The best Christmas musicals to start with are White Christmas (1954) and The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), both rated U. For something newer, try Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020, PG) or Spirited (2022), a choice for an older audience. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993, PG) is the spooky one, Scrooge (1970, U) is Albert Finney singing Dickens, and Meet Me in St. Louis (1944, U) is here for its winter section alone.
These are all films with the songs built in, not stage shows or concerts. The songs are part of the storytelling, rather than simply a Christmas playlist underneath it.
| Film | Year | UK age guidance | Starring | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Christmas | 1954 | U | Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye | Classic song and dance |
| The Muppet Christmas Carol | 1992 | U | Michael Caine | A family who half-like musicals |
| Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey | 2020 | PG | Forest Whitaker | Colour and invention |
| Spirited | 2022 | See content advice | Will Ferrell, Ryan Reynolds | Big modern numbers |
| The Nightmare Before Christmas | 1993 | PG | Chris Sarandon, Danny Elfman (voices) | The Halloween holdouts |
| Scrooge | 1970 | U | Albert Finney, Alec Guinness | Traditional Dickens with songs |
| Meet Me in St. Louis | 1944 | U | Judy Garland | One great winter sequence |
White Christmas: the classic song-and-dance evening
Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye play two men who performed together in the army during the war and go on to become a successful double act. Michael Curtiz directed, the songs are Irving Berlin's, and Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen complete the quartet.
Watch it for the numbers, from "Sisters" to the title song. The plot is thin and cheerfully so. It was also the first film Paramount released in VistaVision, its widescreen process, and it was shot in colour, which sets it apart from the black-and-white classics it often sits beside at Christmas.
It is a U, and on our scale it scores 64/100 Festive Factor.
White Christmas · Film guide →The Muppet Christmas Carol: the one everyone can follow
Brian Henson directed this 1992 version of Dickens, with Michael Caine as Scrooge.
This is our starting choice for a group with mixed feelings about musicals. The familiar Dickens story gives many viewers a way in, while the songs make room for both jokes and feeling. Do not mistake it for fluff, though. The ghosts still frighten and the sad parts still land, which is why the BBFC's advice mentions mild scary scenes.
It is a U and scores 96/100 Festive Factor.
The Muppet Christmas Carol · Film guide →Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey: for colour and invention
David E. Talbert directed this Netflix musical. Forest Whitaker plays a toymaker who was betrayed by his apprentice years ago and gets his spark back when his granddaughter comes into his life. Keegan-Michael Key, Hugh Bonneville and Anika Noni Rose are also in it.
This is the one for a household that has worn out the usual Christmas musicals. It is a film to look at properly, not one to leave on while you wrap presents.
It runs two hours and is rated PG for threat.
Spirited: for a modern musical comedy
Spirited tells A Christmas Carol from the ghosts' side: the spirits pick a modern-day misanthrope as their next case. Sean Anders directed, with Will Ferrell, Ryan Reynolds and Octavia Spencer. It was made for Apple.
It suits anyone who likes the redemption story but wants it rearranged, with big production numbers and a lot of talking.
Do not treat the shared Dickens source as a guide to suitability. The BBFC's advice for the singalong cinema version flags implied strong language, moderate sex and drug references, and suicide references. Check the rating of the version you plan to watch. At a little over two hours, it is also the longest film here.
The Nightmare Before Christmas: for the spooky contingent
The Nightmare Before Christmas · Film guide →Henry Selick directed this 1993 stop-motion musical, and Tim Burton produced. The ruler of a Halloween world discovers Christmas, decides he would like to run it, and gets it spectacularly wrong.
It is the compromise film for a house where some people want Christmas and others have not finished with Halloween. The songs and the design matter as much as the festive setting.
It is rated PG for mild scary scenes. The creepy look is the point, so make it part of the decision rather than a surprise.
Scrooge: for the live-action traditionalist
Scrooge · Film guide →Look for Scrooge (1970), directed by Ronald Neame, with Albert Finney in the title role and Alec Guinness, Edith Evans and Kenneth More in the cast. The BBFC files it as a musical and rates it U for mild language and horror.
If you want Dickens in live action, with songs, this is it. Leslie Bricusse wrote the songs, including "Thank You Very Much". It makes an interesting second film after the Muppet version: same story, very different cast, both singing.
Do not confuse it with Scrooge, the 1951 film starring Alastair Sim. That is a different adaptation, without the musical numbers.
Meet Me in St. Louis: for one great winter sequence
Vincente Minnelli's 1944 musical follows a family in St. Louis through the year before the 1904 World's Fair, dreading a move to New York. Judy Garland stars. Christmas is only its winter section, but the AFI lists Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas among the songs the film introduced that became standards.
Save it for an afternoon when nobody minds waiting for the Christmas part. It is a U and scores 44/100 Festive Factor.
Meet Me in St. Louis · Film guide →Which Christmas musical should you choose?
For classic showmanship, White Christmas. For a family that knows the story, The Muppet Christmas Carol. For something that looks different, Jingle Jangle or The Nightmare Before Christmas.
If someone says they do not like musicals, ask which bit. Somebody who finds old-fashioned stagecraft stiff might still get on with Spirited.
