A âstealthâ Christmas movie is one that takes place at the holiday season, or contains key holiday scenes, but isnât specifically focused on, or mostly about, Christmas. There are literally hundreds of movies that fit this description, and Iâve previously chronicled my top 25 and put together a Stealth Christmas Movie Showdown in 2018 to find readersâ faves.
The holidays are such a fertile storytelling tool, there are certainly even more than this out there, but below youâll find a list of nearly 300 Stealth Christmas Movies (in alphabetical order), with briefs on what make them holiday appropriate viewing, even if theyâre not primarily about ChristmasâŚ
12 Monkeys (1995) - An epidemic eliminates most of the worldâs population at the holidays. Making it either the very best, or very worst, Christmas 2020 watch possible, depending on your perspective.
1941 (1979) - An inept German/Japanese raiding party attempts to invade L.A. after Pearl Harbor, starting with capturing a Christmas tree farmer.
1985 (2018) - A closeted man goes home for the holidays for the first time in years, but struggles with how to tell his conservative family heâs got AIDS.
29th Street (1991) - A guy whoâs been effortlessly lucky since birth finds out heâs a lottery winner, which, ironically, throws his charmed existence into chaos. The movie, told in flashback, starts with the main character screaming at God outside a holiday-decorated church in the slowly falling snow.
31 Candles (2025) - A 30-year-old Jewish screenwriter of cheesy Christmas movies, decides to finish his Bar Mitzvah when he reconnects with an old crush.
8 Women (2002) - This oh-so-French, dark comedy finds eight women stranded in a remote house with a murder victim for the Christmas holidays.
About a Boy (2002) - Hugh Grant is a man living off the royalties of his one-hit-wonder Dadâs Christmas classic who befriends a young boy, which helps them both grow up. Pivotal scenes are set at Christmas and New Yearâs.
About My Father (2023) - This critically panned Robert de Niro comedy is mostly set in summer, but the epilogue features the two, newly bonded families spending Christmas together.Â
About Time (2013) - A young man (Domhnall Gleeson) learns his familyâs secret gift is time travel during a fateful New Yearâs Eve party.
The Actor (2025) - This highly stylized, film noir take on the novel Memory was produced by Charlie Kauffman and is set in 1950s Christmastime New York, though it was filmed in Budapest, with Andre Holland as an amnesic actor searching for his past.
The Addams Family (1991) - This classic â90s flick actually opens on the holiday, with a group of carolers visiting the Addams manse.Â
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mister Toad (1949) - The perfect Halloween-Christmas combo watch, the action of the Mister Toad portion takes place on Christmas Eve, though the holiday is somewhat incidental to Toadâs tale.
The Aftermath (2019) - This 2019, (barely) based-on-a-true-story drama about a British family living with the enemy in occupied Germany is narratively flat, but there are some gorgeous Christmas scenes.
Age of Adaline (2015) - This extremely weird movie about an un-aging Blake Lively begins on New Yearâs Eve, both a past one that marks Adelineâs long ago birth, and a modern-day party where she meets a new love.
Alex Edelman: Just for Us (2024, Max) - This filmed version of Edelmanâs one-man Broadway show details his visit to a white supremacist meeting in Queens and itâs hilarious. One of the best diversions in this conversational story is a laugh-out-loud look at the Jewish Edelmanâs experience with Christmas.
Alice (1991) - This everyone-falls-in-love with Mia Farrow movie concludes at Christmas, with much of the culmination taking place at a holiday-festooned party.
All of Us Strangers (2023) - The Andrew Scott-Paul Mescal movie inspired by Taichi Yamadaâs Strangers features a memorable and plot pivotal Christmas scene.
All That Heaven Allows (1955) - This Jane Wyman-Rock Hudson classic, directed by Douglas Sirk, centers around a May-December romance that takes place at the holidays. Criterion even released a âChristmas Editionâ in 2018.
Almost Famous (2000) - Cameron Crowâs autobiographical ode to â70s rock opens at the holidays, with his momâs ranting against Christmas commercialism while âThe Chipmunk Song (Christmas Donât be Late)â plays.
Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007) - The entire movie is set at the holidays, starting when the Chipmunks end up in L.A., and in the care of their eventual guardian, Dave, due to their home being cut down for use as a Christmas tree in a record company lobby.
The American President (1995) - The White House Christmas Party is where environmental lobbyist Sydney Ellen Wade, played by Annette Bening, inadvertently reveals the info that helps her boyfriend, the President, get his crime bill passed.
American Psycho (2000) - Not likely to end up in the family holiday viewing rotation, but what is arguably the movieâs most brutal moment (and thatâs really saying something) is precipitated by a co-workerâs casual cruelty at a Christmas party.
An Affair to Remember (1957) - Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr fall in love on New Yearâs Eve and are reunited on Christmas Eve.
Annie Hall (1977) - In this classic, Woody Allen rom-com his relationship with Diane Keaton hits the rocks at the holidays, with several memorable Christmas-set scenes in the film.
Antiquities (2018) - A man wanting to better know his recently deceased father takes a job at an antique mall, where one of the booths is run by a man who recreates his childhood Christmases with elaborate displays.
The Apartment (1960) - This poignant, Shirley MacLaine-Jack Lemmon classic about men and their mistresses, is set entirely over the holidays.
Are We There Yet? (2005) - A single momâs kid-hating suitor (Ice Cube) is forced to take a New Yearâs Eve trip with her offspring, who are determined to break them up.
Await Further Instructions (2018) - A family receives a mysterious message on Christmas Eve that makes them turn on each other, and their neighbors.
Babe (1995) - The Christmas scenes in this otherwise charming live-action childrenâs film border on terrifying, as the family considers dining on our hero, before selecting an unlucky goose weâre at first led to believe is another main character instead.
Babygirl (2024) - Nicole Kidmanâs second foray into sexually explicit Christmas-set drama.
Baby Mama (2008) - This 2008 Tina Fey-Amy Poehler comedy begins and ends at the holidays. Thereâs even a Christmas song!
Bachelor Mother (1956) - Ginger Rogers is a recently-fired shopgirl, hired by a department store for Christmas, who finds a baby, that everyone quickly assumes is hers.Â
Backfire (1950) - An injured WWII vet tries to track down his friend and potential business fire around the holidays, in this twisty noir thriller.
Backrooms (2026) - While not at all festive in nature, the horror hit that got its start as a series of YouTube shorts, does feature several Christmas tree-containing locales among its memory palace labyrinth.
Bad Education (2019) - Part of the grift that unravels the school board con is the purchase of lavish Christmas gifts on the company card. Also has pivotal Christmas party and present opening scenes.
Baggage Claim (2013) - This slight but charming holiday-set rom-com has flight attendant Paula Patton flying all over the world looking for the perfect date to her sisterâs wedding, when the man of her dreams might be right next door.
Bad Times at the El Royale (2018) - This one is admittedly very subtle, but Christmas decor indicates these strange events are taking place around the holidays.
Bar Fight! (2022) - Holiday-set comedy about a couple going through a bad breakup and staking out who gets their local watering hole.
Batman Returns (1992) - One of many Christmas-set superhero movies, but this one even has a holiday-themed (secondary) villain in Cristi Conawayâs, The Ice Princess.
The Beanie Bubble (2023) - Apple TVâs Ty toy origin story has several small holiday-set highlights, including a company Christmas party where the storylines of the three central women, converge.
Beautiful Girls (1996) - This Matt Dillion, coming-home romantic drama is very much not a rom-com, despite comedic elements, and uses its immediately post-holiday setting sparingly, but effectively, to amp up the angst.
Beirut (2018) - This one is oh-so-slight, but there are visible Christmas decorations in the brief, American-set scenes before Jon Hammâs character is called back to Beirut to negotiate alongside Rosamund Pike.
Bell Book and Candle (1958) - This classic, witchcraft-themed romantic comedy, is set over Christmas, making it another great Halloween-Christmas crossover.
Before You Go (2014) - Chris Evansâ directorial debut features he and Alice Eve walking around a holiday-decorated New York City.
Before We Forget (2024, a.k.a. Duino) -Â Juan Pablo Di Paceâs dual timeline story of unrequited teen love and a filmmakerâs modern day re-telling of his memories, including a pivotal shared Christmas visit.
Ben is Back (2018) - This Julia Roberts drama is set on Christmas Eve, when her drug addicted son unexpectedly shows up at home for the holidays, though heâs supposed to be in rehab.
Better Man (2024) - Several moments in this avant garde Robbie Williams biopic take place in a holiday-decorated London, including the Regent Street âRock DJâ sequence, many call the movieâs best scene.
Better Off Dead (1985) - Set mostly around the holidays, this classic 1980s comedy starring John Cusack features an indelible parental costume scene with David Ogden Steirs as a holiday aardvark.
Billy Elliot (2000) - The holidays play a key role in this working class classic, with the destruction of the pivotal piano followed by a sad Christmas dinner.
The Birthday Cake (2021) - This Val Kilmer and Ewan McGregor-led mob movie about a son finding out what really happened to his connected father at a party ostensibly celebrating his memory takes place at the holidays.
Blackbird (2020) - Susan Sarandon gathers her adult children for one last faux-Christmas celebration, before undertaking a plan to end her own life as a terminal illness worsens.
Black Garden (2020) - This dystopian sci-fi story of mankindâs final survivors begins on Christmas Eve.
Blast of Silence (1961) - This holiday-set movie about a hitman hired to take out a mob boss, has received recent Christmas noir recognition thanks to its Criterion Collection release.
Blossoms in the Dust (1941) - A dramatization of the charitable life of Texan Edna Gladney, this drama features several key Christmas seasons, and the overall theme of giving is well suited for holiday viewing.
Boiling Point (2021) - Stephen Graham headlines this restaurant drama about a stressed out chef in the weeks leading up to Christmas, based on a 2019 short film of the same name.
The Boss Baby: Family Business (2021) - This sequel to the 2017 animated comedy starring Alec Baldwin is set entirely at the holidays and culminates at Christmas, despite its summer release date.
The Bourne Identity (2002) - Though itâs never mentioned, the entire CIA chase of Jason Bourne takes place amidst the holiday season, with Christmas decor visible in many seasons.
The Box (2009) - This Cameron Diaz moral conundrum thriller is set mostly around the Christmas season.
Boys Go to Jupiter (2025) - Animator Julian Glanderâs feature debut is a coming-of-age story set entirely between Christmas and New Yearâs.
Brazil (1985) - A look at a dystopian future where Christmas is used to distract from disinformation.
Break (2019) - Russian thriller about a group of friends who get trapped in a mountaintop gondola on New Yearâs Eve.
Breakfast with Scot (2007) - This Canadian comedy has plenty of skating, as one half of the queer couple at its center is a former hockey star, and Christmas, as the orphan they take in is obsessed with the holidayâŚnot that thereâs anything wrong with that.
Bridget Jonesâs Diary (2001) - This delightful Renee Zellwegger comedy begins and ends at the holidays, making Bridget the perfect New Yearâs or Christmas watch. (You wonât be surprised to learn this is my personal favorite stealth Christmas movie.)
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (2025) - This final installment in the Bridget Jones series is a joyous wrap-up for the beloved character, including all the original cast and plenty of callbacks, including to the originalâs Christmas and New Yearâs celebrations.
Bright Eyes (1934) - Shirley Templeâs stubborn disbelief in Santa is a major character trait.
Bros (2022) - Big chunks of this very funny Billy Eichner rom-com, co-starring frequent Hallmark holiday hunk Luke Macfarlane, takes place around the holidays.
Bundle of Joy (1956) - This remake of Bachelor Mother stars then-married-couple Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds. Reynolds finds an abandoned baby at the holidays, and people mistake her for a (gasp) single mother, leading to all sorts of outdated comedic hijinks.
Carol (2015) - This Cate Blanchett drama about a closeted woman whose tight control of her emotions slips at the holidays isnât an uplifting holiday watch, but itâs unquestionably gorgeous and seasonally appropriate.
The Carpenterâs Son (2025) - Extremely weird Nicolas Cage and FKA Twigs horror movie centered around Jesusâ birth and childhood.
Cash on Demand (1961) - This cult classic British crime thriller centers on a pre-Christmas bank heist.
Catch Me If You Can (2002) - This stylish Steven Spielberg story opens on Christmas Eve, and several plot-pivotal Christmas depictions help set the scene for how Frank Abagnale, Jr (Leonardo DiCaprio) became a con artist.
Charlotteâs Web (1973, 2006, 2025) - All of the adaptations of E.B. Whiteâs classic childrenâs novel have at least some holiday elements, most notably the indelible, and traumatic, goose-for-Christmas-dinner scene.
Children of Men (2006) - For the true Grinches in your life, this dystopian Nativity story allegory from Alfonso Cuaron will bring down even the happiest elves.
Clouds (2020) - This based-on-a-true-story account of Zach Sobiechâs final days is set in snowy Minnesota, and features a montage of holiday scenes to help note the passage of time. Clips from the real, holiday-themed "Clouds Choir" fundraiser, held annually to benefit the Zach Sobiech Osteosarcoma Fund, play during the credits.
Clueless (1995) - Though itâs not dwelled on, the movie takes place partly at the holidays, with the âtragic Val partyâ awash in Christmas decorations.
Citizen Kane (1941) - The greatest film of all time opens at, you guessed it, Christmas and, as we all now know (80 year old spoiler warning), Rosebud was, indeed, a sled embodying the magic of childhood innocence.
Cobra (1986) - This Sylvester Stallone â80s actioner is chock full of Christmas decorations, though the holiday is never cited in the story. Legend says this is because the movie actually shot near the holiday, so many of the locations were decorated and the B-movie production didnât want to take the time to take down or shoot around existing decor.
Collateral Beauty (2016) - This divisive Will Smith movie, which culminates on Christmas Eve, is either a feel-good holiday fantasy, or mawkish, manipulative dreck, depending on your mood. But itâs definitely a holiday film.
Come to the Stable (1949) - This Academy Award-nominated comedy starring Loretta Young about nuns building a childrenâs hospital never mentions the holiday, but it is filled with Nativity allegories (along with direct depictions of the Bible story), down to its setting in Bethlehem, Pa., and awash with Christmas miracle-like coincidences.
The Conjuring 2 (2016) - The second horror movie about âreal lifeâ ghost hunters Ed and Lorraine Warren is set around the holidays, as evidenced by decor throughout.
C.R.A.Z.Y. (2005) - The Jean-Marc VallÊe story of a French-Canadian boy born on Christmas, which his very religious parents take as a sign, ties the holiday into coming to terms with his sexuality amid dysfunctional family chaos.
Curse of the Cat People (1944) - The little girl kicks off the curse by giving a ghost a Christmas present (no, really), and the entire second half of the action is set at the holidays.
The Cutting Edge (1992) - In addition to itâs New Yearâs party sparkler scene, this sports movie-romance also has a significant Christmas scene, where the rivals-turned-partners exchange meaningful gifts.
The Day Mars Invaded Earth (1963) - This low-budget â60s sci-fi uses the holiday to show how aliens have affected a family man.
The Dead (1987) - John Hustonâs final film, starring his daughter Anjelica, is set around an Irish celebration of the Feast of the Epiphany (a.k.a. the 12th day of Christmas).
Dead of Winter (2025) - Emma Thompson enters her Liam Neeson-era in this action-thriller that is heavy on ice and snow, but light on Christmas, though one flashback scene is set around the holiday.
The Dead Zone (1983) - David Cronenbergâs take on Stephen Kingâs novel about a clairvoyant trying to prevent a grim future has a top-notch castâChristopher Walken, Tom Skerritt and Martin Sheen, among othersâand takes place partly at the holidays.
December Boys (2007) - Australian dramedy starring Daniel Radcliffe about orphans competing for the attention of a potential adoptive family while on a Christmas holiday.
D.O.A. (1988) - Dennis Quaid is a detective trying to solve his own murder before poison ends his life at the holidays.
Desk Set (1957) - This fast-talking Katherine Hepburn-Spencer Tracy classic is an absolute delight any time of year, but an elaborate office Christmas party helps makes this a welcome addition to December viewing.
Die Hard (1988) - The quintessential action movie set at the holidays, this is definitely a Christmas movieâif you want it to be.
Die Hard 2 (1990) - This also-Christmas-set sequel tries, and fails, to recreate the magic of the original, but itâs still a stealth holiday movie.
Eastern Promises (2007) - For those who like their Christmas movies bleak, this midwinter-set Russian mob movie will do the trick.
Edward Scissorhands (1990) - Johnny Deppâs misunderstood weirdo hero helps wins over his neighbors with evocative and festive holiday ice sculptures.
Eileen (2023) - Set in snowy, 1964 Massachusetts, a pivotal Christmas Eve rendezvous ramps up the tension in this Anne Hathaway-led drama.
The Electric State (2025) - Itâs perpetually Christmas in the memory palace one of the main characters in this big budget, Netflix action movie starring Millie Bobbie Brown and Chris Pratt resides in.
Enemy of the State (1998) - Though almost innocent in its portrayal of our current (mostly self-imposed) surveillance state, this Will Smith action movie features loads of holiday decor, and the entire chase begins with some Christmas shopping.
Entrapment (1999) - This Y2K (remember when that was a thing?) heist movie moves from Christmas right through the big New Yearâs Eve robbery.
Everybodyâs Fine (2009) - This Robert DeNiro-led family dramedy features a grumpy widower trying to connect with his kids at Christmas.
Everyone Says I Love You (1996) - Woody Allenâs attempt at a musical with A-list stars not known for their singing, wasnât exactly a hit (though critics liked it), but it does feature a memorable Marx Brothers themed Christmas party.
The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021) - This biographical film netted Jessica Chastain her third Oscar nod for playing televangalist Tammy Faye Bakker and weâre introduced to the Bakkerâs PTL TV network via an extended scene that shows their fifth anniversary Christmas Special.
Eyes Wide Shut (1999) - Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise indulge in a Christmastime orgy. (Iâm sorry, thatâs actually the movieâs plot.)
Facade (2020) - A group of people who think theyâre taking part in a study are actually twisted Christmas entertainment for a family of rich psychopaths.
Falling In Love (1984) - This Robert DeNiro-Meryl Strep drama features two married people falling in love over Christmas shoppingâŚOnly not with their spouses.
A Family Affair (2024, Netflix) - Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron May-December rom-com that centers around December, with Efronâs movie star character making a Christmas movie when he gets involved with his assistantâs (Joey King) mother (Kidman).
The Family McMullen (2025) - This sequel picks up 30 years after The Brothers McMullen, with Edward Burns once again as writer, director and star. This time with adult kids moving back in and a holiday setting.
Family Switch (2023, Netflix) - This Jennifer Garner-led body swapping comedy takes place at the holidays.
Fanny and Alexander (1982) - Even Ingmar Bergman understands the power of a holiday setting for his Oscar-winning historical drama about Swedish siblings in the early 1900s.
Far and Away (1992) - The Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman epics spans every season and two continents, but itâs a snowy Christmas when Cruise carries an injured Kidman back to her wealthy family, in hopes they can save her.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to find Them (2016) - This Harry Potter prequel is mostly set in a Christmas-decorated, 1926 New York City.
The Father Who Moves Mountains (2021) - This Romanian adventure thriller set around the holidays starts as a straightforward rescue movie about a father willing to go to any length to rescue his son, then turns more surreal.
Female Trouble (1974) - Devine leads the cast of this John Waters classic about a runaway who turns to a life of crime, with a memorable holiday scene that entered the term âCha Cha Heelsâ in the lexicon.
Fighting With My Family (2019) - This based-on-a-true story, professional wrestling, inspirational drama hinges on a holiday trip home for the heroine.
First Blood (1982) - Did this Rambo introduction kick off the trend of action movies obviously set at, but rarely name-checking, the Christmas season? Not sure, but Rambo fights his way through the decked-out town of Hope.
First Daughter (2004) - Frequent Hallmark lead Marc Blucasâ first Christmas dance was with Katie Holmes in this Forest Whitaker-directed movie that culminates with an elaborate White House Christmas party.
Fitzwilly (1967) - Dick Van Dyke leads the household staff in a holiday heist so their aged, and recently broke, employer can keep them on.
Five Nights at Freddyâs 2 (2025) - The video game adaptation/horror sequel starring McKenna Grace, Josh Hutcherson and Matthew Lillard, contains a double dose of holiday, with both Halloween and Christmas scenes.
Five Year Engagement (2012) - This years-spanning, under-rated rom-com features several Christmas and New Yearâs parties for the on-again, off-again couple.
Fly Me to the Moon (2024) - Scarlett Johansson is recruited by Woody Harrelson to sell the Apollo 11 moon mission in a 1960s Christmas-time New York.
The Friend (2025) - Naomi Watts deals with grief and a really big dog in this holiday-set story based on the book by Sigrid Nunez.
Funny Farm (1988) - This Chevy Chase fish-out-of-water comedy ends with an idyllic Norman Rockwell holiday portrayal, engineered to extract a regretful couple from their country home purchase.
Funny Pages (2022) - This coming of age comedy about an aspiring comic book artist takes place over the holidays, and culminates on Christmas Day.
Get On Up (2014) - Chadwick Bosemanâs portrayal of James Brown features a single Christmas scene, but itâs a fairly important one, showing the abusive relationship he had with his second wife.
Ghosbusters II (1989) - A rousing rendition of âAuld Lang Syneâ saves New York in this Christmas-set sequel.
The Ghost Who Walks (2019) - A man fresh out of prison tries to save his family from a mob boss at the holidays.
Ghosts of Girlfriend Past (2009) - This is the rare movie based on A Christmas Carol not set at the holidays, but itâs structure, and inspiration, still make it a stealth holiday movie in my book.
The Glenn Miller Story (1954) - The classic stealth Christmas movie for me, as even though only the end of this one is holiday-set, I absolutely think of it as a Christmas movie, and one of my favorites at that.
Go (1999) - This intertwining storyline, dark, Christmas-set crime comedy has become a cult classic.
Go Back to China (2019) - Emily Tingâs semi-autobiographical story of an L.A.-based woman who returns to China to design a Christmas toy line for her estranged father.
The Godfather (1972) - Itâs not only AMCâs post-Thanksgiving airings that have made this Scorsese classic, and its sequel, a holiday mainstay, but the movieâs family holiday scenes that help humanize its mobsters.
The Godfather Part 2 (1974) - The first sequel to ever win Best Picture, the holiday moments are brief, but the family feeling is forever.
Godmothered (2020) - This Disney+ original walks the line between just plain Christmas movie, and stealth, as the holiday is ubiquitous throughout the movie, but not its main focus.
Good Grief (2024) - Dan Levyâs Netflix directorial debut opens with a Christmas sing-a-long in a fabulously-decorated holiday house, along with a generally chilly, winter vibe for much of the film.
The Good House (2022) - Though this Sigourney Weaver-led story, based on Ann Learyâs novel, takes place mostly not at Christmas, holiday celebrations of both Thanksgiving and Christmas play key roles in this funny, and real, tale of an in-denial alcoholic who is faking being in recovery.
Goodbye June (2025) - Kate Winsletâs star-studded directorial debut about a dysfunctional family struggling to hold it together when their mother, played by Helen Mirren, falls ill, is set at Christmas.
Goodfellas (1990) - A pink Cadillac Christmas present sends Robert DeNiroâs Jimmy into a rage in a memorable Christmas scene in this gangster classic.
Goodrich (2024) - Michael Keaton turns to his adult daughter (Mila Kunis) for parenting help after his much younger wife leaves him and enters rehab between Halloween and Christmas in L.A.
Good Sam (1948) - Gary Cooper is so invested in helping others, he puts his family on the brink of homelessness at the holidays.
Great Balls of Fire (1989) - Jerry Lee Lewis (Dennis Quaid) and his cousin Jimmy Swaggart (Alec Baldwin) celebrate a significant family Christmas in a festive scene that is called back multiple times
Green Book (2018) - A lengthy and pivotal Christmas dinner scene is used to illustrate how much Viggo Mortensenâs White Savior character has changed.
The Green Knight (2021) - Dev Patelâs epic quest takes place at the holidays in King Arthurâs court.
Gremlins (1984) - Steven Spielbergâs horror-comedy classic set at the holidays is festive enough itâs really almost just a regular Christmas movie.
Greyhound (2020) - Tom Hanksâ most recent World War II movie begins at Christmas.
Grumpy Old Men (1993) - The holiday-set comedy sees the rivalry of affections between Jack Lemon and Walther Matthau come to a head on Christmas day.
Guns Up (2025) - This not-good, Kevin James-Christina Ricci action movie has the barest hint of holiday, with a flashback fight scene set to, for some reason, âJingle Bells.â
The Happiest Millionaire (1967) - This was the musical in production when Walt Disney passed away and while itâs generally considered one of Disneyâs few flops from that era, there is lengthy Christmas section plus a holiday song from stars Fred MacMurray and Greer Garson.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) - The gang spends their first Christmas all together at Hogwarts, in lieu of going their separate ways for the holidays.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows-Part 1 (2010) - Harry visits the graves of his parents and leaves a Christmas wreath, but other than Part 2, where Christmas doesnât even occur, this is definitely the least holiday-centric in the series.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) - The Yule Ball is a central plot point for all three main characters in the fourth Harry Potter film.
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (2009) - Harry spends the holidays with the Weasleys and celebrates a magical Christmas at Hogwarts, making this one feel fairly festive.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix (2007) - Harry and Hermione spend their first Christmas with the Weasleys, basking in their good cheer.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) - Hogsmeade Village looks extremely festive at the holidays.
Harry Potter and the Sorcererâs Stone (2001) - The first Christmas at Hogwarts scenes in this debut Harry Potter film are so elaborate and festive that many people think of this one as a flat-out Christmas movie, even though most of the film does not take place at the holidays.
The Hateful Eight (2015) - Definitely not a feel good movie, this bloody Tarantino joint takes place during a blizzard, the holiday is discussed, and one character even plays âSilent Nightâ during a stand off. So, you know, definitely a stealth Christmas flick.
The Hating Game (2021) - Based on the book by Sally Thorne, this rom-com takes place from Thanksgiving to New Yearâs with seasonal appropriate decor and mentions throughout.
HAVOC (2025) - This Tom Hardy hard action thriller from director Gareth Evans is set in the days leading up to Christmas.
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) - Guillermo del Toroâs cult classic sequel opens with a bedtime story told on Christmas Eve.
Help (2021) - UK movie made for Channel 4, starring Jodie Comer as a nursing home worker navigating the COVID crisis; begins at Christmas 2019.
Holidate (2020, Netflix) - This Emma Roberts-Luke Bracey rom-com covers all the holidays in a year, making it a seasonally-appropriate watch just about anytime, but it begins and ends with Christmas.
Holiday (1938) - Though the âholiday" in the title refers to a vacation, not Christmas, thereâs tasteful Christmas decor aplenty in the Seton house, and a memorable New Yearâs Eve party in this Cary Grant-Katherine Hepburn classic.
Hook (1991) - The whole reason the grown-up Peter (Robin Williams) is in London at all is because itâs Christmas.
Hope (2019) - Stellan Skarsgard is helping his spouse hide a brain tumor diagnosis in hopes of one last happy, family holiday.Â
Hot Fuzz (2007) - Itâs not a huge part of this Edgar Wright action cop action flick satire, but Peter Jackson (yes, the director) does play a criminal who attacks Simon Pegg dressed as Father Christmas, which, frankly, is pretty stealthily holiday.
How About You (2007) - This Irish film based on several of Maeve Binchyâs short stories stars Haley Atwell as the unprepared caretaker of a residential home, left in charge over Christmas.
How to Be Single (2016) - This first half of this Christmas-set rom-com is heavy on the holidays.
How to Blow Up a Pipeline (2022) - This drama about enviromental activists determined to stop a new pipeline, features a cold, snowy and general miserable Christmas along the way.
Hustlers (2019) - This based-on-a-true-story Jennifer Lopez-led film features an epic Christmas scene that shows the high point that comes before these looting ladies inevitable fall.
I Am Legend (2007) - That thereâs more than one movie on this list featuring a worldwide plague that wipes out most of humanity at the holidays might be a really bad omen for how 2020 turns out.
I Come in Peace (1990, a.k.a. Dark Angel) - This Dolph Lungren action movie follows in the tradition of far better action movies by taking place entirely at the holidays.
I Give It A Year (2013) - The pivotal turn in this underrated UK rom-com comes at a Christmas party, and thereâs an absolutely epic game of holiday charades.
The Ice Harvest (2005) - Harold Ramisâ Christmas Eve-set crime movie stars John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton.
Ideal Home (2018) - Paul Rudd and Steve Coogan play a bickering couple looking after a surprise grandson with the holidays as a background.
The Impossible (2012) - This harrowing true story from the 2004 tsunami that struck on December 26th, starts out with the foreshadowing of a perfect Christmas day in paradise.
In Bruges (2008) - Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson are chatty hitman stuck in one of Belgiumâs most beautiful and festive Christmas townsâthe last place they want to be.
Instant Family (2018) - This charming, foster family comedy is at its sweetest during the Christmas scenes.
Invasion U.S.A. (1985) - A Chuck Norris movie that mixes xenophobia and Christmas.
Iron Man 3 (2013) - Director Shane Black continued his Christmas tradition, by not only setting this Marvel movie during the holidays, but keeping star Robert Downey, Jr. mostly out of the suit while he did it.
I Trapped the Devil (2019) - This horror-thriller set over the Christmas holidays has a man who has imprisoned another, saying heâs the devil. But which one is the real monster?
I Wouldnât Be In Your Shoes (1948) - A classic, wrong-man noir murder mystery set around the holidays.
Jarhead (2005) - Based on a real-life Marineâs memoir, a pivotal holiday party leads to a demotion for Jake Gyllenhaal in this grim, but well acted, military drama.
Jaws the Revenge (1987) - This most ridiculous of the Jaws sequelsâand thatâs really saying somethingâtakes place almost entirely at the holidays, cause whatâs more festive than being stalked by a Great White shark?
Jersey Girl (2004) - This Kevin Smith rom-com features Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez meeting cute at a Christmas party, and even has a Stevie Wonder Christmas tune on the soundtrack.
A Journal for Jordan (2021) - Michael B. Jordan plays a soldier father communicating to his son via a journal, in this tear-jerking holiday season release that includes several key Christmas-set scenes.
Jumanji (1995) - This original starring Robin Williams ends at the holidays, with a full on Christmas party, where Williamsâ character meets the kids he knew in the game in the real world for the first time.
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) - Like the original film, the Jumanji reboot, which was released just before the holiday, ends with a Christmas scene once everyone is (spoiler alert) safely back in the real world.
Jumanji: The Next Level (2019) - In the barest nod to its holiday release date, the kids plan a Christmas break reunion, only to find themselves drawn back into the game. Neither of the new series has as much holiday as the original, but it is a Jumanji Cinematic Universe through line that all three take place, at least in part, around Christmas.
Jurassic World (2015) - Even though this was released in summer, the whole set-up of the film is the kids are visiting their aunt at the holidaysâit even starts with Christmas carols. Mostly likely because this was originally destined to debut at Christmas.
Just Friends (2005) - Really riding the line between stealth and flat out Christmas movie, this holiday-set, Ryan Renolyds rom-com could go either way.
Just Getting Started (2017) - Morgan Freeman and Tommy Lee Jones compete for Rene Russoâs affection in this holiday-set, Grandpas-getting-busy-and-running-from-the-mob movie that is very heavy on Christmas, but low on laughs.
Karate Kid (1984) - The Christmas elements arenât as memorable as the Cobra Kaiâs Halloween dance beat down, but theyâre there, as Daniel preps for the All Valley tournament, probably because this summer release was actually filmed in December.
King Kong (2005) - The entire third act, when King Kong is on display in New York, takes place in a holiday-decorated New York. Thereâs even a skating scene with Naomi Watts and the great ape.
The King of Kings (2025) - Animated story of Jesusâ life as told in the Gospels, that for some reason heavily features Charles Dickens and his A Christmas Carol story, despite its Easter oriented release.Â
The Kingâs Man (2021) - This Kingsman prequel has our British heroes (spoiler alert) take out Rasputin at a Russian Christmas party in a manner that mimics the Mad Monkâs real-life, and oft-fabled, demise.
The Kingâs Speech (2010) - This Best Picture-winner is only partly set at the holidays, but King Georgeâs primary goal to overcoming his speech impediment is to be able to give the same sort of comforting Christmas radio speech his father did.Â
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) - Another Colin Firth, sort of Christmas movie, with Firthâs early scene introduction to then-child Eggsy taking place in their holiday-decorated council flat.Â
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) - Arguably what director Shane Black and Robert Downey Jr started in this black-comedy, Christmas-set film, he finished, or least got a much wider audience to watch, in Iron Man 3.
Lâimmenmsita (2022) - This 1970s-set Italian family drama, starring Penelope Cruz, displays a mother trying to hold her family together, including through a key holiday celebration.
L.A. Confidential (1997) - While this modern noir is far from festive, itâs definitely set at the holidays, as the swinging holiday soundtrack and ubiquitous Christmas lights remind you.
Lady and the Tramp (1955 & 2019) - Both the Disney animated original and live-action remake have beautiful Christmas scenes where Lady joins her family as a beloved Christmas present for her mistress.
Lady in the Lake (1947) - Robert Montogomery actually specifically set this at the holidays, deviating from Raymond Chandlerâs novel, to juxtapose the festiveness of the holiday, against his gritty central character.
Lady on a Train (1945) - Deanna Durbin is a mystery fan turned mystery solver in this holiday-set, comedic thriller that even included Durbinâs rendition of âSilent Night.â
Larceny, Inc. (1942) - This holiday-set, Edward G. Robinson crime comedy, is a fun twist on the heist movie.
Lassie (2005) - This (infuriating for animal lovers) remake finds the classic collie so devoted to her boy, she escapes from her cruel new owner and undertakes an epic journey that leads her home on Christmas Day. Warning: Not only are there multiple animal deaths, but Lassie herself seems to perish as she reaches home, too.Â
Last Action Hero (1993) - This meta-commentary/buddy comedy action movie about action movies is best known as a box office bomb, but since Shane Black is one of the writers, itâs not surprising that one of the inside jokes is that the action movie within the movie takes place at, you guessed it, Christmas.
The Last Boy Scout (1991) - Itâs an action movie. It takes place at Christmas. It stars Bruce Willis. No, not that one. Not that other one either. And youâll never guess who wrote it either. (Yes, you will.)
The Last Letter From Your Lover (2021) - A pivotal section of this Netflix romantic dramaâs dual storytelling is set amidst a lush, 1969 London Christmas. The non-holiday scenery is equally gorgeous.
The Lemon Drop Kid (1951) - This Bob Hope classic finds a con artist struggling to come up with a wad of cash he owes a gangster before Christmas.
Les Miserables (2012) - This big screen adaptation of the Broadway musical based on Victor Hugoâs novel is probably best known as the movie that, for some reason, let Russell Crowe sing. In a nod to its Christmas Day-release, this version also adds a drunken Pere Noel to Sasha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carterâs âMaster of the Houseâ song and dance.
Less Than Zero (1987) - Has anyone starred in more almost-Christmas movies than Robert Downey, Jr. (and donât forget Home for the Holidays is a Thanksgiving, not Christmas movie)? In this one heâs a spoiled wastrel throwing debauched Christmas bashes that couldnât possibly look more 1980s.
Lethal Weapon (1987) - Shane Black strikes again. Or, in this case, strikes first, as this black holiday, Mel Gibson action flick, which Black wrote, predates his other Christmas-set efforts.
The Life List (2025) - A woman (Sofia Carson) must complete her teenage to-do list before New Yearâs Eve, including a holiday romance, in order to collect her inheritance and keep getting DVD messages from her deceased mom (Connie Britton).
Lina from Lima (2020) - A nanny for a wealthy Chilean family plans a holiday visit home to Peru in this Spanish-language drama.
Lion in Winter (1968) - Katherine Hepburn won an Oscar for playing Eleanor of Aquitaine, wife to Henry II, in this historical drama set during the Christmas of 1163.
Little Amelie or The Character of Rain (2025) - This lushly animated film about a little Belgian girl growing up in Japan, ends with a Christmas celebration.
Little Women (1933) - Katherine Hepburn is Jo in this, the first major adaptation of Louisa May Alcottâs novel that kicks off at Christmas.
Little Women (1949) - June Allyson plays Jo in this first, color version, but itâs Elizabeth Taylor as Amy who steals this show.
Little Women (1994) - Susan Sarandon is Marmie in this Academy Award-nominated adaptation.
Little Women (2018) - Known as the one weâd like to pretend didnât happen, this Lea Thompson-led version is best forgotten, but still fairly festive.
Little Women (2019) - Greta Gerwig actually found a new way to approach this oft-told tale, but thereâs still plenty of Christmas feels to be found in this star-studded, critically acclaimed movie that gets Meryl Streep to play Marmie.
The Lodge (2020) - Riley Keough is a soon-to-be stepmom trapped in a cabin with her fiancĂŠâs less than welcoming offspring as Christmas approaches.
Look Whoâs Talking Now (1993) - In perhaps the most weâre-obviously-out-of-ideas sequel of all time, the pets now talk in this hooky, Christmas-set cash grab.
The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996) - This under-rated Geena Davis-Samuel L Jackson movie might just be the best action movie set at Christmas. (Yeah, I said what I said.)
The Lost Husband (2020) - This romantic drama, based on a Katherine Center novel, is basically a Hallmark movie with a bigger budget, so no surprise that key scenes take place at Christmas, and the whole movie starts on New Yearâs Eve.
Love, Simon (2018) - This sweet, coming of age movie finds Simonâs coming out, coming over Christmas break.
Love Story (1970) - The classic romantic melodrama has a plot pivotal, and, of course, very weepy, Christmas Eve scene.
Love at First Sight (2023) - This Netflix original, British rom-com is oh-so-sweet and takes place entirely from December 20-21, with plenty of decor and holiday plan chatter woven into the strangers fall (almost) instantly in love plot.
Lovely, Still (2008) - This heartbreaking Alzheimerâs love story is set over the holidays, for extra tear-jerking effect.
Madame Web (2024) - A bizarre non-holiday viewing of A Christmas Carol, with some very on-the-nose dialogue from Scrooge, is what makes Cassie finally understand her extremely obvious ability to see, and alter, the future. RIP the poor chief who apparently died in vain, since TCM was really all she needed to get it.
The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942) - This Bette Davis-starrer tells the story of a self-satisfied dandy who slips on the ice and is forced to spend the holidays with a family exasperated by him.
Mandrome (2023) - This bleak drama about a cult-like male empowerment leader, played by Adrian Brody, that draws in expectant father Jesse Eisenberg is set in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
Marty, Life is Short (2026) - This Netflix doc about Martin Short is filled with footage from the actorâs star-studded Christmas parties.
Mean Girls (2004) - An iconic âJingle Bell Rockâ performance made Lacey Chabert a Christmas movie star long before Hallmark came calling.
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) - Perhaps the ur-stealth Christmas movie, this mostly summer-set musical was turned into a Christmas classic the moment Judy Garland crooned âIâll Be Home for Christmas.â
Megalopolis (2024) - Francis Ford Coppolaâs self-produced and critically panned magnum opus contain a lot of things that make little or no sense to the plot, such as it is, including an over long and highly stylized winter holiday montage.
Merlusse (1935) - This 1935 French film about a boarding school teacher bedeviled by his students over the holidays inspired Alexander Payneâs The Holdovers.
Metropolitan (1990) - Whit Stillmanâs look at spoiled New York City debutantes takes place almost entirely between Christmas and New Yearâs.
Midwinter Break (2026) - Lesley Manville and CiarĂĄn Hinds star as a long married couple drifting apart during the holidays, until a gifted trip to Amsterdam becomes the turning point in their relationship.
Millions (2004) - This UK delight from Danny Boyle is a sweet story set at, but not necessarily about, Christmas and New Yearâs.
Miracle at Morganâs Creek (1944) - This Preston Sturgess screwball comedy culminates at Christmas.
Mixed Nuts (1994) - This Steve Martin-led mental health comedy that kicks off on Christmas Eve didnât really translate for American audiences, though the French original, Le Père NoĂŤl est Une Ordure (Santa Claus is a Stinker) is a beloved holiday classic.
Moneyball (2011) - Math + baseball doesnât sound like it would equal a great movie, but this Brad Pitt-starrer, which also features a pre-Starlord Chris Pratt and earned Jonah Hill his first Oscar nomination, is excellent. Plus, much of the first act is set around the holidays, as Billy Beene tries to rebuild his bargain baseball team before the 2002 season.
Monty Pythonâs Life of Brian (1979) - The life story of the guy born in the stable next to Jesus, also on Christmas Day.
Moonstruck (1987) - This Oscar-winning, offbeat rom-com starring Nick Cage and Cher was released in mid-December and features the seasonal background decor to match.
Morvern Callar (2002) - How bleak is this Lynne Ramsey-directed, holiday-set story? Well, it starts with a Christmas morning suicide and only gets much, much darker from there.Â
The Mothman Prophecies (2002) - The titular horrific prophecy is set to come at Christmas, and the entire second half the film is set at the holidays.
Mouse Hunt (1997) - The Christmas setting of this slapstick comedy may have been trying to evoke Home Alone, though this time itâs a mouse, instead of Macaulay Culkin, provoking prat falls.
Mr. Soft Touch (1949) - Gary Cooper is a war hero who returns home at the holidays only to find bad guys have taken over his club, and he must make things right.
Museo (2018) - This Spanish-language heist drama starring Gael Garcia Bernal is based on the true story of a 1985 holiday robbery.
My Night at Maudâs (1969) - Also known as Ma Nuit Chez Maud, this French New Wave classic is centered on chance meetings during a Christmas vacation.
Mystery, Alaska (1999) - This amiable ice hockey movie has lots of cold weather whimsy (Alberta doubles for Alaska), and a few actual Christmas scenes, that make it holiday appropriate viewing.
Never Say Goodbye (1946) - Errol Flynn gets parent-trapped at the holidays by his daughter, who writes letters pretending to be her mom in an effort to get them to reconcile.
New in Town (2009) - Slight but amiable Renee Zellweger rom-com about an outsider finding her place in a small town, partly through Christmas caroling and tree lighting.
New Yearâs Rev (2025) - This Green Day inspired and produced road trip story finds a young band trying to get cross country to launch their dreams by New Yearâs Eve.
The Nice Guys (2016) - For most of its run this R-rated, 1970s-set dark comedy-thriller starring Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe has nothing to do with the holidays. But itâs a Shane Black joint, so the coda is completely decked out in holiday cheer.
Nick and Norahâs Infinite Playlist (2008) - Though Nick and Norahâs adventurous night doesnât take place near Christmas, one of their stops in search of a lost, drunk friend is an over-the-top, holiday-themed drag show.
Night of the Comet (1984) - This B-movie classic uses Christmas as the background for the apocalypse.
Nomadland (2020) - This Frances McDormand drama, and recent Best Picture winner, about modern day nomads, starts at the holidays.
Nosferatu (2024) - This horror movie is a modern homage to the originalâs dark mood, but unlike the summer-set 1922 classic, the 2024 is subtly but explicitly set around the holidays.
Novocaine (2025) - A Christmas bank robbery kicks of this feel-no-pain Jack Quaid action movie.
Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018) - This Disney fantasy film based on the classic ballet is hit or miss story wise, but pretty to look at.
Old Man and the Gun (2018) - This based-on-a-true story heist movie, features Robert Redford as an aging, but ever charming, bank robber, and includes an epic Tom Waits monologue about a Christmas tree.
Olympus Has Fallen (2013) - This Gerard Butler Presidential action flick kicks off with Christmas at Camp David.
On Her Majestyâs Secret Service (1969) - While Bond films at Christmas are a UK tradition thanks to ITVâs annual airings dating back to 1978, this is the only Bond movie that actually features the holiday.
One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961) - Though itâs not the focus, the original Disney animated movie takes place entirely around the holidays, with the happy ending coming on Christmas Day.
Once Upon a Deadpool (2018) - The PG-13 cut of the normally very R-rated Deadpool, was released at the holidays and used Princess Bride storytelling framing, complete with a kidnapped Fred Savage, and Santa wall decor, to fill in the parts that were cut out.
One Flew Over the Cuckooâs Nest (1975) - The latter half of the movie is entirely set at the holidays, and itâs in the aftermath of an illicit Christmas party that we finally see Billy stand up to Nurse Ratched.
Only You (1992) - A recently dumped Andrew McCarthy takes a woman he just met (Kelly Preston) on a non-refundable holiday trip to the tropics, but soon finds himself interested in his travel agent (Helen Hunt)
Operation Finale (2018) - This well done dramatization of the Mossadâs hunt for Adolf Eichmann isnât exactly a festive watch, but the star-studded thriller does start with a fairly indelible, and Christmas tree-laden, wrong man scene.
The Oranges (2011) - A great castâHugh Laurie, Oliver Platt, Catherine Keener and Allison Janneyâheadline this so-so story of a man who starts an affair with his best friendâs daughter when sheâs home for the holidays.
Ordinary Angels (2023) - Feel good story about a recovering addict, played by Oscar winner Hillary Swank, who steps in to help a down-on-their-luck family and ends up saving a little girlâs life at Christmas.
Other People (2016) - This Jesse Plemmons-Molly Shannon movie about a mother-son relationship, as the former succumbs to cancer, documents a year in the familyâs life, starting and ending at the holidays.
Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009) - This Black Friday shopping adventure straddles the line between Thanksgiving and Christmas cannon.
Peanuts Movie (2015) - Though this full-length, computer-animated film isnât entirely set at the holidays, there are key Christmas scenes that call back the classic Peanuts specials.
People We Hate at the Wedding (2022) - While most of this rom-com is set in the summer, it opens with a family dynamic establishing Santa mall scene.
Period of Adjustment (1962) - Jane Fonda is one half of a couple who find their holiday-time honeymoon spoiled by their friends marriage problems.
The Perks of Being of a Wallflower (2012) - A pivotal and memorable Secret Santa scene makes this coming-of-age movie starring Emma Watson a solid holiday watch.
Peterâs Friends (1992) - This under-rated British ensemble features a group of disparate friends celebrating New Yearâs together.
Pillion (2025) - Who knew BDSM went so well with Christmas? Alexander SkarsgĂĽrd and Henry Melling play reindeer games with each other in this explicit, holiday-set Cannes favorite.
Pirate Radio (2009) - This charming Richard Curtis movie, known as The Boat That Rocked in the UK, features an extremely memorable Christmas with the marvelous Emma Thompson in this 1966-set story.
Play Dirty (2025) - Mark Wahlberg and LaKeith Stanfield headline this Amazon original heist movie, written and directed by Shane Black so, naturally, itâs set at Christmas.
Poseidon Adventure (1972) - This New Yearâs Eve-set classic isnât specifically Christmas, but itâs definitely holiday appropriate.
Poseidon (2006) - The boat still flips on New Yearâs Eve in this over-long remake, but the fun is what was really swamped.
The Princess Bride (1987) - As Peter Falk reads his grandson the ultimate romantic adventure story, you can see a prominent Santa on his wall, and even snow and Christmas lights out the window if you watch closely.
Priscilla (2023) - Though mostly not set at the holidays, Sofia Coppolaâs adaptation of Priscilla Presleyâs memoir features a few sumptuous Christmas at Graceland scenes that truly are fit for a King (get it?).
Prometheus (2012) - In case setting it at the holidays didnât clue you inâIdris Elba is shown decorating a Christmas treeâthe Biblical allegory of a women who canât get pregnant giving birth to an alien, foretold to her by a non-human (robot Michael Fassbender), is pretty on the nose.
Psycho (1960) - No, this isnât a mistake, this is the stealthiest of stealth Christmas movies, but the backstory makes it worth includingâŚIf you look closely, the streets in the opening scenes are decorated for the holidays. The story goes this is because the actual B-roll for the movie was shot during the holiday season, and no one really thought about it till they got in the editing suite, which is why the âPheonix, Arizona, December 11â title card was added to the opening.
RED (2010) - This under-rated action comedy is probably Bruce Willisâ second-best Christmas action classic. Super fun, even if all of Willisâ Christmas decor gets blown to smithereens.
Red, White & Royal Blue (2023) - This delightful rom-comâs American and British heroes bond (and unbeknownst to them start to fall in love) over Thanksgiving and Christmas texts, finally fully revealing their feelings at a plot-pivotal New Yearâs Eve party.
The Ref (1994) - This Dennis Leary-Kevin Spacey holiday kidnapping comedy debuted to scathing reviews, but has found its place among off-beat, cult classics.
Replicas (2019) - Keanu Reeves makes clones of his dead family at Christmas. Very festive.
The Rescuers (1977) - Like many Disney movies, thereâs a touch of Christmas in this animated tale, as the rescued little girl is adopted just in time for a holiday happy ending.
Reindeer Games (2000) - Ben Affleckâs action movie was such a bomb they moved it away from a holiday release, despite its title, seasonal setting, and a main character literally named Rudy, as in Rudolph. (Get it?)
Rent (2005) - This film version of the Broadway classic loses much of the stage magic, but still sees its characterâs through a New York Christmas and New Yearâs.
Riders of Justice (2020) - Mads Mikkelsen avenges his wifeâs death and takes on a biker gang in this Danish language action thriller, bookended by Christmas scenes.
Rise of the Guardians (2012) - This is the classic non-Christmas, Christmas movie for kids, featuring Santa and Jack Frost, but the action actually takes place over Easter.
Roadblock (1951) - Holiday-set, dark love story gone wrong, starring Charles McGraw and Joan Dixon.
Rocky (1976) - Thereâs not only a very memorable Thanksgiving scene, but Rockyâs story carries on through the Christmas season, with a key Christmas breakdown happening amid decor aplenty, and whatâs more holiday appropriate than an underdog story?
Rocky IV (1985) - Rockyâs Russian-set showdown with Drago takes place on Christmas Day, after a seriously snowy training montage.
Roofman (2025) - This Channing Tatum-led crime thriller, based on a true story, is set mostly at the holidays, including a Christmas Eve/Day climax in a toy store.Â
Room for One More (1952) - This Cary Grant-Betsy Drake screwball comedy is winter set with some notable Christmas scenes, but the entire adoption plot is very holiday friendly.
Rudy (1993) - This quintessential sports movie offers up a family Christmas scene that not only evokes 1960s holidays, but reinforces the âyouâll never make it, kid,â motif of the film. (Spoiler alert: he does!)
Safe House (2025) - Nordic docudrama (For Morket) based on a true, 2013 Christmas Eve standoff in war torn Central African Republic.
Sam & Kate (2022) - A holiday-set romance between father-son and mother-daughter duos, played by real-life family units, Sissy Spacek and Schuyler Fisk alongside Dustin and Jake Hoffman.
Scenes from a Mall (1991) - Woody Allen and Bette Midlerâs marriage crumbles inside a mall at Christmas time.
Second Act (2018) - This Jennifer Lopez-Vanessa Hudgens rom-com is festooned throughout for the holidays, though theyâre not the charactersâ main focus.
Sense & Sensibility: A Modern Retelling (2025) - This  reimagining of Jane Austenâs story features multiple members of the Bagley family and is set across the fall and winter holiday season.
Serendipity (2001) - John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale rely on frustrating fate to bring them back together in a magical New York City at Christmas.
Sex and the City: The Movie (2008) - Carrie and her pals celebrate not only Christmas, but a very memorable New Yearâs Eve in this Big Screen continuation of the iconic HBO series that, unlike its cinematic follow-up, is also an actually good movie.
Shadowlands (1993) - This C.S. Lewis biopic kicks off when his till-then pen pal, and future wife, comes for a UK holiday visit that leads to a very memorable Christmas party date.
Shazam! (2019) - Probably the best holiday-set superhero film, this is an absolute delight, and also very Christmasy.
The Silent Partner (1978) - This Elliott Gould movie about a bank teller who figures out a bank heist and tries to get in on the action, is a remake of the 1969 Danish movie, Think of a Number.
Shell (2025) - This body horror, black comedy starring Elisabeth Moss and Kate Hudson is set in a dystopian-ish future Christmastime.
The Shop Around the Corner (1940) - This oft-remade classic, itself based on a stage play, stars Margaret Sullivan and Jimmy Stewart, about rival shop owners who fight while unknowingly falling in love with each other as anonymous pen pals, comes together at the holidays, but still keeps Christmas in the background.
Shop Spoiled (1954) - This movie, also known as The Crowded Day, is a day-in-the-life story of overworked department store clerks on one of the last shopping days before Christmas.
Six Days Seven Nights (1998) - This one is definitely a stretch, as the holiday is never mentioned in the movie, but it does start in a snow-covered and Christmas decoration-festooned New York City, indicating Anne Heche and David Schwimmerâs doomed trip to paradise is taking place during the holiday season.
Six Weeks (1982) - Basically an all-out Christmas film, even released at the holidays, this Dudley Moore melodrama grants a dying girls wish to dance The Nutcracker.Â
Sleepless in Seattle (1993) - Dripping with Christmas and New Yearâs moments, this Tom Hanks-Meg Ryan radio call-in romance really holds up.
Soldier (1998) - Admit Iâd never heard of this late-90s action movie starring Kurt Russell and Jason Scott Lee, but am assured the action hinges on a Christmas party that goes badly for Russellâs retired, cyborg super solider.
Sneakers (1992) - The Christmas in this Robert Redford-Sidney Poitier thriller is oh-so-subtle, with an opening sequence labeled as December, with snow and Christmas decor on display.
Some Girls (1988) - This Robert Redford-produced, meet-the-family film starts with Patrick Dempsey accompanying his girlfriend home for the holidays.
Spoiler Alert (2022) - This real-life love story based on the memoir by Michael Ausiello uses Christmas as one of its primary storytelling markers.
Spontaneous (2020) - This genre-defying teen romance/horror-comedy uses name-checked holidays, including Halloween, as well as a quite pivotal Christmas scene, to mark time in a world where teenagers are literally blowing up and no one knows why.
Stalag 17 (1953) - The action in Billy Wilderâs dark comedy comes together on Christmas Day when the SS come for Don Taylor and the prisoners unmask the spy among them.
Star Trek Generations (1994) - This oneâs fairly slight, but Trek fans are quick to cite a holiday scene featuring Capt. Picardâs could-have-been family in this time-trippy Trek flick.
Step Brothers (2008) - Two separate Christmases are key to Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly battling, then bonding.
Stepmom (1998) - Though itâs got a pretty memorable Thanksgiving scene, this weird, weepy and oddly star-studded melodrama closes at Christmas. Also, how many stealth Christmas movies is Susan Sarandon in, anyway?
The Storied Life of A.J. Firkry (2022) - This romantic dramedy about a struggling bookshop owner/widower/sudden single dad hits a lot of Hallmark-style tropes (not necessarily in a good way), including adding Christmas to the storytelling mix.
Stuck in Love (2012) - Though this movie is really more of a Thanksgiving film, since that holiday bookends the film. there are also some Christmas scenes, making it holiday appropriate anytime in November-December.
The Sure Thing (1985) - This mid-80s, lose-your-virginity comedy (why was that ever a thing?) stars John Cusack and Daphne Zuniga, and takes place over Christmas break.
Susan Slept Here (1954) - In the 1950s, making movies about adults falling in love with âjuvenile delinquentsâ they were put in charge of for the holidays was considered cute fodder for romantic comedies.
Swiss Family Robinson (1960) - The Disney version of this tale features a family Christmas celebrated in the iconic tree house that includes one of the movieâs most emotional moments.
The Sword in the Stone (1963) - Young Arthur gets his job as a squire only when someone else falls ill at the holidays, which is how he ends up at the New Yearâs tournament where he finds Excalibur.
Tales from the Crypt (1972) - This little-known horror anthology features Joan Crawford as a murderous wife who offs her husband at Christmas for the life insurance, only to get her own comeuppance from Santa.
Tangerine (2015) - This heartbreaking, brilliant and far funnier than it should be film, follows a trans sex worker as she searches for her pimp on Christmas Eve.
Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (2026) - This queer, teen slasher tributeâs faux faded horror franchise includes a lamentable Christmas edition.
Their Finest (2016) - Basically just a really great war drama, with hints of romance and comedy, but there is a significant Christmas scene, so Iâm including it, if only to encourage everyone to see this one.
They Live By Night (1948) - Noir thriller led by Farley Granger as an escaped, wrongfully prosecuted convict, double-crossed by a fellow former inmate at Christmas.
The Thin Man (1934) - This first in the beloved fast-talking detective series starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles is set across the holiday season, featuring very memorable Christmas and New Yearâs scenes.
Things to Come (1936) - Also known as H.G. Wellsâ Things to Come, to give it that extra boost, this sci-fi classic(ish) starts at Christmas, replete with carolers and Christmas shoppers crowding the streets, unaware of what the future holds.
This Time Next Year (2024) - UK rom-com featuring a destined couple both born just after midnight on New Yearâ s Eve.
Those Calloways (1965) - This Disney live-action story about a New England family features a significant Christmas scene that emphasizes the familyâs thrifty but loving ways.
Three Days of the Condor (1975) - Robert Redford was doing holiday-set action thrillers way before it was cool.
Three Godfathers (1948) - This John Wayne Western, directed by the venerable John Ford, is a straight-up Christmas movie for many, with its unmissable Biblical Nativity allegory, but the characters donât really mention the movieâs holiday setting until most of the way through the film.
Together (2021) - This dark UK comedy stars Sharon Horgan and James McAvoy as a couple living through COVID lockdown, including some significant Christmas scenes.
Tow (2025) - Rose Byrne leads this true story of an unhoused womanâs fight to get her car back, that also features critical holiday scenes and a performance of âHave Yourself a Merry Little Christmasâ from Demi Lovato.
The Tomorrow War (2021) - The events of the big-budget Chris Pratt alien action movie takes place (at least in the present/past) fully at Christmas time, which doesnât make total sense given the movieâs ostensible timeline, but little about the movie does soâŚ
The Tower (2012) - This Christmas Eve-set Korean update on The Towering Inferno is a holiday disaster epic.
Toy Story (1995) - The original Pixar classic concludes at Christmas. Not that surprising, considering how well toys and Christmas go together.
Trading Places (1983) - This Eddie Murphy-Dan Aykroyd, Christmas-set comedy is somewhere between a stealth Christmas movie, and just a full out holiday flick.
Trancers (a.k.a. Future Cop, 1984) - This cult-classic, sci-fi indie, starring Helen Hunt, features a time traveling cop going from 2247 to 1985 Los Angeles at Christmas time to save world from mind control zombiesâŚYou know, as one does.
A Tree Fell in the Woods (2025) - Two couplesâ âChristmas New Yearâs thingamajigy weekendâ getaway goes awry when a near-miss prompts discovery of infidelity in their group.
The Tunnel (2019) - Norwegian disaster movie finds a group of Christmas travelers trapped in a tunnel after a tanker truck crashes and burns, while a blizzard rages, making outside rescue impossible.
Twelfth Night (1996) - Featuring a British acting whoâs who, this moves the action of Shakespereâs classic Christmas play to the late 19th century.
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2 (2012) - This messy, nonsensical end to the book-based movie series has a key Christmas scene and lights and other holiday paraphernalia scattered about. Because even when the end of the world is coming, itâs important to decorate. The original 2008Â Twilight movie also seems to be set around the season, though thereâs no mention of the holiday, just some scattered decor and lights in the background.
2046 (2000) - Director Wong Kar-wai deeply dark and emotional story of loneliness and yearning is told using holiday music and imagery, over a series of Christmas Eves.
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) - This French romantic classic from Jacques Demy, starring a luminous Catherine Deneuve, has a plot pivotal Christmas sequence that some say is one of the most beautiful holidays put on film.
Universal Language (2024) - Matthew Rankinâs surrealist, art house darling featuring a series of seemingly unconnected tales, was shot in Canada and, at least according to Rankin, inspired by the âsomething like 3,000 Hallmark movies produced in Winnipeg per year,â with occasionally festive imagery to match.
Vanished Out of Sight (2025) - Also known as Blind River, this Annalise Basso thriller is about a blind mother whose child goes missing on Christmas Day.
Vicious (2025) - Dakota Fanning learns taking boxes from strangers isnât always such a great idea, in this holiday-set horror movie.
View from the Top (2003) - This critcally-panned comedy (?) has no idea what type of movie it wants to be, but for about 25 minutes near the end, itâs a full-on Christmas movie, with Gwyneth Paltrow racing home for the holidays to see Mark Ruffalo.
Voicemails for Isabelle (2026) - This weepy Netflix romance features a When Harry Met Sally-inspired, New Yearâs Eve ending.
The War with Grandpa (2020) - Robert DeNiro stars in this family film, with the whole second half set at a Christmas-themed birthday party.
Weâre No Angels (1955) - Humphrey Bogart, Peter Ustinov and Aldo Ray are escaped criminals preying on the kindness of others at Christmas.
When Harry Met Sally (1989) - Covering all of the Fall-Winter holidays, this Meg Ryan-Billy Crystal rom-com classic both totally holds up, and is the perfect holiday watch, culminating on New Yearâs Eve.
Whereâd You Go Bernadette (2019) - This movie version digresses from the novel significantly to shift the focus to its star, Cate Blanchett, but itâs still set around the holiday season.
While You Were Sleeping (1995) - When transit worker Sandra Bullock saves the man sheâs crushed on from afar, sheâs mistaken for his fiancee by his family as he lies in a coma, and decides to go with it, spending the holidays with the group while growing closer to his brother.
Whisper (2007) - This snowy, psychological horror movie about a group of desperate criminals, led by Josh Holloway, is set at the holidays. They soon learn there is more to the wealthy child they kidnap than meets the eye.
Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? (1971) - This cult classic, British horror-thriller takes place during a spooky Christmas Eve sleepover.
Wolfs (2024) - Christmas isnât really discussed in this George Clooney-Brad Pitt action-comedy, but the city they move through is definitively decorated for the holidays.
The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020) - Jim Cummings wrote, directed and stars in this horror-comedy set over the Christmas holidays about a town that may or may not be plagued by werewolves.
Woman of the Hour (2024) - Anna Kendrick made her directorial debut with this creepy period piece, which she also starred in, focused on the real-life Dating Game killer. Holiday touch here is oh-so-slight, with a decorated-for-Christmas newsroom in one of the flashbacks.
Wonder (2017) - A good chunk of this heart-tugging story of Auggie, a young boy born with facial deformities, is set at the holidays.
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) - This by-no-means-good superhero sequel ends with a full-on Christmas scene, straight out of a Hallmark movie, complete with Kris Polaha.
Why Him? (2016) - Bryan Cranston is the dad not at all won over by his soon-to-be, son-in-law (Dave Franco) during a holiday visit.
Wind Chill (2007) - The under-rated Emily Blunt horror-thriller starts with a couple of college kids sharing a ride home for Christmas that takes a very strange turn.
Winter Meeting (1948) - This little-known, snow-set Bette Davis movie has her competing with God for the love of a world weary vet.
Youâve Got Mail (1998) - Tom Hanks-Meg Ryan remake of The Shop Around the Corner features plenty of Christmas New York feels, as the pair play rival bookstore owners and secret email pen-pals.
