Christmas Movies to Watch This Year in Utah

The season to watch Christmas movies is upon us and diving into the right ones is key to getting into the holiday spirit.

Now, if you’re anything like my family, the favorite movies of each person are vastly different. For me, it’s How The Grinch Stole (2000) Christmas and my mom believes Die Hard is the best Christmas movie of all. Well, neither of those are in the top five Christmas movies of all time according to Rotten Tomatoes. Unfortunately, the list seems to cater to older movies (those are good too) for the most part.

Here are the top five Christmas Movies to watch this Christmas season.

#1—Meet Me in St. Louis

Now, I have not watched this one personally, but I can say it’s a musical which makes it not everyone's cup of hot cocoa. It’s a 1944 romantic comedy about four sisters learning about life and love.

#2—The Shop Around the Corner

Another oldie made in 1940 featuring legendary actor James Stewart. This is another romantic comedy focused on two employees that butt heads often and use pen pals as a distraction.

#3—The Holdovers

The Holdovers is supposed to be a cute film about a prep schoolteacher who stays over Christmas break with kids who have nowhere to go. He forms a bond with a troubled kid and the school cook who recently lost his son. This movie is also new and came out in 2023.

#4—Tangerine

This will probably not be on the Utah watch list due to its R rating and focus on the transgender community. Also, it's kind of weird that it's on the Christmas movie list.

#5—Miracle on 34th Street

This one I know! It's back to older movies on No. 5 but I can say this is totally worth the watch. A man going by the name of Kris Kringle fills in for a drunk Santa for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. He is so popular he ends up at the store and is soon questioned in court because he claims to be the real deal.

These top five are a bit disappointing but I can say that the one you were all waiting for, A Nightmare Before Christmas, is rated number six. Personally, I’d look further down the list if you’re looking for a new Christmas movie. There are some like Klaus, Elf, and all sorts of good ones that have a nice modern spin on them.

Happy Christmas movie hunting.