The most popular Christmas films, ranked (and where to stream them)
We all have our favourite things about Christmas. Sweet mince pies. Dressing everything up in tinsel. Oh, and of course, those terrible festive films to get you in the Christmas mood. So, we here at Verve Search started wondering: what are the most popular Christmas films out there after all?
Whether you like to settle down with a romance like The Holiday, a close-to-the-mark choice like Bad Santa, or a heart-warmer like The Snowman – debating the best Christmas films remains a strong holiday pastime. Nobody’s going to blame you if you secretly like to put on Die Hard (it technically IS a Christmas film).
To get down to the nitty-gritty of it, using data analysis we took the top 33 Christmas films from IMDB and compared how often they’re searched against their average rating to get a rundown of the ultimate list of Christmas films, including this year’s exciting new releases.
So, light a little candle, snuggle up under a blanket and crack open the Celebrations for the most popular Christmas films ever. Please, there will be no Scrooges here today…
What are the most popular Christmas films of today?
Without further ado, take a look at our ultimate Christmas film rundown. These films go as far back as the 1940s, to the latest releases from this year. They are ranked the highest-rated and most widely searched films to date and will make for a cracking binge on the sofa.
Now, there are some festive favourites that we don’t need to tell you about. Home Alone and Love Actually come first and second respectively, with an average global search volume of around 800,000 searches. That’s a lot even for the most popular choices!
Later down the list, you’ll spot family-friendly films like The Christmas Chronicles, Elf and The Snowman, just to name a few. Can’t say we’re surprised with these, with many homes most likely flicking these on for some light-hearted Christmas relief.
But some anti-Christmas classics also appear in the rankings. Coming as high as third is the old 1984 favourite, Gremlins, which some even call a horror. Following just a little behind in fifth is the highly debated Christmas action classic Die Hard with Bruce Willis.
Some interesting (and maybe even surprising) top-rankers in this category.
And some festive breakthroughs for 2024…
Every year sees a wave of new Christmas films released for the season, but they can’t all make it into the annual festive rotation. So, it’s safe to say that these 2024 releases make newsworthy features, with three choices appearing in the rankings.
If you’re shaking in your boots during horror movies, look away now because Terrifier 3 came fourth overall, with over 465,000 global searches. With its controversial reviews, the extremely gory slasher film (which had people walking out of cinemas) somehow makes for a ‘Christmas’ film, where protagonist Art the Clown transitions into quite the Santa Claus.
This one’s leading because it’s made so many waves in searches online for its bone-chilling scenes and gory details. So, even though it’s a total horror, it’s still showing up as a popular Christmas choice. Watch if you dare…
Then, Dwayne Johnson stars alongside Chris Evans for action-packed blockbuster Red One, with a budget of $250 million. Whilst some critics call it a ‘flop’ of the season, it’s got an average 6.9 rating, so it may make for an easy watch where the North Pole’s Head of Security (Johnson) has to team up with a bounty hunter (Evans) on a mission to save Christmas.
There always has to be at least one big blockbuster a year, this year it jut goes to The Rock.
And, last but not least, the most meme-able Christmas film of the season is none other than Hot Frosty. If you’ve watched it already, then you might know why it’s making such a big impact on searches.
Starring Lacey Chabert (Mean Girls) and Dustin Milligan (Schitt’s Creek), the film centres around a snowman who comes to life. Slightly hard to digest, cheesy and completely ridiculous, it’s exactly what you’d expect from a Christmas romance. You may want to wash this one down with a mulled wine due to its cheese-factor…
Which one takes the (Christmas) cake for the highest rated?
Now now, our head data elves know that just because something is highly-searched doesn’t actually make it a good film to watch. If you look closely at the rankings, there is a massive difference between what’s most searched and what’s ranked high in ratings.
Overall, audience and critic ratings end up around the 70% mark or rated at around 7.25 (out of ten) on average on both IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes for many of these Christmas films.
The highest ranked overall is none other than cult classic It’s a Wonderful Life, from as far back as 1946 and also our earliest film on the list. With an average of 8.6, maybe the 40s just did Christmas better?
Other above-average favourites include Die Hard, Klaus, Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, How the Grinch Stole Christmas and The Snowman. We’ll let you decide your favourites from those choices yourselves!
On the other end of the scale with a mere 5.5 average rating is none other than the breakthrough 2024 film, Hot Frosty. Snowmen really should stay in the snow, after all.
And, this shows that whilst Christmas films can be just as cosy as they are cute, that doesn’t always mean that they’re a groundbreaking piece of cinematography – and, that’s okay. Right?
Where can you watch Christmas films on streaming platforms?
There may be nothing worse than sitting in front of the telly and not being able to find a film you want to watch on any platform. Will it be on Netflix? Amazon Prime? Hold on a second – you might even have to rent it.
Nobody wants to be doing that, so to make it easy for you we’ve rounded up where you might find these most-wanted films and on what streaming platform they’re on.
Truth is, your best bet is to get your hands on a Disney+ subscription this Christmas, with eight films being available, followed by Prime Video with six and then Netflix with four.
With that being said, you can purchase or rent all but six films on Amazon Prime Video, so you may not have to get the DVD player out after all…
To wrap up
Christmas movies are more than just entertainment – they’re a part of the whole holiday experience. From the nostalgia of The Snowman to the cult appeal of Die Hard, these choices are just as sweet as the Christmas treats.
With over 800,000 global searches for the most nostalgic Home Alone and ratings reaching averages as high as 8 out of 10, a Christmas film can create an impact. No matter where your favourite may sit in the table rankings, it’s likely that you may find yourself watching at least one of these films throughout December.
While traditional choices might dominate in popularity, newer 2024 releases like Terrifier 3 and Red One show how diverse these Christmas films have become, covering feel-good action to full-blown slasher horror. Meanwhile, Hot Frosty may not win any awards with its 5.5 rating, but it shows that these can be conversation starters (around the dinner table or just in general, that’s your choice).
And, although streaming options may not cover every title, there’s no shortage of ways to bring festive cheer into your home this year. So, happy watching! May your season be merry, bright and full of arguments about what’s the best Christmas film…
Verve Search’s most festive Christmas films
And, because the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear, we’re sharing our favourite Christmas films straight from yours truly, Verve Search.
Amber Carnegie – Creative Lead: Muppet’s Christmas Carol
“It’s got to be Muppet’s Christmas Carol. Not only is it the only retelling of A Christmas Carol to quote as close to Dickens as possible but the incredible soundtrack and the idea that Micheal Cain is running around with all those puppets tickles me. Also, the ghost of Christmas present is literally the epitome of Christmas!”
Tonje Odegard – Outreach Director: Love Actually
“Mine has to be Love Actually as I’ve been watching it every Christmas with my family since it came out in 2003, and Christmas can’t kick off without a little cry over Emma Thomson holding back her tears to the soundtrack of Joni Mitchell. After my partner came on the scene, he also learnt to love it and we now watch it together, quoting almost every line off by heart (“8 is a lot of legs, David”). It’s so British and funny and cute and annoying and I love it, love it, love it!”
Ben McNeil – Outreach Specialist: Home Alone
“Home Alone is mine, for the same reason that I’ve been watching it every year since I was very young. It takes me back in time to my childhood and makes me feel very nostalgic. Not to mention the countless hilarious moments. The vibe, atmosphere and music of the film never fails to make me feel Christmassy!”
Danae Stavros – Outreach Executive: The Holiday
“Mine is The Holiday. I’ve been watching it pretty much every year since I was a kid. It’s really funny but emotional at the same time. Hot characters are a bonus, and I like that it’s not overly focused on Xmas, but just enough to get you in the spirit.”
Giovanna Castaneda – Outreach Executive: Home Alone 2
“Home Alone 2 (when he’s lost in New York). I’ve been watching it since I was a child with my cousins, and we even played as if we were in the film! It wouldn’t be Christmas for me if I didn’t watch it. No matter how many times I’ve seen it, it always cracks me up.”
Methodology and Sources
For our ‘Christmas films’ analysis, we picked out the most popular Christmas films on IMDB, searching for those that had over 100k reviews including new releases from this year. IMDB average scores were then compared to Rotten Tomatoes critics and audience scores to create an average rating.
We then checked where the films were available to stream or purchase digitally. The streaming services considered were within the UK libraries on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+, as well as purchase options on Amazon Prime Video.
To consider Global Search Volume (GSV), these films were searched through Ahrefs keyword analysis to determine which were most popular. GSV shows how many times per month, on average, people search for the target keyword across all countries in the Ahrefs database.
Data accurate as of 2nd December 2024.
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