I’m trying to plan a Christmas movie night that works for both kids and adults, but we’ve already watched the big classics like Home Alone and Elf a million times. I’d really appreciate suggestions for underrated or newer family Christmas movies that are fun, kid‑friendly, and still enjoyable for parents, so we can start a new holiday tradition.
My Go To Christmas Movie Marathon Lineup (With Zero Kid-Only Filler)
I host a Christmas movie night every year, and after a lot of trial, error, and ‘why did we pick this boring thing,’ this is the lineup that never fails. The key is simple: movies that actually work for everyone in the room, not just the kids staring at the screen while adults scroll their phones.
Here’s the set I keep coming back to every December:
1. Home Alone (1990)
If this isn’t on, it doesn’t feel like Christmas. Period.
Kids get the obvious stuff: paint cans to the face, icy stairs, screaming after aftershave. Adults get the 90s nostalgia, the unbelievably cozy house, the soundtrack, and that weird little gut punch when the mom is trying to get back home.
It’s one of the few movies where people in the room will actually stop talking and watch the traps unfold, even if they’ve seen it 30 times. The jokes don’t seem to age. You can put this on halfway through the marathon and no one complains.
2. Elf (2003)
This is the one that turns the whole room into chaos in a good way.
Will Ferrell running around New York in a green suit and yellow tights should not work as well as it does, but it just hits. It’s loud, bright, and hyper, but it has enough sarcasm in it that the adults aren’t silently begging for it to end.
Someone always quotes ‘You sit on a throne of lies’ or ‘smiling’s my favorite,’ and every time Buddy chugs that bottle of soda, kids freak out like it’s the first time they’ve seen it.
3. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
If you’ve never watched this with a group, do it once. It’s oddly perfect.
It takes a pretty dark story and adds puppets, songs, and a surprisingly serious performance from Michael Caine, who acts like he’s in a straight drama, not surrounded by felt.
It’s the one that sneaks in some old-school Christmas vibe: cold streets, ghosts, moral lesson, but without it turning into a lecture. The songs are catchy, the jokes are gentle, and it somehow feels comforting even when it gets a little sad.
4. The Polar Express (2004)
This one is pure mood. Put the lights down, hand everyone hot chocolate, and just let it run.
The animation is a bit uncanny in places, but the overall atmosphere is incredible: the train, the snow, the sound design, that slow build toward the North Pole. It’s less ‘laugh out loud’ and more ‘everyone goes quiet and just stares at the screen for 90 minutes.’
Great if you want a calmer part of the marathon where everyone can stretch out, sip something warm, and not talk over every line.
5. Miracle on 34th Street (1947 or 1994)
You need at least one movie that actually talks about what Santa means, not just ‘guy with gifts.’
Both versions hit differently:
- 1947 has that black-and-white charm, the old New York feeling, and the kind of pacing that forces you to slow down.
- 1994 has that soft, snowy, 90s holiday-movie feel and is easier to sell to kids who side-eye anything not in HD.
Either way, the whole ‘is he really Santa or not?’ courtroom angle keeps it from getting too sappy. You get the belief vs cynicism thing without it turning into a motivational poster.
6. The Christmas Chronicles (2018)
This is the ‘okay, let’s wake everybody back up’ slot.
Kurt Russell as Santa sounds like a stretch until you watch it. He’s more like ‘cool uncle who owns a motorcycle and somehow also delivers presents’ than the usual jolly grandpa version.
It’s faster, louder, more action heavy, and works especially well if your group skews a bit older kid / teen, because it doesn’t feel like a preschool movie at all. Perfect way to end the marathon on a high-energy note.
The Boring But Necessary Part: Getting All These To Actually Play
If your movie night is anything like mine, your files and sources are all over the place:
- One movie is on some rental platform.
- Another is ripped from a DVD you dug out of a closet.
- Someone shows up with a flash drive containing an MKV file they ‘definitely tested’ and, of course, it refuses to open in QuickTime.
On macOS in particular, I got tired of the ‘why is this not playing’ dance. The thing that finally stopped the chaos for me was using this:
You install it and just throw whatever at it:
- MKV
- AVI
- Weird random file your cousin sent
It has handled pretty much everything I’ve tried without hunting down extra codecs or installing sketchy add-ons. And if you spring for the pro version, you can stream straight from the Mac to:
- Apple TV
- Chromecast
- A lot of Smart TVs
So instead of everyone crowding around a MacBook like it’s 2009, you just beam it to the big screen and call it a night. Less fiddling with settings, more time watching Kevin turn burglars into crash-test dummies.
If You’re Wondering Where These Are Streaming
If you want, I can help you track where each of these is currently streaming or available to rent / buy, based on your country and which services you actually use.
6 Likes
You’re right to tap out on Home Alone / Elf reruns. At some point you can quote the entire script and it stops being “cozy” and starts being “background noise.”
Here’s a mix of slightly underrated / newer-ish stuff that usually lands with both kids and adults:
1. Klaus (2019)
Animated, on the quieter / heartfelt side but still funny. The art style is gorgeous, adults stay hooked, kids love the slapstick. Great if you want that “new classic” feel.
2. Arthur Christmas (2011)
Legit one of the best modern family Christmas movies and weirdly still underwatched. Clever jokes for adults, chaos for kids, and a super sweet ending that isn’t syrupy.
3. Noelle (2019)
If you’ve got Disney+, this is surprisingly charming. Anna Kendrick as Santa’s daughter trying to save Christmas. Light, colorful, very “hot cocoa and pajamas” energy.
4. The Christmas Chronicles 1 & 2 (2018, 2020)
@mikeappsreviewer mentioned the first one and I actually agree it’s a solid crowd pleaser. The sequel is louder and messier but still fun if your crew likes more action and less “message.”
5. Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020)
Musical, steampunk-ish Christmas story. Amazing production design, solid music, and kids tend to lock in way harder than adults expect. This one feels different in a good way.
6. A Boy Called Christmas (2021)
British fantasy take on Santa’s origin. A bit more story heavy so better for slightly older kids, but it hits that storybook vibe really well.
7. The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017)
More for when kids are 9+ or so. It’s about Charles Dickens coming up with A Christmas Carol. Feels festive without being a straight kids’ movie, which is nice when adults are tired of reindeer CGI.
8. Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983) + a few shorts
If you want a tight, under-1-hour option, this is a win. Pairs well with random Disney holiday shorts. Low commitment, high nostalgia.
9. Last Holiday (2006)
Not quite a “kids’ movie,” but older kids / teens and adults usually like it. Queen Latifah in full comfort food mode. Cozy, funny, very “feel good by the end.”
10. The Holiday (2006)
If your kids are on the older side and patient, this is a great background / cuddle-on-the-couch movie. Cozy houses, snow, mild chaos, harmless romance. Adults generally pay more attention than the kids do, but the vibe is 10/10.
Two small setup tricks that helped our family nights:
-
Pre-pick 2 or 3 movies with different “energy levels”
For example: start silly (Arthur Christmas), go heartfelt (Klaus), end big and loud (Christmas Chronicles). Stops the “scrolling for an hour” situation. -
Use something that just plays every weird file
If you have random downloads, old rips, or stuff on a USB, a player like Elmedia Player on Mac is honestly worth it. It handles MKV, AVI, whatever, and you can just AirPlay / stream to the TV instead of everyone huddling around a laptop while you fight with codecs. I like @mikeappsreviewer’s lineup, I just don’t have the patience for ten different apps to get through it.
If you share the age range of the kids, people here can probably help fine-tune which of these will actually land instead of turning into “phone time” for half the room.
If you’ve worn out Home Alone / Elf, you’re not alone. @mikeappsreviewer and @andarilhonoturno both covered a lot of the obvious “new classics,” so I’ll try not to just re-list those, even though I 100% co-sign Klaus and Arthur Christmas.
Here’s a different batch that’s worked with my mixed-age crew:
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Nativity! (2009, UK)
Chaotic British school Christmas play. Kids love the silliness, adults get the dry humor. Very underrated outside the UK. -
Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Not strictly a Christmas movie, but Santa is a sword-wielding Russian guy with tattoos, so it qualifies in my book. Good for older kids and adults who are tired of “ho ho ho” Santas. -
The Star (2017)
Animated, from the animals’ POV of the Nativity story. Sounds cheesy, honestly works. Jokes land for kids, and it’s not painful for adults. -
Prancer (1989)
Old but not overplayed like the usuals. Small-town, kind of melancholy but sweet. More for kids who can sit through an actual story, not just slapstick. -
Get Santa (2014)
U.K. again. Santa in prison, dad and kid have to bust him out. Way better than that description sounds, has some legit funny bits for adults. -
Tokyo Godfathers (2003)
Very much for older kids/teens and adults only, but if your family can handle subtitles and a more mature story, it’s wild, emotional, and super Christmassy in its own weird way. -
The Christmas Candle (2013)
For families that like more traditional/faith-adjacent stories. Slow, cozy, very “put on blankets and sip something warm.” -
A Muppet Family Christmas (1987)
Different from Muppet Christmas Carol. This one is a chaotic house party special with Muppets, Sesame Street, and Fraggle Rock. Harder to find, but if you do, it’s perfect background comfort. -
Niko & The Way to the Stars (2008)
Reindeer kid trying to find his dad in Santa’s Flying Forces. Cute, not super loud, works well earlier in the evening. -
Anna and the Apocalypse (2017)
Christmas zombie musical. Yes, really. For teens + adults only, but if you want something totally different for later at night, this one’s a blast.
Tiny thing I disagree on slightly with the others: I wouldn’t overload your night with too many Big Emotional Lessons in a row. Do a vibe mix, like:
- Start: something silly and easy (Nativity!, Niko)
- Middle: something pretty / heartfelt (Klaus if you haven’t, or Prancer)
- Late: something weird or high-energy (Rise of the Guardians, Anna and the Apocalypse for older crowd)
And since everyone mentioned streaming issues: if you’re pulling random files from old drives or “misteriously acquired” MKVs, just stick them all into Elmedia Player on a Mac and be done with it. It’ll play the weird formats without you hunting codecs, and you can just AirPlay or cast to the TV instead of explaining to ten people why VLC just died again.
If you share the kids’ ages, folks can probably narrow this list down to 3 or 4 that won’t turn into phone-scrolling time.
Quick list of slightly off-the-radar picks that usually land well with mixed ages, without rehashing what @andarilhonoturno, @chasseurdetoiles and @mikeappsreviewer already covered:
-
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020)
Big, colorful musical, strong visuals, actually fun for adults. Great if kids like singing but you do not want another Frozen rewatch. -
Noelle (2019)
Light, goofy Santa family comedy. Works as a softer alternative to Elf once everyone is burned out on Buddy. -
Arthur Christmas (2011)
A bit more known, but still weirdly underwatched compared to Home Alone. Smart humor, very British, genuinely sweet. -
Klaus (2019)
Animation is gorgeous, jokes hit adults too, and it has that “new classic” potential. Slightly more emotional, so good centerpiece of the night. -
The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017)
Dickens writing A Christmas Carol, sort of meta. Older kids and adults like the behind the scenes feel and Victorian vibes. -
The Christmas Chronicles 2 (2020)
If you liked Kurt Russell Santa from the first but want something less repeated than the original, this keeps the energy up for teens. -
A Boy Called Christmas (2021)
Fairytale style origin of Santa, darker in tone but not grim. Nice if your kids can handle a more story driven film.
Small place where I differ from the others: I wouldn’t stack too many high-energy slapstick titles together. Alternate:
• One big, loud headliner (Jingle Jangle / Christmas Chronicles 2)
• One heart piece (Klaus / Boy Called Christmas)
• One lighter closer (Noelle / Arthur Christmas)
On the tech side, if you are juggling downloads, old rips and random file formats, using Elmedia Player on a Mac simplifies a lot:
Pros of Elmedia Player
- Plays almost any format without hunting codecs
- Clean interface, easy for non tech family to use
- Streams to TVs and casting devices so nobody crowds the laptop
Cons of Elmedia Player
- Full feature set is behind a paid version
- Mac only, so not helpful if your main box is Windows
- Library / organization is basic compared to some media-center apps
Some folks here lean on different tools, and you already got solid lineups from @andarilhonoturno, @chasseurdetoiles and @mikeappsreviewer, but for a straightforward plug and play setup, Elmedia Player is usually enough so you can spend your energy picking movies instead of fixing audio codecs.