Everyone knows Elf and Home Alone. If you're tired of the same 10 movies on loop every December, here are the lesser-known Christmas films that are actually worth your time. Most of these flew under the radar and deserve a spot in your rotation.
Klaus (2019)
This is the one to start with. A Netflix animated film about a spoiled postman who gets sent to a frozen island and meets a reclusive toymaker. It's a Santa origin story done with actual craft. The hand-drawn animation looks gorgeous, the voice cast is good (J.K. Simmons as Klaus is perfect casting), and the story has real heart without being manipulative.
It didn't get a wide release and most people skipped it. Don't. It's one of the best Christmas movies of the last decade.
The Christmas Chronicles (2018)
Another Netflix one. Kurt Russell as Santa. That's the pitch and it's enough. He plays it straight — not as a joke, not as a parody. The movie has real charm and Kurt Russell is having a great time. Goldie Hawn shows up briefly and the sequel is fine but skip it.
The first one is a good family watch. It's not a classic, but it's solid and you'll probably enjoy it more than you expect.
Arthur Christmas (2011)
From Aardman, the studio behind Wallace and Gromit. It's about Santa's clumsy younger son who has to deliver a missed present before Christmas morning. The premise is small, the execution is tight, and it moves fast. James McAvoy voices Arthur and Hugh Laurie plays the older brother.
This movie should have been huge. It wasn't. It's clever, funny, and the ending is genuinely sweet. Watch it with kids or without.
Rare Exports (2010)
This is a Finnish horror-adjacent Christmas movie about the "real" Santa — who is not a jolly fat man but something older and scarier. A group of kids in Lapland has to deal with it. It's dark, it's strange, and it's not for young children. It's also weirdly good.
If you like horror and you're tired of the saccharine stuff, track this down. It's a cult film for a reason. Not for everyone, but if it's for you, you'll love it.
Trading Places (1983)
Not strictly a Christmas movie, but it opens and closes at Christmas and it's better than most actual Christmas movies. Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd at their peaks. It's a comedy about a Wall Street bet that ruins and rebuilds two lives. The scene in the orange juice futures pit is one of the funniest things Eddie Murphy ever did.
If you want a Christmas movie that isn't about Christmas, this is it.
The Ref (1994)
Denis Leary plays a burglar who takes a miserable married couple hostage on Christmas Eve. The couple (Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis) hate each other and are worse than he is. It's a dark comedy from the 90s that mostly got forgotten. The script is sharp and the family dinner scene at the end is great.
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Not a family movie. For adults who like their Christmas bitter.
Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
A classic that nobody talks about. Barbara Stanwyck plays a food writer who pretends to be a perfect housewife but can't actually cook. Her publisher invites a war hero to her fake farm for Christmas dinner. It's a screwball comedy from the 40s and it's genuinely funny.
Black and white, fast-talking, and a nice change from the modern stuff. If you like old movies, this is a good one to dig up.
The Bishop's Wife (1947)
Cary Grant plays an angel who comes to help a bishop who is losing his way. The bishop is too busy raising money for a new cathedral and his wife is neglected. It's gentle, romantic, and Cary Grant is at his most charming. The scene where he fixes the ice skates is a small miracle of filmmaking.
The Denzel Washington remake (The Preacher's Wife) is fine, but the original is better. Watch this one if you want something warm that isn't dumb.
Black Christmas (1974)
The original slasher, before Halloween. A sorority house is terrorized by an unknown killer during Christmas break. It's genuinely scary, the pacing is tight, and the phone calls from the killer are deeply unsettling. It predates the slasher formula and it's better than most of what came after.
Not a cozy watch. For people who like their Christmas movies dark.
Just Friends (2005)
Ryan Reynolds plays a guy who goes home for Christmas and runs into his high school crush. It's a rom-com but it's meaner than most. Anna Faris is hilarious as a pop star he brings along. Not a classic but it's better than its reputation and it's on streaming most Decembers.
Where to Find These
Most of these are on one of the streaming services. Klaus and Christmas Chronicles are on Netflix. Arthur Christmas rotates between Hulu and Amazon. Rare Exports is usually on a service like Shudder or available to rent. The older ones (Christmas in Connecticut, The Bishop's Wife) are often free on services like Tubi.
If you can't find one, it's worth a $4 rental. The point of watching something underrated is that it surprises you. You already know what Elf is going to do. You don't know what Klaus is going to do.