Christmas is a time to eat, laugh, drink, listen to Mariah Carey on repeat, and, most importantly, spend time with the ones you love the most. Most people do so through holiday parties and well-prepared dinners. After the food is gone and bellies are full, there is no better time than a good movie to top off the evening. Thankfully, there is no shortage of Christmas films that are perfect for all to enjoy this season. If you want to laugh, comedy Christmas movies are not hard to find.
The beauty of these festive flicks is that they are rooted in strong family values, even the ones meant to make us laugh. No matter if you’re spending time with your elders or the family you’ve created, these Christmas comedies will make you appreciate those in your life a bit more as we approach 2025. Here are just seven of our favorites that everyone should check out before Santa Claus comes barging in.
Last Holiday (2006)
IMDB: 6.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 56%
Where to Watch: Pluto TV, AMC+, Amazon Prime Video, Paramount+, Philo, Sling TV, The Roku Channel, YouTube TV, Google Play Movies & TV, Apple TV, Fandango at Home
Last Holiday is a feel-good comedy starring Queen Latifah as the lead character, Georgia. This holiday flick follows the sweet department store employee and choir singer whose life is turned upside down when she discovers that she has a rare brain condition. Unfortunately, this disease is aggressive, and Georgia learns she has mere weeks to live. Distraught yet determined to live out her remaining days her way, Georgia decides to spend her savings on a luxury vacation to Europe before her death. Before her ordeal, she had fallen for her co-worker Sean, played by LL Cool J, though she kept her feelings private. After she learns of her diagnosis, Sean finally acknowledges his feelings for Georgia in his quirky love story.
The Best Man Holiday (2013)
IMDB: 6.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 71%
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Google Play Movies & TV, Apple TV, Fandango at Home
The Best Man Holiday is the widely regarded sequel to the 1999 hit The Best Man. The film reunites best friends Lance (Morris Chestnut), Harper (Taye Diggs), Jordan (Nia Long), Robin (Sanaa Lathan), Candy (Regina Hall), Julian (Harold Perrineau), Quentin (Terrence Howard) and Shelby (Melissa De Sousa) as they come together during Christmas at the urging of Mia (Monica Calhoun). Years after Harper penned a salacious novel based loosely on him sleeping with Mia long before she married Lance, tensions are still high. However, unbeknownst to the group, Mia is holding a devastating secret and her true motives for bringing her friends together one last time. The movie mixes laughter with struggles that many families go through, making it both hilarious and relatable in equal share.
Almost Christmas (2016)
IMDB: 6.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 49%
Where to Watch: Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, YouTube, Google Play Movies & TV, Apple TV, Fandango at Home
Almost Christmas tells the story of lonely retiree Walter Meyers (Danny Glover), who is longing for some family time after losing his wife Grace (Rachel Kylian) just ten months before Christmas. However, when he invites his four grown children Cheryl (Kimberly Elise), Rachel (Gabrielle Union), Christian (Romany Malco), and Evan (Jessie Usher) to spend five days with him, tensions run high. The four bicker over past drama while Walter desperately tries to make them get along for their brief stay. If you’ve ever been in the middle of a family holiday where the low-stakes but still troublesome drama runs high, Almost Christmas is a Christmas comedy movie to catch.
The Preacher’s Wife (1996)
IMDB: 5.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 62%
Where to Watch: fuboTV, Hulu, Sling TV, YouTube TV, YouTube, Google Play Movies & TV, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Amazon Prime Video
Oscar-award-winning film The Preacher’s Wife stars Courtney B. Vance as embattled Reverend Henry Biggs, who is grappling with financial issues at his New York City church. His members are quickly exiting his congregation as developers pressure him to sell his building. With his spiritual and professional woes mounting, the pastor neglects his wife Julia, portrayed by the incomparable Whitney Houston, and his young son Jeremiah (Justin Pierre Edmund). After Henry prays to God for help saving her marriage and their church, an angel known as Dudley appears from heaven to help the family navigate their problems. However, when Dudley, played by Denzel Washington, gets a bit close to Julia, Henry must face just how much he has disregarded his wife in this Christmas comedy movie that pulls in a bit of drama as well.
This Christmas (2007)
IMDb: 6.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 56%
Where to Watch: Peacock, fuboTV, Hulu, Sling TV, YouTube TV, Google Play Movies & TV, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Amazon Prime Video
This Christmas is another family movie centered around Shirley Ann “Ma’Dere” Whitfield (Loretta Devine), the matriarch. She and her boyfriend Joe (Delroy Lindo) are delighted when her six children come to town for the holiday season. However, each one comes with its own set of challenges, including the oldest son, Quentin Jr., who has not been to see his mother or siblings in four years, thanks to his profession as a musician. Oldest daughter, Lisa (Regina King), is also grappling with a cheating husband while juggling two kids and her struggle to connect with her loved ones, sister Kelli (Sharon Leal), brother Claude (Columbus Short), sister “Mel” (Lauren London) and baby brother Michael “Baby” (Chris Brown).
Boxing Day (2021)
IMDb: 5.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 82%
Where to Watch: Tubi, Amazon Prime Video
A Christmas comedy movie with a romantic twist, Boxing Day is the first British Christmas rom-com with an almost entirely Black cast. It features Aml Ameen (who also directed), alongside Aja Naomi King and Leigh-Anne Pinnock. Ameen has stated that he’s drawn from his own experiences growing up in a Caribbean-British family during the Christmas season. When Melvin (Ameen) heads back across the pond from Los Angeles to England, he decides to bring his almost-fiancée along (King) to meet his eccentric family. There’s relationship drama, a Christmas pageant, and even a food fight involved, making this a perfect holiday movie to put on and laugh with your own family.
Holiday Rush (2019)
IMDb: 5/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 43%
Where to Watch: Netflix
A widowed radio DJ and father of four gets fired, leading him to ditch his luxurious lifestyle and get set up in his aunt’s house for Christmas. So goes the plot of Holiday Rush, starring Romany Malco, Darlene Love, La La Anthony, and Stormi Maya. While the lead character’s attempts to get back on the airwaves might seem a bit convoluted, this is still a fun watch. It’ll get you into the holiday spirit, especially if you don’t mind your comedy Christmas movies just a little bit cheesy. Besides that, it might start to feel relatable if you’ve ever felt yourself scrambling through the holiday season.
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