Best Christmas movie ever confirmed as you can vote on favourite festive flick

It turns out there is a definitive answer to the question of what the best Christmas movie of all time is - and you can use this interactive to find the perfect festive film to watch with your family

It's time to bring out the festive flicks(Image: New Line Productions)

Everyone's got their go-to festive flick, but if you're in a pickle about what to watch this Christmas, we've got the data-driven answer to keep all the family happy. Crunching numbers from Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB, we've sussed out the crème de la crème of Yuletide films.

Taking the crown is the 1946 heart-warmer It's A Wonderful Life, starring Jimmy Stewart as a down-on-his-luck businessman who gets a celestial nudge from his guardian angel. Despite its seemingly gloomy start, it's become an absolute must-watch that still captivates viewers.

Rotten Tomatoes gushes that it's "the holiday classic to define all holiday classics" and a film that's worth popping on once a year at least. Critics have given it a 94% "fresh" rating, while audiences have pushed it to a 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes, and it's bagged an impressive 8.6/10 on IMDB.

That's top-notch by any standard. Hot on its heels is the 2019 animated gem Klaus, which spins a yarn about a postie who pals up with a toy-making hermit.

Is Die Hard really a Christmas film?(Image: 20th Century Fox)

And don't miss out on The Holdovers, a fresh release that's already third on the list, featuring Paul Giamatti as a grumpy teacher who ends up bonding with a smart yet troubled kid during the festive season.

Rotten Tomatoes has hailed a certain cook in a movie as a "thought provoking dramedy for viewers seeking a dialogue-driven movie with a throwback feel". Other flicks hitting the top 10 include Jimmy Stewart's The Shop Around The Corner, Bruce Willis's iconic Yuletide thriller Die Hard, the sidesplitting Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine starer The Apartment, and Tim Burton’s darkly whimsical The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Check out our nifty interactive gizmo to zero in on your perfect Christmas watch. Just check the scores, scope out a genre, actor, or era, and snag the crème de la crème for a festive film night – whether you're after an action-packed number to give Die Hard a run for its money, a rom-com that'll knock Love Actually off its perch, or a kiddie treat to outshine Elf.

However, the data also highlights some festive flicks you might want to give a miss. According to Rotten Tomatoes, the 2006 comedy Deck The Halls, featuring Matthew Broderick and Danny Devito, was the least favourite among critics, while audiences most disliked the 2016 film Red Christmas, which stars Dee Wallace as a mother defending her family from a grotesquely disfigured killer.

IMDB users, on the other hand, selected The Mean One, a 2022 horror about a Santa suit-clad, Christmas-loathing murderer, as the worst-rated holiday film. But when all the scores are tallied, Deck The Halls ties for the title of worst Christmas film with A Merry Friggin’ Christmas (2014), featuring the late Robin Williams, which was equally panned by audiences and critics.

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