The Most Underrated Christmas Movies Ever!

The Thin Man is one of those decadent delights that gets better with every watch. William Powell and Myrna Loy star as Nick and Nora Charles. He’s a retired private detective, she’s a razor sharp witted heiress. Together, they are a scintillating pair trying their best to drink and flirt their way through a holiday season in New York City. However they soon find themselves caught up in a dangerous murder mystery set against the backdrop of Christmas and New Year’s. Funny, glamorous, and, most of all, sexy, The Thin Man is a perfectly underrated Christmas classic. (And it’s a really good pick to put on in the background of your next normal holiday party.)—Meghan O’Keefe

Stream The Thin Man on HBO Max

Since it was released around the same time as It’s a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street, The Bishop’s Wife always seems to get the bronze when talking about classic Christmas movies. While the film may not be as essential as those other two, it’s still a thoroughly festive romance with plenty of seasonal scenes. Cary Grant plays an angel sent to Earth to remind a bishop (David Niven) of the important things in life: namely, his neglected wife (Loretta Young). But, in a truly devilish move, the angel starts to fall for the bishop’s wife! And honey, would you blame her if she tried to hold onto that halo? He’s Cary f’ing Grant.—Brett White

Stream The Bishop's Wife on HBO Max

There are very few movies that are both genuinely terrifying and also (mostly) good for the whole family. But the Chris Colombus written, Joe Dante directed Gremlins manages to straddle that line perfectly. And as a bonus, it’s set at Christmas, making it the perfect scary watch to shake things up between It’s a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street. It also, to great effect, uses the loneliness and cold of Christmas to help set up some fantastic scenes of the mischievous Gremlins attacking the small town of Kingston Falls. Add in a superb, unforgettable Christmas monologue from Phoebe Cates, and you have a diabolically underrated holiday classic.—Alex Zalben

Where to watch Gremlins

When I think of an underrated Christmas movie, Ted Demme’s The Ref comes to mind. Kevin Spacey (just try your best to ignore his presence) and Judy Davis play Lloyd and Caroline Chasseur, a married couple on the verge of divorce, who are highjacked on Christmas Eve by foul-mouthed burglar Gus (a brilliant Denis Leary). Soon, Gus must play referee as he holds the bickering couple and their extended family (including legends Glynis Johns and Christine Baranski) hostage while the cops search for him. With a hilarious script, deft direction and dynamic performances, The Ref is the Christmas black comedy you never knew you always needed.—Karen Kemmerle

Where to watch The Ref

When I hear the name Nicolas Cage I think of one thing: CHRISTMAS. Kidding. But, seriously, the 2000 romantic dramedy The Family Man is a terrific holiday film. Now streaming on HBO Max, the movie is basically a Nic Cage bizarro version of It’s a Wonderful Life — but instead of discovering what the world would be like if he were never born, Cage’s character, Wall Street maestro Jack Campbell, learns what life would’ve been like if he married his college sweetheart (Tea Leoni). As breezy as it is rewatchable, The Family Man is an under-appreciated holiday staple.—Josh Sorokach

Stream The Family Man on HBO Max

Tired: Die Hard is a Christmas movie. Wired: Bridget Jones’s Diary is a Christmas movie. Listen, this 2001 romantic comedy—directed by Sharon Maguire, and written by Richard Curtis, Andrew Davies, and Helen Fielding—may have come out in April, but it practically invented the ugly Christmas sweater craze. You’ve got Colin Firth in a reindeer jumper! You’ve got Academy Award-winner Renée Zellweger in snowman jammies! You’ve got New Years Resolutions that are immediately and enthusiastically broken! Bridget Jones’s Diary is a Christmas movie and a delightful one at that. It deserves to be treated as such.—Anna Menta

Stream Bridget Jones's Diary on STARZ

Just Friends encapsulates the feeling of heading home for the holidays: catching up with old friends, maybe running into an old fling, dealing with family. The movie begins with a flashback of Chris (Ryan Reynolds) in high school, 15 years younger and a little out-of-shape. When he accidentally confesses his feelings for his friend Jamie (Amy Smart), she turns him down while the whole school watches, laughing at him. Cut to present day, when Chris takes on a more attractive (see: Ryan Reynolds), career-driven version of himself. He visits home to catch up with everyone and maybe even win back Jamie — if his painfully large ego doesn’t get in the way. Though it’s not mega festive, Just Friends still captures the hometown holiday spirit.—Fletcher Peters

Where to watch Just Friends

This season is the one time of the year when we can all lean into our sappiest tendencies and unironically love love. That’s what The Holiday is. It’s the best cast and best performed version of every one of those Lifetime and Hallmark Christmas romance movies. The best part is that it’s essentially two of these movies in one. Cameron Diaz plays the hard-working career woman who desperately needs a break, and Kate Winslet plays the down-on-her-luck girl next door. When the pair swap houses in a moment of pre-Air BNB inspiration, they find two local men who are exactly what they needed. Of course Cameron Diaz gets cozy with Jude Law’s country-dwelling and writerly widower. And of course the adorable and loveable Jack Black helps Kate Winslet come out of her shell. No one—and I do mean no one—knows romance better than Nancy Meyers, and this is by far the director’s coziest and snuggliest film.—Kayla Cobb

Where to watch The Holiday

The Mistle-Tones is essentially Mean Girls vs. Office Space in Pitch Perfect. How could you not watch it?! As if that wasn’t enough this joyous TV movie stars two ’90s TV stars. Sister, Sister’s Tia Mowry plays Holly, an office drone that just wants to perform in the annual mall Christmas pageant. Over on the naughty list is Tori Spelling (Beverly Hills, 90210), camping it up as a snarling choir villainess resplendent in couture sweatpants and faux fur. But the real stars of the film are all the totally ridiculous song and dance numbers. You haven’t lived until you’ve seen Beyonce moves incorporated into “12 Days of Christmas.”—Brett White

Stream The Mistle-Tones on Disney+