in this exuberant Victorian steampunk fable. Jeronicus Jangle (Forest Whitaker) closed his toy shop years ago after being betrayed by an old friend turned rival. Now, his precocious granddaughter insists he can rediscover his creative spark.
The show-stopping musical numbers, written by John Legend, add another upbeat and anachronistic flavor to this genre-bending cocktail. The cast nails their roles, but the true scene-stealer is Jeronicus’ finest achievement: the little robot Buddy 3000, a wide-eyed cutie who can walk, talk, fly, and get into trouble. —D.H.
Where to watch Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey: Netflix
EW grade: B+ (read the review)
Director: David E. Talbert
Cast: Forest Whitaker, Keegan-Michael Key, Hugh Bonneville, Anika Noni Rose
Related content: Move over, Baby Yoda! Jingle Jangle robot Buddy 3000 will steal your heart
Jingle All the Way (1996)
20th Century Studios
A shopping trip becomes an epic quest in this frantic farce about a workaholic dad (Arnold Schwarzenegger) trying to make up for his neglect by nabbing the year’s hottest toy — which is sadly sold out. A local postman (Sinbad) makes a similar vow to his own son, pitting the fathers against each other on their search for the last Turbo Man.
The film makes terrific slapstick use of Schwarzenegger’s action-hero persona (including his immaculate comic timing), pitting him against charging reindeer and scam artist Santas, and dressing him up as Turbo Man for a chaotic parade. —D.H.
Where to watch Jingle All the Way: Disney+
Director: Brian Levant
Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sinbad, Phil Hartman, Rita Wilson
Related content: In defense of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Jingle All the Way
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
Everett Collection
This Peanuts special is almost 60 years old, but its heart hasn’t aged a day. With Christmas approaching quickly, loveable loser Charlie Brown is worried the holiday season has become too commercial; after all, the other kids only care about presents and flashy decorations. Few works have the timeless appeal of this TV special, which is genuine in a way contemporary kid comedies — often sarcastic, always loud — can’t approach. Though very funny, it isn’t afraid of melancholy, either, with a quiet calmness that allows the soul of the season to sink in. —D.H.
Where to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas: AppleTV+
Director: Bill Melendez
Cast: Peter Robbins, Tracy Stratford, Christopher Shea
Related content: Listen to never-before-heard, unearthed version of A Charlie Brown Christmas song
The Santa Clause (1994)
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Santa takes a tumble off an icy roof on Christmas Eve, leaving divorced dad Scott Calvin (an un-jolly Tim Allen) to deliver the remaining presents. At daybreak, he’s informed that he’s the new Santa, a job he does not want. His comic transformation — gaining weight, growing a white beard, recognizing which children are naughty or nice — is both absurd and inevitable (did we mention his heart beats to the tune of “Jingle Bells?”) but there’s a soul to the story, too.
The Santa Clause follows a time-honored movie tradition of divorced dads healing their fractured families — and cynics learning how to believe again. —D.H.
Where to watch The Santa Clause: Disney+
Director: John Pasquin
Cast: Tim Allen, Judge Reinhold, Wendy Crewson, Eric Lloyd, David Krumholtz
Related content: Tim Allen talks working with his real-life daughter on The Santa Clauses
The Holiday (2006)
Columbia Pictures/Everett
Christmas and Nancy Meyers is a match made in cinematic heaven. This dreamy romantic comedy centers on Amanda (Cameron Diaz) and Iris (Kate Winslet) as a pair of women struggling with their love lives who subsequently agree to swap houses for the holidays and escape their problems. Amanda has a meet-cute with Iris’ book editor brother Graham (a dashing Jude Law) while Iris hits it off with film composer Miles (Jack Black, cast refreshingly against-type).
Christmas can be a time of reflection, and this film is all about taking stock of your life and finding a way forward, even if it means escaping into a different world for a bit. —K.J.
Where to watch The Holiday: Amazon Prime Video
Director: Nancy Meyers
Cast: Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Jack Black, Eli Wallach
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)
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As the title implies, How the Grinch Stole Christmas! offers a step-by-step guide to destroying other people’s happiness. The Grinch, a furious grouch living on the outskirts of Whoville, decides to ruin the holiday by posing as Santa Claus and stealing everyone’s presents, decorations, and feasts.
Legendary animator Chuck Jones adapts this beloved Dr. Seuss story, giving the villain his unforgettable sneers and grimaces while “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” makes an unusually catchy holiday carol. And of course, there’s no better way to introduce your impressionable children to the villainous voice of Boris Karloff. —D.H.
Where to watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas!: Peacock
Director: Chuck Jones
Cast: Boris Karloff, June Foray, Thurl Ravenscroft, Dallas McKennon
Related content: How the Grinch Stole Christmas is getting a sequel book not by Dr. Seuss
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
The social media trend of imagining Muppets versions of classic stories began with this tuneful adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. The film features a delightfully sour Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge alongside Kermit the Frog as Bob Cratchit, little Robin as Tiny Tim, and Gonzo the Great as Dickens, narrating the tale with the help (or hindrance) of his friend Rizzo the Rat.
The result is a remarkably faithful rendition, at turns funny, wistful, gloomy, and joyful. But what fully sells it is Caine, who commits to the role with full-throated dramatic authenticity. —D.H.
Where to watch The Muppet Christmas Carol: Disney+
Director: Brian Henson
Cast: Michael Caine, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Frank Oz
Related content: The Muppets sit down with Brett Goldstein to reminisce about making The Muppet Christmas Carol
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Buena Vista Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
Christmas and Halloween collide in this clever stop-motion holiday mash-up dreamed up by Tim Burton. Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, stumbles upon the neighboring Christmas Town, with its mysterious artifacts like snow, carols, and elves. Inspired, Jack decides to stage his own macabre version of Christmas, complete with skeleton reindeer and presents that fight back.
Nightmare is proof that two diametrically opposed things can work in harmony if you commit wholeheartedly to both: ghoulish horror and Christmas cheer, music and the macabre, and Burton’s unique mix of scary and silly. It’s a holiday treat no matter which holiday you’re celebrating. —D.H.
Where to watch The Nightmare Before Christmas: Disney+
Director: Henry Selick
Cast: Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O’Hara, William Hickey
Related content: Is The Nightmare Before Christmas a Halloween or Christmas movie? An EW debate
The Family Stone (2005)
The Family Stone combines the warmth of a Christmas dinner with the madcap design of a vintage romantic comedy — feast on the accidents, the misunderstandings, and the musical chairs plotting. It all revolves around the (shocker) Stone family, whose strapping eldest son Everett (Dermot Mulroney) brings his girlfriend Meredith (Sarah Jessica Parker) home for the holidays.
To say things don’t go smoothly is an understatement. What follows is the kind of family drama that hurts and the kind of family comedy that makes you feel like celebrating Christmas in the first place. —C.B.
Where to watch The Family Stone: Hulu
EW grade: N/A (read the review)
Director: Thomas Bezucha
Cast: Diane Keaton, Craig T. Nelson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Dermot Mulroney, Rachel McAdams, Claire Danes, Tyrone Giordano, Luke Wilson
Related content: EW debates The Family Stone: The best Christmas movie, or the worst?
Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas (2021)
BBC one
From Aardman’s Shaun the Sheep franchise, this holiday special sees little lamb Timmy separated from his flock on Christmas Eve. He jumps into a gift-wrapped box and hitches a ride to the town’s Christmas festival, where an enthusiastic young girl intends to keep him as her new “toy” sheep. You know what that means: Shaun has to lead a daring late-night rescue operation to save Timmy from the girl’s house. True to Aardman form, Flight Before Christmas is a marvel of imagination and physical comedy. The visual gags alone are worth a rewatch (or two). —D.H.
Where to watch Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas: Netflix
Director: Steve Cox
Cast: Justin Fletcher, John Sparkes, Laura Aikman, Marcus Brigstocke
The Christmas Chronicles (2018)
Trying to catch Santa Claus on camera, a brother and sister throw him off his game, leaving him stranded in downtown Chicago without his reindeer, magic hat, or sack of presents. It’s up to the kids and the not-so-jolly old fellow (Kurt Russell) to brave the dark streets and gather up his accouterments in time to save Christmas.
“Things going awry on Christmas Eve” is practically a genre unto itself, but how many have Santa stealing a car, getting chased by the cops, and having to talk (and sing) his way out of jail? Friends, that’s a genre of one — and Russell, for his part, makes a one-of-a-kind Santa. —D.H.
Where to watch The Christmas Chronicles: Netflix
EW grade: N/A (read the review)
Director: Clay Kaytis
Cast: Kurt Russell, Darby Camp, Judah Lewis, Kimberly Williams-Paisley
Related content: Chris Columbus takes us inside The Christmas Chronicles 2 magical musical moment
Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas (1977)
Jim Henson Studios
Jim Henson brings a village of furry woodland creatures to life in this festive holiday special. Emmet Otter and his widowed mother secretly want to give each other something special for Christmas; both, without the other knowing, plan to enter the town talent contest to earn the requisite prize money. However, their dreams are threatened by the hoodlums in the Riverbottom Gang.
Henson constructs an adorable miniature world for this special using a clever mix of puppets, marionettes, and animatronics, punctuated by soulful tunes by songwriter Paul Williams. —D.H.
Where to watch Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas: Peacock
Director: Jim Henson
Cast: Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt
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