**TL;DR - There are such good Christmas movies out there, but Love Actually is a firm fan favourite** A film that can make you laugh, cry, sing and feel festive? IT IS ALL IN LOVE ACTUALLY. This Richard Curtis classic is full of amazing actors and great stories. Forget Home Alone and Elf, although they are great Christmas movies, no film is as gripping and re-watchable as Love Actually. This film is layered with different stories that all overlap in someway making it not only a good Christmas movie but a good movie regardless of what time of year it is. Unlike most Christmas movies, this film allows the audience to experience Christmas through different angles, not just a predictable festive feature film. Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Liam Neeson, Bill Nighy and Rowan Atkinson are just a handful of the stars who play great roles in this movie. I think an important criteria of a Christmas movie is how re-watchable is it? And how does it fair compared to non-Christmas movies? Love Actually excels in both of these aspects. It is multifaceted and allows the audience to take different things away from it each time you view it. In addition to this Love Actually has had a huge cultural impact. In the 2019 general election, close to Christmas in the U.K, now prime minister Boris Johnson parodied a scene from this movie in his [election campaign.] (https://www.businessinsider.com/boris-johnson-parodied-love-actually-in-campaign-ad-supporting-brexit-2019-12?r=US&IR=T). This shows just how much people appreciate this movie and reference it around the festive season! Great actors, great story lines, great dialogue and great songs? What other Christmas film can compete?

**TL:DR: The Grinch is the best Christmas film.** Whilst I agree that Love Actually is definitely up there in terms of the best Christmas films, I just love the Grinch too much to not rank it the best Christmas film. Whilst I do enjoy Love Actually, I feel as though it's not a film I can watch over and over again. Looking at stats alone, Ron Howard's _How the Grinch Stole Christmas_ grossed $363 million worldwide and was the sixth-highest grossing film overall in the year 2000. Surely its economic success alone is a testament to how great it is? The film for me screams childhood nostalgia and memories of Christmas in my early childhood. Plus, the film stars household name actor Jim Carrey, who makes the film so enjoyable. He really brings the Grinch to life and puts his own take on the character. The Grinch is the best film because it is lighthearted, hilarious, and is an embodiment of sarcastic witty humour.

**TL;DR** - **It may not strictly be a 'Christmas Film' but Shrek is always on at Christmas.** This could be a very personal and unique thing, but I do find myself watching Shrek almost every Christmas. I have no idea why apart from the fact that it always seems to be on and it is a great film. I think the first I ever watched it might have been at Christmas so perhaps that explains it. Nevertheless, as a film, Shrek has it all: action, drama, romance and music. I mean, who doesn't know the iconic 'Allstar' by Smash Mouth. Perhaps I should better define it as Shrek is my favourite film to watch at Christmas, but for me it comes under a broader heading of Christmas film.

**TL;DR: Love Actually has not aged well** The best Christmas movie is a movie that can stand the test of time; that is ageless, eternally relevant, and infinitely rewatchable. It should conjure up fuzzy feelings of nostalgia and Christmases past, whilst continuing to excite and bring joy to viewers. The problem with _Love Actually_ is that it has become outdated. Early noughties humour doesn’t quite have the same appeal as it once did, and some people accuse the film of being offensive, especially in its [treatment of women](https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/love-actually-is-the-worst). _Love Actually_ has a bad record when it comes to [casual misogyny](https://www.ranker.com/list/disturbing-love-actually-plots/setareh-janda). Male characters repeatedly objectify female characters, making sexual and fatphobic jokes. In pretty much every romantic couple, the woman is passive. The Prime Minister’s tea lady, Natalie, loses her job and is ostracised by the Prime Minister for being sexually harassed at work. And last but not least, one man’s stalking of a female character (Mark and Juliet) is romanticised as a grand gesture. Even one of the film’s star’s, [Lulu Popplewell](https://www.cosmopolitanme.com/life/love-actually-star-slams-the-film-as-cheesy-and-sexist) (First Lobster), has spoken out against the film for its sexist themes. For many a modern audience, these reasons make _Love Actually_ difficult to watch, disrupting their enjoyment of the film. _Love Actually_ therefore does not have that timeless quality essential to the best Christmas films.