Looking for a break from the gift-wrapping, meal-making and uncle-screaming that inevitably come with the holidays? The Post’s film critics share their favorite holiday movies.
“Love, Actually” (2003)
A masterpiece of interlocking stories and characters, Richard Curtis’ rom-com epic is so pleasing, it’s hard to say which scene is the best: Hugh Grant’s dance at 10 Downing Street? Andrew Lincoln’s heartfelt silent plea to Keira Knightley? Colin Firth’s mangled Portuguese wedding proposal? The movie is brilliant from beginning to end. Available on Netflix.
“Bad Santa” (2003)
One of the funniest movies of the century, this dirty-minded comic gem isn’t merely a gross-out comedy but a sharp-witted, mordantly funny portrait of an utterly cynical character and his well-earned comeuppance. Available on HBO Go.
“The Ref” (1994)
A stealthy, anarchic comedy about an ill-tempered burglar (Denis Leary) who breaks into a posh suburban home in an idyllic suburb on Christmas Eve, this movie takes one unexpected turn after another when the burglar gets trapped in the marital disputes of a couple (Kevin Spacey, Judy Davis) who hate each other more than they hate him. Available to stream on Amazon and elsewhere.
— Kyle Smith
“The Ice Harvest” (2005)
This Harold Ramis-directed comedy sees Billy Bob Thornton once again owning the Christmas-misanthrope beat, sharing the spotlight this time with John Cusack as the duo haplessly works to pull off a holiday heist. Violent, profane and very funny, it also features a pre-bonkers Randy Quaid as a mobster bent on revenge. Available to stream on Amazon.
“It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946)
Rather puzzlingly designated a feel-good movie, this timeless Frank Capra classic is, until its final minutes, as dark as they come — it’s about a man (Jimmy Stewart) made suicidal by the constant thwarting of his dreams. Come for the alternate-reality nightmare of a woman (Donna Reed) relegated to librarian spinsterhood, stay for the ensemble rendition of “Auld Lang Syne,” which guarantees no dry eye in the house. Available to stream on Amazon.
“Elf” (2003)
For tapping into the sugar-bloated spirit of the season, you really can’t do better than Will Ferrell’s manic man-child Buddy the Elf set loose in New York. Peter Dinklage has a memorable pre-“Game of Thrones” cameo as a grouchy best-selling author whom Buddy mistakes for one of his North Pole pals. Available to stream on Amazon.
— Sara Stewart