As the holidays approach us, everyone’s starting to watch their favorite movies to get in the spirit. Whether you watch them at home with your family or get together with some friends, there are tons of movies to watch. Here are this year’s top 10 holiday movies for this season in 2023.

10. Best Christmas Ever

This movie just came out this year and has become quickly popular. In this storyline, two families get stuck together for the holidays and the competitive nature within each woman shines through, becoming the main subject throughout.

9. A Christmas Prince

This movie is part of a series in which a prince and a journalist come together. The warmth of the season can be easily felt in the majority of the scenes and you can tell that the different occupational backgrounds of each character strongly influence what takes place. Not only is this a good Christmas movie but also a timeless piece that represents independence as well as being better together.

8. The Christmas Chronicles

A worldwide childhood dream is brought to life in this movie as the famous Santa Claus is featured being captured by a pair of witty siblings who get caught up in helping St. Nick with his holiday duties. This movie was greatly family friendly and entertaining with clearly well thought out events. Throughout the film, anyone watching would feel a sense of nostalgia coming back from the imagination of being a kid. Even though it’s number eight on the top 10 list, this is definitely a must watch for family oriented viewers especially to experience with children. 

7. Mistletoe and Menorahs

In a world where “the holidays” automatically make a person think of Christmas, you don’t find a lot of movies showing other religions, and if you do they may not be good. In this case, however, the Jewish practice of Hanukkah is executed in a wonderful clash with Christmas. Forced together, these two business-surrounded individuals must teach each other about their own practices.

6. Holidate

There are many romantic holiday movies out there but in my opinion most are corny and unrealistic. While that can be a good thing in certain cases, this movie executed the idea well in addition to not being predictable. A woman who is constantly pressured by family to find a significant other finds the perfect situation in having a date only for the holidays when people feel most lonely even when filled in a room full of people. I also believe that the actors/actresses have a bigger than average part in how well the scenes played out to the viewers compared to other films of the same sorts. Those who enjoy romance during the holidays would definitely love this movie as it also includes lots of comedy while I for one found it as a highlight in the overview. 

5. Candy Cane Lane

Featuring Eddie Murphy, this movie showed the importance of family and togetherness over other artificial things. A family gets caught up in a battle with an evil elf from the North Pole and befriends many along the way. It may be rare to find movies that both adults and children could enjoy but this was one of them. It was hectic, to say the least, but in the best way possible.

4. Feast of the Seven Fishes

This movie is ranked number four since it was very relatable and insightful to other cultures. A young man whose Italian family has traditions gets a bit mixed up as a girl comes around to influence feelings as well as learn about how another culture does things during the holidays. This movie was based around the Italian holiday tradition of the feast of seven fishes where family and friends gather together over the span of a week to prepare the feast, and more. I feel that the rating is a bit high and it may be suitable for a younger age group as well. I can personally say that I thoroughly enjoyed this and highly recommend it. Even though it came out in 2018, it was recently added to Netflix therefore giving a wider audience and newly found fan base as many routes for the leading characters too. 

3. ELF

Yet another classic that remains a must watch each year. The main character, Buddy the Elf, has become a staple for Christmas joy over time, there’s just nothing else like it. Even though the rating is PG, I find that both adults and kids can greatly enjoy this movie and its storyline. A human has grown as an elf and when it comes time to meet his real father in the real, non-Christmas headquarters world, Buddy takes a lot of adjusting. I don’t think anyone could begin to express the joy a viewer feels through the screen when watching this movie. It’s funny and heartfelt all in one.

2. A Madea Christmas

1. Home Alone

Starring Macaulay Culkin in 1990, this classic Christmas movie has stayed a fan favorite throughout the years. As the 1-hour and 43-minute movie goes on, it features a child boy being left by his family accidentally and having to fend for himself for a while at home. This movie depicts the funny creativity of the young kid and the importance of appreciating what you have before you lose it. It also shows that the most important part of the holidays is spending it with family and loved ones. I would also say that this is a great movie to watch no matter the age and very well fits the rating.