15 Of The Best Holiday Comedy Movies Ranked

Courtesy of Netflix, Warner Bros. Pictures & Paramount Pictures.

Depending on who you ask, the holidays are now well upon us (especially with Thanksgiving arriving in less than a week come Thursday). So matter if you began celebrating the holidays November 1st after Halloween or are waiting to begin on Black Friday, one thing we know is true is that this is the most nostalgic time of year and part of that nostalgia comes from rewatching our favorite holiday classics growing up.

In honor of the anticipation of the holiday season, the 800 Pound Gorilla News Staff got together to look back at some of our favorite & the best holiday comedy movies this subgenre has ever seen. In this list, you’ll find that there’s a wide range of films dating all the way back from 1945 to 2020. Whether you’ve seen these films dozens of times or a few you’re discovering for the first time, we hope this list marks a formal invitation to begin your movie marathon filled with the most top notch quality of comedy come Thanksgiving, beginning of December, the week of Christmas or whenever you decide to celebrate.

Here are 15 of our picks for the best holiday comedy movies ranked!

After serving as the California governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger became an icon when he starred in The Terminator, Predator & a slate of other legendary action films. But then in the late 80’s into the 90’s, Schwarzenegger took the foot off the gas from the action genre for a bit to try out his comedy chops and among those comedic slate of films was the Christmas cult classic Jingle All The Way starring opposite beloved comic Sinbad. In this movie, Arnold’s character Howard Langston is simply on a mission to get his son the hottest toy of the season, Turbo-Man -- even though it's Christmas Eve and the toy is practically sold out. But when Howard bumps into mailman Myron (Sinbad), another father on the same mission, the real blood bath for getting their kid Turbo-Man for Christmas begins. The film features a great cast of comedy greats including Jim Belushi, Laraine Newman, Phil Hartman & the recently deceased Martin Mull. Full of slapstick humor & gags appropriate for the whole family, Jingle All The Way has all the Christmas spirit you could ask for.

- Stephen Frost

How to watch: streaming now on Hulu!

If you’re a fan of modern classic stoner comedies like Pineapple Express or Clerks & are looking to get into the Christmas spirit, the 2015 R-rated Christmas comedy The Night Before might be just the film for you to watch (or re-watch) this season. Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg are two of the producers behind it, the same pair of comedy filmmakers behind comedy hits Superbad, This Is The End, & Sausage Party. And in it, the film almost has a Hangover-like approach as it follows Isaac (Rogen) & his two lifelong buddies (Joseph Gordon-Levitt & Anthony Mackie) whom after partying together on Christmas Eve together for a decade are going all out on one last hoorah as Isaac prepares to become a first time father. The night is full of debauchery & hilarity including Rogen’s character puking down the aisle in the middle of a Catholic mass & tons of other nonsense.

The film’s director, Jonathan Levine, later went on to reunite with Rogen for this great political comedy. The Night Before also has a great cast including Jillian Bell, Mindy Kailing, Ilana Glazer, Randall Park, Tracy Morgan narrating & tons of fun Easter egg cameos from Rogen’s comedy universe.

- Stephen Frost

How to watch: streaming now on Starz!

Yes, Gremlins is a Christmas movie. The entire film - and the franchise that followed - is set around Billy getting gifted a cute Mogwai for Christmas named Gizmo. And of course, everyone knows the rules that surround the Mogwai: Don’t get them wet, don’t bring them into the light, and don’t ever feed them after midnight. Of course, once this happens, all hell breaks loose and this sweet comedy is turned on its ear, and the day has to be saved from all the rambunctious Mogwai offspring: The film has gone onto become an unexpected holiday staple, with its Christmas setting being a prime example for this. The film even spawned a sequel that tossed out all of the rules, and an animated series that premiered last year on Max. Also, there’s the fact that the popular late-90’s Christmas gift - Furby’s - are a clear knockoff of Gremlins. So it’s safe to say that the film is just as much a part of the holiday as any movie could be.

- Andrew Buss

How to watch: streaming now on Max!

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is easily the most recognizable Christmas story of all time. It’s got key plot elements that you can probably tie back to about 75% of all of the Christmas films that followed. It’s also been adapted more times than practically any other literary source. Scrooged - starring Bill Murray - gave the story of a grumpy man who is visited by ghosts in the night to learn the true meaning of Christmas an update for the 1980’s. The film follows a TV executive who has grown cynical and jaded about the holiday and the world in general. As he’s preparing a live TV broadcast of A Christmas Carol, the parallels are clear. The two plots coincide in what is easily the darkest - but also funniest - adaptation of the classic novel. It’s gone onto be heavily circulated during the holiday season, and features outstanding performances all around.

- Andrew Buss

How to watch: streaming now on Paramount+!

Paving the way for Billy Eichner’s 2022 film Bros, the first LGBTQ+ rom-com produced by a major motion picture studio, was the heart-warming, truly funny, not too cheesy holiday cheery & endearing Christmas rom-com Happiest Season starring Kristen Stewart & Mackenzie Davis. The film follows a longtime lesbian couple Abby (Stewart) and Harper (Davis), who made plans to go home to the latter's family for the Christmas holidays. Aside from spending the yuletide season with Harper's conservative parents, Abby is also planning to spring a marriage proposal on Harper. Trouble begins, though, when she discovers that Harper hasn't come out as a lesbian yet to her family, leaving them clueless as to who Abby really is in her life. In addition to Stewart & Davis’ wonderful performances, they’re also supported by a stellar comedy friendly cast including Mary Steenburgen, Aubrey Plaza, Dan Levy, & Ana Gasteyer who all provide tons of laughs & one liners cracking jokes about meeting your significant other’s family during the holidays.

- Stephen Frost

How to watch: streaming now on Hulu!

There are several reasons why Jim Carrey’s performance in the live-action adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas directed by Ron Howard stands as one of his most popular throughout his exceptional, illustrious career & often referred back to films. One reason it's held up as long as it has since its release 24 years ago is the original animated How The Grinch Stole Christmas TV special still holds up near & dear to fans of the 1966 version (it’s still watched to this day) and truly will never, ever compare to the adaptation. Another reason is Carrey truly committed to this role like no other & was a scene stealer that didn’t require wearing all the green prosthetics. The beloved comedian & actor has proven film after film, after film how masterful in physical acting & comedy he is. So much so that if you hid his mouth & only saw his eyes, you’d know the exact feeling he’d communicate. Carrey is a legend and if the humor & 2000s-esque holiday nostalgia doesn’t do it to wanna revisit this Christmas, use a rewatch as an opportunity to revisit SNL cast member now acclaimed alum Molly Shannon’s performance as Betty Lou Who.

- Stephen Frost

How to watch: available to rent & download on Prime Video !

Terry Zwigoff’s 2003 dark holiday comedy Bad Santa breaks the fourth wall on the most traditional holiday movies in that its strong profanity, disgusting & crude humor appear to outweigh the actual heartwarming qualities this film has by the end of it (but not enough to make this a film to recommend for the whole family). Billy Bob Thornton plays con-man Willie T. Stokes who poses as a mall Santa to rip off the shopping outlets on Christmas Eve. But once he befriends a small boy as the mall Santa, his kinder side starts to come out & he wonders about there being hope while dealing with being depressed & an alcoholic. While its full of its to the books R-rated qualities of dark comedy, Bad Santa still finds its way to TV screens being revisited each year for the Christmas season. It even spawned a sequel in 2016 with the two leads Thornton & Tony Cox and the young boy Brett Kelly grown up. One of the best perks of rewatching this film is getting to see two late comedy greats Bernie Mac & John Ritter who keep this film revisited.

How to watch: streaming now on Paramount+!

Many people have a personal connection to their favorite Christmas films as they always accompany spending quality time with family and for me, Ernest Saves Christmas is as personal as it gets as my grandpa, John Cherry, was the writer and director for the Ernest films. Now I might be biased but I do think he brilliantly capitalizes on the symbiotic relationship slapstick comedy and Christmas seem to have. Despite slapstick being predicated on the fact that we take pleasure in seeing someone in pain, a message contrary to the theme of generosity and good will that Christmas boasts, the silly, and some would call stupid, genre of comedy is pervasive through many Christmas classics. Ernest Saves Christmas is no different but it flips the formula on its head. Instead of the protagonist learning the meaning of Christmas from the friends he makes along the way, Ernest P. Worrell (Jim Varney) knows the meaning of Christmas and teaches those he helps along the way. Ernest reminds us that you may not always be the brightest in the room but if you bring the most joy and always lend a helping hand, you will inevitably make the world a better place and that’s what Christmas is all about.

- Amber Cherry

How to watch: streaming now on Disney+!

The Oscar nominated animated Christmas film Klaus is an incredibly unique Christmas story about a selfish postman, Jesper (Jason Schwartzman), who is sent to a frigid, depressed town to learn the error of his ways. There he meets Alva (Rashida Jones), a hardened ex-school teacher, Klaus (J.K. Simmons), a skilled toy maker whose goodwill and selflessness introduce Jesper to the joy of bringing joy to others. Now this proves difficult as the town is constantly in civil war between the two almost Shakespearean families headed by Mr. Ellingboe (Joe Sasso) and Mrs. Krum (Joan Cusack). One of the only ones not tied to the family feud is Mogens, the ferry driver, who provides a lot of comic relief as he is constantly poking fun at Jesper and he is played by the comedy legend Norm MacDonald. The heartwarming tale is also filled with the quick wit and comedic timing of its magnificent cast who all have an incredible hold on what it means to be funny. Even though it is not a traditional comedy, the comedic training and talents of its cast shine through and make the film the pleasure it is to watch. Not to mention, the mesmerizing and magical style of animation makes it more than a kids film, it brings art and nordic design to the forefront of this Christmas tale.

- Amber Cherry

How to watch: streaming now on Netflix!

Christmas in Connecticut has been a staple of the holiday season for nearly 80 years now, and it’s not hard to understand why that may be. It’s your classic comedy of errors type of film that we’ve all come to know. It follows a food writer who portrays herself in her column to be the perfect housewife. She's got her boss and a war hero coming over to see what a traditional Christmas looks like. The only problem? She’s not married, nor does she know the first thing about cooking. What follows is we see her go to great lengths to cover up the deception, to ensure that nobody is the wiser. Starring Barbra Stanwyck as Elizabeth Lane, Christmas in Connecticut is a fun film for the entire family that has aged like a fine wine, and has plenty of laughs throughout.

- Andrew Buss

How to watch: available to rent & download on Prime Video!

By the time Christmas Vacation came out in 1989, we had already been with the Griswold family through two other misadventures, Vacation and European Vacation. This film is the only in the series that actually shows us what their home life looks like. It is also the rare sequel that manages to not only hold its own, but has gone onto become even more beloved than the two films that preceded it. It follows Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) as he aims to give his wife (Beverly D’Angelo) and his kids (Johnny Galecki and Juliette Lewis) - and also his pesky relatives, including Cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid) - the perfect Christmas. It’s a film that is packed to the brim with gag after gag, and there’s a reason why it has people coming back each year. It’s as quotable as it is memorable, and each viewing seems to have you picking up on new nuances that you never noticed before. A true Christmas staple!

- Andrew Buss

How to watch: streaming now on Max!

Will Ferrell at his finest. 21 years after its release, Elf revisits many a family’s TV screen year after year. Buddy the Elf is a perfect reminder that your most embarrassing moment is not all that bad. Buddy teaches us how to be a kid again in the heartwarming hilarious classic. The clueless elf takes on New York City, eating gum off the subway and saying hi to everyone on the street. Fun Fact, while filming, Jon Favreau, the director, didn’t have money to hire extras so everyone on the street is an actual New Yorker including the old bearded man in the red tracksuit that Buddy mistakes for Santa, luckily no punches were thrown at Ferrell. The grittiness and practical effects used in the North Pole scenes make this one feel all the more close to home. Revisiting this film while watching the late & legendary Bob Newhart play Papa Elf will certainly hit different this year & only makes this film even more of a classic it already is!

- Amber Cherry

How to watch: streaming now on Max!

Planes, Trains & Automobiles is yet another classic holiday offering from John Hughes, who wrote and directed the film. That’s because he had such a strong hold on telling stories about relationships, and that’s what this film ultimately is about, the relationship between two unexpected parties. The film follows the uptight business man, Neil, (Steve Martin), who is trying to get home to Chicago for Thanksgiving, which is further complicated by a blizzard shutting everything down. His paths keep crossing with a shower ring salesman named Del (John Candy). These two men couldn’t be more opposite, and yet, they keep getting pulled back into this hilarious journey of a road trip movie. The holiday background adds an extra layer to the film that has made it a routine classic for years.

- Andrew Buss

How to watch: streaming now on Paramount+!

Little did you know that the elf talking behind Buddy’s back in Elf is A Christmas Story’s Peter Billingsley who stars as the constantly mortified Ralphie Parker. Many iconic moments originate from this film from the reveal of the leg lamp to Ralphie’s pink bunny onesie. Ralphie is constantly on the run from his bully, fighting his grumpy dad, and coddled by his mother until, finally, his dreams come true, he gets a “Red Ryder air rifle” for Christmas. For many this film taught us not to curse in front of our parents, lick light poles in the winter and never look down the barrel of a bb gun because, as mall Santa so aptly put it “you’ll shoot your eye out kid!”

- Amber Cherry

How to watch: streaming now on Max!

Ever played pranks as a kid or made a Rube Goldberg machine? Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) took it to another level with his painful booby traps aimed at stopping Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern), the dimwitted burglars looking to break into the McCallister house. The 1990 classic John Hughes film, Home Alone, is a time capsule of the latchkey kid. When Kevin is left behind as the rest of the family travels to Paris, he has to fend for himself when the man the family thought was a friendly neighbor turns out to be a conman looking to pillage homes left empty during the holidays. But Harry and Marv are sorely mistaken when they break into the McCallister home.

How to watch: streaming now on Disney+!