There is nothing better than escaping the mildly cool weather and watching a holiday movie. However, there is nothing worse than settling down into you movie watching position to realise that you don’t know what to watch. With so many movies, both new and old, it’s no wonder that the list of holiday movies on Netflix can seem a bit overwhelming. It’s so hard to know if a movie is going to be good or not based on the summary, and even when you check IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes there’s still a little voice saying maybe it’s not that bad or it can’t possibly be that good. Well, you’re in luck because down below is a list of movies to make the holidays a happier place. These are a few of my favorite holiday movies.

1. Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983)

This is Disney’s remake of the classic Christmas Carol story with Ebenezer Scrooge and Tiny Tim. In this remake, Scrooge McDuck has employed Mickey Mouse, who plays the role of Tim’s father. When Scrooge returns to his home, which is completely empty, he is confronted by three different ghosts. The ghost of Christmas past, the ghost of christmas present, and the ghost of christmas future. From there Scrooge goes on an adventure that makes him rethink his grinchy ways.

2. Home Alone (1990)

The story is centered around a kid name Kevin McCallister who is accidentally left alone when his parents leave for Christmas vacation. While he is home alone, two con men try to rob the McCallister home and it is up to Kevin to keep them from doing so. What ensues from there is a hilarious mix of mischievous goons caught in traps and a kid just having fun.  

3. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

This is a stopmotion/claymation movie that was directed by Tim Burton. The story follows  Jack Skellington, the king of Halloweentown, and his search for something new. During this search he falls into the North Pole and witnesses the miracle of Christmas. He determines that he most take control of the new found holiday, much to the chagrin of the humans and monsters alike. From there Jack spirals out of control and his plan comes tumbling down.

4. Elf (2003)

This movie, starring Will Ferrell, is about the life of a human boy who is raised in the North Pole. As he grows up he has to face the fact that he doesn’t belong in Santa’s workshop and he makes his way to New York to find his human family. The movie explores the relationship between family members and is an odd version of a coming-of-age movie. It is filled with hilarious moments and some that the viewer can learn from. All in all, the story is full of holiday cheer and does a great job of teaching the viewers about the family quality of the holidays.

5.   The Polar Express (2004)

The Polar Express is an animated movie that is based off of a book by the same name, which was published in 1985 and written by Chris Van Allsburg. In the story of the Polar Express, a little boy who is starting to question whether or not santa is real is picked up by a giant magical train. The train is full of other children and sweet surprises and takes them to the North Pole. On the way there and while they are at the North Pole the kids experience some amazing adventures and learn about the meaning of Christmas.