From “The Christmas Toy” to “Female Trouble,” our list encompasses everything from the wholesome to the taboo.

15 underrated Christmas movies that deserve a spot on your holiday watchlist

From "The Christmas Toy" to "Female Trouble," our list encompasses everything from the wholesome to the taboo.

By Randall Colburn

Randall Colburn

Randall Colburn is a writer and editor at **. His work has previously appeared on *The A.V. Club, The Guardian, The Ringer*, and many other publications.

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December 14, 2025 9:00 a.m. ET

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'The Christmas Toy'; 'Holiday Heart'; 'Arthur Christmas'. Credit:

ABC; Everett; Columbia Pictures/ Everett

*White Christmas. Miracle on 34th Street. A Christmas Story. Home Alone. Elf. *Sure, they're great Christmas classics, but you've seen them hundreds of times. Surely there's something else on.

Good news, there is! You just have to do a little digging, some of which we've already done for you. Below are 15 underrated Christmas movies you probably haven't seen. Some are underrated in that they we think they got a raw deal from critics and audiences upon their release. Others simply haven't been recognized as the Christmas gems they are.

From vintage tearjerkers and pearl-clutching comedies to sci-fi surprises and international art fare, our list has a little something for everyone. Keep scrolling to see what's next on your holiday watchlist.

I’ll Be Seeing You (1944)

John Derek, Shirley Temple, and Spring Byington in 'I'll Be Seeing You'.

Joseph Cotten, one of the most underrated actors of his generation, stars with Ginger Rogers in *I'll Be Seeing You*, an offbeat World War II-era romance about social misfits finding love and catharsis at Christmas.

Cotten's Zachary Morgan is a soldier suffering from PTSD, while Rogers' Mary Marshall, who's been convicted of involuntary manslaughter, is on an eight-day furlough from prison. The pair lie about their circumstances when meeting-cute on a train, but the connection between them inevitably squeezes out their secrets.

Shattered spirits are glued (ever so delicately) back together at a Christmas dinner table uniting the unacquainted and estranged, including a teenage Shirley Temple. Melancholy hangs heavy here, but the lingering feeling is one of hope.**

Where to watch* I'll Be Seeing You*: YouTube

Fitzwilly (1967)

Edith Evans, Dick Van Dyke, and Barbara Feldon in 'Fitzwilly'.

The centerpiece of Delbert Mann's *Fitzwilly* is an elaborate Christmas Eve robbery of the now-defunct Gimbels department store, a thrilling (and silly) sequence further enlivened by a score from John Williams, one of the Oscar winner's first.

A droll Dick Van Dyke charms as Fitzwilly, a butler whose thievery serves to keep his unwitting employer (who's not as rich as she thinks) afloat. *Get Smart* alum Barbara Feldon is perfectly pitched to the movie's screwball sensibilities, keeping pace with Van Dyke's articulate thief and adding a welcome dash of romance to this holiday heist.

*Fitzwilly* also gave us the wintry ditty "Make Me Rainbows," which Williams penned with the legendary songwriting duo of Alan and Marilyn Bergman.

Where to watch *Fitzwilly*: Amazon Prime**

Female Trouble (1974)

Mink Stole, Mary Vivian Pearce, David Lochary, Divine, and Edith Massey in 'Female Trouble'.

Christmas movies are celebrated for their coziness, which is likely why you don't hear more people talking about *Female Trouble* during the holidays. John Waters' holly-jolly follow-up to *Pink Flamingos* (1972) begins on Christmas morning, with Divine's delinquent Dawn running away from home after her parents don't buy her the black cha-cha heels she so desired.

What follows is, as you should expect from a '70s-era Waters movie, nastier than a moldy fruitcake. Needless to say, this isn't one to watch with the family (unless your family is filled with sickos).

As Dawn evolves from runaway to prostitute to model to murderer, Waters delights in taboo jokes about, well, all the things we're not supposed to joke about. During a holiday suffused with plastic smiles and crass consumerism, this kind of subversion can feel like a balm for the soul.

Where to watch *Female Trouble*: Amazon Prime (to buy)

Trancers (1984)

Helen Hunt and Tim Thomerson in 'Trancers'.

Empire Pictures

One of the better B-movies to come from shlockmeister Charles Band, *Trancers* is a clever bit of sci-fi grime in which a time traveler named Jack Deth (Tim Thomerson) hops from the dystopic 23rd century to 1980s Los Angeles in search of a psychic named Whistler (Michael Stefani).

Yeah, it's aping *The Terminator*, so what? *Trancers,* which unfolds on Christmas Eve, brims with deranged holiday cheer, with Helen Hunt's heroine prancing around in holiday garb and Jack Deth battling a possessed mall Santa to the death in front of some soon-to-be-traumatized adolescents. And a punk cover of "Jingle Bells" by a band called the Buttheads? Sold.

Where to watch *Trancers*: Amazon Prime**

The Christmas Toy (1986)

Jim Henson with the Muppets of 'The Christmas Toy'.

Before there was *Toy Story*, there was *The Christmas Toy*. Produced by the Jim Henson Company, the 50-minute special features an array of adorable Muppets who, like the toys of Pixar's franchise, come to life whenever humans aren't around.

The story centers on Rugby the Tiger, who longs to stay in the spotlight after emerging as the star of last year's Christmas haul. There's even a space-faring action figure à la Buzz Lightyear in Meteora, Queen of the Asteroids.

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Though under-discussed these days, *The Christmas Toy *was celebrated at the time of its release with an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Children's Program.**

Where to watch *The Christmas Toy*: Amazon Prime

Mixed Nuts (1994)

Anthony La Paglia and Juliette Lewis in 'Mixed Nuts'.

TriStar/ Everett

*Mixed Nuts* was ravaged upon its release, with several critics naming it one of the worst films of the year. That's somewhat surprising, considering the talent involved. The black comedy was Nora Ephron's follow-up to the smash hit *Sleepless in Seattle* (1993) and starred comic talents like Steve Martin, Madeline Kahn, Garry Shandling, Rob Reiner, Juliette Lewis, and, in one of his earliest film roles, Adam Sandler.

They're all doing solid work playing fairly deplorable characters, which may have been a turnoff for those expecting a light-hearted holiday farce (it hit theaters just a few days before Christmas). Hinging the story on a suicide prevention hotline and a serial killer only amped up the rotten vibes.

But *Mixed Nuts* might hit different today, what with many of TV's most enduring comedies (think *It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia* and *Shameless*) centering on unsavory characters with ill intentions. In a terrible mood? This is the movie for you.**

Where to watch *Mixed Nuts*: Amazon (on DVD)

The Ref (1994)

Judy Davis, Denis Leary, and Kevin Spacey in 'The Ref'.

Touchstone/Everett

Denis Leary was best known as a caustic stand-up comic, a guy with a tongue so sharp he could cut down anyone in spitting distance, when he starred in *The Ref*. It was a brilliant bit of casting, as Leary's Gus is a cat burglar who can't get a word in when he takes hostage the acidic Lloyd (Kevin Spacey) and Caroline (Judy Davis), a married couple who can't stop spewing insults at each other.

”I think Denis liked the script,” co-writer Richard LaGravenese told ** at the time, ”because the character wasn’t written for him.”

But *The Ref* is as much an ensemble comedy as a showcase for its trio of leads. As Connie, Lloyd's sister, Christine Baranski gets some of the best lines. When her son asks what to do when he realizes the TV is broken, she curtly tells him to "celebrate the birth of Christ."

Where to watch *The Ref*: Amazon Prime (to rent)

Mrs. Santa Claus (1996)

Charles Durning and Angela Lansbury in 'Mrs. Santa Claus'.

Hallmark Entertainment/Everett

*Mrs. Santa Claus *pairs the effervescent Angela Lansbury with the famed composer Jerry Herman (*Hello, Dolly!, Mame*) for a musical about Santa's better half.

After informing her husband of a more efficient route for his annual gift-giving, Mrs. Claus takes the sleigh out for a test drive, only for a storm to strand her in the Lower East Side of Manhattan in 1910. As the clock ticks down to Christmas Day, she finds a purpose among the city's proletariat, helping organize a strike demanding better working conditions.

If that sounds less-than-festive, fear not. Song and dance numbers abound, with its appealing cast frolicking down cozy, snow-lined streets where candles glow in the windows.**

Where to watch *Mrs. Santa Claus:* Tubi

Holiday Heart (2000)

'Holiday Heart'.

Tyler Perry's harrowing, adult-oriented fare (*Beauty in Black, Straw*) owes a debt to movies like *Holiday Heart*, a Christmas-set Showtime drama encompassing themes of parenthood, poverty, addiction, spirituality, and sexuality.

Ving Rhames anchors the story as Roy Heart, a queer drag queen who performs as Holiday Heart. After the death of his boyfriend, he befriends Wanda (Alfre Woodard) and her daughter, Niki (Jesika Reynolds), offering them a place to stay. But ghosts from the past inevitably surface, both for Holiday and Wanda.

Directed by prolific actor and filmmaker Robert Townsend (who currently costars on *The Bear*), *Holiday Heart* serves a heavy dose of melodrama. The sight of Rhames knocking heads in sequins is a sight to behold, and the way the story engages with the intersection of faith and queerness is one you don't see very often.

Where to watch *Holiday Heart*: Pluto TV

Sony Pictures Classics/ Everett

Christmas can be a time of invigorating community or soul-crushing loneliness. If you've experienced the latter, you'll find comfort in *2046*, Wong Kar-wai's spiritual sequel to his masterpiece, 2000's *In the Mood for Love*.

Told elliptically across various Christmas Eves, the movie follows Chow Mo-wan (Tony Leung) as he nurses his broken heart through a series of affairs. It's less a linear narrative than, as EW's critic put it, "a cinematic bath for the senses," with Nat King Cole ballads exuding holiday melancholy.

Our review sums it up: "Nobody does repressed, yearning misfits in exquisitely tailored costumes better than this Hong Kong director, who loves the look of beautiful people making hopeless romantic choices."

Where to watch *2046*: Tubi**

Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010)

Onni Tommilla in 'Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale'.

Oscilloscope/ Everett

Perhaps it's not underrated, but *Rare Exports* is certainly underseen. You can even find it on EW's list of the best movies you've never seen, in which we described it as a "beautifully made, inventively ghoulish horror movie involving monsters, blocks of ice, and a worldwide market for Christmas myths."

Written and directed by Jalmari Helander, *Rare Exports *playfully subverts the myth of St. Nick with its story of an archeological dig that unearths the "real" Santa Claus, who spreads more fear than cheer. But this is no slasher. While dark, it exudes a whimsy and sense of humor that many have likened to the '80s horror-comedies of Joe Dante.

Speaking with EW in 2020, actor AJ Bowen described* Rare Exports* as "comforting," adding, "I felt like I was watching an Amblin movie. It felt like a child of *Gremlins* in terms of magical realism... I really love it."**

Where to watch *Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale*: Tubi

Arthur Christmas (2011)

'Arthur Christmas'.

Columbia Pictures/ Everett

A hyper-modern riff on Christmas movies, *Arthur Christmas* introduces an animated world in which Santa Claus oversees a family of gift-givers who ferry presents via automated machinery and a workforce of disciplined elves. The title character is the well-intentioned runt of the family; he exudes holiday cheer, but is reduced to answering letters to Santa.

That all changes when the well-oiled operation fails and one little girl's present gets lost in the shuffle. While his family is content to let it slide, Arthur takes it upon himself to deliver it the old-fashioned way.

EW's critic called this under-discussed gem "genuinely sweet, and the complicated relations among Santa’s clan surprisingly believable... In the end, the film really nails the trickiest knot of tangled multicolored lights: family."**

Where to watch *Arthur Christmas*: Amazon Prime**

The Night Before (2015)

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, and Anthony Mackie in 'The Night Before'.

Sarah Shatz/Columbia Pictures/Everett

*The Night Before* is one for the boys. Directed by Jonathan Levine (*50/50*), this drug-fueled comedy stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, and Anthony Mackie as old pals with a long tradition of raging on Christmas Eve. But adulthood is calling, and responsibilities are making it harder and harder to rage. As such, they plan one last blowout set to culminate at the exclusive, invite-only Nutcracka Ball.

The humor is crass and the cameos excessive, though we'll admit there's a thrill to seeing Michael Shannon, Miley Cyrus, and Nathan Fielder all popping up in the same movie. As we noted in our review, "in its own druggy, dick-pic way, it’s also a pretty endearing tribute to male friendship — hammy and crude and more baked than a fruitcake, but with a sweetly squishy holiday heart at its center."**

Where to watch *The Night Before*: Peacock

The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017)

Dan Stevens as Charles Dickens and Christopher Plummer as Ebenezer Scrooge in 'The Man Who Invented Christmas'.

Kerry Brown/Bleecker Street Media/Everett

If you're sick of watching variations on *A Christmas Carol*, why not shake things up with *The Man Who Invented Christmas, *which captures its core themes via Charles Dickens himself. Here played by Dan Stevens (*Downton Abbey*), Dickens draws inspiration from his own life and struggles to bring cranky humbugger Ebenezer Scrooge (played by Christopher Plummer) to life.

“It was a really spooky, intriguing, funny piece,” Stevens told EW at the time. “I just thought it was a really fresh take on that whole world. Particularly in England, Dickens is placed on a pedestal. But the guy was, at turns, quite playful and childish, and, at turns, quite dark and not a very pleasant man.”**

Where to watch *The Man Who Invented Christmas*: HBO Max

Klaus (2019)

Netflix/Everett

*Klaus*, Netflix's first original animated film, was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards. If it's underrated, it's only because it should've won.

An all-star voice cast that includes J.K. Simmons, Jason Schwartzman, Joan Cusack, and the late, great Norm Macdonald lead this immersive and visually striking tale, which offers an alternative origin story for Santa Claus, here presented as a reclusive toymaker.

“It’s not Santa Claus, it’s Klaus,” Simmons told EW of the character. “He’s certainly not the cuddly St. Nick that people see when they go to Macy’s when we first meet him. Part of what was interesting and challenging and fun was that these characters go on a journey and *Klaus* really starts in a dark, unhappy place. He’s not jolly when we first meet him and it takes a lot of relentless cajoling to bring him out of himself.”**

Where to watch *Klaus*: Netflix

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