50 classic Christmas and Thanksgiving movies to watch with your loved ones

If you are wondering why there are so many films curated around holiday season, that’s because it offers itself as the perfect backdrop for a film pertaining to any genre.

In this blog, we have assorted a list of perfect films to watch to make the most out of the most anticipated time of the year.

Home Alone:

Home Alone film series is the ultimate gateway for cozy holiday nights. It stars Macaulay Culkin as bratty 8-year-old Kevin McCallister, who is accidently left alone at home while his family jets off to Paris for a vacation. The timeless classic currently boasts six films in the franchise.

Happy Christmas:

Happy Christmas is a nod to relationship between carefree Jenny and her relatively meek sister-in-law Kelly. It stars Anna Kendrick and Melanie Lynskey as the unlikely duo in this serotonin-laden film.

Spirited:

Spirited is a musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ 1843 novella A Christmas Carol. Will Ferrell stars in the 2022 film as the Ghost of Christmas Present, who sets his sights on morally grey media consultant Clint Briggs, played by Ryan Reynolds, on earth.

Four Christmases:

An unmarried couple is faced with quite a few uncomfortable truths when they are forced to spend their Christmas around a quartet of family get-togethers. Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn star in the 2008 film.

Love Actually:

Primarily a rom-com, Love Actually is set around the holiday season, and features nine intertwined stories come to life by a star-studded ensemble of cast. Hugh Grant, Laura Linney, Alan Rickman, and Emma Thompson are among the cast.

A Christmas Fumble:

The adorable rom-com stars Devale Ellis and Eva Marcille as sports anchor and crisis manager respectively, who are, in a twist of fate, also exes. When the twosome is forced to work together in desperate circumstances, old feelings trump overt denial.

Holidate:

Holidays are certainly not an ideal time to be single. When Sloane and Jackson find themselves feeling left out among the coterie of couples,the two decide to be each other’s plus-one for every holiday. Though, things steer off the track when real feelings start interfering. Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey star.

Falling For Christmas:

Brought together by a tragic accident and a bout of amnesia, Sierra Belmont, played by Lindsay Lohan, Jake Russell, played by Chord Overstreet find themselves leaning towards a forbidden romance.

The Nightmare Before Christmas:

The Nightmare Before Christmas is a Tim Burton’s love letter to the holiday season. It stars Jack Skellington, known as the Pumpkin King, as he attempts to transform his Halloween-themed town with a merry touch of Christmas.

Jack Frost:

Heartwarming family film stars Michael Keaton as the titular character, an aspiring musician who is reincarnated as a snowman after dying in an accident. Kelly Preston and Joseph Cross star as Frost’s widower and their son as they try to make up for lost time with a now-snowman Frost.

Godmothered:

It stars Jillian Bell as an optimistic fairy godmother who recruits herself to help out Isla Fisher’s Mackenzie Walsh in hopes to prove that the world still needs their kind. The 2020 film navigates the hard truths about life in a rather light-hearted way.

Silent Night:

The 2023 action thriller stars Joel Kinnaman as a grieving father hell-bent on revenge against murderers of his young son. Set around the holiday season, Silent Night is a gory select to watch when you need an instant gush of adrenaline.

Thanksgiving:

Things take a turn for worse in an otherwise pacific town of Plymouth, Massachusetts, after a mysterious serial killer, known as John Carver, emerges following a horrid Black Friday riot. Addison Rae, Gina Gershon, Rick Hoffman, and Patrick Demsey star.

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms:

The family fantasy film is a live-action retelling of E. T. A. Hoffmann’s 1816 short story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. It follows a girl known as Clara Stahlbaum, played by Mackenzie Foy, as she is shoved into the magical world of fairies and toy soldiers, after her mother’s death. Keira Knightley and Morgan Freeman also star.

Dashing Through the Snow:

The 2023 Christmas fantasy comedy film stars Chris “Ludacris” Bridges and Teyonah Parris as estranged father-daughter duo, who are forced to reconcile for a magical journey. It is currently streaming on Disney+.

Zombie Town:

Madi Monroe and Marlon Kazadi star as two teenagers, who accidently watch a horror film that turns their whole town into zombies. The twosome set out to search for the infamous filmmakers to fix their mistake.

A Castle for Christmas:

Brooke Shields stars a best-selling author Sophie as she faces off against an ill-tempered duke Myles, played by Cary Elwes, to purchase an opulent castle in Scotland. The 2021 film, directed by Mary Lambert is currently streaming on Netflix.

The Family Man:

The 2000 film stars Nicolas Cage as a carefree bachelor Jack, who finds himself in an alternate reality where he’s married to his ex-girlfriend Kate, Téa Leoni, and have two kids. The Family Man navigates themes of choices, regrets, love, and heartbreak.

Most Guys are Losers:

It follows Andy Buckley as an uptight father Mark as he is intent on finding faults in his daughter Sandy’s, played by Grace Caroline Currey, boyfriend Bo, played by Micheal Provost after the former brings him home for Thanksgiving.

The Noel Diary:

A best-selling author returns to his Connecticut home following the death of his mother, only to find a woman Rachel Campbell in search for answers of her own. The twosome bond over commonalities as well as their shared loss of loved ones. Justin Hartley and Barrett Doss star.

When Harry Met Sally:

Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan as Harry Burns and Sally Albright respectively navigate the complexities of relationships in this classic romance film. It blends elements of humor, drama, and romance to answer the age-old question of whether men and women can truly be friends without romance getting in the way.

Just Getting Started:

Old rivals are forced to work together after Duke Diver, an ex-mob lawyer, played by Morgan Freeman finds himself in a precarious situation. Tommy Lee Jones star as Leo, a former FBI agent and Rene Russo as Suzie.

Letters to Juliet:

A girl names Sophie, played by Amanda Seyfried, joins a volunteer group known as Secretaries to Juliet in Verona, Italy, where she responds to letters seeking romantic advice. When one of her letter reaches Claire, the woman who wrote the letter decades ago, she takes to the city with her grandson Charlie, played by Christopher Egan, to find her long lost love.

Hocus Pocus:

The 1993 fantasy comedy film follows three wicked witches who are intent on causing havoc on those who did them wrong are accidently resurrected by a young boy called Max. Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler, Thora Birch, and Omri Katz star.

The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol:

A 2011 animated short follows Grouchy Smurf, voiced by George Lopez, who doesn’t shy away from vocally expressing his hatred toward Christmas. On a night before the holiday, three spirits appear to teach him to appreciate the holiday.

Edward Scissorhands:

Johnny Depp and Tim Burton reunited to produce the 1990 classic film. It revolves around a titular character, played by Depp, as he navigates his place in society as an unfinished artificial humanoid. Winona Ryder, Dianne Wiest and Anthony Michael Hall also star.

Bridget Jones’s Diary:

The 2001 film is an adaptation of Helen Fielding’s 1996 novel of the same name, which is itself a retelling of Jane Austen’s 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice. It stars Renée Zellweger in titular role, who gets caught between two men, portrayed by Colin Firth and Hugh Grant.

Die Hard:

Set around the holiday season, the action film franchise currently boasts five installments. It stars Bruce Willis as John McClane, a police detective, who continually finds himself in the face of a crisis. It is originally adapted from Roderick Thorp’s 1979 novel titled, Nothing Lasts Forever.

Noelle:

The 2019 film revolves around Santa Claus’s daughter Noelle, played by Anna Kendrick, who travels to the real world to find his brother Nick, played by Bill Hader, so he can take over the family business. Accompanied by her elf Polly, played by Shirley MacLaine, Noelle navigates the themes of kindness and self-discovery throughout her journey.

Black X-mas:

Loosely inspired by the 1974 film of the same name, the horror-slasher film follows a group of sorority girls who are stalked and murdered in their house by a convicted sociopath. Lacey Chabert, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kate Cassidy, Dean Friss star among others.

Free Birds:

Two turkeys named Reggie, voiced by Owen Wilson, and Jake, voiced by Woody Harrelson go back in time to the very first Thanksgiving in order to stop fellow Turkeys from becoming the holiday meal. However, their plans encounter a colonist resistance named Myles Standish, played by Colm Meaney, as he tries to capture them.

A Haunting in Venice:

Kenneth Branagh stars as Hercule Poirot, a retired detective forced to investigate a murder case during a seance at a haunted palazzo. The mystery-horror flick makes for a perfect watch to amp up adrenaline on a cozy night in.

Elf:

New adventures await for William “Buddy” Hobbs, played by Will Ferrell, as he travels to New York in search of his real father, after being raised by Santa Claus’ elves to adulthood.

Last Christmas:

Katarina Andrich’s, played by Emilia Clarke, life is turned upside down after she comes across a a handsome stranger Tom Webster, played by Henry Golding, looking lost outside of the shop she works as an elf in. The heart-warming romantic comedy is an ode to Wham’s titular song.

A Boy Called Christmas:

The 2021 fantasy-adventure film chronicles the journey of you g boy Nikolas, played by Henry Lawfull, as he take along with him a headstrong reindeer and a loyal mouse to look for his father in the North Pole.

Violent Night:

The 2022 film stars David Harbour as Santa Claus as he clashes with an elite team of mercenaries who have taken a wealthy family hostage on Christmas Eve. Beverly D’Angelo, John Leguizamo, Alexis Louder also star. It is currently streaming on Prime Video.

Planes, Trains, in Automobiles:

Neal Page, played by Steve Martin, is gravely tested for his patience as he faces mishaps after mishaps, all while trying to get home to his wife Easily and kids just in time for Thanksgiving. Laila Robins and John Candy also star.

The Family Stone:

Featuring a star-studded cast of Hollywood A-listers, the film offers a perspective on complicated family dynamics, love and heartbreak. It follows Meredith and Julie Morton as tight-knit sisters who travel to Connecticut in hopes to spend time with the former’s boyfriend Everett Stone’s, played by Dermot Mulroney, family on Christmas.

Little Women:

The 2019 romance drama film is the seventh adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s novel of the same name. It revolves around four sisters of contrasting personalities, who are pulled together in the home village in the wake of a family tragedy. Little Women stars the likes of Emma Watson, Timothee Chalamet, and Saoirse Ronan among others.

Monte Carlo:

Starring Selena Gomez, Leighton Meester, and Katie Cassidy, the hilarious romance drama film is the perfect getaway on a holiday. It follows the three friends as they fake their identity to make the most of a week of opulent summer vacation in Monte Carlo.

Candy Corn:

A horror revenge film starring Madison Russ, Pancho Moler, and Courtney Gains among others. It follows a local outcast Jacob Atkins, as he goes on a revenge spree after being resurrected as an eerie creature.

Scream:

The horror film franchise currently boasts six installments – each one more gory than the last. It features a masked killer called Ghostface as they seek out the victim, while retaining anonymity till the very end in each film. It delves into the many tropes of horror films, blending satire with thought-provoking storylines.

Everything Everywhere All At Once:

The Oscar-winning films stars Michelle Yeong as a repulsive mother who is forced to deal with her daughter Jobu Tupaki, played by Stephanie Hsu,tantrums that put the whole world at stake. Jamie Lee Curtis and Ke Huy Quan also star.

The Apology:

Anna Gunn plays Darlene Hagen, an alcoholic mother still coping with the loss of her daughters. Truths are unraveled and secrets are uncovered as she decides to host a family Christmas dinner with her best friend. The thriller film is available to stream on Hulu.

The Grinch:

The classic Christmas creature sees face to face with the residents of Whoville and their unbridled festive spirit. Benedict Cumberbatch stars as the titular character as he is intent on sabotaging the holiday with his devious plans.

A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish

The 2019 retelling of the princess’ tale stars Laura Marano as Kat Decker, who puts her talents to use by cosplaying a singing elf. She comes across her Prince Charming in a Santa suit. Gregg Sulkin stars as Dominic as the twosome finds their way to each other despite resistance from Kat’s step-family.

The Princess Switch:

The heart-warming film franchise follows the story of three look-alike women, played by Vanessa Hudgens. Once the trio discover their uncanny resemblance, they use it to fulfil their long-standing desires – which often follow with hilarious consequences.

Something from Tiffany’s:

Starring the likes of Zoey Deutch, Shay Mitchell, Kendrick Sampson, and Ray Nicholson,the film features an awkward swap of jewelry, which ends up leading the four of them to who they belong to.

Pieces of April:

April Burns, played by Katie Holmes, is keen on proving herself to her emotionally distant family when she invites them to her home in New York City for Thanksgiving. Inexperienced as she is, Burns’ intent culminates into quite many kitchen disaster with a sprinkle of love. Patricia Clarkson, Oliver Platt, and Sean Hayes also star.

The Holiday:

The heart-warming romantic comedy stars Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz as unlucky-in-lovd women Iris and Amanda respectively. The twosome decides to swaps their homes for a Christmas holiday in hopes to navigate new experiences,make new friends, and find their one true love.