40 of the Funniest Christmas Movies to Get You Through the Holiday Season
Courtesy Getty/Netflix/Apple
The holiday season is here again, and there’s no shortage of funny Christmas movies to stream in 2022. Whether you’re a fan of cheeky comedies like Bad Moms Christmas and Spirited, or you prefer a heavy dose of romance in your holiday flicks, we’ve rounded up 40 of the best Christmas films to keep you laughing until the new year.
From modern classics like Elf and Love, Actually, to newer entries like Netflix’s Single All the Way and Hulu’s Happiest Season, there’s literally something for everyone. So grab your cocoa, find your coziest Christmas PJs, and select a funny festive favorite to brighten up your winter nights.
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It’s hard to believe that Elf came out almost two decades ago. Will Ferrell plays Buddy the Elf, a human raised in the North Pole, who goes in search of his birth father in New York City. Ferrell’s hilarious performance is responsible for an endless number of memes, and his face has been emblazoned on a plethora Christmas sweaters. Basically, Christmas isn’t Christmas without Elf.
Richard Curtis’ Love, Actually is a classic for a reason. Its all-star cast features everyone from Hugh Grant to Emma Thompson to Keira Knightley to the late Alan Rickman. Sure, in hindsight, some of the film’s scenes are a bit creepy and problematic. But viewers continue to revisit Love, Actually every holiday season for the heartwarming characters, hilarious moments, and unbridled romance.
England-based Iris (Kate Winslet) and California-based Amanda (Cameron Diaz) agree to house swap for the holidays. Both are fleeing romantic failures, but neither is ready for the potential romance they might find on the other side of the pond. While there’s plenty of romance to go round, the comedic stylings of the cast, which includes Jack Black and Jude Law, help make The Holiday the perfect festive flick.
Falling for Christmas (2022)
Lindsay Lohan is back! In Falling for Christmas, she plays a recently engaged heiress who experiences amnesia after a skiing accident. She finds herself being nursed back to health by a local bed and breakfast owner and single dad, played by Chord Overstreet. You can probably guess the rest, but damn is it good to have the Mean Girls icon back on our screens.
The Family Stone features the perfect ensemble, which includes everyone from Diane Keaton to Sarah Jessica Parker to Rachel McAdams. Parker plays an uptight businesswoman who grates on her boyfriend’s laid-back family, and they’re certainly not happy about the prospect of her joining their clan. The Family Stone features some laugh-out-loud physical comedy moments and biting sarcasm, but be warned: it’s also extremely emotional.
Macaulay Culkin became an international superstar thanks to his role as Kevin in Home Alone, and it’s easy to see why. Kevin’s family accidentally goes away for the holiday season without him. Hilarity ensues when the young boy finds himself defending his house from some opportunistic thieves, superbly played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern.
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
Most Christmas films don’t get sequels, but Home Alone 2: Lost in New York proved to be just as good as the original. This time, Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) manages to lose his family at the airport, and boards a flight to New York, while everyone else ends up in Florida. After somehow managing to get a room at the Plaza Hotel, Kevin finds himself embroiled in a plot to stop the Sticky Bandits once again.
The Best Man Holiday (2013)
The sequel to 1999’s The Best Man sees a group of friends reuniting for the holiday season. Starring everyone from Taye Diggs to Regina Hall to Sanaa Lathan to Nia Long, The Best Man Holiday is a reminder that some friendships never change.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is another hilarious outing for the Griswolds. Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) is desperate for his family to have the perfect holiday season. However, decorating doesn’t quite go to plan, then his cousin’s family camps out in his yard, and his employer threatens to stop the Christmas bonus he was expecting.
Tim Allen stars as Scott, a disastrous single dad who witnesses a man in a Santa Claus suit fall from the roof of his house. Scott is soon instructed that he must take Santa’s place, and it’s not long before he physically starts transforming into the man in the red suit. This heartfelt film is seriously funny, and has spawned an entire franchise since.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
Jim Carrey’s performance as the Grinch made How the Grinch Stole Christmas an instant holiday classic. The curmudgeonly Grinch decides that he’s going to ruin Christmas for all of the residents of Whoville. However, his plan is foiled by a young girl called Cindy Lou Who, played by a pre-Gossip Girl Taylor Momsen.
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
Yet another adaptation of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, but possibly the best. The Muppet Christmas Carol stars Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge, while Kermit takes on the role of Bob Cratchit. Featuring appearances from all of your favorite Muppets, Scrooge is visited by ghosts on Christmas Eve, and madness ensues.
A Bad Moms Christmas (2017)
The festive follow-up to 2016 hit Bad Moms reunites Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, and Kathryn Hahn as the badly behaved and completely relatable gang. This time, their own mothers are in town for the holiday season, which only makes their antics funnier.
Nina Dobrev plays Natalie, a dating columnist who meets a cute guy on a dating app, and decides to fly across the country to surprise him for the holidays. However, it soon transpires that Natalie’s been catfished by someone called Josh, played by the always funny Jimmy O. Yang. As Christmas approaches, Natalie continues her search for love, but is her catfish connection too strong to forget?
Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon play a couple whose parents are divorced, forcing them to celebrate Christmas on four separate occasions. Starring everyone from Robert Duvall to Jon Favreau to Kristin Chenoweth to Sissy Spacek, Four Christmases is well-worth a re-watch, if only for its incredible cast and the comic timing of its leading duo.
Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey co-star as Sloane and Jackson, two strangers who make a special pact for the holidays. Sick of attending family gatherings alone, the pair decides to be each other’s “Holidate,” a no-strings-attached role that guarantees they’ll each have a plus one for every major holiday or family event. Roberts and Bracey have fantastic chemistry.
Regina King, Idris Elba, Loretta Devine, and Delroy Lindo co-star in This Christmas, which focuses on the Whitfield family’s first holiday together in four years. However, the reunion is far from smooth, especially because every relative appears to be hiding a secret. This Christmas will remind you that family comes first, especially during the holidays, even if it means facing some awkward situations head-on.
Seth Rogen, Anthony Mackie, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt play besties who always spend Christmas Eve together, usually at a wild party. However, now that one of them is set to become a father for the first time, they realize they need to say goodbye to their crazy ways. The send-off is a strange, inappropriate, drug-filled binge that makes for a hilarious alternative Christmas movie.
Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)
Bridget Jones’s Diary doesn’t exclusively take place during the holidays, but it features enough Christmassy moments to earn it a place on the list. Bridget (Renée Zellweger) finds herself torn between the suave Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) and the aloof Mark Darcy (Colin Firth). While documenting her year in her diary, Bridget soon discovers who the better man is. Ugly holiday sweaters abound.
Single All the Way (2021)
Michael Urie plays Peter, a man who’s sick of his family always commenting on his single status. He manages to convince his best friend Nick (Philemon Chambers) to pretend to be his boyfriend for the holiday season. What could possibly go wrong? Jennifer Coolidge co-stars.
Billy Bob Thornton stars in this raucous holiday comedy about a criminal and his partner-in-crime, played by Tony Cox. Every year, the duo poses as Santa and his trusty elf to con stores in a shopping mall on Christmas Eve. However, mall security (Bernie Mac) might finally be onto the con, especially as Thornton’s Santa is a depressed alcoholic who isn’t the best fit for playing St. Nick.
Straddling the horror, comedy, and holiday movie genres, Gremlins focuses on Billy, a young man who receives a special gift from his father. The furry creature, referred to as a mogwai, is seriously cute, but is bound by a series of rules. Under no circumstances can Gizmo or any mogwai eat after midnight, go near water, or be exposed to sunlight. Obviously, Billy doesn’t manage to follow the rules, and his town gets some major surprises on Christmas Eve.
Office Christmas Party (2016)
Jennifer Aniston plays a strict CEO of a tech company intent on closing down the branch run by her somewhat disastrous and always partying brother, played by T.J. Miller. In order to keep the branch open, the staff decides to host an epic party in order to score a huge client’s business. The cast includes everyone from Jason Bateman to Olivia Munn to Kate McKinnon.
A Picture Perfect Holiday (2021)
Fresh Prince icon Tatyana Ali plays Gaby, a fashion photographer who’s hoping she can further her career by attending a Christmas photography trip in a mountain town. But when she arrives, she finds that her accommodation has been double-booked with a half-naked, and very attractive, man called Sean (played by Henderson Wade). If you like fun meet-cutes and glistening abs, this one’s for you.
Ryan Reynolds plays Chris, a man returning to his hometown for the holiday season, who reunites with his childhood best friend, Jamie (Amy Smart). All grown up, Chris hopes to finally take his friendship with Jamie to the next level. Meanwhile, Anna Faris perfectly plays a narcissistic pop star who’s obsessed with Chris, and is intent on winning his affections.
The Christmas House (2020)
2020’s The Christmas House stars Robert Buckley and Jonathan Bennett as brothers who return home for the holidays, and agree to decorate their parents’ home for the holiday season. Featuring Hallmark’s first prominent gay couple, The Christmas House combines family schmaltz with cute comedic moments.
Jingle All the Way (1996)
Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a dad on a mission in Jingle All the Way. Having promised his son a Turbo Man for Christmas, Schwarzenegger finds himself on a near-impossible mission to hunt down the sold-out toy before the holiday. Parents will most definitely relate to this comedy about the lengths a person will go to for their kids, especially when the most-wanted gift of the year is in short supply.
Anna Kendrick and Bill Hader co-star as Kris Kringle’s children in this magical Disney comedy. Nick (Hader) can’t handle the stress when he’s expected to take over his father’s role as Santa. Nick’s sister, Noelle (Kendrick), subsequently embarks on a search for her missing brother, but when she can’t find him, she realizes she might be cut out for more than she initially believed.
While Last Christmas might lean more towards romance than comedy, its stellar cast ensures that some laughs are thrown into this festive flick. Emilia Clarke stars as Santa, a woman working in a Christmas store, who meets Tom, a handsome man played by Henry Golding. Inspired by Wham’s hit song of the same name, and co-written by Emma Thompson, Last Christmas is the perfect holiday rom-com set in the magical surroundings of London at Christmastime.
Following the loss of their mother, the four Meyers children return home for the holiday season to spend time with their father Walter (Danny Glover). However, family politics and personalities loom large, meaning that Walter has his work cut out for him. Can he convince his kids and their partners to enjoy their first holiday season without the Meyer matriarch? Starring Gabrielle Union, Mo’Nique, and Kimberly Elise.
A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas (2011)
Probably the most offensive entry on this list, A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas reunites everyone’s favorite duo for the holiday season. Stoner besties Harold (John Cho) and Kumar (Kal Penn) aren’t close like they used to be. After an accident involving a prize Christmas tree, Harold and Kumar are forced to scour New York City for a replacement. But will the old friends remember why they were once close? Neil Patrick Harris steals the show, as usual.
Kristen Stewart stars in this delightful rom-com as Abby, a young woman who plans to propose to her partner Harper (played by Mackenzine Davis) over the holidays. However, it soon transpires that Harper hasn’t come out to her conservative parents, which throws their entire relationship into question. Aubrey Plaza co-stars as one of Harper’s secret ex-girlfriends.
Bill Murray stars in this 1988 adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Murray plays TV executive Frank Cross, who has managed to drive away everyone in his life. Christmas Eve changes everything for Frank, when he’s visited by several ghosts who try to convince him to change his ways.
Will Ferrell, Ryan Reynolds, and Octavia Spencer bring the star power to Apple TV+’s own glossy adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. With songs by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul of La La Land and The Greatest Showman fame, Spirited is sure to garner a huge fanbase.
The Christmas Chronicles (2018)
Netflix’s The Christmas Chronicles follows Kate and Teddy, two kids who catch Santa Claus in their home on Christmas Eve, and manage to stow away on his sleigh. However, after causing Santa to crash and lose all of the presents, Kate and Teddy have to help save Christmas by getting the right presents to the right children before morning. It’s also worth noting that Kurt Russell might be the sexiest Santa there’s ever been.
Surviving Christmas (2004)
J.Lo’s husband stars in this Christmas comedy about the importance of family during the holidays. Wealthy but soulless executive Drew (Ben Affleck) decides that he wants to go home for the holidays. However, having alienated his entire family, he arrives at his childhood home to find another family living there. So what does he do? He pays them to pretend to be his parents, of course! Co-starring James Gandolfini, Catherine O’Hara, and Christina Applegate.
Tyler Perry’s A Madea Christmas (2013)
Tyler Perry’s most famous character has her own holiday movie, of course. After a family member refuses to come home for Christmas, Madea (Perry) helps track her down. As it turns out, Madea’s niece’s daughter has secretly married Chad Michael Murray, and is too embarrassed to admit it to anyone.
A Castle for Christmas (2021)
Brooke Shields is wonderful in Netflix’s A Castle for Christmas, as a novelist who travels to Scotland to escape a scandal back home. Once there, she tries to buy a palatial Scottish castle, only to be rejected by its owner. But the longer she stays within the castle walls, the more she starts to fall for the moody old man that owns it.
12 Men of Christmas (2009)
Kristin Chenoweth plays a New York executive who finds herself working on a charity project in a small town in Montana. Using all of her savvy, she enlists the help of the local men to create a sexy calendar to raise money. It’s not long before sparks start to fly with one of the moody but cute single men in town.
The Preacher’s Wife (1996)
Denzel Washington stars as an angel who is sent to help an inner-city pastor struggling with his life and work. Whitney Houston plays the pastor’s wife, and before long, the angel starts falling in love with her. This sweet Christmas classic features some incredible performances, along with the Houston’s unmatchable singing voice.
Amy Mackelden is a freelance writer, editor, and disability activist.
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