A Christmas Story has been a holiday staple for around 35 years, and with the release of the sequel, A Christmas Story Christmas, fans of the perennial classic are equal parts giddy and nervous to see what Peter Billingsley and co have to offer up.
While A Christmas Story remains the quintessential holiday movie from the 1980s, there are countless other Christmas movies from the decade that remain popular. Some of them test the limits of what a Christmas flick can be, but that hasn't stopped critics from singling them out for praise on Rotten Tomatoes.
10 One Magic Christmas (1985) - 47%
Stream On Disney+
Not every holiday movie is a critical darling, but that doesn't make them stinkers either. One Magic Christmas is a perfect example of this. The movie stars Harry Dean Stanton as a Christmas angel who is assigned to restore Christmas spirit to the Grainger household, which is headed by Mary Steenburgen's character Ginnie.
While One Magic Christmas is too much of a tonal whiplash for some audiences (the movie involves a bank robbery where the father is murdered, only for him to be brought back to life at the end), the idea to portray a somber Christmas is admirable. It reminds audiences that not everyone is happy during the holidays, and that small acts of kindness really can make a difference.
9 Prancer (1989) - 65%
Stream On HBO Max
Starring Sam Elliott and Rebecca Harrell, Prancer is centered around a farm girl, who nurses a wounded reindeer back to health because she believes it belongs to Santa. Her actions are eventually discovered by the whole town, leading to some drama between her and her friends.
Though Prancer isn't one of Sam Elliott's best movies, the film does feature the veteran actor in a very charming role as the gruff but lovable father. It's his performance which weighs down the movie's more whimsical elements, and works to make it a palatable feature for all audiences rather than simply the youngest of children.
8 Scrooged (1988) - 69%
Stream On Prime Video & Paramount+
A (then) modern day retelling of A Christmas Carol, Scrooged stars the ever-enjoyable Bill Murray as a cynical and selfish television executive, who is visited by a trio of ghosts on Christmas Eve to fix his miserly spirit. He initially refuses to head their message before confronted with his mortality.
Despite being a Christmas movie, Scrooged is a surprisingly mean spirited flick, thanks to how selfish and rude Bill Murray's character is. It can make for a jarring watch, but the venomous vitriol that Murray spews out ultimately works to the film's favor and ensures that the comedy is sharp. No wonder it's considered one of director Richard Donner's best movies.
7 National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) - 69%
Stream On HBO Max
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is the third installment in the National Lampoon's Vacation series and details the disastrous Christmas vacation that occurs at the Griswold home. Everything seems manageable for family patriarch Clark until cousin Eddie shows up unannounced, resulting in hair brained shenanigans.
Though it's one of several irreverent holiday flicks from the '80s, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is among the most beloved thanks to the humor and performances. Everything that comes out of Randy Quaid's mouth is hysterical, and the finale involving a hostage situation and SWAT team is zany without being over-the-top.
6 Lethal Weapon (1987) - 80%
Stream On The Roku Channel
One of the greatest action movies of the 1980s, Lethal Weapon is also an underrated Christmas feature that finds an erratic Martin Riggs partnered with Sergeant Roger Murtaugh as they investigate a homicide that points to a larger conspiracy. The two constantly butt heads as they attempt to solve the case, but eventually grow to respect one another.
While Lethal Weapon doesn't indulge itself too much in Christmas imagery, the holiday factors greatly into Riggs' character development. The character starts out depressed following the death of his wife, yet through his adventures with Murtaugh, he finds companionship and regains his will to live.
5 Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983) - 83%
Stream On The Criterion Channel
A harrowing war film starring David Bowie in one of the two lead roles, Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence documents the experiences of prisoners in a Japanese POW camp during World War II. Trouble is stirred up in the camp as Captain Yonoi attempts to replace Gp. Capt. Hicksley with Major Jack Celliers as the spokesperson for the prisoners.
While Christmas only plays very loosely into the film's narrative, the spirit of the season is crucial in highlighting the empathy some of the Japanese officers show toward their prisoners. It doesn't excuse their cruelty, but it goes a long way in showing how not every Axis soldier was a soulless monster during World War II.
4 Gremlins (1984) - 86%
Stream On HBO Max & Peacock
Gremlins is widely considered to be director Joe Dante's signature film, and focuses on a young man named Billy Peltzer who receives a strange creature as a pet named Gizmo as an early Christmas gift. Unfortunately, Billy fails to follow the three rules that come with taking care of Gizmo, resulting his town being overrun by carnivorous gremlins.
Despite the dark comic tone occasionally clashing with the earnestness of the holiday setting, Gremlins is an '80s classic thanks to Joe Dante's direction. He makes the animatronic Gremlins feel lifelike thanks to his tight camera-work, and his signature sense of humor works to make the movie that much more memorable.
3 Trading Places (1983) - 88%
Rent On Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube, Vudu, & Redbox
A loose adaptation of The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain, Trading Places tells the story of an upper-class stockbroker and poor street hustler whose lives are flipped upside down as part of an elaborate bet made by brothers Randolph and Mortimer Duke. When the two parties find out they've been manipulate, they enact revenge on the brothers.
Like so many of the best holiday movies of the decade, Christmas isn't made an integral factor into the plot, yet it perfectly underscores the story of loss and redemption experienced by Dan Akryoyd's character. It's through the generosity of Valentine (played by the ever-likable Eddie Murphy), that Winthorpe finds a new family and is able to redeem himself in helping take down the brothers Duke.
2 A Christmas Story (1983) - 90%
Stream On HBO Max
Regularly aired on Christmas Day on TBS and TNT, A Christmas Story chronicles the most important Christmas in the life of Ralphie Parker as he recalls receiving Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model air rifle. Interspersed throughout are tales about the neighbors ravenous hounds and encounters with the schoolyard bullies.
Despite being focused on "the most wonderful time of the year," A Christmas Story is a deconstruction of the holiday. It documents the strife and anxiety the family goes through during the holiday season, and it does so to brilliant comedic effect, offering up some of the most iconic images in all of cinema.
1 Die Hard (1988) - 94%
Stream On Starz
Debates have long ranged about whether Die Hard constitutes a Christmas movie, but one thing that is certain is that it's phenomenal. The film finds NYPD officer John McClane attempting to save the lives of everyone in the Nakatomi Plaza on Christmas Eve as the building is held hostage by German terrorists.
Beyond showing audiences how great of an actor Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman are, Die Hard remains beloved for its grounded action and surprising pathos. McClane isn't the typical action hero, but instead he's just a down on his luck cop who's trying to keep his marriage together. It's this aspect of his character that makes him so iconic, and explains why the films succeeds.