Christmas Movie Picks: 38 Top-Rated Festive Films of All Time

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of Christmas movies out there. Even if you watched them non-stop from today all the way to the new year, you couldn't get through them all. Newsweek can help you plan your viewing, though, with this list of the top-rated festive films of all time.

The ranking of 38 films was compiled by combining critic scores for Christmas movies from three review sites—Rotten Tomatoes, The Movie Database, and Meta Critic—to produce an average rating for each film.

The list ranges from family animation to high-octane thrillers, unlikely favorites such as Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns and Little Woman as well as Christmas Classics including Elf, Miracle on 34th Street and How The Grinch Stole Christmas.

In the No. 1 spot is the 2019 animated movie Klaus, with a score of 88 percent.

The Oscar nominee, available to watch on Netflix now, tells an alternative origin story of Santa Claus by following a postman in a small island town who befriends a reclusive toymaker named Klaus.

Klaus has a star-studded voice cast including Jason Schwartzman, JK Simmons and Rashida Jones.

Next on the list is the 1946 classic It's a Wonderful Life.

This heartwarming movie follows the story of George Bailey (played by James Stewart), who has given up on his own dreams to help others. When he has thoughts of taking his own life on Christmas Eve, a guardian angel named Clarence (Henry Travers) intervenes.

In third place is a less obvious Christmas contender: Edward Scissorhands, directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder. The 1990 fantasy film might look more like a Halloween movie, but its most important scenes are set at Christmas.

The final entry in Newsweek's list of top-rated Christmas films is Happy Christmas, with a score of 47.6 percent.

The improvised comedy-drama, released in 2014, stars Joe Swanberg, Anna Kendrick, Melanie Lynskey, Mark Webber and Lena Dunham.

Check out the full list of 38 top-rated festive films of all time below.

The 38 Top-Rated Festive Films of All Time

1. Klaus (2019)
2. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
3. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
4. The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
5. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
6. A Christmas Story (1983)
7. Little Women (2019)
   Louisa May Alcott's novel Little Women has been adapted many times for film and TV. This is the Greta Gerwig version, which was nominated for six Oscars and won one. Another adaptation, starring Winona Ryder, is at No 14.
8. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
9. Home Alone (1990)
10. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
    The much-loved musical is the first entry on our list to be based on Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol, but not the last. It stars Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge, alongside a cast of Muppet performers led by Frank Oz.
11. Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
12. Tokyo Godfathers (2003)
13. Trading Places (1983)
14. Little Women (1994)
15. Elf (2003)
16. The Bishop's Wife (1947)
17. Carol (2015)
18. Bad Santa (2003)
19. Batman Returns (1992)
    Another unlikely Tim Burton Christmas classic, Batman Returns stars Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne, alongside Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer and Christopher Walken.
20. Meet Me in St Louis (1944)
21. Gremlins (1984)
22. Scrooged (1988)
23. Arthur Christmas (2011)
24. While You Were Sleeping (1995)
25. The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017)
26. Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010)
27. A Christmas Tale (2008)
28. The Santa Clause (1994)
29. 8-Bit Christmas (2021)
30. Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020)
    Originally planned as a stage show, Jingle Jangle follows Jeronicus Jangle, a toymaker whose latest invention changes his family's life forever.
31. Better Watch Out (2016)
32. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
33. Anna and the Apocalypse (2017)
34. A Boy Called Christmas (2021)
35. A Christmas Horror Story (2015)
36. White Reindeer (2013)
37. Let It Snow (2019)
38. Happy Christmas (2014)

Christmas movies are all the rage in the weeks leading up to December 25, and on the day itself, with many people across the globe visiting a theater for some festive joy.

Film studios can earn millions of dollars for box office hits and some go on to become Christmas classics.

Statista has collected data showing the highest-grossing Christmas films from around the world.