As families gather for celebration, cheer, and tradition, many Americans are also returning to their most beloved comfort films. Based on JustWatch demand across the last three holiday periods (2022–2024), a clear trend has emerged: nostalgic, family-friendly titles dominate holiday rewatch habits, while a few modern mysteries and musicals have carved out a surprising place in the rotation.
This year’s Most Rewatched Holiday Movies list shows that audiences continue to seek out humor, warmth, and nostalgia—proving that the holiday spirit extends well beyond the dinner table.
Key Insights
- Modern Classics Dominate: The list is heavily skewed toward movies released between the 1980s and early 2000s, suggesting that millennial and Gen X nostalgia for “modern classics” like Elf (#1), Home Alone (#3), and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (#5) is the primary driver of rewatches.
- The Power of Comedy: Christmas comedies are the most popular genre, claiming 8 out of 10 spots. This indicates that audiences prioritize lighthearted, humorous, and family-friendly viewing during the season.
- The “Action Holiday” Staple: Die Hard ranks highly at #2, proving its place in the annual rewatch rotation and highlighting the demand for action-oriented content as a holiday
- Romance is Key: The inclusion of romantic comedies Love Actually (#8) and The Holiday (#9) shows a strong concurrent demand for romantic, feel-good cinema during the holiday
- Single Golden Age Classic: Only one film from the Golden Age of Hollywood, It’s a Wonderful Life (#10), makes the list, showing that while respected, its streaming performance is outpaced by newer, more widely available classics.
The Most Rewatched Holiday Movies During December
Based on combined U.S. streaming popularity from December 20th-January 2nd 2022, 2023, and 2024.
| Rank | Title | Where to Stream |
| 1 | Elf (2003) | HBO Max |
| 2 | Die Hard (1988) | Hulu, Prime, Peacock, Fubo, YouTube, FX Now |
| 3 | Home Alone (1990) | Disney+, Hulu, Fubo |
| 4 | How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) | Prime, Peacock, Freeform, Fubo |
| 5 | National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) | HBO Max, Hulu |
| 6 | The Grinch (2018) | Peacock, Freeform |
| 7 | A Christmas Story (1983) | Fubo, HBO Max, Hulu |
| 8 | Love Actually (2003) | Peacock, Hulu, Prime |
| 9 | The Holiday (2006) | AMC, Philo |
| 10 | It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) | Prime, Hoopla, Plex |
Why These Titles Top the List
Elf (2003)
Elf has cemented itself as the definitive modern Christmas comedy. Its mix of heart, slapstick humor, and Will Ferrell’s universally appealing performance makes it a multi-generational favorite. Its frequent availability on major streaming platforms keeps it top-of-mind and highly rewatchable.
Die Hard (1988)
Whether or not it’s “officially” a Christmas movie, Die Hard has become an unshakeable part of
the holiday canon. Its placement reflects the strong annual appetite for alternative Christmas viewing — especially action audiences looking for something festive but not sentimental.
Home Alone (1990)
A staple of holiday nostalgia, Home Alone benefits from millennial childhood familiarity and constant seasonal rediscovery from younger audiences. Its simple, high-energy premise and strong rewatch value keep it consistently popular on streaming.
2025 Christmas Movies That Everyone’s Watching
The most popular 2025 Christmas films based on U.S. streaming popularity on JustWatch.
- Jingle Bell Heist (Netflix) – A festive caper that blends holiday cheer with high-stakes
- What. Fun (Prime Video)– A comedy-driven crowd-pleaser capturing the chaos and joy of the season.
- A Merry Little Ex-Mas (Netflix) – A heartfelt romantic dramedy about love, second chances, and holiday magic.
- A Very Jonas Christmas (Disney+) – A star-powered seasonal spectacle featuring music, family, and festive charm.
Methodology
Insights are based on the streaming and cinema clickout behavior of millions of JustWatch users. Rankings are powered by the JustWatch proprietary streaming popularity score, which combines key engagement signals—including Clickouts, Trailer Views, Watchlist Adds, Likelist Adds, Page Views, and Total Interactions—across all title types.
Three distinct rankings were produced:
Most Rewatched US
This ranking highlights the Christmas titles that saw the largest holiday-season rewatch spikes among U.S. users. JustWatch analyzed engagement from December 20 to January 2 across three consecutive seasons (2022, 2023, and 2024), comparing each title’s holiday activity to its normal baseline.
Most Rewatched International
Using the same methodology, this ranking captures rewatch behavior across seven major markets: US, UK, Canada, Germany, Italy, France, and Spain. Engagement spikes were measured during the December 20 – January 2 holiday window over the same three-year period.
Most Popular 2025 Christmas Films
This ranking identifies the top-performing Christmas movies released in 2025 based on streaming popularity throughout the year. JustWatch analyzed interactions from January 1 to December 2, 2025. The analysis window ends on December 2 to reflect the dataset collected on December 3, 2025.
