Watching holiday movies is a beloved annual tradition for many. Whether you like comedy, romance, cheesiness or all of the above, there’s a Christmas movie that matches your taste and mood. Because you’ve seen them so many times, they’re comforting as background noise as you wrap gifts or cook. And their quotes are iconic, from “Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal,” to “You’ll shoot your eye out,” to “When a bell rings, an angel gets its wings,” to “God bless us, every one!”
We performed a survey (see methodology below) to see which holiday movies top Americans’ watch lists this season — and a quick guide on how to stream, buy or rent them on demand.
The Top 10 Holiday Movies of 2023 (and How to Watch Them)
1. “Home Alone” Franchise
Our survey respondents put the “Home Alone” franchise at the top of their holiday watch lists, but truly, only the first two films count here. Whether you’re going for the first film or the New York sequel, the “Home Alone” movies combine nostalgia, slapstick humor, sentimentality and a banger of a John Williams soundtrack.
Buy it: Get the double feature DVD (first two films) for $7.50 at Walmart. Or purchase on Prime Video for $9.99.
Stream it: Disney+
Rent it: Various streaming services, including Amazon Prime Video for $3.99.
2. “A Christmas Story”
This classic 1980s movie about the 1940s has too many iconic lines and moments to count, from the Bumpus hounds, to the pink bunny suit, to the leg lamp, to the flagpole incident, to the official Red Ryder carbine action 200-shot range model air rifle.
This movie is famous for making the commercialization of Christmas seem downright nostalgic. If you have cable, TBS streams this film over and over again for 24 hours, starting Christmas Eve.
Buy it: Get the DVD for $9.96 at Walmart or buy it from Prime Video for $7.99.
Stream it: Max
Rent it: Amazon Prime Video rental for $3.79.
3. “Elf”
In third place, we have one of the “newer” films on the list (but it’s been classics territory for the better part of a decade and turns 20 years old this year). Only Will Ferrell could make Buddy the Elf work. His innocent and unapologetic wonder toward Christmas in a cynical world speaks to anyone who puts their tree up Nov. 1.
Buy it: Buy the DVD for $9.96 at Walmart or buy on Amazon Prime Video for $7.99.
Stream it: Hulu (get 1% cash back from RetailMeNot) and Max
Rent it: Rent for $3.99 on Amazon Prime Video.
4. “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”
If “Elf” is for those who love Christmas, our fourth place movie is for those who are over it. There are so many relatable themes you’ll pass through on Clark Griswold’s holiday journey, from the stress around creating holiday magic for your family, to unwanted guests, to electrical fires.
Buy it: Get the DVD for $9.96 at Walmart, or purchase it from Amazon Prime Video for $9.99.
Stream it: Max
Rent it: Rent it for $3.99 on Amazon Prime Video.
5. “It’s a Wonderful Life”
At the half-way point on our list, we have a film that flopped when it was initially released, but gained traction, thanks to TV stations using it as filler programming during the holidays. Now it’s a holiday staple, and our survey respondents can’t imagine Christmas without it.
Buy it: Get the DVD for $10.99 on Amazon, or buy it on Prime Video for $9.99.
Stream it: Prime Video
Rent it: Rent it for $4.29 on Prime Video.
6. “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”
It’s unclear whether survey respondents are watching the classic animated version, or the live action Jim Carrey version, but both are beloved renderings of the Dr. Seuss holiday fixture. Whichever version you watch, your heart will grow three sizes.
Buy it: Get the DVD for $9.96 at Walmart or purchase from Prime Video for $7.99.
Stream it: Peacock
Rent it: Rent it for $4.09 from Prime Video.
7. “The Santa Clause”
We’ll credit the ’90s kids with helping this one place. The movie has an odd premise: Tim Allen’s character accidentally kills Santa and, by donning his suit, becomes Santa (enacting the “Santa Clause”). But this oddball movie has become a classic just the same and spawned a couple sequels.
Buy it: Get the DVD for $9.96 at Walmart, or buy from Amazon Prime Video for $9.99.
Stream it: Disney+
Rent it: Rent for $3.79 on Amazon Prime Video.
8. “The Nightmare Before Christmas”
Is it a Christmas movie? Is it a Halloween Movie? It’s both. Tim Burton’s stop-motion animated masterpiece has staying power precisely because it’s non-traditional, and its soundtrack will spice up any holiday playlist.
Buy it: Get the DVD for $8.99 at Target, or buy it from Amazon Prime Video for $9.99.
Stream it: Disney+
Rent it: Rent it for $3.99 from Amazon Prime Video.
9. “White Christmas”
The film (released in 1954) likely predates many who watch it every year, but it stands the test of time and finds new generations of fans precisely because it is unapologetically sentimental. And, of course, the title song is quintessential Christmas. Pair it as a double feature with “The Nightmare Before Christmas” for two VERY different kinds of musicals.
Buy it: Get the DVD for $11.89 on Amazon, or buy on Amazon Prime Video for $9.99.
Stream it: Netflix
Rent it: Rent it on Amazon Prime Video for $3.99.
10. “A Christmas Carol” (and Variations)
The Dickens novel has spawned many film variations, but we are going to assume that most (if not all) survey respondents mean the Muppet version — because it is the best version. Even without the song that Disney controversially cut from the film, it is an absolute holiday classic that cannot be re-watched too many times.
Buy it: Get the DVD on Amazon for $9.96 or buy it from Prime Video for $7.99.
Stream it: Disney+
Rent it: Rent it for $3.79 on Amazon Prime Video.
Survey Methodology: Ziff Davis Shopping Shopper Survey of adults (18+) who are retail shoppers (799 respondents). Fielded in September 2023.
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