You can reignite the years-long debate over whether Die Hard is a festive film
Everyone has their go-to Christmas film that brings comfort each – but data can offer a hassle-free approach to finding something that will satisfy the entire household. Drawing on viewer and professional ratings from film review platforms Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB, we’ve compiled a definitive list of the greatest Christmas films ever made.
Leading the pack is a seasonal favourite from 1946 that earned exceptional praise from both critics and audiences on both sites. Jimmy Stewart’s memorable portrayal of a struggling businessman contemplating whether he should have existed doesn’t immediately suggest festive cheer.
However, his guardian angel’s involvement transformed It’s A Wonderful Life into an enduring and uplifting Christmas treasure that continues to captivate viewers decades later. Rotten Tomatoes describes the film as “the holiday classic to define all holiday classics” and “one of a handful of films worth an annual viewing”.
Critics awarded it a 94% “fresh” rating whilst audiences gave it 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, alongside an 8.6 out of 10 score on IMDB. This represents the highest combined rating across both review platforms.
Second place goes to the exquisitely hand-animated feature Klaus from 2019, which follows a postal worker who develops a friendship with an isolated toy craftsman.
Taking third position is a much more recent movie from 2023. The Holdovers stars Paul Giamatti as a gruff educator tasked with supervising pupils with nowhere to go during the Christmas holidays.
He develops an unexpected connection with an intelligent yet troubled student and the school’s cook in a movie Rotten Tomatoes described as a “thought-provoking dramedy for viewers seeking a dialogue-driven movie with a throwback feel”.
The remaining top 10 features Jimmy Stewart’s romantic tale The Shop Around The Corner, Bruce Willis’s legendary festive action thriller Die Hard, the Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine comedy The Apartment, and Tim Burton’s animated musical fantasy, The Nightmare Before Christmas.
However, the research also highlights some films you’d be wise to steer clear of. Rotten Tomatoes data shows that Deck The Halls – the 2006 comedy featuring Matthew Broderick and Danny DeVito – received the harshest treatment from critics.
2016’s Red Christmas, starring Dee Wallace as a mother defending her family against a grotesquely disfigured killer, proved least popular with audiences. IMDB users, meanwhile, crowned The Mean One, the 2022 horror about a Christmas-loathing murderer dressed as Santa, as the poorest-rated festive film.
When all ratings are amalgamated, Deck The Halls ties for the title of worst Christmas movie with A Merry Friggin’ Christmas (2014), featuring the late Robin Williams, which failed to win over both audiences and critics.
