The Best Holiday Movies

‘Tis the season for cozying up on the couch and binge-watching holiday movies. The only problem is that there are so many to choose from that picking what to watch can be a chore. Here’s a good place to start.

The Classics

Let’s start off with the easy choices — I’m talking “Home Alone,” “It’s a Wonderful Life,” or “Love Actually.” These are best for when you don’t want to endlessly scroll for options, or when you just want a crowd pleaser. Here are a few other favorites.

• “Elf” — Written by Philly’s own David Berenbaum.
• “The Holiday” — Who knew Jack Black could be charming?
• “Little Women” — You have three film adaptations from which to choose!
• “The Nightmare Before Christmas” — We’re all a little bit of Jack Skellington.
• “A Christmas Carol” — This one has many, many film adaptations (including a 1992 Muppets version).
• “Scrooged” — Or you could watch Bill Murray in the modern adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel.
• “Carol” — One of the most beautiful on-screen affairs.

A Word About ‘Bad’ Holiday Movies

As an equal opportunity movie lover, I encourage you to watch whatever flicks you enjoy without an ounce of shame. There is simply no denying the hot-soup levels of comfort you can get from watching Hallmark movies and holiday rom-coms, like the Philly-set “A Royal Christmas.” Don’t let film bros tell you otherwise. One that I enjoy to an unreasonable degree is “Felíz NaviDAD,” starring Mario Lopez and his adorable dimples.

Something Different

• “Die Hard” — The debate on whether this is a Christmas movie rages on. Regardless, it’s a great time to watch. Plus, one of the writers, Steven E. de Souza, is from Philly.
• “Black Christmas” — A 1974 gory horror classic.
• “A Serious Man” — Comedy cringe a-la Coen brothers.
• “The Lodge” — For the horror fans that want to partake in the holiday spirit.
• “Santa Claus” — No, not the one with Tim Allen. I’m referring to the 1959 Mexican film, chock-full of weirdness.
• “The Ice Harvest” — John Cusack as a conniving lawyer pulling a Christmas Eve con is quite enjoyable.
• “Tangerine” — One of my favorites from 2015, this one follows a transgender sex worker in L.A. And it was all shot on an iPhone.

Happy watching!