The holiday season is fully upon us! When you’re done sipping hot chocolate and admiring the lights in your neighborhood, there’s nothing better than cozying up with a Christmas movie. If you’re an HBO Max subscriber, you have access to an awesome collection of holiday hits. But, like any streaming collection, even HBO has a few duds in the mix. To help you find where to devote your holiday attention, we’ve pulled together the best Christmas movies on HBO Max right now.
Looking for more holiday picks? We’ve also assembled guides to the best Christmas movies on Netflix and the best Christmas movies on Amazon Prime.
8-Bit Christmas (2021)
98m
Genre
Family, Comedy
Stars
Neil Patrick Harris, Winslow Fegley, Sophia Reid-Gantzert
Directed by
Michael Dowse
This HBO Max Original takes place in suburban Chicago in the late 1980s. It’s something of a refresh of A Christmas Story as 10-year-old Jake Doyle (Winslow Fegley) makes it his life’s (or at least his Christmas) mission to get the latest 8-bit gaming system for Christmas.
Elf (2003)
97m
Genre
Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Stars
Will Ferrell, James Caan, Bob Newhart
Directed by
Jon Favreau
A modern Christmas classic, Will Ferrell stars as Buddy the Elf, a human who was accidentally brought to the North Pole as a child. Raised as a toymaking elf, Buddy is extremely enthusiastic, but as a full-grown man, he’s about four times the size of the other elves. Somehow, he feels like he just doesn’t belong, so when the opportunity arises to meet his real father, Buddy jumps at the chance to travel to Manhattan. Dad, however, isn’t quite ready to accept that his long-lost son is literally one of Santa’s elves.
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
97m
Genre
Comedy
Stars
Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Juliette Lewis
Directed by
Jeremiah S. Chechik
Another Christmas classic, this one catches up with National Lampoon’s Vacation‘s Griswold family as they prepare to host fmaily for the holidays. Of course, things are never easy for Clark (Chevy Chase), Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo), and their kids. When Clark’s obnoxious cousin Eddie arrives unexpectedly with his family in tow, the bad luck spirals out of control. But Clark is not one to be deterred from having a happy Christmas holiday.
A Christmas Story (1983)
93m
Genre
Comedy, Family
Stars
Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin, Peter Billingsley
Directed by
Bob Clark
One of the most beloved Christmas movies ever, A Christmas Story is practically appointment viewing for many families. Little Ralphie is growing up in the 1940s, getting into mischief, but trying to stay good so he can convince his parents, teachers, and Santa that he’s deserving of a Red Ryder B.B. gun for Christmas. Easier said than done.
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
96m
Genre
Comedy, Drama, Family
Stars
Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Edmund Gwenn
Directed by
George Seaton
A Christmas movie for the ages, Miracle on 34th Street introduces us to Kris Kringle, a jolly man who bears a striking resemblance to Santa Claus. Naturally, he’s asked to perform the role at Macy’s after his performance in the Thanksgiving Day parade. Kringle is committed to the role, however, making some wonder if he’s truly Santa Claus, and making others push for the man’s institutionalization.
Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
114m
Genre
Fantasy, Drama, Family
Stars
Richard Attenborough, Dylan McDermott, Mara Wilson
Directed by
Les Mayfield
It doesn’t compare to the original, but this 1994 reboot is still a heartwarmer. Six-year-old Susan Walker doubts the existence of Santa Claus since the adults in her life have pretty much all given up trying to keep up the charade. But when she meets a department store Santa who’s convinced he’s the real thing, Susan begins to find her belief again.
Four Christmases (2008)
88m
Genre
Comedy, Romance, Drama
Stars
Vince Vaughn, Reese Witherspoon, Robert Duvall
Directed by
Seth Gordon
For those looking for a more PG-13 Christmas movie, Four Christmases delivers some laughs around cute performances from Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn. Each year, Brad and Kate have successfully avoided their families. This year, however, all departing flights are canceled and their ruse to elope from their families gets exposed on TV. Now, Brad and Kate must attend four different Christmases in the same day, all while eating a big old slice of humble pie.
The Polar Express (2004)
100m
Genre
Animation, Family, Adventure, Fantasy, Comedy
Stars
Tom Hanks, Leslie Zemeckis, Eddie Deezen
Directed by
Robert Zemeckis
The computer animation doesn’t really stand up to today’s standards, but don’t let that take you out of the magic of The Polar Express. One night, a boy who doubts the existence of Santa Claus looks out his window to discover an unusual train. He boards it and finds he’s heading to the North Pole. But it’s more than just a journey to see Santa, it’s a journey to the heart of himself to discover that life’s wonders never cease as long as you believe.
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