Best holiday movies since Home Alone

The new holiday classics

The Best Holiday Movies Since 1990 — Disney; New Line Cinema/Courtesy Everett Collection; Dimension/Courtesy Everett Collection

It's a marshmallow world in the winter and there's no better way to hide out from the cold than by cozying up to a holiday movie. While the classics can't be beat (George Bailey's impassioned plea to see his family! The look on Ralphie's dad's face when he wins that hideous leg lamp!), there's a new set of films that more than hold their own. From bitter Santas to a man-child elf, check out EW's 25 best holiday movies since 1990, ahead.

02 of 26

Elf (2003)

All things considered, Elf is the perfect modern Christmas movie. Will Ferrell’s genius turn as a human baby raised in the North Pole who travels to New York to find his birth father is as close to cinema's definitive elf performance as we’ll perhaps ever get. Riffing on the humor of classic holiday cliches while not skimping on the actual delivery of them, David Berenbaum’s screenplay is one of the most dependable December comforts, abounding with enough good-natured spirit that it’s impossible not to feel as sparklejollytwinklejingly as Buddy the Elf. – Marc Snetiker

03 of 26

Love Actually (2003)

Say what you will about the film’s messy, underdeveloped romances, but in just over a decade the British ensemble rom-com has risen to become a beloved staple of holiday warmth. It’s a dependably warm mug of hot chocolate with a snuggly blanket, an innocuous series of love stories bursting with now-classic scenes (the cue cards! The prime minister dance! Emma Thompson’s devastating realization of loneliness!) and a soundtrack practically begging to be rediscovered every season. Love Actually may not be the cheeriest of holiday flicks, but it’s certainly one of the coziest. – Marc Snetiker

04 of 26

Home Alone (1990)

Home Alone is more than just the sum of its booby traps. Sure, watching Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin), the forgotten kid from a big family, match wits with a pair of bungling burglars (Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern) is an endlessly satisfying revenge fantasy. But the prank war is elevated by the movie’s quieter reflections on how easily relationships fall apart and what it takes to fix them, an idea captured by Kevin’s unexpected friendship with a lonely neighbor (Roberts Blossom). Add to that a stellar Christmas soundtrack and some quotable one-liners, and “woof” — this holiday classic is anything but les incompetents. — Kelly Connolly

05 of 26

Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)

Bridget Jones’s Diary follows the titular single thirtysomething British woman (Renée Zellweger) over the course of one year as she works to better herself in life and love — and keeps a record of it in her journal. A charmingly flawed protagonist, Bridget soon finds herself caught between two men, Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) and Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), which leads to hilarious brawling and, eventually, heartfelt moments. Based on the novel by Helen Fielding, which is loosely inspired by Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, the film begins and ends with the holidays and features Firth in a wonderfully ugly reindeer sweater, so it’s a well-regarded rom-com that’s in the spirit of the holidays too. – C. Molly Smith

06 of 26

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

The delightfully macabre masterpiece of stop-motion animation centers on what happens when the King of Halloween Jack Skellington decides he’ll take over for Santa one year. (Turns out, maybe that’s not such a great idea.) With its parade of adorable ghouls and a sweet love story at its center, Nightmare remains the feel-good Gothic adventure of the ages from dream creative team of writer-producer Tim Burton and composer Danny Elfman — not to mention oft-overlooked director Henry Selick. – Gina McIntyre

07 of 26

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

Ron Howard’s live-action Dr. Seuss adaptation used Jim Carrey’s penchant for silly theatrics to its advantage, casting the star in the titular role and, as a result, giving an already iconic character a whole new life. That, combined with an endearingly corny soundtrack featuring Christmas-themed songs by big-time artists like Faith Hill and a tearjerker of a backstory, create a delightfully absurd universe that would make even Whoville’s biggest grinch smile. – Ariana Bacle

08 of 26

The Holiday (2006)

Whilst swaddled in blankets in front of a fire, dreaming of eggnog and presents, do you want to put on a movie where people suffer, make terrible decisions, and wear ugly clothes? Or would you prefer a charming, heart-warming Nancy Meyers film where nothing bad happens, Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz find love in unexpected places, and everyone owns a nice sweater? That’s what we thought. In this feel-great new classic, English journalist Iris (Winslet) and Los Angeles movie trailer editor Amanda (Diaz) swap homes for Christmas (years before Airbnb!), giving each woman some much-needed me-time and a surprising new love interest. — Isabella Biedenharn

09 of 26

You've Got Mail (1998)

Joe Fox (Tom Hanks) in You've Got Mail — Brain Hamill/Warner Bros.

As Kathleen Kelly and Joe Fox, respectively, Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks charmingly usher you from the bouquet-of-newly-sharpened-pencils days of fall into New York City's holiday season. While not a textbook Christmas movie, You've Got Mail has enough carol-singing, tree-trimming, and snow-covered streets to cheer even the coldest of Grinches. — Madeline Boardman

10 of 26

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)

You’d think everyone would have learned their lessons after the first Home Alone – the McCallisters would make sure they didn’t oversleep or lose any children during their Christmas travels, and Harry and Marv would steer away from a kid who out-witted them with trap after trap after trap. Thankfully for us, they didn’t, and Kevin thwarts the Wet Bandits (now going by the Sticky Bandits) again while taking New York City in style – hello, Plaza penthouse! – during the most wonderful time of the year. – Jessica Derschowitz

11 of 26

Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan team up once again to play star-crossed lovers in Sleepless in Seattle as Seattle-based single dad Sam Baldwin and Baltimore Sun reporter Annie Reed. The famed romantic comedy opens on Christmas Eve and slowly makes its way through the holiday season, complete with family Christmas dinners and holiday melancholy. — Madeline Boardman

12 of 26

The Santa Clause (1994)

During one week in November 1994, Tim Allen had the top-rated TV show (Home Improvement), topped the New York Times bestseller list (Don’t Stand Too Close to a Naked Man), and starred in the highest-grossing film (The Santa Clause). That seems pretty ridiculous, until you go back and watch The Santa Clause. Free of its ridiculous sequels, the original film remains a heartwarming holiday film, one that actually earns its warmth thanks to dark story beats about divorce, an intricate Christmas mythology, and on-point acting. – Christian Holub

13 of 26

The Family Stone (2005)

Holidays are all about spending time with family, but that doesn’t mean it's all fun and games, a truth The Family Stone acknowledges and embodies. Diane Keaton plays the family’s beloved ill matriarch, who anchors both the movie’s funniest parts and saddest moments — and, oh, does it get sad. The Family Stone is a lesson in laughing through the pain — and a necessary reminder that loving each other and always getting along are not mutually exclusive, especially when it comes to the holiday season. – Ariana Bacle

14 of 26

While You Were Sleeping (1995)

Jack (Bill Pullman) in While You Were Sleeping — Buena Vista Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

There are few things better than an irresistibly adorable Sandra Bullock in a '90s rom-com. As down-on-her-luck toll booth operator Lucy, Bullock saves the life of a man — whom she's secretly admired from — after he's pushed on the subway tracks by a mugger and falls into a coma. His family is led to believe she is his fiancée, a title Lucy isn't quick to correct. As if that's not complicated enough, Lucy begins to fall in love with Peter's brother Jack (Bill Pullman). Set during Christmastime, what the film lacks in carolers and tree trimming, it makes up for with entertaining family members and plenty of ice-slipping moments to remember. – Cristina Everett

15 of 26

The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

The Muppet Christmas Carol ranks as a great adaptation even among more traditional versions because, while it excises some disturbing elements for its young audience, it doesn’t dumb down Dickens, nor does Michael Caine soften his Scrooge. The Muppet casting of Kermit the Frog as Bob Cratchit and Statler and Waldorf as two Marleys (both dead as a doornail) are spot-on, and the movie’s sweet songs are worthy of being holiday classics in their own right. Now sing it with me: “It’s in the singing of the street corner choir, it’s going home and getting warm by the fire…” – Mary Sollosi

16 of 26

The Polar Express (2004)

Perennial holiday favorite Tom Hanks returns to voice a stockings-worth of characters in Robert Zemeckis' animated flick. The celebrated big-screen adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg's children's book of the same name brings all of the childhood wonder of Santa and the North Pole to audiences. Thanks to a trip on the mythical train, the movie earned three well-deserved Oscar nominations. —Madeline Boardman

17 of 26

Batman Returns (1992)

Director Tim Burton’s Batman follow-up introduced not just Danny DeVito’s oddball Oswald Cobblepot (better known as the Penguin) to Gotham but also Michelle Pfeiffer’s simpering secretary turned seductive Catwoman, Selina Kyle. Her romance with Michael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne might have been ill-fated from the get-go, but the movie’s Christmas setting carried through in one of the couple’s most memorable exchanges: “Mistletoe can be deadly if you eat it,” he says. Her reply: “But a kiss can be even deadlier if you mean it.” Meow. – Gina McIntyre

18 of 26

Jingle All The Way (1996)

Before online shopping, overworked salesman Howard (Arnold Schwarzenegger) had to go store to store to track down the only toy on his son's Christmas list: Turbo Man. So in order to win back his kid's love, the absentee father waits in long outdoor lines, attempts to win a radio contest, and takes on any and everyone who comes between him and the superhero action figure, including a hardworking mailman (Sinbad). Sure, the holidays are about more than commercialism — they're for watching a bodybuilder-turned-governor and a comedian turn to the black toy market to satisfy their children's wishes. —Dana Rose Falcone

19 of 26

Just Friends (2005)

This holiday-set film tells the story of Chris Brander (Ryan Reynolds), a womanizing music producer still affected by his heavier high school days, and the romantic rejection by his then-BFF Jamie Palamino (Amy Smart). When his plane breaks down, a slimmed down Chris returns home to New Jersey for Christmas with ex-fling and VERY out-there pop star Samantha James (Anna Faris) along for the ride. There, he finally gets another chance to break out of the friend zone with Jamie. The film didn’t fare too well critically, but it has its comedic moments, and is worth watching for a wildly expressive, high school era Chris singing “I Swear” alone. – C. Molly Smith

20 of 26

Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)

Forget the toys or games, in this adaptation of the C.S. Lewis series Santa brings children swords, arrows, and magical potions. Father Christmas appears to the Pevensie children in the magical land of Narnia to help them fight the evil White Witch, who has turned the kingdom into a winter anti-wonderland and eradicated Christmas. Okay, sure, the whole Christmas thing is only a subplot of the action-fantasy power struggle between a Christ-like lion, an icy witch, and the four children who stumbled into it, but it’s enough to still make it a holiday favorite. Plus, it's proof Tilda Swinton should always wear a crown of icicles. – Dylan Kickham

21 of 26

Miracle on 34th Street (1994)

A charming remake of the 1947 original, Miracle on 34th Street recruited everyone's favorite child star, Mara Wilson, for the role of Susan Walker and found its Kris Kringle in none other than Richard Attenborough. Throw in some quinessential good vibes from John Hughes, a young Dylan McDermott, one memorable beard-pull, and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and you have an instant holiday classic. — Madeline Boardman

22 of 26

Die Hard 2 (1990)

Die Hard is often cited as the holiday movie for people who don't like holiday movies. Its sequel is the holiday movie for people who wanted more Die Hard. A relative carbon copy, at least in set-up, of the original film, Die Hard 2: Die Harder also takes place on Christmas Eve and also features New York cop John McClane trying to save his wife. The twist is that the action moves to an airport, allowing McClane to battle terrorists and assorted holiday travel mishegoss. And you thought your holiday gatherings were stressful! – Christopher Rosen

23 of 26

Bad Santa (2003)

If you’re looking for the holly, jolly sort of movie St. Nick, head to another slide in this gallery because you won’t find him here. Billy Bob Thornton puts the “Bad” in Bad Santa as a boozy conman named Willie who poses as Kris Kringle to rob department stores on Christmas Eve. — Jessica Derschowitz

24 of 26

The Best Man Holiday (2013)

The Best Man Holiday has everything: Terrence Howard in a Santa suit, a group of friends reuniting for Christmas, a drag-out fight in the light of a Christmas tree, and a killer soundtrack complete with Monica's take on "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and a flawless Emeli Sandé rendition of "Winter Wonderland." — Madeline Boardman

25 of 26

Go (1999)

For some, Christmas is about eggnog and caroling. To others, it’s about an all-night rager and a rave-worthy soundtrack. Only one holiday movie boasts a pre-fame Melissa McCarthy, a telepathic cat, the best Katie Holmes monologue ever (sorry, Dawson), Scott Wolf as a closeted soap opera star, a Vegas car chase, disturbingly-quotable dialogue, an insane threesome, and shirtless Timothy Olyphant. Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukkah, and New Years cheer for all. – Danielle Nussbaum

26 of 26

Eight Crazy Nights (2002)

Adam Sandler wrote, produced, and voiced the only Hanukkah-themed movie that doesn’t make you want to shove a latke down someone’s throat — sorry Hebrew Hammer. Eight Crazy Nights is crass and funny, brazen and silly, and features a dozen songs to put on your Hanukkah-themed mixtape. – Jessica Goodman