#Best Santa Claus Movies of All Time
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“#Best Santa Claus Movies of All Time”
Recently, Sarah Silverman has voiced a Jewish elf attempting to become Santa in Santa Inc. and Mel Gibson has played a gritty, hyper-violent Claus fighting hitman in Fatman. There seems to be no end to Santa in cinema; in fact, it seems that just adding Santa Claus (and the holiday season) to a film can make it have a longer life. People love nostalgia. They love the warm fuzzies and Santa Claus is truly representative of that.
Update December 2021: In the holiday spirit, Movieweb had Matthew Mahler update this article to give you all the latest information you need to choose the best Santa Claus movie for you.
With the holidays now in full swing, people are busy, their days brimming with things they can’t be bothered to do. There is such an overwhelmingly wide array of Christmas films, but if people could see a few of the great Santa Claus movies there are to enjoy, chances are this would make their holidays a little more merry and a bit less stressful. However people take their Santa, these are the best Santa Claus movies of all time.
15 The Santa Clause (1994)
Tim Allen plays Santa in this 90s comedy that has proven timeless since its release. The plot of The Santa Clause is simple. When Scott Calvin (Allen) unfortunately kills Santa Claus on Christmas Eve, he ends up having to take his place and deliver gifts to all the children of the world. The premise may seem hokey but movies about Santa Claus always seem to thrive on the fact that they can reside in the realm of magic. Sure, this might not be high art but who really wants to see that after a rough day of Christmas shopping?
14 Elf (2003)
Will Ferrell gives a career-best performance as Buddy in Elf. He is a grown man living as an elf and this is causing major problems in the North Pole. Thus, Buddy travels to America in order to discover who he really is. It turns out his birth father is a man named Walter Hobbs (James Caan) and, as you can guess, Hobbs isn’t falling all over himself to claim this elf-man as his son. What ensues is a wildly entertaining family romp that also skews nicely towards adults. They don’t usually make Santa Claus movies with this much sass, but it works delightfully here.
13 Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
In today’s day and age of “fake news” Miracle on 34th Street is needed now more than ever. Okay, Santa Claus may actually be fake but the idea of Santa Claus, or what the big man in red represents, is very real. Miracle on 34th Street is the story of Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn). He is locked away as unstable because he claims to be Santa Claus. Suddenly, a young lawyer is thrust into defending this person and basically having to prove that he is Kris Kringle. Now, this movie may be dated but it has never been more poignant. We live in a time of soundbites where every thought and idea is for sale, and everyone disagrees on what to believe. Miracle on 34th Street quaintly reminds us that the idea of Santa Claus is needed all year round.
12 Bad Santa (2003)
Billy Bob Thornton and director Terry Zwigoff basically turned the Santa Claus movie on its head here. What this film lacks in Christmas spirit it makes up for in tough, hilarious love. Billy Bob plays Willie, a conman of the highest order with one goal– he wants to stage a robbery on Christmas Eve by posing as a department store Santa. The premise is unwieldy but the execution is flawless and darns if it if, by the end of the movie, you don’t love this Bad Santa and all of his foul-mouthed drunken ways.
11 The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
What is Jack Skellington, the ruler of Halloween Town, to do? He’s discovered this place called Christmas Town and now he wants to have Christmas on Halloween. The brilliance of this concept from Director Henry Selick (from a story written by Tim Burton) is that The Nightmare Before Christmas both is and isn’t a Santa Claus movie. Yes, it takes a very different look at Christmas and features an undead Santa wannabe. However, that is precisely what makes it the kind of film that is perfect for the holidays. Add to this corpses, demons, mummy’s and other oddballs in this Santa Claus film and it’s easy to see why it is so beloved after all these years.
10 The Polar Express (2004)
A film about a boy taking a special train that transports him to the home of Santa Claus. Can you say slam dunk? Sure, a lot of people love to talk about the majestic artistry of this film, but once you get past all the technical magic you have a Santa Claus film that really captures the heart of the season. There is a richness and a depth to The Polar Express that really seems to work despite this film being in love with technology. The fact that you have Tom Hanks playing multiple roles (yes, he plays Santa Claus) only adds to this movie’s warmth and holiday cheer.
9 Fred Claus (2007)
Wanting to be Bad Santa but constricted by its PG rating actually seems to help Fred Claus. Vince Vaughn plays the title character. He’s one big, no-goodnik of a man who doesn’t really care for his older brother, Santa Claus (Paul Giamatti). However, Santa needs help during the busy Christmas season and his brother Fred needs money, so it seems like they have a deal. As you can guess, these two distant family members end up coming together in the most unexpected of ways. Both Vaughn and Giamatti are quite deft with comedy and that is what really helps carry this semi-oddball of a Santa Claus movie.
8 Arthur Christmas (2011)
How cool is a Santa Claus movie that is voiced by James McAvoy? Arthur Christmas tells the tale of the lovable Arthur. He doesn’t really do anything well, but boy does he try. He is given a mission to return a misplaced gift and he’s going to make this happen in spite of himself. With other voice cast members that include Jim Broadbent and Bill Nighy, Arthur Christmas might be one of the lesser-known Santa Claus movies, but it’s one of the sweetest, funniest, and most inventive.
7 Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010)
Rare Exports has Santa Claus in it, but this isn’t your grandparent’s Santa. This oddity from Finland features a Santa Claus who is dug up during an archaeological excavation. Things get even stranger when reindeers die and young kids start to go missing. Suddenly, a vigilante group of sorts takes it upon themselves to nab Santa and get rid of him. These men may have guns but Santa has demonic elves, which just might be the equalizer here. What follows is a crazy adventure that sort of makes a sociopolitical statement about the commercialization of Christmas. As I said, this isn’t really a Santa Claus tale you’ve seen before but that is what makes it so memorable.
6 Ernest Saves Christmas (1988)
Jim Varney may not reek of the Christmas spirit but that doesn’t mean that Ernest Saves Christmas doesn’t have a lot to offer. The storyline follows the standard ‘Santa needs a successor’ plot– Santa is looking for somebody to take his place and Ernest P. Worrell (Varney) is determined to make that happen. If it doesn’t then Christmas would be done and that is just unthinkable. This film, despite its silliness, is really filled with heart and emotion. On top of that, Douglas Seale’s Santa Claus is probably the most realistic depiction to ever grace the silver screen.
5 The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974)
It is hard to argue with a film that has Mickey Rooney voicing Santa Claus. The Year Without a Santa Claus is special for a number of reasons. First off, at 51 minutes it is short but sweet, and secondly, it was all done in classic, colorful claymation. Thirdly, and this might be most important, the story follows a depressed Santa Claus who is kinda over being the jovial big man. He is even considering not delivering gifts on Christmas Eve. Well, Mrs. Claus is never going to let that happen and their relationship is the crux of this exceptional Santa Claus film with outstanding and memorable musical moments.
4 One Magic Christmas (1985)
One Magic Christmas should be rated G for “gem” as it is nearly pitch-perfect in every way. Mary Steenburgen plays Ginny Grainger, a woman who hates Christmas. Her family is struggling, and she doesn’t believe in anything anymore. All of this changes when her daughter has an encounter with Santa and Gideon; a Christmas Angel. They pay Ginny a visit and this sets in mind a wild chain of events. Ultimately, they lead Ginny back to the meaning of the season. Sure this premise may sound a bit milquetoast, but overall it is delightful and warmhearted. It shows that no matter how tough things get one should never stop believing in hope.
3 Santa Claus (1959)
Rene Cardona’s tale takes another route entirely with Santa Claus, also known as Santa Claus vs. the Devil. He sits atop the North Pole getting everything ready for his major delivery of gifts aka Christmas. Santa wants to help the needy, but the Devil finds out about this and will not let it happen. He enlists the evil Pitch and they set about foiling Santa’s plans. However, Santa has a few tricks up his sleeve and he won’t give up the spirit of Christmas so easily. This is a highly bizarre, legendarily weird and artificial film made in 1959 Mexico but re-dubbed into English, and deserves its place as one of the oddest and subversive Santa Claus films.
2 Get Santa (2014)
Santa Claus is really in a pickle in this film. Basically, Saint Nick has crashed his sleigh and is on the run from the authorities. Well, this poses some big problems, as it seems to be messing up Christmas for the entire world, so a father and son team up to make sure that that doesn’t happen. Get Santa is a charming film in the grand tradition of Santa Claus films, ripe with nuance and unique perspectives about the holiday season and the lore of Santa himself.
1 Santa Claus: The Movie (1985)
Dudley Moore and John Lithgow make a surprisingly excellent pair in the family classic Santa Claus: The Movie. Moore plays the erstwhile Patch, an elf who leaves the North Pole and travels to New York. Along the way, he ends up getting sucked into the evil world of B.Z. (Lithgow). He is a ruthless tycoon with one goal… to turn Christmas into a profit machine for himself. Suddenly, Santa Claus (David Huddleston) has to get involved to save not only Patch but Christmas itself! Santa Claus: The Movie was made in the mid-1980s. It’s got all that going for it and more in this cornerstone of a Santa cinema.
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