Based on the IMDb scores, HBO Max has the best Christmas movies out of all the streaming platforms, and that includes Disney+ and Hulu. Where most streaming services are full of their own original movies that leave a lot to be desired, HBO Max is where fans can find the really iconic holiday flicks.
The streaming service is full of truly classic Christmas movies on the cusp of being forgotten. On top of that, it’s full of lovable modern classics too, whether it’s boundary-pushing animated movies or one of Will Ferrell’s funniest comedies.
Miracle On 34th Street (1994) – 6.6
Though remakes don’t always have the best reputation, the 1994 remake of Miracle on 34th Street captures most of the magic of the original. Now in color, the classic story of a mall Santa turning out to be the real Saint Nick is still as compelling as it was 47 years earlier.
Macy’s might not be the department store where Santa works anymore, but outside of that, it’s mostly faithful to the original. And out of all the portrayals of Santa in movies, whether it’s Kurt Russell’s cool approach in The Christmas Chronicles or Tim Allen’s reluctant Kris Kringle in The Santa Clause, Richard Attenborough was born to play Santa.
The Polar Express (2004) – 6.6
The Polar Express is a classic Christmas story, the tried and true tale of a child who begins to stop believing in Santa only to be proven completely wrong. Though it has been done so many times before, it has never been told in such a unique way like the 2004 animated movie.
The film combines so many unique characters and, strangely enough, has an almost Lynchian-like approach in its mystery and storytelling. But it still has that rich and warm Christmas feeling, especially when everyone is drinking cocoa in the cozy train in their robes. Though the effects are remarkable for the most part, the only thing that sets the movie back is the way the characters’ eyes look. It makes all the characters look completely soulless, and that’s why some people are routing for a live-action Polar Express.
Elf (2003) – 7.0
What’s amazing is that Elf is loved by 20-somethings just as much as it is by children. And that isn’t even because they grew up with the movie, but because Will Ferrell’s comedy speaks to all ages. The movie follows a human who thought he was an elf and grew up in the North Pole his whole life, as he travels to New York to track down his real father. And the fish out of water-type gags have never been funnier than in Elf.
The film could risk lowkey spoiling the truth about Santa, as some smarter kids might catch on to Ferrell’s over-the-top sarcasm. However, it’s one of the most endearing Christmas narratives, and kids have never connected to an adult so much in a movie.
The Holiday Affair (1949) – 7.2
One thing HBO can brag about that the other streaming platforms can’t is that it is full of truly classic Christmas movies. Though Elf and The Polar Express are “classics” in terms of high concept Hollywood Christmas movies, not much compares to the cozy 40s movies where on-set snow is actually cornflakes colored white.
The Holiday Affair is one of the many 40s movies available on the streaming service, and it’s one of the most entertaining. The film follows a widow and single mother who gets caught up in a fraudulent shopping scheme. It’s a fairly schmaltzy movie, as are most movies from that era, and it’s full of charm and Christmas spirit.
Meet Me In St. Louis (1944) – 7.6
Meet Me In St. Louis is probably best known for being a broadway musical play, but before that, it was an amazing technicolor spectacle. The movie follows four sisters learning about life in the year 1904, leading up to the Missouri World Fair.
There’s so much to love about the movie for fans of the holiday season, as there’s so much production value that has gone into making elegant Christmas Eve balls and the decorative town looking as sparkly and warm as possible. And along with its very respectable score on IMDb, the movie is one of the few to have a perfect 100% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes too.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) – 7.6
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is more for adults than it is for children, as parents can surely relate to the stress and frustration that Clark goes through during the holiday season. But it’s the way that Clark deals with that stress that makes it so funny.
Clark might not be the most lovable guy in the world, in fact, he’s pretty sadistic, but he’s still very relatable. And between redneck cousin Eddie, the perfect Christmas dinner facade, and the endlessly quotable lines, Christmas Vacation essentially plays out like a feature-length SNL skit. In many ways, the 1989 release is the perfect Christmas movie.
It Happened On Fifth Avenue (1947) – 7.7
Between Christmas shopping at Macy’s, ice-skating in Central Park, and the multitude of Christmas movies that take place there, New York is almost synonymous with Christmas. But it was It Happened On Fifth Avenue that started that trend.
The film follows a wealthy businessman who decides to blend in with a group of homeless people that have taken over his house, and it’s one of the funniest movies of the 40s. Though Miracle On 34th Street followed a couple of months later, the 1947 film was the first to truly capture the feeling of Christmas in New York, and the city is almost as much of a character as either of the protagonists.
Miracle On 34th Street (1947) – 7.9
As fun to watch and as colorful as the 1994 remake is, nothing beats the original 1947 black-and-white version on Miracle On 34th Street. It’s a testament to how great and timeless the movie is that even younger audiences would probably prefer the 74-year-old film to the much newer version.
The movie follows two lawyers attempting to prove that a mall Santa is who he says he is, and it somehow amazingly draws kids into its procedural law-like narrative and dialogue. With Christmas being such a popular backdrop for most films in the 40s, Miracle On 34th Street is one of the best black and white Christmas movies.
A Christmas Story (1983) – 7.9
With HBO Max being full of original edgy comedies, A Christmas Story fits in so well with the service’s line-up of movies and TV shows. A Christmas Story is basically built up of hilarious vignettes, but they are all tied to the Christmas-loving, trigger-happy child, Ralphie.
All the vignettes are loosely based around the fact that all he wants for Christmas is a BB gun, and they’re tied together with a ridiculous narration. Whether it’s kids getting their tongues stuck to frozen flagpoles or the sought-after leg lamp, there are so many iconic moments in A Christmas Story.
The Shop Around The Corner (1940) – 8.1
It’s quite impressive that HBO Max’s best Christmas movie is also one of the very oldest, being over 80 years old, and it just goes to show that nothing beats the classics and they shouldn’t be forgotten.
The 1940 movie is about two gift shop employees that hate each other, but they are also two penpals who are madly in love but haven’t met yet. Audiences might have watched the tried and true narrative play out countless times before, but The Shop Around The Corner was the first to do it.
