Buzz
The age-old debate about whether Die Hard qualifies as a Christmas movie continues. Rotten Tomatoes not only affirms it is but also ranks it among the greatest Christmas films ever, placing it eighth on their prestigious list.
Other films in the top 50 also spark debate over their holiday status, such as 1983’s Trading Places and 1992’s Batman Returns, which some argue aren’t traditional Christmas movies.
The 1940s Christmas classics dominate the rankings, securing the top three spots: 1944’s Meet Me in St. Louis, 1940’s The Shop Around the Corner, and 1947’s Miracle on 34th Street. Additionally, adaptations of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women shine, with Greta Gerwig’s 2019 version at seventh and the 1994 Winona Ryder-led film at 11th.
Your conviction that The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) stands as a pinnacle of holiday cinema has been confirmed. Ranking 34th, its position is remarkable given the annual influx of new Christmas movies. It wasn’t the sole adaptation of Charles Dickens’s holiday tale to make the cut—Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983) secured 44th place. Meanwhile, the 2017 film The Man Who Invented Christmas, starring Dan Stevens and dramatizing the story’s creation, outperformed both, landing at 29th.
Movies ranked 39 through 50, many with perfect Tomatometer scores, aren’t higher due to lacking the Certified Fresh status. The list emphasizes films that have earned this (not automatically granted) distinction.
Classics such as Elf (2003), A Christmas Story (1983), and White Christmas (1954) feature prominently, though the rankings hold a few unexpected entries. Explore the top 50 below and check out Rotten Tomatoes’ complete list of 100 here.
- Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) // 100 percent
- The Shop Around the Corner (1940) // 99 percent
- Miracle on 34th Street (1947) // 96 percent
- Tangerine (2015) // 96 percent
- Klaus (2019) // 95 percent
- The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) // 95 percent
- Little Women (2019) // 95 percent
- Die Hard (1988) // 94 percent
- Carol (2015) // 94 percent
- It's a Wonderful Life (1946) // 93 percent
- Little Women (1994) // 93 percent
- The Apartment (1960) // 93 percent
- Arthur Christmas (2011) // 92 percent
- Tokyo Godfathers (2003) // 91 percent
- A Christmas Story (1983) // 90 percent
- Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010) // 90 percent
- The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022) // 92 percent
- Edward Scissorhands (1990) // 89 percent
- Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020) // 89 percent
- Better Watch Out (2016) // 89 percent
- Trading Places (1983) // 88 percent
- Gremlins (1984) // 86 percent
- A Christmas Tale (2008) // 86 percent
- Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2005) // 86 percent
- Elf (2003) // 85 percent
- Happiest Season (2020) // 82 percent
- While You Were Sleeping (1995) // 81 percent
- Batman Returns (1992) // 81 percent
- The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017) // 79 percent
- Bad Santa (2003) // 78 percent
- A Christmas Story Christmas (2022) // 79 percent
- White Christmas (1954) // 77 percent
- Anna and the Apocalypse (2017) // 77 percent
- The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) // 76 percent
- Happy Christmas (2014) // 75 percent
- Merry Christmas (2005) // 74 percent
- The Ref (1994) // 73 percent
- The Santa Clause (1994) // 73 percent
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1967) // 100 percent
- Holiday Inn (1942) // 100 percent
- March of the Wooden Soldiers (1934) // 100 percent
- Remember the Night (1940) // 100 percent
- Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas (1977) // 100 percent
- Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983) // 100 percent
- Alien Xmas (2020) // 100 percent
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) // 95 percent
- Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town (1970) // 93 percent
- White Reindeer (2013) // 90 percent
- The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974) // 90 percent
- Christmas in Connecticut (1945) // 89 percent
