The 7 Best Christmas Movies To Watch in November

Image via New Line Cinema Published Nov 14, 2026, 4:04 PM EST Michael Block is a 14 time GLAM Award nominated writer, producer, and host of the podcast Block Talk. Throughout his time in the entertainment industry, he has worked on and off Broadway as a stage manager, written several produced plays, critiqued hundreds of theatrical performances, drag and cabaret shows, and has produced events randing from drag competitoons to variety concerts! On Block Talk, he interviews nightlife personalities, covers the wide world of entertainment through features, ranking episodes, and recaps ALL of Drag Race, as well as Dragula and Survivor. He has interviewed hundreds of RuGirls that span the globe at DragCon NYC, DragCon LA, and DragCon UK. In his free time, he makes one-of-a-kind jewelry and gift baskets with his mom. He is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community. Sign in to your Collider account 'Tis the season to be jolly! Well, almost. As Mariah Carey defrosts and Thanksgiving dinner gets prepped, some Christmas lovers are still eager to haul out the holly and start celebrating. If you’re one of those in that camp and are ready to watch some Christmas movies, we have seven Christmas movies to watch this November to get you in the holiday spirit. We have a fun batch of films that span the classics through new holiday films that debuted this year. Not every film goes full-throttle Christmas, just in case you’re not ready to trade out the changing of the leaves for some white landscapes. From hilarious holiday gatherings to an action-thriller that sparks annual debates about whether or not it’s a Christmas film, these movies are perfect to jump-start the season! 'Die Hard' (1988) Image via 20th Century Studios Let’s begin with the ultimate debate: is Die Hard a Christmas movie? Well, if you’re reading this entry, then you’ve got your answer! Directed by John McTiernan, the 1988 action thriller follows off-duty New York City police detective John McClane (Bruce Willis) as he visits Los Angeles on Christmas Eve to reconcile with his estranged wife. When a team of heavily armed criminals led by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) seizes her office building to steal millions in bearer bonds, McClane must wage a solo, barefoot guerrilla war to rescue the holiday party hostages, including his wife, Holly Gennaro-McClane (Bonnie Bedelia). Watching Die Hard in November is the unofficial kick-off to the holiday movie season because it lets you embrace the Christmas spirit early without committing to traditional sap. The film is perfect for a November viewing because, at its core, it is still a family reconciliation movie about a dad trying to make things right with his estranged wife and kids by Christmas, complete with a Grinch-like corporate villain getting foiled. By checking it off your list in November, you beat the December content overload and stake your claim early in the eternal debate. Who doesn't need an ‘80s-soaked, action-packed shoot-em-up? 'Elf' (2003) Image via New Line Cinema It’s very likely Elf gets added to the early Christmas rotation because it is simply pure joy. Plus, now two decades old, it’s been happily passed down to the next generation of kids and kids at heart. Directed by Jon Favreau and written by David Berenbaum, the iconic Christmas comedy tells the story of Buddy Hobbes (Will Ferrell), a human who was accidentally transported to the North Pole as a toddler and raised to adulthood among Santa's (Ed Asner) elves. After realizing he is actually human, the delightfully naive Buddy travels to New York City in full elf attire to find his biological father, Walter Hobbs (James Caan), a cynical children's book publisher on Santa's naughty list. Elf bridges the gap between autumn cynicism and full-blown holiday magic without demanding heavy solemnity. It captures that exact late-fall-into-winter shift in Manhattan—crisp air, department store window displays going up, and the gradual creep of festive lights—mirroring the exact mood of walking outside in November. It works for both kids who love the candy-cane silliness and adults who appreciate Ferrell's physical comedy, making it an easy crowd-pleaser before holiday schedules get chaotic in December. Favreau designed the movie to combat modern cynicism, infusing it with hand-crafted, Rankin/Bass-inspired North Pole charm rather than high-pressure holiday stress. 'Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story' (2026) Image via Hallmark Channel Two years ago, Hallmark Channel jump-started a new tradition by capitalizing on a certain pop culture romance involving a mega pop star and her Kansas City Chiefs boyfriend. Well, after that success, they followed it up with a Buffalo Bills-centric Christmas love story. Now, the action is moving to Chicago in Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story. In this story, Avery Clark (Lyndsy Fonseca), an ambitious freelance reporter, returns to Chicago for Christmas and is assigned to write a human-interest piece on a lifelong Chicago Bears superfan, Darlene Donnelly (Marsha Mason), who's about to attend her 500th game. Because she knows next to nothing about football, the superfan’s handsome grandson, Matt Donnelly (Robert Buckley), a local firefighter, steps in to show her what Bears Nation really means. As with the previous two films, Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story leans heavily into the beauty of fandom through the fanfare of Chicago Bears stadium traditions and crisp autumn-into-winter football weather before Christmas decorations completely take over. A love letter to the Windy City, the film showcases iconic Chicago spots and captures the city's energy. Centered on warm, generational family bonds, Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story lets you kick off your holiday watchlist early in the winter transition, offering comfort, community, and rom-com cheer that unites holiday fans with football lovers. 'Home Alone' (1990) Image via 20th Century Studios It’s hard to believe, but this Christmas will be our first without everyone’s favorite mom, Catherine O’Hara, so it’s a perfect time to kick off the holiday season with the beloved classic Home Alone. Directed by Chris Columbus and written by John Hughes, Home Alone follows eight-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin), who is accidentally left behind in suburban Chicago when his family flies to Paris for a Christmas vacation. While he initially enjoys his newfound freedom, he must protect his home from a pair of bumbling burglars, Harry and Marv (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern), known as the Wet Bandits. Home Alone is a perfect November watch that has become a seasonal gateway tradition. The comfort film combines chaotic family dynamics with pure childhood wish-fulfillment. You get glowing Chicago neighborhood lights, snow-dusted streets, and a John Williams score that eases you into the holidays. Home Alone strips away the heavy focus on Santa or presents, focusing instead on themes of independence, overcoming fear, and finding your way back to family. Beneath the slapstick booby traps, Kevin's journey delivers pure warmth. If you love Home Alone and you’re eager for more, thankfully, there's an equally delightful sequel, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York! 'Meet Me in St. Louis' (1945) Image via Loew's, Inc. If there’s ever been a film for all seasons, it’s Meet Me in St. Louis. But let’s face it, it qualifies as a Christmas movie because of the iconic rendition of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” Directed by Vincente Minnelli, the classic follows a year in the life of the upper-middle-class Smith family as they navigate romance, family bonds, and everyday dilemmas in turn-of-the-century Missouri. Divided into seasonal vignettes, the narrative builds anticipation for the upcoming 1904 World's Fair until the father, Alonzo (Leon Ames), announces a sudden corporate relocation to New York City. Meet Me in St. Louis is the ideal transition-season film to watch in November because it literally covers an entire calendar year, moving gracefully through summer, autumn, Halloween, and Christmas, rather than diving straight into snow and Santa Claus. The iconic film starring Judy Garland treats November as an awkward purgatory before eventually building toward its famous holiday climax. It lets you slowly open the door to the Christmas season, highlighting why it draws such anticipation. The centerpiece is Garland’s Esther Smith singing the beloved Christmas classic to her heartbroken little sister, Tootie (Margaret O’Brien), as the family faces a dreaded move to New York City. 'The 12 Dates of Christmas' (2026) Image via Hulu While the title The 12 Dates of Christmas may sound familiar, this is a brand-new film for 2026. The romantic holiday comedy follows Christina Walker (Lucy Hale), a successful business owner who has consistently prioritized her career over her personal life. After facing pressure from her family at the holidays, she pledges to find a partner and embarks on a plan to go on 12 blind dates in the 12 weeks leading up to Christmas Eve. Along the way, she navigates a series of hilariously disastrous setups while unexpectedly crossing paths with an old high school crush, Peter Grant (Ian Harding). The 12 Dates of Christmas is an ideal early-November holiday watch because its core premise literally maps out a slow-burn countdown to December. Sometimes, the best Christmas movies to watch before December are the ones that are considered low-stakes guilty pleasures. This film is a light, breezy transition into festive viewing without plunging you straight into heavy-duty December tinsel overload. A big draw is the Pretty Little Liars reunion. Seeing Hale and Harding reunite on-screen gives it a cozy, familiar comfort-watch energy that matches the urge to curl up indoors as the weather turns. 'The Family Stone' (2005) Image via 20th Century Studios With the sequel on the way, it’s the perfect time to revisit The Family Stone. Written and directed by Thomas Bezucha, the family dramedy centers on the ultra-liberal, bohemian New England Stone family whose dynamics are upended when their eldest son, Everett (Dermot Mulroney), brings his rigid, corporate girlfriend, Meredith Morton (Sarah Jessica Parker), home for Christmas. Overwhelmed by the family's hostile reception, she calls her easygoing sister, Julie (Claire Danes), for backup, which triggers a chaotic chain of events and unexpected romantic partner-swapping within the household. The Family Stone captures the pre-holiday dread and messy human friction of going home for the holidays before the sugar-coated magic of December sets in. November marks the start of the holiday travel gauntlet, and the film leans into the immediate, sweaty-palmed anxiety of meeting a partner’s intensely tight-knit, unfiltered family for the first time. Watching it in November lets you process the emotional weight of family gatherings before you are sitting across from your relatives at the dinner table. With a star-studded ensemble including Diane Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Craig T. Nelson, and Luke Wilson, the film is a fun watch of icons having a blast together. The Family Stone Release Date December 15, 2005 Cast Dermot Mulroney, Sarah Jessica Parker, Diane Keaton, Luke Wilson, Claire Danes, Rachel McAdams, Craig T. Nelson, Tyrone Giordano, Brian J. White, Elizabeth Reaser, Paul Schneider, Savannah Stehlin, Jamie Kaler, Robert Dioguardi, Carol Locatell, Ginna Carter, Gus Buktenica, Michael Pemberton, Ron Wall, Christopher Parker, Steve Alterman, Johnny Gidcomb, Susan Leslie, Hope Levy, Randall Montgomery Runtime 103 minutes Director Thomas Bezucha Writers Thomas Bezucha