Who doesn’t loveSanta Claus? This jolly, rotund individual with a big white beard is loved and revered by all despite his countless acts of ‘breaking and entering’ through the chimney and property theft (of cookies and milk). Santa Claus has more recently deviated from the historic Jolly Old Saint Nicholas we see in Norman Rockwell paintings, with everyone from Whoopi Goldberg inCall Me Clausto Jose Elias Moreno inSanta Claustaking on the iconic character.
Santa Claus is a mythic figure, one recognized the world over and can be re-imagined in many different ways. The lore surrounding Santa Claus has provided filmmakers with many unique interpretations. It seems there is a Santa Claus story for every type of genre. The holidays typically mean people are busy. There is such an overwhelminglywide array of Christmas films. While Santa Claus is commonly associated with short specials, like Santa Claus is Coming to Town or A Year Without Santa, there have been plenty of cinematic interpretations of the character. There are so many film versions of the character; there is something for everyone.
These are the best Santa Claus movies of all time.
Update July 31, 2025: In honor of the Christmas season, this article has been updated with even more great Santa Claus movies to watch during the holidays and where you can stream each of them.
19Fred Claus (2007)
Fred Claus
Santa’s older bitter brother, Fred Claus, is forced to head to the North Pole to help his brother when he becomes strapped for cash for the holiday season. Fred’s actions as an elf begin to jeopardize the holiday, but as the two brothers begin to reconnect, Fred decides he wants to help his brother make Christmas happen.
Wanting to beBad Santabut constricted by its PG rating seems to helpFred Claus. Vince Vaughn plays the title character. He’s one big, no-goodnik of a man who doesn’t care for his older brother, Santa Claus (Paul Giamatti). As one can guess, these two distant family members come together in the most unexpected ways. Vaughn and Giamatti are quite deft at comedy, which helps carry this semi-oddball of a Santa Claus movie.
Stream on Hulu
18Santa Buddies (2009)
Puppy Paws wishes there wasn’t such a thing as Christmas. Disney magic stuff happens, and then the North Pole starts to melt as a result. Only one thing can save it: if the Buddies can help Puppy Paws rediscover his love for Christmas and its true meaning. Okay,Santa Buddiesmight be a tad childish. But does that matter while talking about this genre?
We watch these movies to spark nostalgia, so including something from this franchise only makes sense. Any kid who grew up in the mid-2000s can recall seeingAir Buddies, and this is the fourth spin-off that the Disney classic spawned. It’s silly, but there’s nothing wrong with that,especially when you get time with some adorable doggos. The new generation deserves to understand whyAir Buddieswas so beloved back in the day.
Stream on Disney+
17Noelle (2019)
Noelle is the daughter of Kris Kringle, a woman who loves the holidays and everything about the season. However, she wishes to do what her brother Nick does, taking over their father’s job of delivering presents that year. When her brother seems to go missing after facing insurmountable stress, she must go on a mission to find him before Christmas to save the hope and joy of billions. No pressure, right?
Related:The 10 Best Christmas Movies with Incredible Casts
A Santa film trope that we love is the “Santa’s offspring” one.Noelleis a modern take on that, and itstars the lovable Anna Kendrickin the leading, titular role. Noelle is an enjoyable watch, and it’s just cute. We suggest this one, especially for close siblings celebrating the holidays together.
16Santa Claus: The Movie (1985)
Santa Claus
Santa Claus: The Movierevolves around the origin of Santa Claus and his modern-day adventure to save one of his elves from being manipulated by an unscrupulous toy company executive. Dudley Moore and John Lithgow are surprisingly excellent in the family classicSanta 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 Patch and Christmas itself!
Santa Claus: The Moviewas made in the mid-1980s. The film looked to give Santa Claus the same big screen epic treatment that was given to Superman (notably, the movie is the same producer asSuperman: The Movie). While a disappointment at the time of its release, the film’s epic scope to the Santa mythology has made it a cult classic, although it is commonly agreed the first half of the movie focused primarily on Santa as the best part of the film.
Stream on AMC+
15One Magic Christmas (1985)
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 visit Ginny, which sets off a wild chain of events that leads her back to the season’s meaning.
One Magic Christmasshould be rated G for “gem” as it is nearly pitch-perfect in every way. 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.
14Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010)
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale
This oddity from Finland features a Santa Claus dug up during an archaeological excavation. Things get even stranger when reindeer die and young kids start to go missing. Suddenly, a vigilante group takes it upon themselves to capture Santa and get rid of him. These men may have guns, but Santa has demonic elves, which might be the equalizer here. What follows is a crazy adventure that makes a sociopolitical statement about the commercialization of Christmas.
Rare Exportshas Santa Claus in it, but this isn’t your grandparent’s Santa, which is what makes it so memorable. It is alsoan ideal pick for horror fans, as it still carries elements of Christmas celebrations but brings a macabre edge with some stunning visuals to impress. In addition, some great twists near the end will ring in the festive terror!
Stream on Tubi
13The Christmas Chronicles (2018)
The Christmas Chronicles
It’s hard to be a kid and not wonder how Santa Claus can pull everything off in just one night. InThe Christmas Chronicles, two siblings get to see everything behind the scenes when Santa crashes his sleigh and needs their help to save Christmas. The Netflix film is a little cheesy, but sometimes,that makes a Christmas film all the more fun.
It has just enough holiday wonder to make it worth checking out after baking all those gingerbread cookies. The movie is one that the whole family can enjoy together, or the kids can watch while the adults sit by the fire with their eggnog. You can follow it up withThe Christmas Chronicles 2, which is also on Netflix.
Stream on Netflix
In this dark comedy, the crotchety Willie T. Stokes (Billy Bob Thornton) and his partner (Tony Cox) reunite once a year for a holiday con. Posing as a mall Santa and his elf, they rip off shopping outlets on Christmas Eve. This year, however, Willie is falling apart. He’s depressed and alcoholic, and his erratic behavior draws the suspicion of mall security (Bernie Mac). But when befriending a small boy brings out his kinder side, Willie begins to wonder if there is still some hope for him.
The premise is unwieldy, but the execution is flawless, and darn it if you don’t love thisBad Santaand all of his foul-mouthed drunken ways by the end of the movie. Billy Bob Thornton and director Terry Zwigoff turned the Santa Claus movie on its head here. Billy Bob Thorton 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.
What this film lacks in Christmas spirit, it makes up for in tough, hilarious love. Released in the same year asElf,Bad Santaprovided an alternative naughty holiday classic, one that provides a great spin on the idea of the mall Santa that everyone knows so well. If you dig this one, you may also check outBad Santa 2.
Stream on Paramount+
11The Polar Express (2004)
The Polar Express
There is a richness and depth toThe Polar Expressthat seems to work despite its somewhat outdated and awkward ‘uncanny valley’ animation style. A film about a boy taking a special train that transports him to the home of Santa Claus: along the way, he meets various expressive characters and learns more about what it means to celebrate the Christmas season. S
Despite the uncanny valley effect of the film, it also features a rich world and a true imagination to depict Santa and the North Polle. The fact thatthey have Tom Hanks playing multiple roles(yes, he plays Santa Claus) only adds to this movie’s warmth and holiday cheer. By the time the audience sees Santa Claus, who throughout the film is conveyed with such a gravitas and epic scope, he perfectly embodies everything one wants from the character.
10Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Miracle on 34th Street
Following a department store Santa from Thanksgiving Day to Christmas Day,Miracle on 34th Streetfollows the various lives that St. Nick inspires and changes—notably, Susan Walker, whose mother raised her not to believe in Santa Claus. When the lives of the two intersect, Susan begins to think that he may be the real Santa. When Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) is locked away as unstable because he claims to be Santa Claus, a young lawyer is thrust into defending this person and has to prove that he is Kris Kringle.
Related:10 Old Holiday Movies That Still Hold Up After All These Years
We live in a time of soundbites where every thought and idea is for sale, and everyone disagrees on what to believe. The idea of Santa Claus, or what the big man in red represents, is very real. Now, this movie may be dated, but it has never been more poignant.Miracle on 34th Streetquaintly reminds us that the idea of Santa Claus is needed all year round.
