Much like Christmas songs, it seems like the Christmas movie canon has been well established. The classics are the classics, and they are continuously watched by families year after year after year. While original Christmas movies continue to be released, many of them find difficulty in establishing themselves within the Christmas canon.
However, that's certainly not the case with all modern movies. Some proved themselves to be instant classics owing to a variety of reasons, including originality, cast, and humor. These movies are the "new" classics (even though some of them are coming on 20 years old), and they have firmly established themselves as must-watch annual Christmas movies.
Elf (2003)
Director Jon Favreau can seemingly do no wrong. He can make bombastic blockbusters like Iron Man, cute family-based comedy-dramas like Chef, and adorable Christmas classics like Elf. Even people who don't like Will Ferrell seem to enjoy Elf, as he is pitch-perfect as the well-meaning but ultimately naïve Buddy the Elf.
The movie is also full of warm Christmas cheer, which is aided wonderfully by the Christmas atmosphere in New York City. Add in a stellar supporting cast and it's easy to see why Elf is so beloved.
Love Actually (2003)
Written and directed by Richard Curtis, Love Actually is one of the rare "ensemble" movies that truly works. The movie concerns a handful of Christmas related stories, some of which interconnect and some of which stand on their own. They also display a wide range of tones, from the warm and fuzzy (Jamie and Aurelia) to the unfortunately tragic (Harry and Karen).
The success of Love Actually led to numerous copycats, but the strong writing, directing, and casting helps Love Actually remain the best of the bunch.
Bad Santa (2004)
Bad Santa is certainly not the prototypical Christmas movie. It stars an excellent Billy Bob Thornton as an alcoholic thief who poses as a mall Santa so he can case a department store. It's filled with vulgarity (like graphic sex and language), and Willie doesn't make for the warmest of protagonists.
It's offensive, but unlike most movies that aim for offense, it proves wickedly funny and genuinely well made. It also has a semblance of a heart, most of which stems from the subplot between Willie and a kid named Thurman.
The Polar Express (2004)
The Polar Express was met with some mixed reactions upon its release in 2004. Most of the criticism was levied at the over-long story and the creepy animation, which was accomplished via live-action motion capture.
But it seems like time has been kind to The Polar Express, and many consider it a modern-day Christmas classic. The message at the heart of the movie proves timeless and universal, and the animation is especially gorgeous.
The Night Before (2015)
No one expected a genuinely touching Christmas movie from the likes of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, and The Night Before proved a welcome surprise.
In many ways, The Night Before is a typical Rogen-Goldberg movie - Seth Rogen himself spends most of the movie tripping out on a concoction of drugs. But it's also undeniably sweet, and it contains three great character arcs that imbue the movie with a genuine sense of humanity.
Arthur Christmas (2011)
Arthur Christmas is quite an innovative Christmas film with an original story. It concerns the titular Arthur Christmas, the clumsy and generally disrespected son of Father Christmas. When he discovers that his father failed to deliver a present, he embarks on a long and epic quest to deliver it.
James McAvoy proves fantastic voicing Arthur, as does Bill Nighy in the role of Grandsanta. It's a clever movie, full of great vocal performances, and emotionally satisfying, to boot.
Krampus (2015)
Krampus is certainly not a traditional Christmas film. Largely inspired by the B-movie works of Joe Dante (who is perhaps best known for directing Gremlins - another non-traditional Christmas classic), Krampus is a comedy horror that sees the titular monster ravaging a neighborhood after a young boy loses his Christmas spirit.
Its tone can prove somewhat muddled, but the movie proves a gloriously fun and violent time for those looking for a little less schmaltz around the holidays.
Klaus (2019)
Distributed by Netflix in November of 2019, Klaus serves as perhaps the greatest (and most beautiful) origin movie for Santa Claus.
The movie is set in a remote northern town that houses a reclusive old man who delivers handmade toys to the village children. A postman stationed in the town begins a toy-giving tradition, thus giving rise to the legend of Santa Claus. It's funny, heartwarming, and inventive in equal measure, and the animation from Sergio Pablos Animation Studios proves unimaginably beautiful.
Anna And The Apocalypse (2018)
Serving as a Christmas-themed zombie musical, Anna and Apocalypse may be the most non-traditional Christmas movie ever made. It may also be one of the most original.
The movie doesn't pretend to be anything it isn't, and what it is is a very fun time. The performances are uniformly fantastic, and each of the characters proves likable and enjoyable. It also has a lot of heart, and the musical numbers provide an interesting twist to the otherwise oversaturated zombie and Christmas genres.
The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017)
It seems like every year there's a new iteration of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. In comes The Man Who Invented Christmas, which concerns Charles Dickens himself and the creation of his Christmas masterpiece.
The movie stars Dan Stevens as Dickens, Christopher Plummer as Ebenezer Scrooge, and Jonathan Pryce as John Dickens. The production values, set design, and acting are all phenomenal, and the story puts a wonderful and inventive spin on A Christmas Carol. In years, it will become known as a Christmas classic.