The 16 Best Movies You Can See in Theaters on Christmas Day This Year
From the latest Star Wars to a holiday rom-com.
We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process.
No matter how much you love the quality family time that comes with the holidays, it can start to feel like there's a lot of downtime between opening gifts and sitting down for dinner on Christmas Day. Perhaps that's why it's such a common Christmas tradition to get everyone out of the house and over to the box office — going to the movies on Christmas is a relaxing and entertaining activity for the whole family (and movie theaters are some of the few places that stay open on December 25).
If your family is planning on checking out a new release this year, including much-anticipated flicks like Little Women, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and Bombshell, here's a list of Christmas Day movies to see in theaters post-brunch.
Little Women
Premiering on Christmas is one of the most highly anticipated movies of the year: Greta Gerwig's adaptation of Little Women. With Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Meryl Streep, and Timothée Chalamet starring (among many others), the remade drama is sure to be a hit.
RELATED: How to Watch the 50+ Best Christmas Movies of All Time At Home
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
You can't go wrong with grabbing tickets to the latest installment in the Star Wars franchise this Christmas. In Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Disney cryptically promises that "Rey's journey continues and the Skywalker saga concludes."
Cats
This star-studded film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's hit Broadway musical Cats is the perfect Christmas Day flick — that is, if you can get over the weird "digital fur technology" used to cat-ify the cast.
Spies in Disguise
Catch Will Smith and Tom Holland voicing a spy and a nerdy tech officer, respectively, in this cute Christmas Day release. Spies in Disguise follows the "world's best spy" after he's turned into a pigeon (yes, a pigeon) and must rely on his tech officer for help.
RELATED: The Best Christmas Movies to Watch With Your Kids This Year
Just Mercy
Also premiering on Christmas Day is Just Mercy, which tells the true story of defense attorney Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) and his client, Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx), a black man falsely accused of murder. Just be sure to check your local listings for this star-studded film — it's starting out as a limited release.
1917
You can also look out for 1917, a World War I drama starring Richard Madden (of Game of Thrones fame) and Benedict Cumberbatch, which is scheduled for limited release starting December 25.
Uncut Gems
If you opt to see crime drama Uncut Gems this Christmas, expect to see Adam Sandler in a role unlike any you've ever seen him in before. (Pssst: Some are even calling it his "best work ever.")
Bombshell
Inspired by the 2016 sexual harassment allegations against the late Fox News CEO Roger Ailes, Bombshell stars Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly, Nicole Kidman as Gretchen Carlson, and Margot Robbie as a fictional news producer.
Jumanji: The Next Level
If you enjoyed 2017's Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, you'll love its sequel: In Jumanji: The Next Level, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, and the rest of the cast return as the gang goes back to Jumanji to rescue one of their friends.
Black Christmas
If you're up for something a little spookier this Christmas Day, try this remake of 1974's Black Christmas. The horror movie stars Cary Elwes and follows a college campus where sorority girls are being killed by a mysterious stalker — until they start fighting back.
Knives Out
This "whodunnit" murder mystery flick has quite the star-studded cast — if you choose to see Knives Out this Christmas, expect to see the likes of Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.
Frozen II
Round up the whole family on Christmas Day and go see Disney's Frozen II, which follows Anna, Elsa, and the rest of the gang as they set out to find how Elsa got her powers and try to save the kingdom.
RELATED: 20+ Animated Christmas Movies That Are Just Too Cute
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
In some cities, you might still be able to catch A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood on Christmas. The drama, which is based on the true story of journalist Tom Junod's friendship with Fred Rogers, stars Tom Hanks as Mister Rogers himself.
The Aeronauts
This feature film from Amazon, which is based on the true 1862 story of a meteorologist (Eddie Redmayne) and hot air balloon pilot (Felicity Jones) who attempt to fly higher than any human has before, will be shown in theaters this December. After that, catch it on Amazon Prime Video.
Charlie's Angels
If you still haven't seen Elizabeth Banks' reimagining of Charlie's Angels by the time Christmas rolls around, have no fear — we're guessing the highly anticipated film (which stars Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinska) will still be in some theaters come the holidays.
Last Christmas
Craving something a little more, well, Christmas-y? Check to see if your local theater is still showing November's holiday rom-com Last Christmas starring Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding.
Heather Finn is the content strategy editor at Good Housekeeping, where she heads up the brand's social media strategy and covers entertainment news on everything from ABC's 'The Good Doctor' to Netflix's latest true crime documentaries.
Cute Winter Instagram Captions
Here's When to Take Down Your Christmas Tree
130 Holly-arious Christmas Jokes and Puns
155 Festive Christmas Instagram Captions
