One of my favorite things to do once the weather turns cold is to put on a festive pair of socks, snuggle on the couch with the family under fuzzy blankets with a Christmas Movie on to end the day. (And if the weather hasn’t turned yet, I can crank the A/C down and pretend it is not still 90 degrees outside)
We all have our tried and true favorite Christmas Classics that seem to play on repeat from November 1st to December 31st like Elf, A Christmas Story, The Grinch, etc. But every once in a while I want to watch something new, or something less popular. That’s when I turn to what I feel are some of the best Underrated Christmas Movies!
Here is a list of what I feel are some Underrated Christmas Movies! Maybe they got horrible reviews or they are not well known but my family loves them every time we put them on!
- Noelle (2019) – This movie is only available on Disney+. It came out last year shortly after the launch of the new streaming service. It got pretty mixed reviews, but it is now a family favorite. Not only do we typically love anything Anna Kendrick is in, but it has such a positive message mixed with a whole lot of GIRL POWER! You can take a look at the trailer here!
- Jack Frost (1998)– This is one of my favorites from when I was a kid, and honestly for a long time I totally forgot about it. I found an old DVD a few years ago that was a Christmas value pack and this movie was included. When we watched it I couldn’t believe I had forgotten about it! Rockstar Micheal Keaton, magical harmonica, talking snowman what is not to love!! This is another one that has always had mixed reviews and maybe it is because it has a sad premise but my family enjoys the twist on some Christmas classics like Jack Frost and Frosty the Snowman. You can see the trailer here!
- Scrooged (1988)– This one may be less underrated and more showing my age. But if you need an adult night Christmas movie and you grew up as a Bill Murray fan like my husband and me, this walk down memory lane is a good one! It is a remake or rather late 80’s interpretation of the Christmas Carol/ Scrooge story. You can see the trailer here!
- Ernest Saves Christmas (1988)– Here is another one that is probably less underrated as it is just older. But I remember as a kid thinking all the different Ernest Movies that came out were funny, there were about 9 different Ernest movies in total released. They are absolutely silly, but that was the character right?! If anything my kids get a kick out of seeing what was around for us to watch when we were kids. You can see the trailer here!
- Babes In Toyland (1986)– There are actually a few different versions of this one you can choose from, like one from 1961 and even one from 1934! My favorite just happens to be the 1986 remake with little Drew Barrymore and a young Keanu Reeves!!! The 1986 version takes a Wizard of Oz approach with it starting in the “modern” day and ending with her waking up from a dream. But it has been a favorite of mine since I was a kid and I was so happy to find it in digital form this past year! You can see the trailer here!
- Rise of the Guardians (2012)– Ok so this one isn’t a Christmas movie per se which could be the reason it feels underrated this time of year. It actually takes place closer to Easter, BUTTTT it has Santa, AND it follows the story of Jack Frost. So with that logic, I say this is the perfect Christmas Movie AND Easter Movie! You can see the trailer here and decide for yourself which holiday you think works best!
- Arthur Christmas (2011)– While this movie has always gotten good reviews it just seems to be overlooked by mainstream Christmas movie watchers. There is a lot of good messages packed into this Christmas movie, and it is funny! One of our family favorites, you can see the trailer here!
- Fred Claus (2007)– Ok here me out! I know the reviews on this one are mixed, but I can not pass up a movie with Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti, and John Michael Higgins in the cast together. Maybe you just want something to put on while you clean, this might just be the one! Or like me and my husband who like to point out all the absurdities to movies that are not our favorites. Or you like a movie with a little Christmas family dysfunction. You can see the trailer here!
- Veggie Tales: Saint Nicholas A Story of Joyful Giving (2009)– I grew up watching classic Veggie Tales movies, so it’s no surprise that I watched this one before I even had my kids. This is a GREAT movie that has funny Christmas things, but it also talks about the love of God and the true joy in giving to others. You can see the trailer here!
- Nutcracker: The Motion Picture (1986)– Any other year I probably wouldn’t have added this one to the list. The Nutcracker is NOT underrated at all, but we normally plan to visit a theater and see our favorite ballet company perform this beautiful classic! That isn’t an option for many of us this year, so why not continue the tradition at home with this great 1986 ballet version made for the big screen! You can see the trailer here!
These are my top 10 Underrated Christmas Movies, what would you add to the list?
