What to watch?
It’s an eternal question, especially at this time of year. With more Christmas movies than there are toys in Santa’s workshop, the “paradox of choice” is in full effect during the holidays. To help ease the stress of the holiday season, we put together this list of the 25 best Christmas movies you can find on Sling TV this December. This isn’t just our opinion either: We looked at the top 65 Christmas movies according to Rotten Tomatoes to compile our list.
Some of these titles will be airing live over the coming weeks, so be sure to record them using your 50 free hours of DVR space. And if you can’t be together in person this Christmas, select titles are available for “Watch Party” viewing, so you can connect with your loved ones while enjoying a movie, even if they don’t have Sling!
Check out our list of the 25 best Christmas movies on Sling below. To get the most Christmas content on Sling, sign up for Sling Orange + Blue using the link at the bottom of this page. Refer a friend and you can both save up to $20 off your bill!
While You Were Sleeping
RT Score: 81%
When to Watch: $3.99 Rental
The chemistry between Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman is off the charts in this irresistible rom-com about a lonely woman in Chicago who lies her way into a big, messy family. And for anyone who has lost their parents and siblings through death or estrangement, the holidays mark a time of great loss and sadness. You too might pretend to be an unconscious stranger’s secret fiance if it meant being welcomed with open arms into a tribe. Just remember, not every family comes with a Bill Pullman. - Janine Schaults
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
RT Score:
When to Watch: On Demand with AMC+
John Hughes wrote two classic Christmas movies that were released within a year of each other. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation was the first, followed by Home Alone a year later. Both films have a penchant for cartoonish physical comedy, but Christmas Vacation is the sillier, superior film. - Mark Schiff
Bad Santa
RT Score: 78%
When to Watch: Thur. Dec. 16, 10pm ET, VH1
All of us know at least one holiday season cynic; it’s likely that their favorite Christmas movie is Bad Santa. Anchored by an admirably off-putting Billy Bob Thornton, Terry Zwigoff’s 2003 pitch-black comedy is foul, offensive, and frequently hilarious. Bad Santa is the very definition of “not-for-everyone” but if you’re overdosing on the saccharine sentimentality of Christmas, this film will hit you like a straight shot of whiskey. - Mark Schiff
Trading Places
RT Score: 88%
When to Watch: On demand with Starz
Trading Places is only tangentially a Christmas movie, but given the place that Die Hard has assumed on the Christmas movie mantle, an explicit connection to the holiday is no longer required. In just his second movie, Eddie Murphy co-stars alongside Dan Aykroyd as a hustler who gets bumped up to the boardroom as part of a social experiment executed by a pair of rich brokers. Trading Places is shockingly retrograde, yet surprisingly relevant; as a satire about the moral debasement of capitalism, it’s as timely as it was 40 years ago. - Mark Schiff
March of the Wooden Soldiers
RT Score: 100%
When to Watch: On demand with Dove Channel
Adapted from Victor Herbert's popular 1903 operetta Babes in Toyland, March of the Wooden Soldiers finds Laurel and Hardy at their comedic peak. The movie is a Christmas phantasmagoria in the vein of The Nutcracker, with its fairy tale characters often stuck in surreal environments. But more than anything, it’s a showcase for the unique comedic style of two of the best to ever do it. - Mark Schiff
Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
RT Score: 88%
When to Watch: On demand with TCM
This 1945 classic is one of the original Christmas rom-coms. Barbara Stanwyck stars as a popular food writer whose fictional farm and family risks exposure after she’s visited by a handsome war veteran. It’s only a matter of time before her farce unravels but the movie’s real appeal is in its winsome, charming cast. - Mark Schiff
A Christmas Carol (1951)
RT Score: 85%
When to Watch: On demand with AMC+
A Christmas Carol has been adapted so many times, it’s practically a Christmas sub-genre of its own. Many critics consider the 1951 version to be the best. Legendary Scottish actor Alastair Sim portrays Scrooge (the film’s title in England) and his take on the character influenced countless performances in the decades to come. - Mark Schiff
Gremlins
RT Score: 85%
When to Watch: Dec. 18, 12:15am, AMC
Gremlins is a satire on Christmas and consumerism that became its own kids merchandise behemoth, despite spoiling the secret of Santa Claus to countless kids who saw it in theaters (along with Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Gremlins was also the impetus for the PG-13 rating). As one of those kids who learned about the Santa deception because of this movie, I would urge you to keep the children away from this one. But for everyone else, Gremlins is a delightfully dark diversion from the warm glow of most holiday films. - Mark Schiff
A Christmas Tale
RT Score: 86%
When to Watch: On demand with IFC Films Unlimited
Another dark comedy (apparently the official subgenre of the holiday season), A Christmas Tale was met with great critical acclaim when it premiered in 2008. Featuring a strong ensemble led by Catherine Deneuve, A Christmas Tale captures complicated family dynamics with a surprisingly light comedic touch. - Mark Schiff
Elf
RT Score: 85%
When on Watch: On demand with Starz
There’s not much left to say about this modern Christmas classic, so let’s take a minute to appreciate the career of its director, Jon Favreau. Not only did he give us one of the greatest Christmas movies ever, he launched the MCU as the director of Iron Man, revolutionized CGI with the “live-action” remake of The Lion King, and even played a pivotal role in the ‘90s swing music revival thanks to his cult hit Swingers. Few, if any, filmmakers of the past 25 years have left a bigger mark on the culture at large. - Mark Schiff
White Reindeer
RT Score: 90%
When to Watch: On demand with IFC Films
This microbudget 2013 indie film was funded in part by a Kickstarter campaign from writer-director-producer Zach Clark. Although the film deals with the grief that comes with a shocking death, it’s still a comedy, albeit one of the quirky indie variety. - Mark Schiff
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale
RT Score: 90%
When to Watch: On demand with Shudder
Like a sweet and salty candy bar, Christmas and horror are a surprisingly tasty combination, and it doesn’t get much better than this 2010 Finnish import about the true, nefarious origins of Old Saint Nick. Rare Exports posits that the Santa Claus’ we recognize are actually elves in service of a dark master. It’s definitely absurd, but not much more than the myths and traditions we already accept. - Mark Schiff
A Christmas Story
RT Score: 90%
When to Watch: On demand with TBS, or tune-in to the 48 hour marathon Dec. 24-25.
How did this low-budget 1983 movie slowly morph into the original Christmas cult classic? Undoubtedly the 24-hour marathon that has aired on TNT or TBS every Christmas since 2004 has helped. However, the film’s episodic structure likely has a lot to do with it. Like its fellow cult comedies The Big Lebowski and Napoleon Dynamite, A Christmas Story has less of an overarching story than a series of scenes, each with its own appeal. Not only does that structure keep the audience invested as they wait for their favorite moments, it means you can drop in at any point and still find something to love. Much like a Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model air rifle, it’s the gift that keeps on giving. - Mark Schiff
Edward Scissorhands
RT Score: 90%
When to Watch: $3.99 Rental
How much does Christmas have to factor into a movie’s plot to make it a Christmas movie? For this Tim Burton classic, the actual holiday only takes up a tiny part of the time Johnny Depp’s orphaned oddball creation spends with a naive, good-hearted suburban family headed by Diane Wiest and Alan Arkin, but it’s significant. So much so that Danny Elfman’s twinkling score has become a staple for any at-home DJ compiling a yuletide party playlist. Christmas was just a synthetic thing to endure in a blazing hot climate (filming took place in Florida) for the family’s teenage daughter Kim (played by Winona Ryder) until Edward’s arrival, when he brings real snow and magic to the season. - Janine Schaults
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
RT Score: 95%
When to Watch: Dec. 20, 5:15pm ET, Freeform
Basically the gold standard of Christmas specials, this tale of just a couple of misfits brought to life by the stop-motion animation magic of Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass has delighted generations. Thanks to yearly airings, Burl Ives’ jolly narration, a fuzzy abominable snowman, an island of rejects and a reindeer with a moral compass that shines brighter than his scarlett schnozz, this classic will probably outlive us all. - Janine Schaults
Die Hard
RT Score: 94%
When to Watch: On demand with SYFY
At first glance, Die Hard appears to be the antithesis of a Christmas movie: the violence is brutal, the property damage ranks in the millions, and the obscene vocabulary would make Quentin Tarantino jealous. What’s so holly and jolly about all that? But we can’t think of a more wholesome way to ring in the holidays than to watch the invincible John McClane (an iconic Bruce Willis) do whatever it takes to get back to the family he loves, even if it means obliterating Nakatomi Plaza in the process. - Chase Hoven
Tangerine
RT Score: 96%
When to Watch: On demand with Magnolia Selects
Like many of the films on this list, Tangerine may only be tangentially connected to Christmas, but by setting the movie on Christmas Eve, writer-director Sean Baker unpacks the emotional baggage of the holiday season with his lonely, struggling characters. Tangerine has been hailed as a breakthrough movie both culturally and technically; the former for its humanizing portrayal of transgender sex workers, the latter due to it being one of the only feature films shot entirely on iPhones. - Mark Schiff
Carol
RT Score: 94%
When to Watch: $3.99 Rental
Another LGBTQ film set against the holidays, Todd Haynes’ Carol earned some of the best reviews of 2015, along with six Oscar nominations. The story of an affair between an aspiring photographer (Rooney Mara) and a recent divorcee (Cate Blanchett), Carol is a touching story about sacrifices and the limits of love during the 1950s. - Mark Schiff
Little Women (2019)
RT Score: 95%
When to Watch: On demand with Starz
The last in our trilogy of films that are perfect for the holiday season despite not really being about the holidays, the latest adaptation of Louisa May-Alcott’s timeless 1868 classic features an amazing ensemble and some clever creative choices on the part of its writer-director, Greta Gerwig. - Mark Schiff
The Nightmare Before Christmas
RT Score: 95%
When to Watch: Sat. Dec. 18, 12:20am ET, Freeform
Is The Nightmare Before Christmas a Halloween movie about Christmas or a Christmas movie about Halloween? We’re inclined toward the former, but, like the double-sided face of the Mayor of Halloween Town, the movie is interchangeable for both holidays. - Mark Schiff
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1967)
RT Score: 100%
When to Watch: Sat. Dec. 18, 9:30pm ET, TNT
A heart full of unwashed socks. Termites blighting a smile. A brain full of spiders and a soul teeming with garlic. These are the descriptors of one of the most beloved Christmas characters. Funny how a happy ending can erase the bad deeds of a neon green curmudgeon. Dr. Seuss’ story of redemption teaches us that the spirit of Christmas isn’t found in big packages or gaudy decorations or even in a salivating spread anchored by a roast beast - it lies in each one of us. A good lesson in a year of growing inflation and supply chain issues. - Janine Schaults
The Shop Around the Corner
RT Score: 100%
When to Watch: On demand with TCM
Jimmy Stewart is the patron saint of the Christmas movie, and like another classic we’ll get to shortly, The Shop Around the Corner is the reason why. Its plot—in which two co-workers who dislike each other discover they’ve been sending each other love letters anonymously—has influenced everything from You’ve Got Mail to the new Oculus VR commercial.
Holiday Inn
RT Score: 100%
When to Watch: $3.99 Rental
It’s hard to even imagine a world before “White Christmas,” the best-selling single of all-time at 100 million copies. But Irving Berlin’s holiday standard was written for this 1942 classic, one of the 12 songs the iconic composer wrote specifically for the film. “White Christmas” went on to win the Oscar for “Best Original Song” and Bing Crosby’s version sold to the tune of 50 million records. As such, Holiday Inn has perhaps been overshadowed by its most famous song, an amazing feat considering it also stars Fred Astair.
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
RT Score: 96%
When to Watch: $3.99 Rental
Miracle on 34th Street has similarly lodged itself into our collective Christmas consciousness, making it difficult to appreciate just how clever its premise is; this is a movie in which the idea of Santa Claus is put to trial. Before the Oscars changed the writing categories, the script was awarded two Academy Awards for Best Writing, Original Story and Best Writing, Screenplay.
It’s a Wonderful Life
RT Score: 94%
When to Watch: On demand with NBC (Select Sling Blue Markets)
Hard as it is to believe, It’s a Wonderful Life was a flop when it was released in theaters in 1946. However, due to a clerical error on the part of its copyright owner, It’s a Wonderful Life slipped into the public domain in 1974, allowing small local TV stations to air it during the holiday season. It was then that the movie established itself as the definitive Christmas classic, and we don’t say that lightly. Both director Frank Capra and star Jimmy Stewart considered it among their best films.
