‘Elf’ and 13 other best Santa Claus movies for your Christmas watch list

IMDb rating: 6.2

Director: Marc Lawrence

Cast: Anna Kendrick, Shirley MacLaine, Bill Hader

Runtime: 1 hour 39 mins

Synopsis: When Kris Kringle, aka Santa Claus, decides to hang his boots, his daughter Noelle (Kendrick) must support her brother Nick Kringle (Hader) in taking over the role. But when Nick disappears before Christmas, Noelle goes on a journey to find him and realise the true Christmas spirit.

About the film: This may not be among the highest-rated Santa Claus movies but the unique story of Santa’s daughter taking on the job of the jolly gift-bearer makes it a comforting watch.

Image credit: IMDb

IMDb rating: 6.6

Director: John Pasquin

Cast: Tim Allen, Judge Reinhold, Wendy Crewson, Eric Lloyd

Runtime: 1 hour 37 mins

Synopsis: Divorced young man Scott Calvin (Allen) learns that his ex-wife Laura (Crewson) and her husband Neil (Reinhold) couldn’t tell their son Charlie (Lloyd) that Santa isn’t real. On Christmas Eve, Scott accidentally causes Santa to fall off the roof, leaving behind a sleigh and a suit with instructions. As Scott dons the suit, he is transported across town to drop gifts through chimneys before finally arriving at the North Pole and realising he has turned into Santa Claus himself.

About the film: Box Office Mojo states that this film collected over USD 190 million globally. Tim Allen played Santa Claus so adeptly that this film has become a Christmas Eve tradition for many.

Image credit: IMDb

IMDb rating: 6.6

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Cast: Tom Hanks, Chris Coppola, Michael Jeter, Peter Scolari

Runtime: 1 hour 37 mins

Synopsis: Santa Claus does not exist. Or does he? On Christmas Eve, a young boy (voiced by Hanks) boards the mysterious Polar Express which takes him to the North Pole to Santa’s village. Onboard, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery with other kids. At the North Pole, when offered any gift he desires, the young boy asks Santa (also voiced by Hanks) for his reindeer’s bell. But it gets lost on his way back. However, when the boy receives it as a gift under the tree on Christmas Day, only he can hear it loud and clear — implying sparks of holiday magic are alive in those who truly believe in it.

Awards won: Nominated for Best Original Song, Best Achievement in Sound Mixing and Best Achievement in Sound Editing at the 2005 Oscars. It also received the 2006 Grammy Award for the Best Song Written for Visual Media.

IMDb rating: 6.7

Director: Tommy Wirkola

Cast: David Harbour, John Leguizamo, Beverly D’Angelo, Alex Hassell, Alexis Louder

Runtime: 1 hour 49 mins

Synopsis: After spending centuries distributing gifts, a disillusioned and alcoholic Santa Claus is thinking of hanging his boots. However, he is in for a nasty surprise when he enters the lavish mansion of Gertrude Lightstone (D’Angelo). He finds a gang of ruthless thugs break in, seeking USD 300 million stashed in the vault, while Scrooge (Leguizamo) and his army have taken 7-year-old Trudy and her family hostage. Now, Santa must step in to save the family ahead of Christmas.

About the film: One of the most entertaining Santa movies, Violent Night shows Father Christmas in a very different light. He rewards children but doesn’t hesitate to punish the bad guys. From the producers of John Wick films, this movie is a fun rollercoaster to brighten the Christmas spirit.

IMDb rating: 7

Director: Clay Kaytis

Cast: Kurt Russell, Darby Camp, Judah Lewis

Runtime: 1 hour 45 mins

Synopsis: Two siblings, Kate (Camp) and Teddy (Lewis) devise a trap on Christmas Eve to record Santa Claus(Russell) on video. They sneak into his sleigh and hide, resulting in a bumpy ride till the sleigh ultimately crashes in Chicago. In the process, a reindeer, his magical hat and some presents go missing. Does that mean children across half the world will miss out on their Christmas presents? Or will Kate and Teddy be able to revive the broken sleigh and help Santa deliver on time?

About the film: Here Russell’s Santa might seem like the classic bearded grandpa we are familiar with, but he’s got quite a fun vibe and even busts a myth or two — “I don’t go ho ho ho; that’s a myth,” he tells Kate.

IMDb rating: 7

Director: Terry Zwigoff

Cast: Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox, Brett Kelly, Lauren Graham, Bernie Mac, John Ritter, Brett Kelly

Runtime: 1 hour 31 mins

Synopsis: Drunkard con man Willie T. Stokes (Thornton) works once a year when he teams up with his partner-in-crime Marcus (Cox). Willie poses as Santa and Marcus, his elf, as they rob department stores. But this time, Willie gets distracted and his incompetence jeopardises the mission. As their supposed foolproof plan stands on the verge of crumbling, a lonely 8-year-old kid (Kelly), somehow finds his way into Willie’s miserable life.

About the film: Not a regular sweet Christmas story, here, Santa is more of a Scrooge than the jolly old man we have grown to love. His haggard fake beard hangs lumpy and he is a skinny fellow with a drinking problem who is not in the mood to celebrate — things that uniquely make Bad Santa a must-watch. If you want to shift gears and watch something unlike a quintessential holiday story, this film is what you need.

IMDb rating: 7.1

Director: Jon Favreau

Cast: Will Ferrell, James Caan, Zooey Deschanel, Mary Steenburgen, Edward Asner, Bob Newhart

Runtime: 1 hour 36 mins

Synopsis: Buddy (Ferrell) was an orphan child who ended up in the North Pole in Santa’s sack. Raised by Santa’s elves, he grows up to become an oversized misfit among others. Santa (Asner) allows him to travel to New York City to look for his biological father Walter Hobbs (Caan) who doesn’t even know about him. Buddy enjoys the vibes and sights of the Big Apple and living among humans. But when his relationship with Walter hampers his job as an elf, Buddy must reevaluate his priorities.

About the film: A holiday classic, Elf is a feel-good film that instantly lights up the Christmas mood. Here, Santa Claus is portrayed as a weary and tired haggard devoid of Christmas spirit across the globe. But the vibe changes when he the fun-loving Buddy turns the magic up.

Image credit: © 2003 Alan Markfield/New Line Productions via IMDb

IMDb rating: 7.1

Director: Sarah Smith

Cast: James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Bill Nighy, Jim Broadbent, Imelda Staunton, Ashley Jensen

Runtime: 1 hour 33 mins

Synopsis: Santa Claus (voiced by Broadbent) and his elite team of elves have unique ways of delivering presents across the globe at lightning speed from far up in the North Pole. But when one child gets left out, Santa’s son Arthur (voiced by McAvoy) steps in to deliver one last gift just in the nick of time to become the unlikely hero.

About the film: This animated film is a spark of joy that will warm even the dullest of hearts. The holiday season is all about spending time with family and togetherness, hence the dynamics of Santa’s children and their attitudes towards the festivities become relatable to kids.

Awards won: Nominated in 2012 for the BAFTA for Best Animated Film and Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature Film.

IMDb rating: 7.2

Director: Peter Ramsey

Cast: Hugh Jackman, Alec Baldwin, Isla Fisher, Chris Pine, Jude Law, Antony Gray

Runtime: 1 hour 37 mins

Synopsis: When Pitch Black (voiced by Law) threatens children across the world with his nightmares, it causes them to stop believing in magic. Nicholas St. North (voiced by Baldwin) gathers his army of Immortal Guardians — the Tooth Fairy (voiced by Fisher), the Easter Bunny (voiced by Jackman) and the Sandman — who enlist Jack Frost (voiced by Pine) to take down Pitch and reinstate the joys of Santa and amp up the holiday spirit. What follows is a fun adventure to collect baby teeth which contain childhood memories so that Pitch doesn’t get to use them.

About the film: We didn’t know that a Santa Claus-themed combat movie was needed, but this film is one of the most comical adventure Christmas movies. Santa Claus is shown as an enthusiastic leader who gathers a full army and puts everything he has into saving the day.

Awards won: Nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the 2013 Golden Globe and Critics Choice Awards, along with several other noted accolades.

IMDb rating: 7.9

Director: Bob Clark

Cast: Yano Anaya, Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon, Colin Fox, Darren Mc Gavin, Darren McGavin, Ian Petrella, R.D. Robb, Scott Schwartz, Jeff Gillen

Runtime: 1 hour 33 mins

Synopsis: Ralphie Parker (Billingsley) is a young boy in 1940s America who wants a Red Ryder Range 200 Shot BB gun for Christmas. At the dinner table, his mother freaks out on hearing this. Ralphie tries telling his teacher who also reacts the same way. He goes all out and tries to convince Santa Claus (Gillen) as well, even if he is just a person outside the department store. When Christmas Day arrives, Raplhie gets lots of presents but where is his BB gun?

About the film: Narrated in retrospect by an adult Ralphie, A Christmas Story highlights what every child looks forward to — the wish to get their most-desired gift from Santa. But the Santa our protagonist encounters outside a mall is eager to go home. Yet, their banters, Ralphie’s desperate measures and childish antics make the film one of the most beloved Christmas movies. The film was selected by the National Film Preservation Board to be preserved in the Film Registry in 2012.

There’s also a sequel with the original cast which arrived in 2022 — A Christmas Story Christmas​​​​​​.

IMDb rating: 7.9

Director: George Seaton

Cast: Maureen O’Hara, John Payne, Edmund Gwenn, Gene Lockhart, Natalie Wood

Runtime: 1 hour 36 mins

Synopsis: Doris Walker (O’Hara) hires an old man, named Kris Kringle (Gwenn) to play Santa at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. He becomes a massive hit and is recruited at the main store to play the part. However, besides playing Santa Claus, Kris claims to be the real Santa Claus. However, when an unfortunate event questions Kris’ sanity, Doris’ neighbour Fred Gailey (Payne) decides to represent him in court.

About the film: This is one of the most comforting Christmas films out there. It is all about believing in Santa’s magic, feeling magic in the air and enjoying the true essence of holidays, where in the end everything works out fine. While this is the first monochrome title, there is a 1994 coloured remake starring Richard Attenborough. Both are among the best Santa Claus movies ever made.

Awards won: Won three Oscars in 1948 — Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Gwenn), Best Motion Picture Story and Best Screenplay. It was also nominated for Best Picture. Gwenn won Best Supporting Actor and Seaton bagged Best Screenplay at the Golden Globes as well.

Image credit: © 1947 20th Century Fox. All rights reserved. Via IMDb

IMDb rating: 7.9

Director: Henry Selick

Cast: Danny Elfman, Edward Ivory, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O’Hara, William Hickey, Glenn Shadix, Paul Reubens, Catherine O’Hara, Danny Elfman, Ken Page

Runtime: 1 hour 13 mins

Synopsis: Jack Skellington (voiced by Elfman) is tired of reigning over Halloween Town as the beloved Pumpkin King and would do anything to bring in something exciting. One day he wanders off to the vibrant Christmas Town and is astounded by the festive cheer. Now, Halloween seems quite lacklustre in front of Christmas. But no matter how much he tries to make his town light up, nothing is compared to Santa Claus (Ivory) and his band of elves.

About the film: With a brilliant use of stop-motion animation and music, this is not only one of the best Christmas movies but is also a great fit for Halloween. Watch this to see a flipside of Christmas and why no one can be a better icon than Santa Claus. The friendship between Santa and Jack adds to the humour. Tim Burton joins the crew as a writer and creator making it a must-watch

Awards won: Nominated at the 1994 Oscars for Best Visual Effects.

Image credit: IMDb

IMDb rating: 8

Director: Larry Roemer

Cast: Billie Mae Richards, Burl Ives, Larry D. Mann, Paul Soles, Stan Francis

Runtime: 47 mins

Synopsis: Sam the Snowman (voiced by Ives) tells the story of Rudolph (voiced by Richards), the young red-nosed reindeer. Rudolph is ousted from reindeer games because of his glowing nose. Although no one would play with him, Rudolph wishes to help Santa (Francis) deliver toys on Christmas Eve. But Santa’s sleigh is fogged in. However, the reindeer might just have the perfect solution.

About the film: This television stop-motion Christmas classic is one of the best Santa Claus movies. The Santa in the film is as archetypal as it gets, but that’s what accentuates its essence.

Image credit: IMDb

IMDb rating: 8.2

Director: Sergio Pablos

Cast: Jason Schwartzman, J.K. Simmons, Rashida Jones, Will Sasso, Norm Macdonald

Runtime: 1 hour 38mins

Synopsis: When Jesper (voiced by Schwartzman) becomes the worst student of the postal academy, he is sent to a remote island of Smeerensburg near the North Pole where feuding locals barely share any word. Jesper is about to give up when he finds a friend in local teacher Alva (voiced by Jones) and befriends Klaus (voiced by Simmons), a lonely carpenter who lives in a cabin of handmade toys. These friendships return laughter and happiness to the island as they distribute Klaus’ toys, melt an age-old feud and deliver a sleigh full of holiday traditions.

About the film: In one of the finest Santa Claus movies, Klaus employs the idea of Santa and interprets it in a very modern rendition. It shows that the essence of holidays and Christmas cheer need not be in elaborate presents and the fact that anyone with a kind heart can become Santa Claus in others’ lives.

Awards won: Nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the 2020 Oscars.