Christmas movies vary in style and topic. These films can take on traditional tales and myths like Santa Claus and elves, or stories that are set around this iconic time of the year. While it’s easy to set a film and decorate it with red, green, and white, a good Christmas movie must also stand on its own. The best Christmas films are capable of exploiting the wistfulness and sweetness of that time of the year to their advantage, resulting in projects that are timeless.
Elf
Starring Will Ferrell, Zooey Deschanel and James Caan, “Elf” follows Buddy, as human who was raised as an elf, who travels to New York in search of his father and his roots only to experience some serious culture clash.
Carol
Starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, “Carol” is a love story set around Christmas. It stars Therese and Carol, two women in the ‘50s who meet while Christmas shopping and fall in love in a complicated time.
Gremlins
“Gremlins” is another tale of Christmas shopping, starring ‘80s icon Corey Feldman. It follows a salesman who buys a strange toy for his son, resulting in a band of little monsters who want to take over the town on Christmas Eve.