The best Christmas films, TV & books

A contemporary retelling of the nativity set in modern England grounds the Christmas story in the recognisable present.

A boy banned from music finds belonging and wonder in a vividly realised world beyond the living.

Tony Stark's world is torn apart by a terrorist, launching an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution.

A young conman's elaborate deceptions across America give a classic FBI cat-and-mouse chase its festive edge.

Paranormal investigators face malicious spirits haunting a single mother's north London home.

A boy gains the power to become an adult superhero with a single magic word — pure wish-fulfilment fantasy.

Kevin ends up alone in New York, outwitting criminals with ingenuity and his dad's credit card.

A globe-trotting rescue mission to save a kidnapped Santa pairs action-movie energy with festive absurdity.

A former Avenger and a young archer reluctantly team up to get home for Christmas, chaos escalating at every turn.

Holiday-makers at an all-inclusive resort generate reliably warm, anarchic comedy far from home.

A high-school boy's unease around Christmas transforms into one last, tentative chance at connection.

A reality dating show's naked-stranger premise delivers awkwardness with an unexpected competitive twist.

A spy's double life unravels at Christmas when her lover is murdered and vengeance becomes the mission.

Santa's fading magic forces Scott Calvin to confront what it truly means to be both Father Christmas and a father.

A teenage girl's wish to reunite her parents pulls a time-traveller into a story of second chances.

Two people who love each other but can't say so orbit each other, trapped by uncertainty.

An origin story for Santa Claus rooted in ancient forests and intertwining roots — mythology before the mythology.

A spoiled rich girl's Christmas turns dangerous when someone begins stalking her — seasonal horror with a sharp edge.

When Santa falls ill, Pete the cat steps up to save Christmas in this cheerful, uncomplicated rescue story.

The six mean Herdman kids become involved in a community Christmas pageant and upend every expectation.

A mouse's luggage mix-up across New York City turns holiday gift-hunting into a breathless city-wide chase.

A woman's fierce determination to give birth against all odds, told in the setting of a strange club.

A detective investigates killing in the final weeks of 2058 — holiday darkness set in a future where murder persists.

A short story probing love, loss, and questions about Irish identity — resonant and quietly devastating.