The greatest Christmas movies of all time

Mine is Santa Claus: The Movie starring Dudley Moore. Yes, I know it’s old and CGI has moved on a gazillion years since it was made, but the moment those reindeer first take off is still as magical as ever. RIP Dudley :’(

Susan Ramsay, Editor

Raymond Briggs’ Father Christmas, the cartoon that renders Jolly Old St Nick about as curmudgeonly about the festive season as I am until I have a mince pie in my hand and reindeer antlers on my head.

Karly Cox, Deputy editor

Mine is Elf. Will Ferrell is nothing short of hilarious and it is one of the movies that put Zooey Deschanel on the map. No other movie has been able to successfully combine the typical feel-good aspects of Christmas movies with genuine laughs.

Ben Young, Sub editor

The Nightmare Before Christmas. It’s funny, it’s touching, it’s got catchy songs, it’s the perfect full-package movie for the season to be jolly. (Or scary; either works).

Wong Tsui-kai, Web reporter

The Santa Clause is the best Christmas movie ever because what other heart-warming festive film starts off where the real Santa gets accidentally offed by a hapless man (played by Tim Allen, obvs) who is forced to step into his shiny black boots?

Ginny Wong, Sub editor

The Snowman by Raymond Briggs. People often find it too upsetting because (spoiler alert!) the beloved Snowman friend eventually melts, but I find the movie so beautiful and poignant. It’s very much like life – people come and might not stay, but at least they were part of it once. Embrace your beloved one who still happens to be next to you when you watch it!

Nicola Chan, Reporter

I’m going to cheat a little and say that my favourite Christmas movie is The Polar Express despite it being my favourite Christmas book; for me, its combination of coziness and sheer joy has never been surpassed.

Edmund Ho, Reporter

Arthur Christmas. A dysfunctional but lovable family, surprisingly sharp dialogue, and just oodles of pure Christmas joy. Plus Arthur’s light-up reindeer slippers are everything.

Charlotte Ames-Ettridge, Sub editor

Home Alone one and two, obviously. They’re good fun, hilarious, and super sweet. Watching it gives you total house-envy, but that’s soon forgotten when you’re laughing so hard at Kevin’s genius booby traps. It’s also a film full of fantastic one-liners that stand the test of time no matter how many Christmases have passed since its release (16, by the way).

Heidi Yeung, Web editor

Home Alone has become a Christmas classic, and no matter how many times I’ve seen this movie, I still find all the crude slapstick humour enjoyable and amusing to watch. It might not be the best film ever made, but it is lighthearted and easy to watch.

Joshua Lee, Intern

Dr Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Interesting plot-twist as Jim Carrey plays the green goblin and tries to ruin other people’s festivities.

He eventually decides to open up about his troubled past and reconciles with the Whoville community, enjoying Christmas the way it should be enjoyed!

Sebastien Raybaud, Reporter