Last week, I posted a story with my top six essential Christmas movie picks, and there you had the chance to vote in a poll for the best Christmas movie – a poll which included my top six as well as over a dozen other Christmas classics.
Every flick in the poll got at least some love, but two emerged as clear winners: Die Hard and It’s a Wonderful Life with 15% of the vote share each. Neither was on my list of six, but I’m happy to report that third through fifth were among my selections.
You can read my original story about the six best Christmas movies I’m streaming this December, but as promised, I also have a roundup here of your favorite Winter flicks. I’m skipping over any I’ve already covered, so you have a full 12-film-long guide ready for next year (or this Christmas).
Die Hard (1988)
The people have spoken, Die Hard IS a Christmas movie, and it’s the joint number 1 for the TechRadar audience.
When his estranged wife’s Christmas party is interrupted by terrorists who take everyone in Nakatomi Plaza hostage, only New York City Police Department Detective John McClane can save them. Starring Bruce Willis as McClane, Die Hard spawned not just a franchise, but a whole action movie genre – with Die Hard becoming shorthand for any flick where our action hero faces overwhelming odds.
This movie is a must-watch for so many families each year, and I’ve been told the best time to see it is straight after another entry on this list – Love Actually – as you can pretend Alan Rickman is playing Harry as his Die Hard villain gets his just desserts.
You can stream Die Hard on Disney Plus in the US, UK, and Australia, or also on Hulu, Prime Video, and Peacock in the US.
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
How many 1940s movies have you seen? If you’re like me (and I imagine most people), it’s just the one, and that’s a testament to how well It’s a Wonderful Life has stood the test of time – even almost 80 years after its release, it’s still a hit.
When George Bailey reaches the end of his rope, his guardian angel arrives to show him what the town of Bedford Falls would have been like if he’d never been born. At 10 minutes over two hours, It’s a Wonderful Life is one of the longer Christmas movies out there, and I’ll admit to finding this classic a little slow at times, but I can’t deny how fantastic this film is as a complete package – its cultural significance alone makes it a must-watch.
You can watch it on Prime Video in the US, UK, and Australia, or on Fubo in the US, Sky, or ITV X in the UK, or Stan, Binge, or Beamafilm in Australia.
Love Actually (2003)
This British rom-com sets the bar for all other Christmas rom-coms. My only advice: don’t watch this with your family – you’ll thank me later.
The plot focuses on a series of interconnected stories taking place around Christmas time, which focus on different themes of ‘love’, each featuring different members of an all-star cast that includes Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley, Liam Neeson, and Emma Thompson, among many others.
Love Actually’s blending of emotions across its plots works well to keep you engaged, and while it’s not quite everyone’s cup of tea, there’s a reason this flick has so many fans.
You can stream Love Actually on Prime Video in the US, UK, and Australia, or Peacock in the US, Netflix, ITV X or Now TV in the UK, or Paramount Plus in Australia.
Red One (2024)
I really like Red One, and just like a decent chunk of our audience, I’m unafraid to admit it.
When Santa Claus (J.K. Simmons) is kidnapped, it’s up to the head of his security, Callum Drift (Dwayne Johnson), and the black hat hacker who leaked the North Pole’s location (Chris Evans) to save him.
There’s plenty of actually quite funny family-friendly humor, exciting action sequences, and a healthy dollop of Christmas cheer baked into this flick. Red One might have been a box office flop, but that doesn’t make it one you should ignore – clearly a lot of folks love it, and I can definitely see why.
You can stream Red One on Prime Video in the US, UK, and Australia.
The Polar Express (2004)
As the first-ever completely motion-captured feature-length animated movie, The Polar Express has an interesting visual look to it that can admittedly stray into that uncanny valley territory, but it’s also a magical adventure story that I remember desperately wanting to go on as a kid.
Even as an adult, I still do.
This movie is perfect for younger children to watch in the run-up to Christmas day (and still on Christmas day itself), and it’s also easy family fun if you have a watch party of all ages – unlike say, Love Actually or Violent Night, which are nowhere near as family-friendly.
The Polar Express is streaming on Hulu in the US, Now TV in the UK, and HBO Max in Australia.
The Santa Clause (1994)
Rounding off your selection is The Santa Clause. Scrooged also came away with the same voter share, but because we already have a Christmas Carol tale on my other list, I’ve gone for the option that brings a little more variety to our recommendations.
After the big guy in a red suit falls off a roof and disappears, Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) dons the red coat and inadvertently triggers the Santa Clause – meaning he’s now set to become the new Santa; it’s now his duty to deliver toys to all the children of the world every year. What follows is a major visual transformation for Scott, which leads to his family worrying about the well-being of Scott and his son, Charlie.
This Christmas movie has all the hallmarks of what an Xmas film should be, and if you’re looking for something to play when everyone is in that sleepy daze post-Christmas lunch, this one will be perfect.
You can stream The Santa Clause on Disney Plus in the US, UK, and Australia, or also on Hulu in the US.
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