With just one month to go until Christmas Day, we take a look at the most popular movies to sit down and watch this festive period to get you into the Christmas spirit
Tis the season to wrap yourself under a blanket, snuggle by the fire and settle down to watch a Christmas movie, but what films are on people’s Christmas watch list this year? Does Hugh Grant and Emma Thompson’s Love Actually take the top spot? And what about Home Alone, that’s got to be in there, right? Apparently not, in fact they don’t even make the top 10 – according to what people are searching for on Google.
Starring Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz, The Holiday from 2006 is the UK’s most Googled Christmas film, with 29,907 monthly searches on average. The Holiday was filmed in the small Surrey towns of Godalming and Shere and is a lovely place to go for a winter break if you’re looking for some inspiration. You can even stay in the exact cottage used for filming, as it’s available to hire on Airbnb.
It’s a Wonderful Life came in second place – proving that sometimes the oldies are the best. Dating back to 1946, It’s a Wonderful Life has 15,323 Google searches on average per month across the UK. Loosely based on the 1843 Charles Dickens novel A Christmas Carol, the film is about a man who has given up his personal dreams in order to help others in his community.
Arthur Christmas from 2011 comes in at third place with 14,570 monthly searches on average. This Aardman film centres on Arthur Claus (voiced by James McAvoy), the younger son of Santa Claus, who discovers that his father’s high-tech ship has failed to deliver one girl’s present. Along with his grandfather, a Christmas elf and a team of reindeer, he embarks on a mission to deliver the girl’s present in the early morning hours of Christmas Day.
At number four is Wonka which was only released last year in 2023 and has around 13,391 searches per month. The musical fantasy comedy film tells the origin story of Willy Wonka, a central character in the 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. Starring Matt Lucas, Rowan Atkinson, Olivia Colman and Hugh Grant the film did well at the box office, ending 2023 as the top movie and grossing over $600 million (£477m) globally.
Bad Santa from 2003 is in fifth place, with an average of 10,054 Google searches across the UK every month. The story is about a miserable conman (Billy Bob Thornton) and his partner pose as Santa and his Little Helper to rob department stores on Christmas Eve. But they run into problems when the conman befriends a troubled kid.
Little Women from 2019 is the sixth most Googled Christmas film, with 9,425 searches on average each month. Starring Emma Watson and Florence Pugh, the film is set in 19th century Massachusetts and focusses on the March sisters – Jo, Meg, Amy, and Beth as they develop from children into women. The film is admired for its powerful story of female ambition, superb acting and beautiful costumes and set design.
In seventh place is the 2003 film Elf, with 9,045 searches per month on average. Starring Will Ferrell as Buddy, this film is a family favourite that will leave you feeling warm inside – even on the coldest of days. It focuses on Buddy, an oversized elf who travels from the North Pole to New York City to find his biological father.
Next in eighth place is another oldie – the 1988 film Scrooged, with 7,526 monthly Google searches on average. It’s a dark adaptation of the Christmas classic but the central message remains the same. Bill Murray plays Frank Cross – a modern day Ebeneezer Scrooge who is a selfish TV executive who is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve.
While some people are debating whether it’s even a Christmas movie at all, Shazam! ranks ninth on the list, averaging 5,118 searches every month. The film follows teenager Billy Batson as he is chosen by the ancient wizard Shazam to be his new champion by saying the name “Shazam”, allowing him to transform into an adult superhero. It’s not your typical Christmas film but it is set during Christmas and is a fun movie with a feel good vibe.
Last but not least – completing the UK’s most Googled Christmas films is The Family Man from 2000, with 4,543 searches on average per month. And despite their popularity in the holiday season, Home Alone from 1990 placed 50th in the ranking, and Love Actually from 2003 placed 58th. A spokesperson from SolitaireBliss commented on the findings. “With this list featuring films dating as far back as 1988, it is clear that the festive season is all about enjoying the classics, as well as more recent films, such as Wonka and Little Women”.
