Laurie’s “Current” Holiday Watch List

KC Current

By Laurie Parks

It’s that time of year again – THE HOLIDAYS!! I suppose that it technically began with Thanksgiving, but December kicks off the ability to watch Christmas movies and not be judged.
Here I am in Strasbourg, France which claims to be “The Capital of Christmas” and I am struggling to narrow down my initial list of movies. It’s not that I’m lacking Christmas spirit, it’s that there are so many wonderful movies out there and I couldn’t just pick 10! There is no single “number 1” Christmas movie; it’s all about personal preferences and childhood holiday experiences. While many people associate Christmas movies with sappy romantic comedies, (thanks Hallmark Channel!) the genre has expanded over the past few decades! And I love it! So here are the top 10, plus 5 AWESOME Honorable Mentions:

Home Alone – 1990, PG
This is my all-time favorite! This is also one of the few movies that I loved the sequel as much as the first in the series. This family comedy follows 8-year-old Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) when he is accidentally left behind when his family jets off to Paris for Christmas vacation. What a wonderful example of poor parenting because the family loses him again on another Christmas vacation in New York City! But I digress. He must defend his home from the “Wet Bandits” as they bumble and stumble through every road block Kevin throws at them. Good family fun!
The Santa Clause – 1994, PG
Tim Allen stars as Scott Calvin, a divorced father who inadvertently becomes the new Santa Claus after a mishap on his roof on Christmas Eve. As Scott begins to transform over the course of a year, his son’s faith in Christmas (and his father) is restored. Nothing can beat Judge Reinhold blowing his Oscar Mayer weiner whistle!
Elf – 2003, PG
Will Ferrell stars as Buddy, a human raised as an elf in the North Pole. He travels to New York City to find his biological father, James Caan at his grumpiest. His pure Christmas spirit and naive antics provide constant laughter and a healthy dose of holiday cheer! Syrup on spaghetti anyone?
The Grinch – 2018, PG
Please don’t hate me, but this is my favorite version of this classic. Now I grew up with Boris Karloff being the voice of our favorite cantankerous green Grinch, but the Benedict Cumberbatch film goes more in-depth about the characters and events leading up to Christmas Day. Still full of hysterical moments like kidnapping a fat reindeer named Fred, and Kenan Thompson as the not-so-bright but overly cheerful neighbor. Adults will love this one just as much as the kiddos!
Die Hard – 1988, R
A subject of a long-standing debate over whether it’s a Christmas movie or not, this action classic takes place on Christmas Eve as NYPD detective John McClane (Bruce Willis) takes on terrorists at a Los Angeles skyscraper Christmas Party. Alan Rickman is marvelous as the villain Hans Gruber. You know that Christmas has begun when he falls from Nakatomi Tower!!
Red One – 2024, PG-13
NEWSFLASH: Santa has a brother! In this action-comedy starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Chris Evans, Krampus is Santa’s estranged, dark adoptive brother who gets recruited to help rescue a kidnapped Santa. J.K. Simmons plays a dry-humored, all-business Santa perfectly! The star of this film is definitely Krampus, though. He’s energetic, evil (but with a big heart), and full of fun!
Krampus – 2015, PG-13
Speaking of Krampus, this film brings the Alpine folklore of the “Anti-Santa” creature to life as it hunts a dysfunctional family who has lost their Christmas spirit. A perfect blend of dark humor and horror. Well that’s a warning to keep the faith and to prioritize those letters to Santa!
The Holiday – 2006, PG-13
Two girls from different countries swap homes for the holidays to get away from their relationship issues. From Hollywood, California to a quaint English village – they are both out of their elements. However, their lives change unexpectedly when they meet and fall for two local guys. Stellar cast, but Kate Winslet’s sweet relationship with aging Hollywood legend Eli Wallach is a highlight for me.
Violent Night – 2022, R
Equal parts action and horror, David Harbour rocks the role of Santa reimagined as a gritty, no-nonsense hero battling against a group of mercenaries. There is plenty of bloodshed and very dark humor in one of my new favorite holiday films. Rumor has it that Part 2 will be out for Christmas 2026!!
Office Christmas Party – 2016, R
When the CEO (Jennifer Aniston) tries to close her hard-partying brother’s branch, he and his chief technical officer (Jason Bateman) must rally the troops and host an epic office Christmas party in an effort to impress a potential client and close a sale that will save their jobs. A highlight is SNL’s Kate McKinnon’s ugly, but diverse, holiday sweater!