December is a time for Christmas movies and spending time with family. And if you're a teacher or a student, it's a time to relax and make some extra money before the spring semester. And every year, Hallmark has their iconic '31 Days of Christmas' movie marathon. But in case those movies don't fit your fancy, here are 20 movies to watch instead, classics and Netflix originals included.
1. 'A Charlie Brown Christmas'
A family tradition in my house is to watch the Charlie Brown special before every holiday. This movie is a classic, and you can never go wrong with Charlie Brown and his gaggle of friends.
2. 'Frosty the Snowman'
Another classic. A singing snowman that makes kids happy? What a wholesome film. It will surely brighten anyone's day.
3. 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas'
Whether you watch the animated or the live-action version, you will get a lot of entertainment out of this movie. The Grinch is relatable AF, and while he seems like a bad person, he really only hates people. Not the actual holiday. Which brings a whole new meaning to this movie.
4. 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer'
This is another wholesome film. While Rudolph is bullied throughout this movie, when Santa notices his potential and bright red-nose, he inevitably saved the day. Those bullied backed off and he got the girl reindeer. A win-win.
5. 'The Christmas Prince'
While this movie is cheesy and predictable like no other movie, it is still really entertaining to watch. The prince is hot, the storyline is pure, and everything works out in the end. Plus, it's rather enjoyable to make fun of this film as you watch it.
6. 'The Princess Switch'
This Netflix film is much better than I thought it would be. However, it does take some time to get over Vanessa Hudgens' fake British accent, but that's more comical than anything. The prince gets more attractive as the movie goes on, but this one is really, really good.
7. 'Love Actually'
I love movies that have multiple plot points going on with many characters at the same time. This movie is amazing, and I think the story is so good. I am looking forward to re-watching this over Christmas break.
8. '12 Dates of Christmas'
I remember watching this on Hallmark years ago. But this movie is all about a woman trying to have the perfect date, but she keeps going back in time and needs to figure out what she needs to do differently. This is another really good one.
9. 'Christmas Inheritance'
Another cheesy Netflix film, but this one is worth the watch. High society Ellen has to go back to her hometown to continue on her family's Christmas tradition and she falls in love with the people and a guy. I'm a sucker for these kinds of films.
10. 'The Polar Express'
When I was a kid, my parents took me and my brother on the Polar Express and we got to live the movie. It was so much fun, and now this movie holds a special place in my heart. Plus, it's a classic Christmas movie. And you can never go wrong with those.
11. 'Elf'
While this movie is not one of my favorites, Buddy the Elf still has some iconic quotes in this movie. And he's only trying to find his father. Which is very wholesome.
12. 'Home Alone'
This movie is wild from start to finish. Not only does Kevin's family forget to bring him on their family vacation, but two goons are trying to rob his house. He is forced to be a grown up and is doing his very best.
13. 'Christmas with the Kranks'
The Kranks don't want to deal with Christmas this year, so they decide to go on vacation. But at the last minute, their daughter is coming home with her boyfriend. They have mere hours to pull together a Christmas dinner together but thank goodness they have the help of their neighbors.
14. 'Christmas Story'
Some Cleveland pride here, as this was filmed in a house in the city. It's a classic Christmas movie and it's on a 24-hour continuous loop on December 25th. Plus, it has the infamous leg lamp that you see everywhere.
15. 'The Santa Clause'
Tim Allen stars in this classic movie series. It's been a while since I've seen these movies, but I remember watching them when I was younger and loving them.
16. 'It's a Wonderful Life'
This movie is definitely a classic. Since it was made over fifty years ago, I have never seen this movie. A guardian angel shows the main character what his town would have looked like if he hadn't helped its growth over the years.
17. 'Miracle on 34th Street'
I have not seen this movie either. But it focuses around a man named Kris Kringle who fills in for a drunk Santa in the annual Thanksgiving Day parade. He becomes loved by the country and he tells everyone that he is really Santa Claus.
18. 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation'
It's been a while since I've seen this one. Clark Griswold wants to have the perfect family Christmas. But chaos ensues when his country cousin and his family show up out of the blue and start living on the Griswold property. Then, Clark's holiday bonus is revoked. Definitely not the Christmas he was looking for.
19. 'The Holiday'
When two women agree to switch homes for a much-needed break, they begin falling for local hunks to cure their romance slump. I really like this movie and I'm a sucker for romantic comedies.
20. 'The Nightmare Before Christmas'
I have never seen this movie because I try to stay away from Tim Burton. But Jack Skellington is back and ready to invade a new town. He plots to control Christmas by kidnapping Santa Claus and taking over. But not everything goes to plan.
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