Silver and Gold

Rick Retro’s Rankings #11: Counting down #2 to #1 All-Time Best Christmas Movies (w/ Retro Reviews up to 2026-01-12)

Rick Retro’s Rankings #11: Counting down #5 to #3 All-Time Best Christmas Movies (feature length, w/ Retro Reviews up to 2026-01-12)

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After completing our 2025 Christmas Tour and finishing the 2025 Christmas Leftovers, I’ve now reviewed 25 feature-length Christmas movies. Since I watched and analyzed all 25 twice in two years, I’ve Retro-actively re-graded and re-ranked a few of them, after this season’s second viewing.

The movies ranked #2 to #1 in our updated rankings of All-Time Best Christmas Movies are both superb, and to me, only slightly better than #5 to #3. For me, one seems objectively the better movie, but the other touched me more personally. I won’t say which is which, because both are objectively fantastic, and both hit me emotionally too. So your mileage may vary. Read on to see which film I’m awarding a Silver medal, and which one earns the Gold! I hope both of these films are holiday staples with you and your family! Read our Retro Reviews linked below to learn why they should be, and if you haven’t seen one or both, make plans to see them this coming Christmas!

If you want to see how #2 to #1 were graded and ranked after my 2024 Christmas Tour and 2024 Christmas Leftovers, look here.

Previous Countdowns of the All-Time Best Christmas Movies (feature length, with Retro Reviews up to January 12, 2026):
Counting down from #25 to #16
Counting down from #15 to #11
Counting down from #10 to #6
Counting down from #5 to #3

Counting down from #2 to #1:

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. The icons for EQ (Entertainment Quality) grades are as follows👍Overall Entertainment Quality, 📖 Story, 👥 Characters,📽️ Visuals,🎼 Soundtrack. Alignment with Judeo-Christian values range from +4 ✝️❎4️⃣ down to -4 ✝️⛔4️⃣.

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.

🥈#2 A+^

👍A++ | 📖A+ 👥A+ 📽️A+ 🎼A+
✝️❎4️⃣

🥇#1 A+^

👍A++ | 📖A+ 👥A+ 📽️A+ 🎼A+
✝️❎2️⃣

Now it’s time for your thoughts. Which of my Top 5 is your #1 Christmas Movie? We’d love to hear why it’s your favorite in the comments!

If your #1 Christmas Movie is not represented in the poll above, tell us which holiday film is your favorite in the comments. Also, let us know which Christmas movies I should review at the end of 2026 so that they can be included on next year’s list. I have a few in mind, but I want your input!

Thanks for joining us on our in-depth 2025 look at Christmas films since the start of December! I leave you with the final list of The All-Time Best Christmas Movies #1-25 (feature length, with Retro Reviews up to January 12, 2026):

1. A Christmas Story (1983) A+^

2. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) A+^

3. Die Hard (1988) A+^

4. Elf (2003) A+^

5. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) A+^

6. Edward Scissorhands (1990) A+^

7. You’ve Got Mail (1998) A+^

8. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) A+>

9. Gremlins (1984) A+v

10. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) A+v

11. A Christmas Carol (1938) A+v

12. Christmas in Connecticut (1945) A ^

13. The Shop Around the Corner (1940) A ^

14. White Christmas (1954) A ^

15. Miracle on 34th Street (1947) A ^

16. Scrooge (1935) A ^

17. Home Alone (1990) A-v

18. In the Good Old Summertime (1949) B+^

19. Babes in Toyland (1934) (aka March of the Wooden Soldiers) B+>

20. The Santa Clause (1994) B+v

21. Love Actually (2003) B ^

22. Trading Places (1983) B ^

23. Scrooged (1988) C ^

24. Black Christmas (1974) D+>

25. Bad Santa (2003) D ^

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Last updated 2026-01-16