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Depending on where you live, the weather may or may not be frightful, and the temperature might make the idea of a fire somewhat less than delightful, but the calendar doesn’t lie: it’s the holiday season again, which means that it’s time to plop down in front of the TV and veg out for a bit as you enjoy some of the best Christmas-centric programming you can find.
But why should you have to waste your time actually searching for the top-shelf – or should that be top-elf? – films when we’ve got a great list of 15 flicks that you can pull up on Amazon Prime at a moment’s notice? Please, don’t judge us by that “top-elf” joke. We really do know a good Christmas movie when we see one…and we’ve got 15 of ‘em right here!
From certified classics (It’s A Wonderful Life, Holiday Inn) to hokey Christmas B-movies (Santa Claus Conquers The Martians, Mystery Science Theater 3000: Santa Claus), from the heartwarming (Scrooge) to the harrowing (Better Watch Out), this collection of Christmas movies on Amazon Prime has got something for everyone. (And it won’t break the bank, either; everything we selected here is available for current Amazon Prime subscribers.)
RELATED: Netflix’s 2020 Holiday Movies: Your Guide To The 15 Best Christmas Movies on Netflix
'Scrooge' (1935)
Description: It’s the Christmas story to end all Christmas stories – except for, y’know, the Christmas story – so it’s not as if you really need a lot of back story on this one. All you really need is a one-liner: a miserly businessman who hates the holidays because it stops him from making more money is visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas future, all of whom do their part to inspire him to change his ways. It’s not the first version, and it won’t be the last version, but… Oh, just stop reading and go watch it!
Cast: Sir Seymour Hicks, Donald Calthrop, Barbara Everest, Philip Frost, Mary Glynne
Rated: NR
'Holiday Inn' (1942)
Description: There’s a reason Bing Crosby is so readily associated with the holiday season, and it’s not just because of his duet with David Bowie. No, it’s also because he stars in two classic Christmas flicks: the one that shares its title with his signature holiday hit (White Christmas), and this one, which actually provided him with that song in the first place. As the posters for Holiday Inn loudly proclaim, the music comes courtesy of Irving Berlin, and it’s arguably more important than any old plot, so just sit back, listen to Bing sing, watch Fred Astaire dance, and enjoy.
Cast: Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Marjorie Reynolds, Virginia Dale, Walter Abel, Louise Beavers
Rated: NR
'It's A Wonderful Life' (1946)
Description: If A Christmas Carol is, as we said a few films back, is the Christmas story to end all Christmas stories (except, as noted, that one set in Bethlehem), then It’s a Wonderful Life is the Christmas movie to end all Christmas movies: everybody’s either seen it, or else they feel like they don’t need to see it because they already know the entire storyline. Trust us: no matter times you’ve seen the old “here’s what things would be like if you’d never existed” plot play out, it simply doesn’t compare to actually watching George Bailey’s story unfold. Attaboy, Clarence…
Cast: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell, Henry Travers, Ward Bond
Rated: PG
'Jingle Bells' (1950)
Description: Trying to explain this film is like trying to explain a fever dream, starting with the fact that it’s had several titles over the years. Before it was renamed after its most famous song, it was simply called A Christmas Wish, but even before that, it was called The Great Rupert. Why? Because the film revolves around a down-on-their-luck family in New York City that moves into an apartment which is already home to a stop-motion animated squirrel named Rupert, who lives in the attic rafters and ends up acting as the family’s guardian angel. Trust us: it’s very sweet.
Cast: Jimmy Durante, Terry Moore, Tom Drake, Frank Orth, Sara Haden, Queenie Smith
Rated: NR
'Santa Claus Conquers the Martians' (1964)
Description: If the title doesn’t sell you on tuning in, then you’ll probably never be sold on it. But just to provide you with a little more detail… Kimar, the ruler of Mars, is infuriated by the laziness of his planet’s children, blaming it on their obsession with Earth’s TV programs, so he orders his men to kidnap Santa Claus, presuming that the jolly old elf will be able to put the pep back in the Martian children’s step. When two Earth kids are accidentally kidnapped as well, however, Kimar’s plans go awry. A true “so bad it’s good” holiday classic.
Cast: John Call, Leonard Hicks, Vincent Beck, Bill McCutcheon, Pia Zadora, Ned Wertimer
Rated: NR
'It Happened One Christmas' (1977)
Description: You won’t get very far into this TV movie from the ‘70s before you realize that it’s a gender-swapped remake of It’s a Wonderful Life, which is such a great idea that you’ll wonder why it was only a TV movie and not a theatrical release. We don’t know the answer to that, but we do know that it’s fun to see the classic story turned on its ear, with Marlo Thomas playing Mary Bailey Hatch, Cloris Leachman playing an angel named Clara, and… Well, you get the idea. Plus, it’s great for playing “Hey, What Was That Guy In?”
Cast: Marlo Thomas, Wayne Rogers, Cloris Leachman, Orson Welles, Barney Martin, Doris Roberts
Rated: NR
'A Hobo's Christmas' (1987)
Description: Hollywood has given us many depictions of the homeless, but none romanticize the concept more than the boxcar-riding hobo who rides from town to town, never calling anywhere home. In this instance, the hobo is played by Barnard Hughes, and after discovering that he doesn’t have many holidays left in him, he decides to ride the rails back to spend Christmas with his estranged son and his grandchildren. Few played the crotchety old-timer better than Hughes, and he’s in top form here, playing against Gerald McRaney as his son. Funny at times, but it tugs tremendously at the heartstrings, too.
Cast: Barnard Hughes, Gerald McRaney, Wendy Crewson, William Hickey, Lee Weaver
Rated: PG
Watch A Hobo’s Christmas on Amazon Prime
'Mystery Science Theater 3000: Santa Claus' (1993)
Description: If you’re an MSTK3 fan, then you know that this is actually the second film on our list to have been mercilessly mocked by that show (the other, you will not be surprised to learn, is Santa Claus Conquers the Martians), but this one is so completely insane – hand to heart, it actually offers the battle you never knew you needed: Santa vs. Satan – that there’s just no better way to enjoy it than with the running commentary of Mike Nelson, Tom Servo, and Crow T. Robot. Your jaw will drop, and your sides will hurt from laughing. You’re welcome.
Cast: Mike Nelson, Trace Beaulieu, Frank Conniff, Kevin Murphy, Jim Mallon
Rated: NR
Watch Mystery Science Theater 3000: Santa Claus on Amazon Prime
'One Special Night' (1999)
Description: You’ve seen them together before – first in 1964’s The Americanization of Emily, then in 1982’s Victor Victoria – but there’s something special about the chemistry between Jim Garner and Julie Andrews that always makes their onscreen collaborations worth watching. This time they’re playing strangers – he’s a construction contractor, she’s a pediatric cardiologist – who, after she offers to give him a ride home, end up having to take refuge together in a cabin during a blizzard. There’s never any doubt that they’ll end up together when all’s said and done, but watching them make their way there… That’s what it’s all about.
Cast: James Garner, Julie Andrews, Patricia Charbonneau, Daniel Magder, Stacy Grant
Rated: PG
'Surviving Christmas' (2004)
Description: They say money can’t buy happiness, and in the case of Drew Lathan (Affleck), it’s apparently true. As the holidays approach, Drew finds himself feeling both lonely and nostalgic, a combination which leads him to visit his childhood home. From there, the premise gets a bit silly, with Drew offering the home’s current owners – played by James Gandolfini and Catherine O’Hara – to pretend to be his parents, but if ever there was a film that coasts through the finish line by the grace of its talented cast, it’s this one, making it at least worth a watch.
Cast: Ben Affleck, Christina Applegate, James Gandolfini, Catherine O’Hara, Jennifer Morrison
Rated: PG-13
'Stalking Santa' (2007)
Description: This is an extremely funny concept that, much to our surprise, apparently had never been done before this film. It’s a mockumentary which treats Santa as a mysterious phenomenon, a la Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster, and follows scientist Lloyd Darrow as he attempts to use science to confirm the existence of Santa. (Has there been a government cover-up?) Additionally, it reveals how traumatizing it is to his son and how incredibly tolerant his wife is about his obsession. It’s the narration by the Shatman himself that takes things over the top, but in the best possible way.
Cast: Chris Clark, Daryn Tufts, Lisa Clark, Simon Taylor, narration by William Shatner
Rated: PG
'A Christmas Story Documentary: Road Trip for Ralphie' (2008)
Description: We can all agree that A Christmas Story is a holiday classic, surely, but since it’s a holiday classic that isn’t currently free to Prime Video subscribers, we’ve got the next best thing: a documentary which follows two diehard fans of the film as they embark on a two-year, two-country expedition to find all of the film’s shooting locations and to secure memorabilia from the movie that was believed to be lost. Our one caveat: you’re absolutely going to want to watch the actual movie after you watch this. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Cast: Tyler Schwartz, Jordie Smits
Rated: NR
Watch A Christmas Story Documentary: Road Trip for Ralphie on Amazon Prime
'All Is Bright' (2013)
Description: Nobody plays a sad sack quite as well as Paul Giamatti, so you can imagine that he’s the perfect person to play Dennis, a convicted robber who gets paroled from prison just in time for the holidays, only to find that his wife has told their daughter that he died of cancer. Ouch. Despite this, he decides that he wants to buy his daughter a piano, so he teams up with his ex-partner (Paul Rudd) and makes money by selling Christmas trees in New York City. It’s a small film, but it’s absolutely worth watching for Giamatti and Rudd alone.
Cast: Paul Giamatti, Paul Rudd, Sally Hawkins, Amy Landecker, Peter Hermann
Rated: R
'Better Watch Out' (2017)
Description: Even in a world as scary as the one we’re living in now, there’s still something to be said for a solid holiday thriller, and this definitely qualifies. When Ashley heads into the suburbs to babysit the Lerners’ 12-year-old son, Luke, it seems like a simple enough gig, but it turns into something far more disconcerting when intruders arrive at the house, putting her in a position where she has to protect Luke and keep herself safe, too. Frankly, we’re just hoping she gets double pay when the Lerners get home…if she survives that long!
Cast: Olivia DeJonge, Levi Miller, Ed Oxenbould, Patrick Warburton, Virginia Madsen
Rated: R
'The Last Christmas Party' (2020)
Description: Given its release date, it’s impossible to say if this is destined to be a holiday film for the ages, but it’s absolutely a holiday film for right now. Told in non-linear order, it’s an examination of one holiday party from three different perspectives and, in this manner, it shines a spotlight on three different couples. For many of us, college romance is a distant memory, but if you want to get an idea of what it’s like in 2020 to wonder if your relationship will last through winter break, this should do it. Brace yourself: it’s not always pretty.
Cast: Anna Clare Kerr, Samantha Brooks, Lainey Woo, Martin Drop, James Williams
Rated: PG-13
Will Harris (@NonStopPop) has a longstanding history of doing long-form interviews with random pop culture figures for the A.V. Club, Vulture, and a variety of other outlets, including Variety. He’s currently working on a book with David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker. (And don’t call him Shirley.)
