Best Christmas Movies #25 to #16
Rick Retro’s Rankings #2: Counting down #25 to #16 All-Time Best Christmas Movies (w/ Retro Reviews up to 2025-01-01)
Rick Retro’s Rankings #2: Counting down #25 to #16 All-Time Best Christmas Movies (feature length, w/ Retro Reviews up to 2025-01-01)
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(Note from Rick Retro, 2026-01-12: These rankings were originally sent out to our early text group before my Substack debut. After re-reviewing these films a year later, some have been Retro-actively regraded and re-ranked, but I present them here as they were graded and ranked on 2024-12-31. The updated rankings through 2026-01-12 can be found here.)
I’ve now reviewed 25 feature-length Christmas movies, well, 24. I just watched #25, You’ve Got Mail, and that review will be posted tomorrow.
Counting down from #25 to #16:
Added in response to a text group question: I’m ranking the overall quality of movies that are widely regarded as Christmas movies, not how well these movies demonstrate holiday spirit or even fit a Christmas theme.
Reminder: The arrow after a grade indicates if it is in the top third (^), middle third (>), or lower third (v) of works that share the same letter grade.
Also: This post looks much better in your browser than on the Substack app, because the images in the links are not included in the version of the post that the app will show you. Go to rickretro.com in your desktop or mobile browser for the better rendition of this post.
#25 D+>
Bad Santa (2003)
Bad Santa (2003) — How bad is he? Ebenezer Scrooge and the Grinch combined have nothing on this guy.
#24 C v
Black Christmas (1974)
Black Christmas (1974) — A film with a surprisingly entertaining second half…
#23 B ^
Scrooged (1988)
Scrooged (1988) — A film that tries to get away with putting lipstick on a Christmas pig that’s impersonating a Christmas classic.
#22 B ^
Love Actually (2003)
Love Actually (2003) — They actually use the word “actually” frequently in this film. I merely follow their lead…
#21 B+v
The Santa Clause (1994)
The Santa Clause (1994) — As “Ho, ho, ho!”s go, it’s better than so-so, but more “Oh.” than “Whoa!”, don’t you know.
#20 B+>
Trading Places (1983)
Trading Places (1983) — Good story, lots of laughs, but ultimately, too much unnecessary baggage.
#19 B+^
Babes in Toyland (1934) (aka March of the Wooden Soldiers)
Babes in Toyland (1934) (aka March of the Wooden Soldiers) — Laurel and Hardy rescue Mother Goose and friends in more ways than one.
#18 B+^
In the Good Old Summertime (1949)
In the Good Old Summertime (1949) — If they had called this movie In the Great Old Summertime, then they would be misleading you with two words of the title, not just one!
#17 A-v
Home Alone (1990)
Home Alone (1990) — Smart kid vs. dumb criminals at Christmastime equals holiday slapstick success.
#16 A >
White Christmas (1954)
White Christmas (1954) — There’s not a ton of snow or Christmas here, but this film honors veterans and is a solid musical romcom well worth the watch.
Coming soon:
Counting down from #15 to #11
Counting down from #10 to #6
Counting down from #5 to #3
Counting down from #2 to #1
Meanwhile, feel free to debate these rankings or post your own as comments! I especially want to know which rankings you think I got wrong!
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Text Group Comments:
From R: So to be clear... these are rankings of the movies specifically *as* Christmas movies?
Or overall rankings of the movies that happen to be on the list of Christmas movies?
In other words, if hypothetically you thought Die Hard was a better movie than A Christmas Story, but less suitable for Christmas... where would it rank?