The Best Christmas Movies When You Need a Laugh
The pace of Christmas is stressful. Your shopping list is overwhelming. And it’s all a build-up to one day that you want to be so perfect even Great Aunt Gertrude can’t complain.
That’s why Christmas is a holiday we love to make fun of. We need the comic relief.
As I’m sure you’re aware, some of the funniest movies take place at Christmas. But which is the true king of kings (of comedy)?
I’m ranking the 25 Funniest Family Christmas Movies. I’m not including Christmas Specials (that list is here). All of these qualify as family films though not all movies are for all ages.
Hold onto your newel posts. Grab your Red Ryder BB gun. Here we go:
25. Get Santa (2014) (6+)
A bumbling father-son duo scramble to spring Santa from jail, turning a simple rescue mission into a holiday parade of dry Britishness.
24. The Grinch (2018) (4+)
Benedict Cumberbatch’s socially exhausted Grinch cracks withering one-liners every time Whoville demands more holiday cheer.
23. The Christmas Chronicles (2018) (6+)
Kurt Russell’s swaggering, rock-star Santa surprises the kids — and sometimes himself — with quick, off-the-cuff bravado.
22. Unaccompanied Minors (2006) (6+)
A pack of snowed-in kids transform an airport into a playground, outsmarting every adult with cartoon-level creativity.
21. Holiday Affair (1949) (7+)
Robert Mitchum’s deadpan charm steamrolls polite conversation, turning a simple department-store return into a witty romantic misfire.
20. The Santa Clause (1994) (5+)
Tim Allen leans hard into dad sarcasm as he tries — and repeatedly fails — to explain away the magical nonsense happening to his body.
19. Noelle (2019) (6+)
Anna Kendrick’s overeager Santa-in-training keeps pratfalling through her duties with cheerful, self-inflicted misadventure.
18. 8-Bit Christmas (2021) (7+)
The frantic kid logic behind getting a Nintendo — at any cost — turns every family memory into a snowballing, over-the-top fiasco.
17. Ernest Saves Christmas (1988) (5+)
Ernest’s earnest, rubber-faced sincerity turns even simple tasks into ridiculous chain reactions of clumsy, good-hearted mishaps.
16. Gremlins (1984) (8+)
Every Christmas decoration, microwave, and chair lift becomes a slapstick weapon as a small town fights back against gremlins.
15. Paddington (2014) (4+)
Paddington’s polite optimism keeps colliding with human nonsense, turning every well-intentioned moment into a warm, gently disastrous laugh.
14. Merry Little Batman (2023) (6+)
Bruce Wayne’s son Damian attempts to protect Christmas but turns Gotham into a rapid-fire showcase of slapstick, sight gags, and pitch-perfect Batman parody.
13. The Shop Around the Corner (1940) (6+)
Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan trade razor-sharp insults at work, unaware they’re falling for each other in secret letters.
12. Scrooged (1988) (9+)
Bill Murray’s escalating frustration at the ghosts leads to a signature Scrooge character shift and ends with a signature Bill Murray roast of Hollywood.
11. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) (5+)
Kevin upgrades his traps to full cartoon intensity. Watching the Wet Bandits (now Sticky Bandits) fall for them all over again is hilarious. But the side characters make this sequel nearly as funny as the first.
10. Klaus (2019) (5+)
A wealthy mailman’s self-centered scheming keeps backfiring in perfectly timed slapstick moments as an entire town quietly calls him out. In the end, his selfishness turns to selflessness and your laughter turns to grins. A modern Christmas classic thanks to its heart and humor.
9. Paddington 2 (2017) (4+)
Paddington’s sincerity bounces off a roster of eccentric Brits — especially Hugh Grant’s theatrical villain — creating joyful, effortless humor in a rare sequel that’s better than the original.
8. Arthur Christmas (2011) (4+)
Arthur’s overcommitted determination — and the elves’ hyper-efficient stunts — make delivering one forgotten gift much funnier than it should be.
7. How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (2000) (4+)
Jim Carrey’s elastic face and full-body performance turn the Grinch’s holiday sabotage into a live-action cartoon.
6. A Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) (3+)
Gonzo and Rizzo keep hijacking the narrative with meta commentary and physical gags that undercut Dickens with Muppet-style wit. The best version of A Christmas Carol.
5. A Christmas Story (1983) (5+)
Ralphie’s dramatic inner monologue turns every childhood mishap into a grand, overblown crisis — from bunny suits to BB-gun paranoia.
4. Home Alone (1990) (5+)
Kevin’s booby traps create some of the most perfectly timed physical-comedy sequences ever filmed. And that’s just the final act. Thanks to Macaulay Culkin’s charm, you’ll be laughing long before Kevin makes a stand.
3. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) (6+)
Clark Griswold’s relentless holiday misfires — from the lights to the tree to the bonus check — build into one perfect avalanche of bad timing and great one-liners.
2. Elf (2003) (5+)
Buddy’s unfiltered enthusiasm overcomes New York cynicism, turning every encounter into a cheerful, quotable culture clash.
1. The Thin Man (1934) (9+)
Nick and Nora Charles glide through Christmas with champagne wit, martini-fueled one-liners, and effortless marital banter that still feels modern. The Thin Man is one of the funniest movies you’ll watch any time of the year.
