15 Best Christmas Movies On HBO Max

This holiday season, we're all remembering what this time of year is truly about. Family. Food. Forgetting to cancel your streaming service subscription after they crack down on password sharing and jack up prices before a single snowflake has fallen. Ah, Christmas!

At least until David Zaslav sells Warner Brothers to Netflix like a Nintendo on Black Friday (pending a hard-earned visit by three ghosts on Christmas Eve — and/or the FTC), HBO Max does have a notably unique catalog of Christmas movies on offer as of writing. While Disney+ and Hulu enjoy the daunting range of content owned by the House of Mouse, and Netflix carves its own piece of the pie (mostly with schlocky but sweet Christmas romantic comedies), HBO is the destination for those who prefer to celebrate the holidays shaking with laughter like bowls full of jelly.

Alongside classics from the golden age of Hollywood and several modern wintry staples we can't live without (and, yes, even a rom com or two), subscribers can enjoy Christmas comedies from both sides of Santa's list. Whether you've been naughty or nice this year, here are the best Christmas movies on HBO Max.

Call it an irresponsibly concentrated shot of unabashed '80s nostalgia. Call it a 90-minute infomercial for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Call it an "update" on a certain other classic "Christmas story" about an adult man reminiscing about the ultimate gift he wanted but couldn't have. The one thing you can't call "8-Bit Christmas" is a bad way to spend a cold, wintry night waiting for Santa to show up.

Told through the memory of Gen X-er Jake Doyle (played by Neil Patrick Harris), the 2021 streamer feature remembers a particular "late-'80s" Christmas when Americans of all ages were ready to kill one another just to get their hands on an NES. As much as this might sound like the set-up to a movie that celebrates the gross hyper-consumerism the holiday season often descends into, what it really revels in is that youthful excitement so specific to Christmas that's hard to re-experience except through a story like this. "8-Bit Christmas" was a surprisingly sweet way to close out 2021, and it remains part of our holiday watch-list today.

If you're looking for a Christmas comedy that stuffs its stockings with as much irreverent humor as it does genuine heart, "Almost Christmas" is almost perfect. The 2016 film is the result of a collaboration between writer-director David E. Talbert, who would go on to helm the far more effective "Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey" for Netflix in 2020, and producer Will Packer, who is best known for producing raunchier comedies like "Think Like a Man" and "Girls Trip" (and, incidentally, the Academy Awards ceremony in which Will Smith got to be crowned Best Actor after slapping Chris Rock in front of everyone in Hollywood).

The combination of their talents leads to a simple, less-than-cohesive but undeniably hilarious holiday romp that isn't suitable for the whole family. That said, spending an hour or two with the chaotic and often painfully relatable Meyers family (which includes cast members Danny Glover, Gabrielle Union, and "The Boys" star Jessie T. Usher) will have even the biggest Scrooges in your house in stitches and/or reaching for the tissues.

What's the Christmas season without the thrill of flirting with a spot on the Naughty List? If "Almost Christmas" doesn't push the envelope enough for your liking, it's hard to get badder than "Bad Santa."

The 2003 comedy became an offbeat Christmas classic thanks to its defiant, almost antagonistically mean-spirited approach to a film sub-subgenre trapped in sentimentality. Billy Bob Thornton plays the titular character (having been courted after the studio reportedly considered James Gandolfini, Jack Nicholson, or Bill Murray), an anti-social petty thief who gets a job as a mall Santa with the intent of using it as a cover to stage a robbery. Between planning the crime, harassing women, and getting drunk with his co-conspirator (Tony Cox), this "Bad Santa" begins to take an interest in a troubled young boy (Brett Kelly) who is unshakeably convinced that he's the genuine Father Christmas. Thornton is clearly having the time of his life playing the dirtbag with a heart of coal, and that alone is enough to make "Bad Santa" worth a watch this holiday season.

"A Christmas Mystery" flew deep under the radar when it debuted on HBO Max in 2022. But you shouldn't let that stop you from enjoying this holiday whodunnit featuring Beau Bridges, "The Office" alum Oscar Nuñez, and "M3GAN" breakout Violet McGraw.

Panic strikes a small town during the days leading up to Christmas when their prized bells are stolen from the city during a robbery. McGraw's Violet Pierce, the daughter of the local sheriff (played by "Sunset Beach" actor Eddie Cibrian), takes it upon herself to solve the mystery after her best friend's father is seemingly framed for the crime.

Bringing a unique air of suspense to your Christmas watchlist, "A Christmas Mystery" is an amusing and brisk adventure that plays like a pleasant cross between a Hallmark holiday special and a "Nancy Drew" caper. It keeps the thrills within the family genre as well, making it a gift you can share with the whole house.

There's an argument to be made that "A Christmas Story" is the ultimate Christmas movie. It has everything one could possibly want from a film this time of year: nostalgic settings and characters, interwoven with almost fantastical reimaginings of youth; heartwarming moments of family togetherness, balanced with a realistic helping of mayhem; plus so many memorable scenes, moments, and lines of dialogue that became so iconic over the years that, even removed from the context of the story, they stir up yuletide warmth all on their own.

For those watching "A Christmas Story" for the first time, you might be surprised by how many sayings and visuals that pop up throughout other Christmas movies originated in the 1983 film. Creating the structure later borrowed by "8-Bit Christmas," its story is essentially a series of memories told by a man remembering his youth. He takes viewers through all the highs and lows of the most important Christmas from his childhood — the bullies, the bunny suit, the leg lamp, and, of course, that Red Ryder BB gun.

Admittedly, "A Christmas Story Christmas" is a bit of an odd movie. After the success of the first film, producers spent the next several decades trying to recapture the magic by doling out a surprising number of sequels — most of which you've likely never heard of. After the direct-to-video "A Christmas Story 2" was released in 2012 to zero fanfare, "A Christmas Story" wisely took the next several holidays off before returning in 2022 with what was meant to be a true, singular sequel to the original film that would be worthy of its legacy.

The result was "A Christmas Story Christmas," a film that, despite finally reuniting much of the original cast including Peter Billingsley, doesn't feel much like "A Christmas Story" at all. In terms of its tone, structure, sense of humor, and even visual style, it's far closer to your standard blockbuster comedy than it is to the dreamy vignettes of the 1983 film — but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Rather than risk it all in an attempt to recreate a kind of nostalgic magic that only comes around once, "A Christmas Story Christmas" gives audiences a simple, moving tale that meets them where they are now.

While "A Christmas Story" deserves its flowers (wreaths?) for its impact on the Christmas season, there's no arguing that the Christmas story is and always has been "A Christmas Carol." Charles Dickens' fantastical tale about how the old, miserly Ebenezer Scrooge rediscovered the spirit of Christmas through a terrifying encounter with three ghosts has been a staple of the holiday season for well over a century — though often not through Dickens' own words. "Christmas Carol" remakes are a necessary part of the Christmas season, but if a reader wanted to reach for something a bit more traditional, they need only look to the 1938 adaptation currently streaming on HBO Max.

Directed by Edwin L. Marin and produced by Joseph L. Mankiewicz ("All About Eve"), this rendition of "A Christmas Carol" is an Old Hollywood classic that stays largely faithful to Dickens' work with regard to its plot. If you enjoy the vibe of a cozy black-and-white film that keeps the story as simple and pure as possible, 1938's "A Christmas Carol" is a fine choice to throw on at the end of a long night.

Speaking of Will Ferrell, as fun as his Apple TV+ feature "Spirited" might be, his greatest contribution to Christmas will always be "Elf." Directed by Jon Favreau from a script by David Berenbaum, this fantastical 2003 comedy sees the "Saturday Night Live" alum at the height of his comedic powers, proving himself surprisingly effective without the raunch he's usually known for.

He stars as Buddy, a human who was raised at Santa's workshop as one of his elves. As he enters adulthood, he learns his father — a cynical book publisher in New York City (a delightful performance from the late James Caan) — is unaware of his existence and is currently spending his holidays at the office and on the Naughty List. Buddy thus returns to the Big Apple to reunite with his father, bring joy to his new family, fall in love with Zooey Deschanel, and maybe even save Christmas.

Though it may not be quite as "classic" as "A Christmas Story" or "A Christmas Carol," "Elf" is pretty darn close. Since its joyous debut over two decades ago, this absurdly funny adventure through one of the coldest cities in the world has enjoyed real cultural staying power, and is often regarded as one of the best films of Ferrell's career overall.

"Four Christmases" may not be popularly regarded among the best work of Reese Witherspoon or Vince Vaughn, but it still holds a special place in our hearts every holiday season. The 2000s comedy heavyweights star opposite one another in this unconventional (and, in our opinion, underrated) Christmas laugh fest that boldly asks whether or not the holidays would be better if we saw just a little less of each other.

Brad (Vaughn) and Kate (Witherspoon) are a young-ish couple who share much in common — they have the same sense of humor, taste in entertainment, and, most importantly, the same desire to stay as far away from their broken families as possible. But when their ill-fated holiday getaway slips through their fingers, they're forced to finally show up to each of their divorced parents' separate Christmas reunions, where it becomes increasingly apparent to Brad and Kate that unresolved frustrations from their dysfunctional childhoods might threaten the future of their happily uncommitted relationship.

If you want a film even further afield from the usual holiday fare than "Four Christmases," you can't venture much further than "Gremlins." Traditionally thought of as a horror comedy first and foremost, it's hardly a controversial opinion at this point to argue that its distinct Christmas setting (which heavily influences its overall tone and aesthetic) earns it a place among the best Christmas movies to watch each year.

This is especially true as the film was the first Christmas-centric movie written by Chris Columbus, the filmmaker who would go on to write, direct, and/or produce such holiday classics as "Home Alone," "Jingle All the Way," and "Christmas with the Kranks." Through its story about a Christmas present that wreaks havoc on a small town, "Gremlins" showcases Columbus' recognizable sensitivity for Christmas in an otherwise bizarre setting that balances hilarity with instances of pure nightmare fuel.

As for why Columbus chose to explore this holiday in such a dark story, it's partially due to his fascination with how Christmas is not a universally happy holiday. For those who find themselves less than cheerful this season, and are understandably exhausted by the relentless, often unrealistic and commercialized positivity of other films, this is a strange comfort to be enjoyed in the twisted tale of "Gremlins."

Look, a lot of readers have reasonably resolved to leave the "Harry Potter" franchise at large behind, so as to preserve it as a pleasant memory before certain authors unfortunately tweeted away the unimaginable goodwill it once carried. That being said, for those who still find some nostalgic magic in the escapism of this world of witchcraft and wizardry, Christmas is the perfect time to revisit its first installment, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone."

Directed by Chris Columbus, the 2001 film isn't set entirely during the holiday season. And yet, likely due to Columbus' apparent inclination toward the aesthetics of Christmas movies, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" feels like one throughout its runtime. The characters are dressed in winter-wear, growing closer as they scheme by firelight, the meals served in the majestic Great Hall of Hogwarts are as large and lavish as a traditional holiday feast, and the sweeping shots of the castle's snow-covered grounds, spires, and battlements are among the film's most memorable visuals. Plus, legendary composer John Williams turns the jaunty mischief and wonder of the Christmas season into one of the most recognizable film scores of all time, any track of which would be appropriate to play in the background of a cozy holiday gathering.

Netflix and Hallmark almost have a total monopoly on comforting, cookie-cutter Christmas romantic comedies, though we do have to tip our Santa caps to HBO for breaking the mold just enough for "A Hollywood Christmas." From director Alex Ranarivelo and writer John Ducey (the same team behind the aforementioned "A Christmas Mystery"), "A Hollywood Christmas" takes all the tropes you know and love from the Christmas rom com to tell a surprisingly meta story that, ultimately, still flaunts the same formula fans of this particular subgenre demand.

Jessika Van ("Rush Hour," "Awkward.") plays Jessica, a film director who has dedicated her craft to making the sort of predictable Christmas rom coms she unexpectedly finds herself at the center of when the archetypal big-city Grinch — a cold, ruthless studio exec played by genre stalwart Josh Swickard — comes to town to audit her division's future. Recognizing that their encounter has all the makings of the very stories that made her holidays magical growing up, she uses her knowledge of Christmas rom coms to attempt to make one happen in the real world. Clever and self-aware, but not so much that it betrays its target audience, "A Hollywood Christmas" is a treat for those who want a little detour from their usual holiday programming.

Whether or not your family will enjoy a National Lampoon movie in the 2020s will depend on how much they can stomach certain outdated concepts including, but not limited to casual sexism, racial stereotypes, and Chevy Chase's acting career. If you can get past all of that — or if you were raised on these films, and can dust off a pair of nostalgia goggles for the evening — HBO Max has "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" ready to kill 90 minutes of your holiday season.

One of many entries in the "Vacation" franchise, "Christmas Vacation" is a standalone feature that sees the Griswold family stay home for the holidays. Unfortunately for Chase's bumbling patriarch Clark, that means hosting their weird and abrasive extended family as well. There's no high-brow humor to be found in "Christmas Vacation" — though it was a box office hit 30-plus years ago, even contemporary critics found its broad, slapstick comedy to be a little much. On the other hand, even a film as messy and comedically cheap as this can be appealing compared to the safe, procedurally generated content that floods streamers this time of year — and with the right company (and/or the right amount of egg nog) you might find yourself chuckling more than you'd expect.

As much talk as there is-slash-was about the uncanny CGI animation of Robert Zemeckis' "The Polar Express," it has to be said that the film has visually held up remarkably well for something that was made 20 years ago. Maybe that has more to do with the movie's timeless story, though.

Loosely based on the children's book by Chris Van Allsburg, "The Polar Express" is a transportive and fantastical Christmas tale that follows a young boy (voiced by "Spy Kids" star Daryl Sabara, and mocapped by Josh Hutcherson and Tom Hanks) who embarks on a Christmas Eve journey to the North Pole aboard the titular magical locomotive. It's all but required Christmas viewing at this point, especially for any fans of Tom Hanks, who portrays numerous, larger-than-life characters throughout, including Santa himself and the train's enigmatic conductor.

Coincidentally, another classic Tom Hanks film — 1998's "You've Got Mail" — might not exist without Ernst Lubitsch's classic romantic comedy "The Shop Around the Corner." While both films owe their origins to the Miklós László 1937 play "Parfumerie," Lubitsch's Hollywood adaptation was so successful and influential that it's regarded as one of the best films of the 1940s overall.

Margaret Sullavan and James Stewart star as two rival salespeople who, despite feuding with one another passionately at work, are unwittingly engaged in an equally passionate, anonymous romance with one another by way of letter writing. As charming as it is strangely prescient about the evolution of dating, "The Shop Around the Corner" is the quintessential American romantic comedy that delivers enough Christmas cheer to be talked about in the same breath as "It's a Wonderful Life." And though HBO Max is rather unique in their unconventional holiday offerings, they'd hardly be as cheerful without the balance of a little traditional Christmas magic.