Christmas season brings joy, presents and more importantly, movies.  The best movies of all time are Christmas movies, and they vary from comedy, to action, to romance. There are numerous great Christmas movies but here are the five I like best.

5. Die Hard

People every year around Christmas time debate whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie or not.  Since it is such a great movie I decided to put it on the list anyway. The movie came out back in 1988 and is a mystery, thriller, action movie starring Bruce Willis. “Die Hard is one of my favorite movies. I love all the action and none of the other Die Hard movies are as good as the original one,” junior Ethan Kuan said.

4. Elf

This might be an interesting choice for the top five, but I especially loved this movie. Elf isn’t just a great movie for kids, but for all ages. It’s a comedy, fantasy, romance movie that stars Will Ferrel as Buddy. The movie is about how Buddy was accidentally transported to the North Pole as a toddler and raised to adulthood among Santa’s elves. “Elf is such an underrated Christmas movie, and it’s my favorite,” sophomore Daniel Sun said.

3. Home Alone

Home Alone is still one of the best Christmas movies even though it came out back in 1990. When I was younger, I watched this movie thousands of times with my sisters on Christmas, and it was my favorite Christmas movie until just a few years ago. The movie is about Kevin McCalister, played by Macaulay Culkin, who acts out the night before his family takes a trip to Paris. Kevin wishes he could have no family, and the day his family leaves for the trip he is left behind and his wish comes true. He then quickly realizes two con men plan to rob his house and he alone must protect it.

2. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, released in 1989, might not be the best-made Christmas movie but is definitely one of the funniest. This is the third of the National Lampoon vacation movies with the original being National Lampoon vacation (1983) and National Lampoon European Vacation (1985). As the holidays approach, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) wants to have a perfect family Christmas, so he pesters his wife, Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo), and children, as he tries to make sure everything is in line, including the tree and house decorations. However, things go askew quickly.

1. It’s A Wonderful Life

Even though the movie came out back in 1946 it’s still not just the best Christmas movie of all time, but is one of the best movies of all time. James Stewart gives his most iconic performance as George Bailey, a banker who discovers the value of his life thanks to a visit from his guardian angel. This fantasy drama has not lost its power through the decades and is one of the most inspiring movies of all time. “This movie is a must watch for everyone. Me and my family watch it every Christmas,” freshman Emma Karcz said.