Christmas is nearly here and you and your family must be bracing up for the holiday time. And while you spend some quality family time together, you’re bound to watch a Christmas flick or two or ten. Well, I am pretty sure you might have tons of Christmas movies which are special and personal to you and your family. But there is no harm in trying out something new which might become your new Christmas tradition. As it happens, this year quite a few Christmas movies have been released including like Dashing Through the Snow, Candy Cane Lane, Best Christmas Ever, Genie etc. However, on this list you’ll find the very best of such films which would not just entertain you but teach you a couple of lessons as well. So, here we go!
5. Elemental
This isn’t exactly a Christmas themed movie but Elemental is surely one of the finest family films you can enjoy on Christmas this year. he story of Disney Pixar’s Elemental is of one of the greatest comebacks in Hollywood history. The film debuted with a Rotten Score of 57% and was assumed to be another misfire from Disney Pixar. But things turn around thanks to its incredibly positive word of mouth which shot up its critics rating to 74% and audience rating to 93%. It has almost everything one expects of a Pixar film – lots of creativity, some heartful tearjerker moments, and a few meaningful life lessons. Keeping a few faults aside, the film really set Pixar back on track and is surely the most visually spellbinding and satisfying films since Avatar: Way of Water. Elemental is available to stream on Disney Plus.
4. Merry Little Batman
Next on our next is Merry Little Batman, a 2023 animated superhero film helmed by director Mike Roth and scripted by Morgan Evans and Jase Ricci. The storyline, credited to Evans and Roth, draws inspiration from DC Comics, showcasing characters such as Batman and Damian Wayne. On December 8, 2023, the movie premiered on Amazon Prime Video, earning acclaim for its animation, storyline, and voice cast, notably Kibreab as Damian. Another good news is that a spin-off series to the film called Bat-Family, is currently in the works.
3. Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret
Now we’re moving towards actually incredible films which will leave an impact and leave a definitive mark on you. Kelly Fremon Craig’s Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. is a coming-of-age comedy-drama film based on the 1970 novel of the same name by Judy Blume. The film follows 11 year old Margaret as she struggles with moving to a new town, exploring religion, and coping up with her “tween” years. Margaret begins to communicate with God about her concerns, anxieties, and hopes. The film is quite light-hearted, asks some very important question regarding people’s beliefs, and is genuinely hilarious when it wants to be. Honestly, nothing less was expected from the director of Edge of Seventeen and for these reason, it makes up for a perfect Christmas watch! The film is available for streaming on Starz and is available for digital purchase/rent as well.
2. Wonka
What’s better that taking your family out at the theatres for a colorful and musical flick like Wonka during Christmas? Wonka has been released in US just this week and directed by Paul King, features a screenplay co-written by King and Simon Farnaby. The movie narrates the early life of Willy Wonka, the character from Roald Dahl’s 1964 novel “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” The film has received positive reviews from critics and has been nominated for several awards, including a Golden Globe Award for Chalamet. So, Oompa loompa doompety doo, I’ve got a perfect Xmas film for you!
1. The Holdovers
The Holdovers is not just the best Christmas film this year, but also one of the finest films ever made. It is essentially the Dead Poets Society of our generation. Not only does it deal with similar themes, but it is as well written and performed as the DPS. The Christmasy vibe of the film is perfect for this season and I would recommend to not “Holdover” watching it till next year. The film deals with faimiliar feel good drama themes and is a delicious combo of films like Breakfast Club, DPS, Ferris Bueller’s Day Out, and Home Alone. The mostly singular location makes it all the more cozy and enjoyable. It’s a treat to watch in every sense of the word and will make you laugh out loud and cry happy-sad tears at the same time. However, The Holdovers has around 35 f-bombs and one instance of magazine nudity making it a little less family friendly than other films on this list.
And that concludes our top 5 list. Do let us know if we missed to include your favorite Christmas film of 2023.
If you have questions regarding Christmas Movies, feel free to ask in the comments below. For more content, stay tuned. As usual, like, subscribe, and share our articles as we are trying to build a community of people High On Cinema!
Elemental’s score went down to 73% shortly before this article was posted.