With a whopping 658,000 searches this holiday season the top spot was secured by a beloved favourite with maybe one surprising film once again creeping into the ‘is it a Christmas movie or not’ debate once more.
Let’s dive straight into festivities then shall we on this wonderful day? Merry Christmas to you all!
The UK’s Top 10 Favourite Festive Films
1. Home Alone Series (648,000)
With a whopping 648,000 searches this season Home Alone nearly had double the amount of searches than our second-place runner-up!
Despite being filmed over 30 years ago, the Home Alone series remains a festive favourite and is revealed as the most popular seasonal film franchise in the UK. The charm of Kevin McCallister’s cunning plans against hapless burglars continues to enchant new generations, maintaining its spot at the top of holiday viewing lists.
It never really feels like Christmas until you watch Home Alone and even the sequels thereafter make for some great viewing and a film that despite missing franchise star McCauley Culkin still made for one hell of a movie with Home Alone 3 being my favourite movie as a kid.
The amount of times I watched that film on VHS was ridiculous!
2. The Grinch (336,000)
The Grinch rolls up in second place and rightly so but I feel as though the TikToks this holiday season of the Grinch dressed up at Universal not to mention costumed Grinch’s at Christmas funfairs this season have spiked interest in the movie.
The Grinch is a cherished Christmas film full of endearing characters, memorable music and a wonderful core message.
Its ability to evoke the true essence of the holiday season through lessons of love, kindness, and compassion solidifies its place as a beloved Christmas classic.
3. Love Actually (301,000)
Love Actually (along with The Holiday which surprisingly isn’t in this Top 10 list) is a British Christmas classic packed full of unique individual stories that all link together festively and magically.
Full of iconic moments at every turn Love Actually not only proves that love really is all around but festive spirit is in full flow and year after year it’s not only still searched frequently but watched religiously in many households up and down the country.
It isn’t Christmas without it!
4. Die Hard 1 & 2 (220,000)
Despite star Bruce Willis insisting it’s NOT a Christmas movie it doesn’t seem to stop the general public from searching for it during the festive season.
Where I stand on the debate though is very clear.
It IS a Christmas movie!
Die Hard has rightfully earned its place as a Christmas movie due to the events of the story taking place during a holiday celebration.
We have a Christmas party, a whole film scattered with Christmas themes throughout and despite it being an action movie you just can’t ignore that it all takes place with Christmas festivities with a redemption story fitting of any Christmas movie (including a family reconciliation).
It may be a unique one on the list but there’s no denying that year after year it’s still very popular and has been adopted as a Christmas movie no matter what Bruce or anyone else has said in the past.
The people have spoken!
5. Elf (110,000)
SANTAAAAAAAA!!!!!!
I KNOW HIM!
Elf is so endearing, so charming and so incredible that it catapulted Will Ferrell to stardom.
Elf is a movie cherished for its heartwarming tale of Buddy, a human raised as an elf, who embarks on a journey to New York City to find his true identity.
Packed full of laugh-out-loud moments Elf is not only a religion in our household every Christmas but I even have a special T-shirt worn on Christmas Day paying tribute to the world’s favourite elf.
A timeless classic that will warm any cold grinchy heart this festive period
6. Christmas Vacation 1 + 2 (200,000)
A chaotic Christmas classic where there’s a laugh a minute as the Griswolds are back at it again with hilarious consequences.
What resonates with this film so much with its audience is the social commentary that every single person out there can relate to.
The family dynamics at Christmas time amped up to 11 as we can all relate to what is a memorable day for some, stressful for others and laugh out loud for many more.
Full of iconic moments Chevy Chase is at his all-time best in this iconic Christmas comedy classic.
The sledding scene is certainly a favourite of mine as no matter how many times I watch it, I laugh in all the same places!
Just like episodes of Friends where I laugh over and over again at the same jokes, that’s when you know the scriptwriters did one hell of an incredible job!
7. It’s a Wonderful Life (90,000)
A Christmas classic! This timeless tale follows George Bailey, a compassionate man facing despair, who learns the profound impact of his existence with the help of an angel named Clarence.
Through the power of love and the community the message of the movie is still as ever relevant today as it was then forever inspiring us all year after year.
Nothing quite says Christmas like an uplifting and inspirational film such as this.
8. Miracle on 34th Street (74,000)
Focused around the existence of Santa Claus this film explores our faith in a man that no one has ever seen but embodies the magic of Christmas and that childlike innocence we all had once upon a time.
The spirit of giving and the essence of Christmas is all bundled together in this wonderful movie that evokes the wonder and goodwill that defines the holiday season.
9. A Christmas Carol (60,500)
Based on Charles Dickens’ novel the narrative follows Ebenezer Scrooge, a bitter and miserly man, who undergoes a profound transformation after encountering the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come.
Whilst this film is a wonderful film you can see from the list that the older classics are slowly becoming less and less searched for. It’s quite sad that eventually these films will be searched less and less but hopefully, these truly beautiful classics will be preserved and appreciated for many years to come!
10. White Christmas (49,500)
Starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye, the film follows two war buddies who team up to save their former general’s failing inn by staging a musical extravaganza.
With many a musical number, this film may have been ranked in last place for the least number of searches but there’s still an audience for it and as long as there is an audience still talking about it, it’ll always be fondly remembered.
Arguably not my favourite Christmas film by a long country mile but a film that I respect all the same.
Out of the UK’s top 10 favourite festive films which one of these is your favourite? Is there one that isn’t on the list? Comment below and Happy Holidays!
A big shoutout to tour operators Ski Vertigo who dived into search history for Christmas films this holiday season in the UK to compile this top 10 list.
