Choosing a Christmas movie to watch is a tedious endeavor. There are thousands of Christmas movies to choose from, ranging from love stories to action-packed plots, making the decision hard. The bracket below compares eight popular Christmas movies in order to help make the decision easier this holiday season.

Round One:

Children

The Grinch vs The Polar Express – Children’s Christmas movies are full of nostalgia. They bring back memories of school holiday parties and past Christmas’s full of magic and joy.

The Grinch is one of the most well-known Christmas stories of all time. In the 2000 live-action movie, Jim Carrey plays the isolated Grinch who hates Christmas. The Grinch vows to ruin Christmas in Whoville, a town whose citizens spend the whole year preparing for the holiday. Joined by his loyal dog Max, the Grinch plans on stealing Christmas from every Who in Whoville, but his plans are thrown off course when he meets young Cindy Lou Who. This funny, family-friendly movie has been rated a 56 percent audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. 

In The Polar Express, Tom Hanks voices a young boy who wakes up in the middle of the night to the sound of sleigh bells. When he leaves his house, he discovers a train that will take him to the North Pole to see Santa. Upon giving the conductor his ticket, the boy begins his journey as he starts to believe in Christmas again. With incredible animation, talented actors, and a fun Christmas plot, this movie has a 64 percent audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Cheesy Romance

The Holiday vs A Christmas Prince – No Christmas is complete without cuddling up with hot cocoa and watching a cheesy romance movie. Hundreds of “Hallmark” Christmas movies provide viewers with heartwarming (and almost identical) storylines, and these two movies are no exception. 

According to Movie House Memories, The Holiday shares the story of two broken-hearted women trying to escape their loveless lives. They decide to “swap” houses for the holidays, one travels to a mansion in the heart of Los Angeles and the other finds herself in a picture-perfect cottage in the English countryside. Although attempting to escape love, both women are swept up in unexpected love stories. Given an 80 percent audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, this Nancy Meyers movie provides a perfect story for a holiday movie night.

In the Netflix original, A Christmas Prince, Amber, is sent to a foreign country to uncover a story about the prince who will soon become king. Amber somehow finds herself staying in the castle pretending to be a young princess’s tutor. As she becomes closer to the prince and royal family, Amber uncovers secrets, drama, and maybe even love. This classic Netflix original movie has a 48 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Classic

It’s a Wonderful Life vs White Christmas – Common Sense Media states, “an old classic is never out of date.” This quotation rings true for these two movies; It’s a Wonderful Life and White Christmas are classic movies passed down from generation to generation.

George Bailey has lived in Bedford Falls his whole life, dedicating himself to his community and family. Bailey has been kept from the life of his dreams because of his duty to his town and loved ones, but eventually, the weight on his shoulders becomes too heavy and he contemplates suicide. Sent by the prayers of his loved ones, a guardian angel, Clarance, is sent to help Bailey realize the lives he has helped and his importance in the world. This classic, touching Christmas movie has been given a 95 percent audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

One of the most iconic Christmas movies of the twentieth century, White Christmas is a hopeful tale sure to bring even the most steadfast Grinch into the holiday spirit. Following the cast of a singing Christmas show in Vermont, White Christmas chronicles the tale of Bob Wallace and Phil Davis as they prepare a show for their old commander’s inn. When the commander reveals his financial hardships related to the inn, Bob and Phil recruit singing sisters Betty and Judy to put on a final musical performance to save the inn as a favor to the general who transformed both of their lives. The film has an impressive 88 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, proving its place as an iconic tale sure to stand the test of time. 

Contemporary

Happiest Season vs Falling for Christmas – These two Christmas movies are a contemporary take on classic Christmas tales. They provide watchers with new stories and characters to fill the month of December.

Released in 2020, Happiest Season shares the story of Abby and Harper. Abby plans on proposing to Harper on Christmas morning, but a wrench is thrown into her plans when she finds out that Harper has not come out to her parents yet. As they travel to Harper’s parent’s house to spend Christmas, Abby agrees to pretend to be Harper’s roommate instead of her girlfriend. This movie has it all, family drama, comedy, and love. According to Rotten Tomatoes, this movie has a 73 percent audience rating.

With the most recent release date of 2022, Falling for Christmas demonstrates a traditional romance-style movie for those who are fans of Lindsey Lohan and a good old-fashioned romance. When wealthy socialite Sierra Belmont loses her memory after a skiing accident, she is forced to relearn the ways of the world with the help of handsome father Jake in his struggling winter lodge. As Sierra’s memory returns, she must reconcile the rich lifestyle of her past with her new feelings for Jake and his holiday home. This light and joyful film has a 58 percent audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Round Two: 

Contemporary vs Classic: Happiest Season vs It’s a Wonderful Life 

Happiest Season vs It’s a Wonderful Life was an incredibly difficult decision to make. It’s a Wonderful Life is such a timeless Christmas classic, with an impressively high Rotten Tomatoes rating. After viewing Happiest Season, the winner was abundantly clear. Happiest Season brings a new take on a Christmas love story, with more inclusivity, and a heartfelt message about being true to one’s self. Therefore, Happiest Season will proceed to the finals.

Children’s vs Cheesy Romance: The Grinch vs The Holiday

“The Grinch vs The Holiday” is, contrary to its wording, not a shorthand summary of the Grinch movie. Instead, it is the next set of contenders in this cinematic Christmas conflict. In the end, the superior Christmas film can be determined by the Rotten Tomatoes ratings. Although The Grinch brings nostalgia to the Christmas season, The Holiday is the only film, which holds up on its own even outside the Christmas theme. Therefore, The Holiday should take its place in the final round. 

Round Three:

Contemporary vs Cheesy Romance: The Holiday vs Happiest Season

Although The Holiday brings a wonderful parent trap style trope to the holiday season, the contemporary message of being true to one’s self and the secret romantic love between Abby and Harper makes Happiest Season the superior film. In this final match-up, the choice is really between the Christmas future of the Happiest Season and the Christmas past of The Holiday. The more traditional romantic plot is as good as always; however, if Christmas movie connoisseurs wish to move into the future of the genre, Happiest Season represents that vision.