The Best Holiday Movies to Watch in 2025: Top Picks for Classics, Comedies, Kids, and More

The weather outside is frightful… and the holiday season is the perfect excuse to curl up on the couch and take in a seasonal movie as you enjoy your holiday decor along with a warm snack and drink. But not all holiday films are created equal—and your choice of movie could vary greatly depending on your mood or who you watch it with. We’ve rounded up festive flicks that fit the bill for every occasion. 

Family: The Family Stone

A true dramedy, The Family Stone is a 2005 film that follows a chaotic and cathartic Christmas celebration for the Stone family. The movie opens with Everett Stone bringing his uptight-but-well-meaning girlfriend, Meredith, home to his small New England town. From the start, Meredith’s stiffness serves as an opposition to Everett’s eccentric, close-knit family, prompting her to eventually seek out alternative accommodations at a local inn and invite her outgoing sister, Julie, to try to diffuse the awkwardness. Wires get crossed and feelings change, and the movie takes a serious turn as Everett’s mother, Sybil, announces that her cancer has returned. 

Families will enjoy watching this for the comedy aspect and may see a reflection of their own complicated family dynamics. It also feels especially poignant to revisit this film now, following the recent passing of Diane Keaton, who plays Sybil.

Watch it: The Family Stone (PG-13) is streaming now on Prime Video

Kids: Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch (2018) 

It's tough to find a holiday movie, even among the season’s many family-friendly films, that doesn’t center some of the main story around believing in Santa, which might prompt some tough questions from younger viewers. Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch (2018) sets itself apart by focusing on a modern retelling of the green, Christmas-hating Grinch whose heart was “two sizes too small.” Expect Pharrell Williams as narrator, an updated take on the original film’s “You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” song featuring Tyler, the Creator, and gorgeous animation from Illumination studios. 

This iteration lends color to the classic story by diving deeper into both the Grinch and Cindy Lou Who’s backstories, but its central message “What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more,” remains prominent, and will resonate with viewers of all ages. 

Watch it: Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch (2018) (PG) is streaming now on Peacock and Prime Video

Romantic: Love Actually

Love Actually takes the quintessential holiday rom-com and turns it on its head by following several very different—yet somehow intertwined—love stories. Set mostly in Christmastime London, the plotlines range from unrequited love (Juliet and Mark and the famous boombox and cue-cards scene) to a crumbling marriage marred by a heartbreaking affair (Harry and Karen and the gut-punch necklace/Joni Mitchell gift) to a mourning husband helping his stepson navigate the world of young love (the adorable Daniel and Sam duo). 

 The love stories are punctuated by plenty of holiday scenery, fictional singer Billy Mack’s “Christmas Is All Around” hit song (another subplot), and the classic thread that “love actually… is all around.” 

Watch it: Love Actually (R) is streaming now on Hulu, Peacock, and Prime Video

Comedy: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Christmas movies are synonymous with comedy but none will generate as many laugh-out-loud moments as National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. The 1989 film follows goofy Clark Griswold and his family as they attempt to have a “good old-fashioned family Christmas”—with tons of comedic mishaps in the process. Classic holiday activities like finding a tree go awry when said tree quite literally intrudes on uptight neighbors Margo and Todd’s space, and seasonal family conflicts take a funny twist with scenes like cousin Eddie emptying his RV toilet into the neighborhood storm drain. 

The movie ends on a comedic climax at a Christmas Eve dinner where everything goes up in flames (literally, Aunt Bethany’s cat gets electrocuted and the turkey is so burned that it’s inedible) before ending on a sweet yet silly note bringing the family back to the original meaning of the season and with Aunt Bethany belting out “The Star-Spangled Banner.” There's a reason this film is so beloved and so often quoted, and it’s worth a watch—whether it’s your first time or your fiftieth. 

Watch it: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (PG-13) is streaming now on Hulu and Max

Classic: It's a Wonderful Life 

Opinions vary on the classic holiday film, but It’s a Wonderful Life remains an obvious contender. Set on Christmas Eve, 1945, the film follows George Bailey, who finds himself on the edge of personal—and financial—ruin when his eccentric uncle Billy misplaces a significant amount of company cash. Facing the prospect of jail, George begs his longtime archenemy, the rich Mr. Potter, for a loan, trying to entice him with his life insurance. Mr. Potter jokingly comments that George is “worth more dead than alive.” George, unable to shake this thought, goes to a local bar to get drunk before heading to a nearby bridge and contemplating taking his life. But before he can jump, he is saved by his guardian angel, Clarence. 

Clarence takes George through a series of scenarios, showing what life would have been like if he had truly never existed. Through this journey, George notices the profound effects that a seemingly ordinary man like himself can have on the lives of others. The movie is as thought-provoking as it is nostalgic and closes with the beautiful message: “Remember, no man is a failure who has friends.”

Watch it: It’s a Wonderful Life (PG) is streaming now on Prime Video 

New This Year: Oh. What. Fun. 

Due out on Prime Video on December 3, Oh. What. Fun.’s premise cleverly calls out to other holiday classics like Home Alone and It's a Wonderful Life. In the film, Claire Clauster is the quintessential holiday-happy mom, doer of all the things... until her family accidentally forgets her on a seasonal outing. Instead of joining them, she decides to leave the usual stressors of the season behind and set off on a journey all her own. The film examines the silly and serious lessons that the family learns when the glue that holds their holiday traditions together goes missing. 

Watch it: Oh. What. Fun. (PG-13) premieres December 3 on Prime Video

The Related Life is written and produced by the Related Life Editorial Team. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for the latest events, news, and announcements in your area, and tag us for a chance to be featured @therelatedlife and #therelatedlife.