7 Forgotten Christmas Movies That Deserve to Be Classics

Image via Paramount Published Nov 7, 2026, 6:05 AM EST Jiminna Shillingford is an avid reader and a passionate storyteller. She is obsessed with all things TV, from anime and romantic fantasy to action-packed series. With that deep affection, Jiminna longs to share her excitement with all her readers through the Collider platform as a TV author. Through her writing she has created stories and blog posts of amazing book recommendations, showcasing her love of writing. Jiminna's goal is to inspire others to discover and embrace their love of stories in all of its forms. Sign in to your Collider account Christmas movies, for some time now, have been an essential part of the holiday season, bringing audiences together with their memorable characters, heartwarming stories, and festive humor. While certain holiday films have become timeless gems that are revisited each year, there are plenty of Christmas masterpieces that have gradually been forgotten about despite being incredibly entertaining and quite meaningful. These forgotten favorites capture the magic of Christmas through their unique stories, emotional moments, and wholesome messages about generosity, love, and togetherness. Quiet holiday standouts like Christmas with the Kranks, which takes on a hilarious approach to the pressures of the festive season while focusing on a couple whose decision to skip Christmas altogether creates absolute chaos throughout their neighborhood, and the charming romantic comedy Last Holiday, which offers a more uplifting and emotional experience while following a woman who decides to embrace life instead of shying away from it, are just two in the long list of underappreciated Christmas essentials that defiantly deserve a chance to shine during the festive season. Compiled on this list are seven films that stand as mostly forgotten but are worthy enough to be hailed as true classics. 1 'Fred Claus' (2007) Image via Warner Bros. Fred Claus is one of the most cherished Christmas comedies that deserves far more recognition than it's gotten over the years. The holiday classic follows Fred Claus (Vince Vaughn), a man who has grown incredibly cynical after spending most of his life in the shadow of his younger brother Nicholas Claus (Paul Giamatti), whose transformation into Santa turned sibling comparison into a centuries-long grievance. Fred Claus is as underrated as they come. During its release, the movie received a pretty low rating critically, but most Christmas lovers who have seen it have dubbed it an underappreciated seasonal favorite. One of the film’s biggest highlights is the way it strays away from the generic “save Christmas” trope, instead making it a family film about measuring siblings against one another. Fred Claus is an extremely watchable, indulgent, and oversized film, but a fantastic Christmas classic nonetheless, with enough wholesome moments, holiday charm, and entertaining comedy to make it a forgotten gem that deserves to reign on anyone’s December watchlist. 2 'Christmas with the Kranks' (2004) Image via Columbia Pictures This 2004 classic film is an extremely entertaining comedy that explores the absolute absurdity of holiday traditions. Christmas with the Kranks centers around Nora (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Luther Krank (Tim Allen) as they both agree that Christmas is simply not worth the expense or aggravation when their daughter Blair (Julie Gonzalo) leaves home for a Peace Corps assignment. Christmas with the Kranks expertly turns familiar seasonal pressures into exaggerated comedy. Few comedies in the genre come close to illustrating the gap between the opinions of professional critics and viewers’ enjoyment of festive entertainment. Upon its release, Christmas with the Kranks wasn’t received well by critics, leading it to go mostly unnoticed by mainstream viewers. Despite its underrated status, what makes it such an enjoyable film is how its exaggerated humor eventually leads to a genuinely heartening celebration of community. Christmas with the Kranks stands as a relatable bout of Christmas entertainment, as it delivers those recognizable holiday frustrations and a sentimental conclusion. 3 'Just Friends' (2005) Image via New Line Cinema Just Friends is definitely not the first movie that comes to most people’s minds when thinking of extraordinary Christmas classics, but its hilarious romantic complications and holiday setting make it a strong contender for this list of underrated gems. The film focuses on Chris Brander (Ryan Reynolds), who, as a teen, was socially awkward, overweight, insecure, and completely in love with his best friend, who broke his heart by insisting they remain “just friends.” Years pass, and Chris has reinvented himself, but unfortunately for him, his visit back home and the presence of his childhood crush bring back all of his adolescent insecurity. Sure, Just Friends may be marketed simply as a mid-2000s Ryan Reynolds comedy rather than as a true Christmas staple, but it deserves its credit for being an enduring comedy that is honestly pretty perfect for a seasonal watch. The film’s premise works because of Christmas; it’s a returning-home-for-the-holidays bout of fun that blends nicely with other well-known tropes that keep the movie interesting. From the snow and family embarrassment to the decorations and romantic nostalgia, Just Friends makes for a truly captivating and rewatchable early-2000s Christmas classic. COLLIDERInteractive Five Doors Franchises/Quizzes/Your Universe Collider QuizWhich Iconic UniverseDo You Belong In?8 Questions · 5 WorldsFive legendary universes. Five completely different visions of what the world could be, or already was. One of them is the world your instincts, your values, and your particular way of existing were built for. Eight questions will tell you which one.The Five Doors Star Wars Lord of the Rings Harry Potter Game of Thrones Star Trek Find Your Universe Question 01PURPOSE 01What gives your life its deepest sense of meaning?Every universe is built around a different answer to this question. ABeing part of something larger than myself: a cause, a rebellion, a fight for freedom that outlasts me.BThe journey itself. The places I'll go, the companions beside me, the world I'll discover on the way.CLearning. Unlocking what I'm capable of, understanding the world's hidden mechanics, growing into something more.DLegacy. The name I leave behind, the power I build, the mark I make before the world moves on without me.EUnderstanding. Exploring what exists beyond the horizon and asking what it means to be alive in a universe this vast. ← BackPick one, then Next Next Question Question 02WORLD 02Which kind of world do you most want to inhabit?The environment shapes who you become. Choose carefully. AA galaxy of planets, each with its own culture, connected by conflict, trade, and the Force.BAncient lands of breathtaking beauty, deep history, and a creeping darkness at the edges.CA world hidden inside our own, full of wonder, community, and magic waiting to be learned.DA harsh, beautiful continent where power is everything and every alliance is a calculation.EA future where humanity has reached the stars and must decide what kind of species it wants to be. ← BackPick one, then Next Next Question Question 03CONFLICT 03How do you prefer your conflicts resolved?The shape of a world's conflicts tells you everything about its soul. AThrough sacrifice and courage. Someone has to make the impossible choice so others don't have to.BThrough fellowship. The impossible becomes possible when the right people walk the same road.CThrough growth. Confronting what you fear, understanding what you lack, and becoming equal to the challenge.DThrough strategy. Outthinking, outmaneuvering, positioning yourself so the outcome was never in doubt.EThrough dialogue. Finding the third option, the peaceful resolution, the answer nobody else thought to look for. ← BackPick one, then Next Next Question Question 04COMPANIONS 04Who do you want beside you when things get difficult?Your ideal companions reveal the world you were made for. AA small crew: a pilot, a rogue, a warrior, each broken in their own way, unbeatable together.BA fellowship of different kinds of people, bound by purpose and deepened by the long road.CFriends who grew up alongside me, who knew me before I knew myself, and stayed anyway.DAllies whose loyalty I've earned and tested, and whose ambitions align with mine, for now.EA crew of brilliant, curious, principled people from every corner of known space. ← BackPick one, then Next Next Question Question 05POWER 05What is your relationship with power?How you seek, wield, or resist power is the map of who you are. AI want to use it to protect, and I'm terrified of what I might become if I'm not careful.BI distrust it. The most important power in this story is the courage to give it up.CI want to earn it, through knowledge, through effort, through becoming someone worthy of it.DI want to wield it. Preferably before someone else decides to wield it against me.EI want to understand it: its structures, its limits, its ethical dimensions. Power without accountability is the real risk. ← BackPick one, then Next Next Question Question 06MORALITY 06How does your universe treat good and evil?A world's moral architecture tells you more about it than any map. AThere is a dark side and a light side, and the choice between them is always present, always personal.BEvil is real and ancient and patient, and goodness, however small, is the only thing that can undo it.CGood and evil are real, but they live inside people, and people are complicated, always capable of both.DGood and evil are mostly a matter of perspective and proximity. Power is the only honest currency.EEvil is usually the result of ignorance, fear, or broken systems, and understanding it is the first step to solving it. ← BackPick one, then Next Next Question Question 07ROLE 07What role would you naturally fall into?Every universe has archetypes. Which one fits you without trying? AThe reluctant hero. Ordinary origins, extraordinary moment, changed forever by the choice to act.BThe unlikely carrier. The one nobody expected to matter most, quietly bearing the weight of everything.CThe student. Not yet who I'll become, learning through every mistake, growing into something the world needs.DThe player. Sharp enough to see the game for what it is, ambitious enough to try to win it.EThe explorer. Drawn to the unknown, driven by curiosity, most alive when standing somewhere no one has stood before. ← BackPick one, then Next Next Question Question 08HOPE 08What do you ultimately believe about the future?The answer to this is the clearest window into which universe already lives inside you. AThat hope is real. That even in the darkest galaxy, a new hope is always possible.BThat even the smallest person can change the course of the future, if they have the courage to try.CThat love and friendship and doing what's right will matter in the end, even when everything says otherwise.DThat the wheel keeps turning. That power shifts, winters end, and what endures is those willing to fight for it.EThat humanity, or whatever we become, is capable of extraordinary things, if we choose to be. ← BackPick one, then Next Reveal My Universe Your Universe Has Been ChosenYou Belong In Your answers point to the iconic universe your values, your instincts, and your particular way of seeing the world were built for. This is where you would find your people and your purpose. Space OperaStar WarsA Galaxy Far, Far Away · Since 1977Hope, used as a tactic. You believe in the cause, in the idea that freedom is worth fighting for even when the odds are impossible and the empire is vast.Why This Is Your World You are drawn to the moral clarity of a universe where hope itself is a form of resistance. You'd find your people in the Rebellion, a ragtag coalition of true believers held together by conviction more than resources. Star Wars is fundamentally a story about ordinary people choosing to matter in an extraordinary conflict, and that is exactly your kind of story. The Force may or may not be with you. But the will to use it for something larger than yourself certainly is. From The Collider File The Mandalorian and Grogu brought Star Wars back to cinemas in 2026, the first theatrical entry since 2019. Star Wars: Starfighter, with Ryan Gosling, follows it as the next film on the slate. The CauseRagtag CrewA New Hope High FantasyLord of the RingsMiddle-earth · Since 1954The road goes on, and you are good at roads. You understand, in the deepest part of yourself, that the journey matters as much as the destination, and that the world's beauty is worth protecting even at great cost.Why This Is Your World Middle-earth is a world of ancient wonder, deep friendship, and a darkness that only retreats when enough small acts of courage accumulate. You would thrive here because you value the fellowship more than the glory, the road more than the arrival. Tolkien's universe rewards patience, loyalty, and the willingness to carry something heavy across a very long distance. Those are not burdens to you. They are simply how you move through the world. From The Collider File The Rings of Power returned for a third season on Prime Video in November 2026. Andy Serkis directs The Hunt for Gollum, now dated for December 2027. FellowshipThe Long RoadMiddle-earth Modern FantasyHarry PotterThe Wizarding World · Since 1997The quiet choice, made without any guarantee. You believe that love, loyalty, and doing what's right are not naive sentiments. They are the most powerful forces in any world, magical or otherwise.Why This Is Your World The Wizarding World is a place of wonder hidden in plain sight, where learning is transformative and the bonds you form at school follow you into everything that comes after. You would flourish here because you take both the magic and the friendships seriously, and you understand that one without the other is incomplete. Harry Potter's universe ultimately rewards those who choose to stand for something even when standing is terrifying. That choice, made quietly, without guarantee, is something you understand completely. From The Collider File HBO's series adaptation is dated for 2027, with Dominic McLaughlin as Harry. It is built to run one season per book, which gives it roughly seven years of story. WonderLoyaltyHogwarts Political FantasyGame of ThronesWesteros and the Known World · Since 1996You see the board. You are not frozen by seeing it. You see the world clearly, its power structures, its hypocrisies, its cold arithmetic, and you are not paralyzed by that clarity. You use it.Why This Is Your World Westeros is a world that rewards intelligence, adaptability, and the willingness to understand that every alliance is also a negotiation. You would survive here, possibly thrive here, because you don't confuse the world as it is with the world as you'd like it to be. Game of Thrones is a story about what happens when the idealists and the realists collide. You are sharp enough to know which one lasts longer. Winter always comes. You are already prepared. From The Collider File A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms opened HBO's 2026, premiering in January. House of the Dragon's third season followed it, making 2026 the busiest year Westeros has had since the finale. Reads The RoomPlays LongWesteros Science FictionStar TrekThe United Federation of Planets · Since 1966The future is a project, not a prediction. You believe the future is worth building, that curiosity, cooperation, and the expansion of understanding are not just ideals but the most practical path forward for any civilization.Why This Is Your World Star Trek is a universe where the questions matter as much as the answers, and where encountering something utterly alien is cause for wonder rather than fear. You would belong here because you are fundamentally optimistic about what intelligence and decency can achieve, while being honest about how hard that achievement is. The Federation is the universe's most ambitious thought experiment: what if we got better? You don't just hope that's possible. You think it's the only thing worth working toward. From The Collider File Starfleet Academy premiered on Paramount+ in January 2026, with Holly Hunter and Paul Giamatti. Strange New Worlds returned for a fourth season that July, moving visibly closer to the original series. CuriosityCooperationThe Federation Where You Fit 1· · ·0% 2· · ·0% 3· · ·0% Retake The QuizCopied A Collider InteractiveCOLLIDERMore quizzes at collider.com 4 'Better Watch Out' (2017) Image Via Well Go USA This often overlooked film is an unconventional Christmas classic that avoids the usual holiday cheer and comfort. Set on Christmas Eve, Better Watch Out centers around Ashley (Olivia DeJonge), who arrives at a suburban house to babysit 12-year-old Luke Lerner (Levi Miller). Better Watch Out isn’t the type of film that needs to be a detailed recommendation, as revealing too much about the movie can severely damage the viewing experience. Because of this, the film stands far apart from the well-known mainstream Christmas watches that audiences usually revisit during the season. Better Watch Out doesn’t rely on warmth and cheer; instead, the movie takes on a much darker approach, using a seemingly innocent premise to deliver quite the unsettling experience. It’s a truly captivating film that may not be the usual, spirited good time, but stands as an unconventional classic for the festive season. 5 'Unaccompanied Minors' (2006) Image Via Warner Bros. Pictures Unaccompanied Minors is a woefully underrated Christmas classic that most who have seen it have likely dubbed it a fever dream. With a Christmas Eve blizzard stranding hundreds of travelers at an airport, the 2006 film follows a group of children traveling without their parents as they turn the large travel hub into a playground for increasingly elaborate schemes, rebellion, and friendships. Unaccompanied Minors deserves far more attention than it has received for its ability to turn an ordinary holiday travel disaster into such an entertaining adventure. The movie effortlessly combines genuine Christmas spirit with childhood mischief. With an energetic young cast to keep things hilarious and captivatingly wholesome, Unaccompanied Minors is a terribly overlooked film that wields enough personality and entertainment to be labeled an undeniable holiday classic. 6 'Last Holiday' (2006) Image Via Paramount Pictures This underrated Christmas gem is the holiday romance that everyone should place on their December watchlist. Last Holiday centers on the reserved Georgia Byrd (Queen Latifah), who mistakenly believes she has only a short time left to live. With that in mind, Georgia chooses to spend her supposed time left traveling and living with less fear. Last Holiday is one of those uplifting tales that truly deserves to be considered a Christmas classic because it offers the perfect cocktail of discovering happiness, learning to leap without fear, and embracing opportunities with open arms. The film is actually remembered quite fondly by many viewers but is still shoved under the long and brilliant list of Queen Latifah’s romantic comedies instead of being placed on Christmas watch essentials. Last Holiday is genuinely perfect for those searching for a Christmas film that doesn’t revolve around traditional themes of the holiday or Santa Claus, making it a unique, feel-good gem. 7 'The Preacher’s Wife' (1996) Image Via Buena Vista Pictures Distribution The Preacher’s Wife is a woefully underappreciated Christmas classic that deserves to be among all these Christmas essentials because of its ability to capture the warmth of community and the true spirit of the holiday. The film focuses on a minister's family struggling with financial difficulties, pressures of maintaining their congregation, and personal frustrations, as they unexpectedly find the answers to their prayers at the arrival of an angel tasked with helping them. The Preacher’s Wife isn’t a movie that can completely fade into the ether, because there is always someone lingering somewhere who has devoted their time to praising the film, especially among Whitney Houston fans. Unfortunately, despite its star-studded cast, the movie still doesn’t get the attention it deserves. The Preacher’s Wife wields the captivating emotional power of music and stands as a worthy classic due to how seamlessly it blends uplifting storytelling with its musical talent, making it a great addition to this list of Christmas hits. The Preacher's Wife Release Date December 13, 1996 Runtime 123 minutes Cast Whitney Houston Julia Biggs Gregory Hines Joe Hamilton