So here it is. The countdown to Christmas has begun. There are now 25 days until Christmas Day, so to mark the occasion I’m counting down my personal top 25 Xmas movies ever.

I’ve made a list, I’ve checked it (at least) twice. I’ve found out who’s naughty and who’s nice. That’s right folks. Santa Claus has come to town. And he’s brought you...The 25 Films of Christmas. Enjoy!

And what better place to start a Christmas countdown than with a horned, demonic bizarro Santa, eh?

Having only watched the film for the first time this past Halloween, Krampus is by far the most recent watch on this list and definitely the biggest (pleasant) surprise.

The Xmas-horror sub-genre is a strange one and definitely more miss than hit in its output, so my expectations for Krampus were low. So the fact that it’s actually pretty decent and a big slice of frightful festive fun makes it a late (and welcome) entry to my list.

I mean, it’s not perfect by any stretch, and almost certainly wouldn’t make it onto my top horror list, but in mixing twisted folklore, genuinely creepy imagery, a great cast (including Toni Collette and Adam Scott), and some gloriously gory B-movie fun, Krampus is a fine addition to the festive-horror canon.

Many films on this list are for everyone. Brazil is the Christmas film for everyone else. It’s for everyone feeling a bit jaded by the season of corporate festivities.

Terry Gilliam’s stark satire about an absurdist, consumer-driven dystopia may not scream festive fun but it’s one of the most criminally overlooked Christmas movies out there.

Set in the lead up to Christmas, Brazil is the perfect antidote to all the schmaltz, corporate-enforced joy and rampant consumerism that comes with this time of year.

In true Gilliam spirit, Brazil is a darkly funny and wonderfully twisted take on the general insanity of the festive season and fully deserves its place on this list.

Some films are obviously Christmas films. There’s plenty of those on this list, don’t worry. But then there are those where the Christmas credentials are less overt. This grey area is where Shane Black operates.

Shane Black is a filmmaker who loves Christmas so much almost all his films are set around the holiday. So, while Marvel’s Iron Man 3 may not appear festive at first glance, look a little closer and it’s Christmas cheer is crystal clear.

Let’s look at the facts:
- Is it set during Christmas? Absolutely. The entire film is set in the lead up to Xmas, with numerous references to it
- Does it feel like a Christmas film? Yep. There are decorations galore, plenty of Xmas songs on the soundtrack, and a good chunk of the film spent in a very snowy Tennessee town
- Does it have heartwarming moments? Tucked between fire breathing villains and the usual superhero shenanigans are a lot of very touching moments, including the relationship between Tony and Pepper that sees Tony finally find the true meaning of love by destroying all his suits. What’s more festive than that?

So, in short - yes, Iron Man 3 is most definitely a Christmas film and deserves its place on the list.

Not all Christmas movies are Shane Black movies, but all Shane Black movies are Christmas movies (more on that later).

In a rare sojourn away from stop motion for Aardman Animation, Arthur Christmas is one of those festive films that comes out of nowhere to hit just the right Christmas spot.

On the surface it looks like any one of a million Santa-based animations churned out at this time of year, but this is something different. Aardman know how to do heartwarming fun and Arthur Christmas doesn’t disappoint.

With a killer voice cast, eye-popping animation and a keen sense of adventure, Arthur Christmas delivers the goods when it matters with a smart and inventive script that puts a new spin on a very old story, injecting it with plenty of heart in the process.

A tale of two gangsters holed up in Bruges after a hit gone wrong may sound like a tough sell as a Christmas movie but there’s definitely one in In Bruges somewhere.

In Bruges is most definitely set at Christmas and mentions the fact several times, yet this as bleak as a festive film gets. However, even in it’s darkest moments, the film hits on many of the themes that come up again and again in even the most traditional Christmas flicks.

Despite all the tinsel and joy, Christmas can often be a bleak time and In Bruges captures this mood perfectly. Much like A Christmas Carol and It’s a Wonderful Life, In Bruges doesn’t hide its morbid heart, as the film’s morbid, existential musings speak to the dark undertones of the holidays.

Oh and it looks the part. Any movie set amidst the stunning gothic architecture of Bruges can’t help but feel a bit Christmassy, and despite its dark heart, In Bruges feels naturally festive, yet in the harshest way possible.

In many ways, In Bruges is the perfect example of why Christmas movies are more a state of mind than anything else.

Mickey’s Christmas Carol was the very first interpretation of the Charles Dickens classic I ever came across as a kid. In fact, for a long period it was the only version I was even aware of, so it’s fair to say the film holds a nostalgic place in my heart.

While it’s definitely not the finest version of ‘A Christmas Carol’ out there, it’s certainly the best animated one in my book.

With Scrooge McDuck in the Ebenezer Scrooge role he was born to play and a run out for pretty much every classic Disney character you can think of, Mickey’s Christmas Carol is a fun and heartwarming take on its well-worn source material.

Of course it’s Disney, so the story’s darker edges have been smoothed over, yet it still manages to keep the essence of the novel to ensure that everything still works. There have been many, many animated Christmas films released, yet this one remains one of my favourite to this day.

I’ve said it before and I’ll more than likely say it again - you can have Christmas without Shane Black but you can’t have Shane Black without Christmas.

If you’re looking for an offbeat way to spend your Christmas, you can’t go wrong with Shane Black. The writer/director behind Iron Man 3 has a penchant for setting his works during the festive period and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is not only his most holiday spirited film, it’s also one of his finest.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang stars Robert Downey Jr. as a low-rent thief drawn into the world of Hollywood glamour by happenstance, getting himself and Val Kilmer‘s no-nonsense PI “Gay Perry” tanked in a murder cover up in the process.

While Black already had Lethal Weapon and a couple other big screenwriting credits to his name, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was his first time at the helm and directorial debuts just don’t come any better.

Borne of Black’s love of pulpy noir novels, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a vibrant update on the genre that relays its twisty-turny narrative through whip smart dialogue delivered to perfection by Kilmer and Downey Jr. The duo have an electric odd-couple chemistry that alternately makes you laugh out loud and hits you right in the feels.

Adorned with the trappings of the holiday season — right down to Michelle Monaghan‘s silly little third act Santa suit — Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a prime choice for the Christmas lineup when you need a break from the old favourites.

I think we can all agree Ghostbusters II never quite lived up the standards of the original, but I will happily fight its corner any day of the week. And whisper it...despite obviously being an inferior film, I actually think some bits of it work better that its predecessor.

Criminally under appreciated, Ghostbusters II is a hell of a lot of fun and taken on its own terms is a damn fine action film, full of iconic moments that more than live up to the first.

Anyway, for me Ghostbusters II is a Christmas film...just about. Yes, it’s another one of those movies that just happens to be set at Christmas rather than one where the holiday as a crucial ingredient, yet you’ve got plenty of moments in there that give it that festive feel.

The sight of Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson running around town doing their ghostbusting wearing Santa hats makes it worthy of admission to this list alone, but if you’re looking for a more convincing argument to class Ghostbusters II as a Christmas film, look no further than its time setting.

New Year is used as a big ticking paranormal time bomb for the narrative as the gang are caught in a festive race against time to save the world from the nefarious plans of everyone’s favourite painted grump - Vigo the Carpathian. Basically, the entire plot starts at Christmas and goes from there.

Oh and the gang defeat the bad guy entirely through the power of love and harmony. What’s more festive than that?

If your idea of a good Christmas film is one that celebrates the magic and wonder of the season, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation isn’t the one for you.

The movie playing inside Clark Griswold’s head is probably that one, as he attempts to recreate a fabled ‘perfect’ Christmas from memory, yet what transpires is far from the idyllic scene he’d hoped for. Like many of us, Clark dreams of a perfect Christmas...it’s just that Christmas itself keeps getting in the way.

Underneath all the slapstick, there are few more accurate portrayals of the Christmas period than Christmas Vacation. Family is a big theme but the film presents them as something to tolerate rather than cherish, something many of us can relate to over the festive period (although if my family are reading this...I’m obviously not talking about you 😏). This is perhaps the most honest a Christmas film gets.

Despite his attempts, Christmas never quite lives up to Clark’s expectations and this - in essence - is how things go for many of us. We’re sold one thing and receive something far more underwhelming. We get given things we don’t want, that elderly relative says something inappropriate, people get on your nerves, and then the Christmas tree catches on fire...or something. That’s ok though. We stick together and we find a way to laugh and love with one another through it. That’s what Christmas is all about.

Operating at peak-Chevy Chase, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is pure screwball fun that manages to avoid (and even subvert) all the schmaltz you get with your average festive film, while keeping its heart firmly in the right place. It’s also pretty damn funny, which always helps.

Many of the films on this list come from a place of nostalgia, yet Christmas Vacation holds little for me as it wasn’t until just a few years ago that I finally got to watch it. If I’d grown up with the film, I’m sure it would’ve been higher on my countdown. As it is though, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation sits comfortably in mid-table.

As the third (and last, honest) Shane Black entry on my list, Lethal Weapon’s Christmas credentials are as tangential as they are in any of his other films, yet I make it his most festive effort to date. Although it was actually directed by Richard Donner (with Black on writing duties), it has all the hallmarks of a Shane Black classic, evoking the festive spirit more than anything else in his back catalogue.

While a film that opens with one of its protagonists attempting to blow his brains out may feel pretty dark for a Christmas movie, Lethal Weapon builds its entire narrative around Mel Gibson’s Riggs and his journey to find salvation, a family and a reason to keep living. Ultimately, he discovers this in the shape of partner Murtaugh (Danny Glover) and his family, and that’s where the movie’s beauty lies.

Underneath it all, Lethal Weapon is a film about that most seasonal of themes - family - and while it doesn’t overtly look like a Christmas movie, any film that ends with a lost and lonely character being invited in to share Christmas dinner with his adopted family has to have something about it.

Amid all of the action, explosions, murdered prostitutes and heroin smuggling, Lethal Weapon is all about a lonely and depressed man who finds a sense of belonging in the arms of a surrogate family just in time for Christmas. And what’s more festive than that?

While there will always be arguments about the validity of Die Hard as a Christmas film, it’s a shame that Lethal Weapon gets a little bit overlooked, because, in many ways, this fellow 80s action classic has the more festive feel to it.

As one of the most adapted novels in history and one of longest-running holiday tales ever, the presence of Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’ on this list should come as no surprise. There are, of course, good adaptions and bad adaptations of the classic tale, but 1951’s Scrooge (released as A Christmas Carol in the US) is one of the very finest.

This is the granddaddy of them all. The retelling that all others aspire to and by far the best straight adaptation there’s been.

For me, Alistair Sim is history’s finest Scrooge, putting in a wonderfully nuanced performance that’s simultaneously despicable and delightful. Constantly disgruntled with the world, Sim’s Ebenezer is a bitter, uncaring man with an inner pain that’s barely contained.

While the visual effects of the three ghosts don’t hold up too well, it matters not when you’ve got someone of Sim’s calibre acting circles around it all.

The classic redemption arc has never been portrayed better, as Sim’s uplifting, spirited turn ensures we’re rooting for him by the film’s end, adding up to one of the most satisfying takes on the character to date.

Purely out of personal preference, there are other versions of ‘A Christmas Carol’ I hold dearer to my heart, yet Scrooge is by far the closest an adaptation has ever come to bringing the pages of Charles Dickens’ novel to life.

Ok, so Batman and Christmas may not seem like much of a dynamic duo on paper but I’ll just put it out there...Batman Returns is the best Christmas action movie not called Die Hard.

Whether they’re overtly festive or not, Tim Burton movies have always seemed a bit Christmassy to me. Maybe it’s his love of snow, gothic whimsy and candy stripes, or just the Danny Elfman score. Whatever it is, Burton and Christmas just click, and Batman Returns is weirdly one of his most festive.

From the second we see Oswald Cobblepot in a cage in front of an outlandish white Christmas tree, you know we’re in for a very different take on the holiday.

Christmas comes to Gotham and drenches the place in all the bright, sugarcoated trappings of the season, yet there’s a darkness lurking under the city’s snow-slicked surface. The film certainly looks the part, but of course with any Tim Burton effort there’s more to it than that.

Many Christmas films follow a similar formula of growth, redemption and gratitude but there’s none of that here. In true Tim Burton form, Batman Returns is full of freaks and outcasts but there’s no redemption arc to be seen.

Subverting our Christmas expectations, Batman Returns presents us with a world devoid of that most festive of things - family. Penguin’s parents left him for dead in a frozen river, Selina Kyle has only her cats for company, and Bruce Wayne...well...he’s the most famous orphan in comic book history.

The film serves as something of a dark, twisted take on the normally bright, cheerful, sanitised feel of many Christmas films, becoming a satire of the holiday genre - a tale of bleak, violent sadness juxtaposed against the snow and twinkling lights.

Ok, I’ve decided to cheat a bit with this one and double up with both the original 1947 version of Miracle on 34th Street and the 1994 remake in one entry. What can I say? All this Santa talk must have put me in a generous mood.

In truth, I couldn’t really separate the two in my head. While the 1947 version is an ostensibly better film, the 1994 remake holds more of a place in my heart having grown up with it. Nostalgia, eh?

On paper, both versions are pretty identical and certainly cover the same narrative ground of a kindly old man claiming to be Kris Kringle forced to defend his bold claims in court. Despite this, however, there are several differences between the two, brought about largely by the eras they hail from.

Oddly, the 1994 version holds up less favourably now than the original one, due to some rather questionable narrative decisions (I’m not sure any film really benefits from having Santa accused of being a pedophile), but you really can’t argue with the decision to cast Richard Attenborough as Kris Kringle himself. There’s a lot of Christmas movies out there, but in my humble opinion, Attenborough is THE definitive big screen Santa Clause.

Saying that, Edmund Gwenn does a stand up job as the original Kringle and there’s a classic feel to his performance that can’t help but warm your heart.

Add to that some strong female leads in Elizabeth Perkins and Maureen O’Hara, as well as cute performances from a young Natalie Wood and Mara Wilson respectively, and you’ve got a pair of genuine Christmas classic on your hands.

For me, both versions of Miracle on 34th Street are a huge slab of Christmas joy and embody the spirit of the season perfectly. Poignant without being preachy, sweet without being schmaltzy, they’re both a giant hug of a Christmas movie with a warm holiday message that has stood the test of time perfectly.

With the advent of streaming, every Christmas seems to bring with it an onslaught of lacklustre festive films that would’ve gone straight in the bargain bin in years gone by. As the biggest streamer out there, Netflix have had more than their fair share of stinkers, so my hopes weren’t particularly high when I hit play on Klaus last Christmas.

Fortunately, what I got couldn’t be further from their usual subpar Christmas offering, as Klaus offers a beautiful and truly unique take on the Santa Claus tale.

Gorgeously animated and perfectly plotted, KLAUS tells the story of lazy, spoilt postal cadet Jesper (Jason Schwartzman), who’s sent off to a remote Nordic town with the task of opening a functioning post office. While there, he finds that the two sides of the town hate one another and really don’t do letter writing.

Inspired by a local woodworker named Klaus (J.K. Simmons), Jesper gradually encourages the town to write to one another and before you can say “ho-ho-ho” the legend of Santa Claus is born.

If you’re looking to make an impression in a crowded holiday movie market, you better be damn sure you’ve got something different to offer, and if you can pull it off, a Santa origin story is a good way of getting eyeballs on your movie at Christmas.

And boy does Klaus pull it off, managing to take the Santa mythos and turn it into something beautifully affecting, crafting a unique, wonderfully imagined origin of the big man’s phenomenon, wrapped up in a rip roaring adventure.

In doing so, we get to see more into the man behind the icon, with a heartbreaking backstory explaining just why Klaus became so good at creating toys. While Klaus is a tale about how Christmas became what it is today, it’s also a meditation on how one act of kindness can inspire countless others.

Klaus is a beautiful surprise of a holiday film and, quite frankly, one of the best Christmas movies to come along in some time. From the lush hand-drawn animation, to the heartwarming triumph of love and cheer, Klaus has all the ingredients to become a future Christmas classic. More of this please Netflix.

As I’ve already mentioned, there’s something inherently festive about Tim Burton’s brand of filmmaking and nowhere is this more evident than in Edward Scissorhands.

This is Tim Burton at the top of his game, collaborating with Johnny Depp way before things got stale between them and tells the story of a so called ‘monster’ who comes to live with an adopted family in their perfect suburban town. As things progress, the bigotry and small mindedness of the town’s residents rears its ugly head and Edward is held up as a pariah by those that initially accepted him.

Edward Scissorhands doesn’t start at Christmas time but certainly finishes there, with the last third of the film centring on the holiday and a big annual Christmas party. Conversely, as the film moves into the season of goodwill, the town’s residents start to show their true colours and all the love initially shown to Edward starts to dissipate, replaced by fear and resentment.

The film’s last act is an absolute feast of Christmas imagery, with Tim Burton going to town with the festivities, but as is always the case with his movies, underneath the snow, candy stripes, and tinsel is a darkness.

Edward Scissorhands is a film all about acceptance and kindness. Treating others - especially outsiders and those less fortunate - with grace and understanding are evergreen themes for Christmas films and are what this movie is all about.

Scandalously overlooked in many festive film rundowns, when you add up Edward Scissorhands’ setting, theme, and tone, it’s hard not to accept its Christmas credentials. Not only is Edward Scissorhands one of Tim Burton’s finest films, for me it’s also one of the most potent and beautifully realised Christmas movies going.

“Now I’ve got another reason to hate Christmas”, says Phoebe Cates Kline’s Kate before heading off into one of the greatest monologues in Christmas movie history.

So begins one of the best films of the 80s and one of the greatest Christmas tales of our time. Like many festive films, Gremlins uses Christmas as its backdrop rather than the core of its action, yet I’ve always found it just as seasonal as any of your straight forward festive efforts and certainly funnier than most.

Is it a horror? Is it a comedy? Is it even a Christmas film? For me, it’s all three, as Gremlins covers all angles and uses Christmas in just the right way to inform the narrative without hitting you over the head with it.

Oh and it introduced the world to Gizmo - the cute fur ball who you don’t want to get wet, certainly don’t want to expose to bright light, and definitely don’t want to feed after midnight. Remember when he was all any kid wanted for many Christmases after the film’s release? I do.

Oh and here’s the entire reason Kate Beringer hates Santa. It’s a doozy...

“The worst thing that ever happened to me was on Christmas. Oh, God. It was so horrible. It was Christmas Eve. I was nine years old. Me and Mom were decorating the tree, waiting for Dad to come home from work. A couple hours went by. Dad wasn't home. So Mom called the office. No answer. Christmas Day came and went, and still nothing. So the police began a search. Four or five days went by. Neither one of us could eat or sleep. Everything was falling apart. It was snowing outside. The house was freezing, so I went to try to light up the fire. That's when I noticed the smell. The firemen came and broke through the chimney top. And me and Mom were expecting them to pull out a dead cat or a bird. And instead they pulled out my father. He was dressed in a Santa Claus suit. He'd been climbing down the chimney... his arms loaded with presents. He was gonna surprise us. He slipped and broke his neck. He died instantly. And that's how I found out there was no Santa Claus.”

For me, Bad Santa is a Christmas film best enjoyed after your fifth shot of Bailey’s. It’s a Christmas film for all those that just want to tell the holiday season to shit off. It’s a piss-soaked, vomit-flecked, booze-drenched mess of Christmas movie...and it’s glorious.

Bad Santa is the greatest anti-Christmas film of all time and tells a heartwarming, magical festive tale of foul-mouthed Santas, thieving elves, and sex-crazed bartenders. And despite its dark, dark heart it all feels surprisingly festive.

Billy Bob Thornton has rarely been better as Willie - a walking (stumbling), talking (mumbling) middle-finger to all the falseness of the holiday season: the mandate to be cheerful; the idea that gifts equal love; and all the superficial bollocks like Starbucks cups, non-stop carols, and of course, shopping centre Santas.

Five minutes into Bad Santa and we see Willie in full Kris Kringle garb puking his guts out in a dank alleyway. It’s simultaneously one of the greatest and bleakest openings to any Christmas movie ever and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Throughout my Uni years, Bad Santa was a Christmas viewing tradition and it spoke perfectly to my feelings about the season at that time of my life, and while I’ve softened considerably over the years, there’s still a bit of me that feels like going full-Willie any time I walk into a shopping centre at Christmas.

Before I start, here’s just a quick tale from Christmas past - I once got bought the VHS of The Muppet Christmas Carol a total of three times by three separate relatives one Christmas many years ago. And you know what? I don’t ever remember taking any of them back. I was just that happy to own the film. The nostalgia is real with this one.

In my humble opinion, The Muppet Christmas Carol is not only one of the greatest festive films of all time, it’s the best Muppet movie ever.

As one of the most adapted novels of all time, you really have to do something special with A Christmas Carol to stand out and this Muppet version of the Dickens classic throws everything into the mix and comes out with an interpretation that balances reverence for the source material with a typically enthusiastic willingness to entertain.

With every key member of the Muppets ensemble given a run out - including the best roles yet for Gonzo and Rizzo - and with Michael Caine on form as Ebenezer Scrooge, The Muppets Christmas Carol wraps up everything that’s great about both Christmas movies and the Muppets in one big, joyful present.

All of that and it includes perhaps the best soundtrack of any Christmas movie going. As with any Muppet effort, the film isn’t afraid to embrace its musical side and from ‘Room in Your Heart’ to ‘It Feels Like Christmas’, we’re treated to a collection of delightful singalongs designed exclusively to fill your cold heart with festive joy.

Honestly, how could I not? For many, It’s a Wonderful Life is the ultimate Christmas movie and while it hasn’t quite cracked the very top of my list, it still holds up as one of the greatest festive films of all time.

You’ve got Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed at the top of their game. You’ve got the ultimate Christmas redemption story that isn’t named ‘A Christmas Carol’. And you’ve got a warm, timeless tale of self realisation. This is the Christmas film for all.

I mean, what’s not to like? It’s dark, no doubt (what film that starts with attempted suicide isn’t?), but there’s so much warmth there that you can’t help but concede to the joy by the film’s end.

This is the story of George Bailey - a businessman and owner of a small town bank - who decides to kill himself on Christmas Eve. Luckily, before he manages it, an angel stops him and shows him how things would turn out had he never been born. From there, George finds a new appreciation for himself, his family and his business.

There’s no hiding the links to ‘A Christmas Carol’ here, yet the film flips things on their head to tell the story of a decidedly un-Scrooge-like character in George, who gives and gives but gets nothing in return.

By the end, we’re offered one of the most heartwarming of conclusions to any Christmas film ever, as we see George discover why life is, in fact, wonderful, running about town expressing his gratitude for anyone and everyone he can get his hands on.

Deemed the “Citizen Kane of Christmas films” by many, It’s a Wonderful Life is the ultimate story of second chances, and despite its dark leanings, it’s a film that can’t help but fill you with the warmth of the festive season, whether you like it or not.

Yep, I’ve finally gone there. While I’ve included many entries on this countdown that walk a thin line between Christmas movie and...well...just a movie, few spark more of a debate than Die Hard.

An argument about the film’s Christmas credentials has been raging for many years now - one that even Bruce Willis himself has waded into - but, for me, there’s no doubt about it. Die Hard is a Christmas film. Not only that, it’s one of the best in the business.

For me, there’s no Christmas without Die Hard and there’s no Die Hard without Christmas. They go together perfectly and while a film full of machine guns, explosions, blood, terrorists, and coke-snorting yuppies just doesn’t work as a Christmas movie for many - they’re wrong. Just plain wrong.

By this point, the debate as to whether or not Die Hard is a Christmas film has become pretty tired, so I won’t go over old ground, but I will say this - Christmas plays a far more integral part in Die Hard’s plot than its often given credit for.

For starters, the entire film’s plot hinges on an office Christmas party gone very wrong. The Christmas setting is far more than just festive wallpaper and acts as the trigger for the entire plot. Add in to that a redemption arc for John McClane that gives Scrooge a run for his money and things are looking decidedly seasonal. This is a man who becomes a hero despite himself, eventually learning to be a less selfish person, as he’s forced to confront his own mortality and shortcomings.

Oh, and the soundtrack is stuffed full of festive treats, including ‘Let It Snow’ and the Run-DMC classic ‘Christmas in Hollis’. By the time you get to ‘Ode to Joy’ you’ve got the foundations of a Christmas classic.

I guess in many ways we like to put movies into single genre boxes and, for some, Die Hard will only ever be seen is an action film - no more, no less - however, cut through the gunfire and yippee-ki-yays and you’ve got something that holds up against even the most traditional festive classics.

Scandalously overlooked on many Christmas movie lists, Trading Places is not only one of the greatest festive films going, it’s also up there with the best comedies of the 80s.

For those that haven’t seen it, Trading Places is a classic Christmas morality piece, telling a rags-to-riches (and a riches-to-rags-and-back-again) story of successful upper crust stockbroker Louis Winthorpe III (Dan Aykroyd) who’s made the unwitting subject of a cruel bet between his bosses and forced onto the street when falsely accused of criminal activity, while smart-mouthed petty crook Billy Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy) is elevated to his former position.

Spoiler alert: hilarity ensues.

In addition to establishing a highly tangible seasonal atmosphere with the snow-drenched pavements of Philadelphia and the lavish decorations at the Heritage Club, Christmas is an integral part of the film’s middle section, as the Christmas Eve party at Duke and Duke represents the lowest point in Winthorpe’s fall from grace - drunkenly crashing the party in a grubby Santa suit before getting pissed on by the weather, a passing dog, and life itself.

Christmas aside, it’s a terrific film – sharp and witty, with a uniformly superb cast, all at the top of their game. Eddie Murphy has (arguably) never been funnier, but Aykroyd shows some real chops as well, making Winthorpe so snobby that we can take pleasure in his downfall, yet showing enough depth of character that we’re firmly on his side even before that fateful Christmas party.

And what a Christmas party it is, as we witness Winthrop hit rock bottom in a sequence that sees him pile every bit of free food he can into his pockets before getting a bus home and stuffing an entire salmon into his matted, fake beard-covered mouth.

It’s one of the greatest Christmas movie moments of all time and a scene that solidifies Trading Places as one of the very finest festive films in the game.

For three decades now, John Hughes’ classic Christmas tale of reckless parenting and slapstick ultra violence has been a festive viewing staple for many.

From the jingling bells and chimes of John Williams’ score to the abundance of snow and decorations, Home Alone possesses all the trappings of the season and has that knack of any great festive film in wrapping you up in a big, warm blanket of nostalgia with every viewing. In short, Home Alone and Christmas go together like cheese and pizza.

What puts Home Alone above almost all Christmas contenders is just how iconic and infinitely quotable the film is. We all remember the aftershave scene, Marv’s tarantula scream, and every elaborate burglar trap Kevin McCallister sets. These are timeless cinematic moments that will live on well beyond the festive season.

Oh and you’ve got Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern playing one of the greatest movie villain duos of all time. I mean who wasn’t absolutely terrified of Joe Pesci after watching the film as as a kid...and that was years before you were allowed to watch Goodfellas and be terrified all over again.

Home Alone is the ultimate Christmas underdog story and despite the unusually intense violence for a family movie, Macaulay Culkin’s charming performance and the film’s clever writing make it one of those quintessential Christmas films baked into the season’s DNA.

Pure, unfiltered Christmas joy. That’s what Elf is. Like shooting liquid candy cane directly into your eyeballs. Or eating a big bowl of spaghetti and maple syrup. You know, whatever floats your boat.

One of the newest entries on this list, Elf has become a stone cold Christmas classic in double-time and a crucial part of many people’s Christmas viewing year in, year out. There are those that try to fight it, but Elf’s unapologetic festive glee is absolutely impossible to resist and best experienced with festive scepticism checked at the door.

The 00s saw Will Farrell at the top of his game and Elf was the perfect distillation of the actor’s particular brand of physical humour. Goofy, lovable, and painfully naive - Farrell’s Buddy is the child in all of us. He’s the kid we all wish we still were when Christmas rolls around, crammed full of joy and hope, before the world sucks it all out of you. Farrell’s man-child performance is up there with the best of his career and certainly his most colourful, to the point that you really can’t imagine anyone else in the role.

This fish-out-of-water schtick could’ve been incredibly annoying if it weren’t for Ferrell’s absolute commitment to his ludicrous role and bolstered by strong performances from James Caan, Mary Steenburgen, and Zooey Deschanel, Elf manages walk the line between self-aware and defiantly uncynical perfectly.

The plot is silly as hell but that’s half the fun. Saccharine sweet and infectiously endearing, more than any other film on this list, Elf is pure, uncut Christmas from start to finish, and one of the most Christmassy Christmas films out there.

I hate to use naughty words at Christmas time but those that don’t agree with this are...well...cotton-headed ninnymuggins. There. I said it.

I’ve said it before and I’ll probably say it again - there’s something inherently festive about the Tim Burton brand. Whether it’s the look or the tone, his films just click with this time of year, and The Nightmare Before Christmas sits right atop that crooked Christmas tree.

Is it a Christmas film? Is it a Halloween film? I’d say there’s arguments to be made either way. What can’t be argued against, however, is the film’s quality. Damn it, the film is over a quarter of a century old and looks like it came out yesterday.

The animation is as good as anything out there - stop-motion or otherwise - and certainly one of the most iconic. While it wasn’t actually directed by Tim Burton (Henry Selick gets that honour), his fingerprints are all over it. From the whimsically dark character design to the idiosyncratic gothic tone, this is Burton through and through.

There really is nothing like The Nightmare Before Christmas out there. Yes, Burton has returned to the stop-motion well a number of times over the years but he’s never quite hit the perfect tone since.

It helps that you’ve got a protagonist as instantly iconic as Jack Skellington. He’s one of the most distinct animated characters of all time. Sure you’ve got your Mickeys, Buzzes, and Bellas but a big-headed skeleton weirdo in a Beetlejuice costume tops them all. He’s pretty lovable too...in an unnerving kinda way.

And this is all before you get to the songs. My god, the songs. They’re impeccably crafted and incredibly catchy, shot through with Danny Elfman’s trademark style and an infectious theatricality that’s up there with the best musicals in the game.

Christmas or Halloween? It really doesn’t matter. The Nightmare Before Christmas can be enjoyed perfectly on either occasion, and there are very few films out there able to claim that.

As we’ve already established, there are quite a few versions of ‘A Christmas Carol’ out there. None, however, can touch Scrooged. Sure, it’s one of the loosest adaptations of the Dickens classic going, but it’s absolutely the funniest.

All great festive movies work perfectly whether you watch them at Christmas or not and, like the best, Scrooged is one of those evergreen holiday efforts that can be enjoyed whatever time of year you take it in.

Without a doubt, Scrooged is 100% Bill Murray’s movie and sees him at his snarky best as cynical, selfish TV exec Frank Cross, who is haunted by three moral-expounding ghosts, including an inspired appearance from a sucker-punching, toaster-wielding Carol Kane.

Sure, the film isn’t perfect, but I love it. Catching it on TV has become a Christmas tradition for me and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Directly commenting on the grotesque excesses of 80s greed yet timeless in its relevancy, Scrooged is a pitch-perfect blend of slapstick and black humour, love and loss, life and death that has no business being as fantastic as it is. And if you're not welling up by the time ‘Put a Little Love in Your Heart’ kicks in at the finale, I might have to send the three ghosts round to set you straight.