Christmas is a special holiday when the whole family gathers, exchanges gifts, and relaxes. Of course, this doesn’t always happen, as every family has its own traditions and customs. Nonetheless, Christmas is full of surprises! This is reflected in our selection of the best Christmas movies, featuring characters with their own dreams and desires, where the holiday season turns reality into something unexpected and sometimes magical.

«Home Alone», 1990

A Christmas classic, the story of eight-year-old Kevin McCallister shows how his wish to be left alone without his annoying siblings comes true. Waking up in an empty house, he realizes his family accidentally left for Europe on their Christmas vacation without him.

While Kevin enjoys his newfound independence, a couple of petty thieves have their eyes on his festive home. The boy must defend his house and hope his family returns soon.

«Curly Sue», 1991

Bill Dancer and his adoptive daughter Susan are ordinary drifters who use clever tricks to survive. They sleep in shelters, warm up in churches, borrow food from diners, and con wealthy people. On Christmas Eve, they find themselves in Chicago, where they encounter some true blessings of fate.

«Borrowed Hearts», 1997

Caitlin and her daughter Zoey dream of having their own home. Just before Christmas, they meet a man named Sam, who is wealthy and quite charming. He needs to close a deal with Mexican businessman Xavier Del Campo, but there’s a catch — Del Campo distrusts bachelors. Sam comes up with a solution, offering Caitlin and Zoey a generous reward to pretend to be his family during the holidays.

«How the Grinch Stole Christmas», 2000

The residents of Whoville love Christmas, celebrating it every year with decorations and gifts. But one creature doesn’t share this joy — the grumpy Grinch. As a child, he was teased for his unusual appearance, causing him to isolate himself in the mountains with his dog Max. He grows to hate everyone, especially during the holiday season. One day, the Grinch decides to destroy Christmas forever.

«Love Actually», 2003

As Christmas approaches, the city is enveloped in a cozy and happy atmosphere, familiar to those in love. This feeling touches everyone. The fewer days left until Christmas, the stronger the urge each character feels to be close to their loved ones. The movie «Love Actually» explores this emotion through nine interwoven stories, with characters connected in various ways.

«Surviving Christmas», 2004

Drew Latham, a billionaire with everything he could want, lacks friends, a wife, or family due to his difficult personality. On Christmas, he feels especially lonely. Wandering the streets, he arrives at his childhood home, now occupied by strangers. Drew offers the new family a generous sum to pretend to be his relatives for the holidays.

«Four Christmases», 2008

Brad and Kate planned to celebrate Christmas in Fiji. However, their trip is canceled, and they are invited to four separate family gatherings — each parent is divorced. As they visit each family, the young couple’s life is forever changed.

«A Bad Moms Christmas», 2017

Christmas is a time for relaxation, but not for moms. Amy, Carla, and Kiki have endless tasks — buying and wrapping gifts, decorating the house, and more. But things get more complicated when their own mothers unexpectedly show up, taking control of all the preparations. Escaping the supervision and judgments is tough, but Christmas is for everyone, and anyone can celebrate on their own terms.

«Last Christmas», 2019

Kate, who underwent heart surgery, struggles with insecurities and works in a Christmas shop dressed as an elf. The only person who seems to understand her is George Michael, as Kate claims they are alike. Unexpectedly, a charming man named Tom enters her life. Though attractive and kind, Tom also has his secrets.

«Falling for Christmas», 2022

Sierra Belmont, a spoiled heiress of a ski resort tycoon, lives a dull and predictable life. After an accident leaves her with amnesia, the local hospital staff is unsure how to handle her. A small hotel owner takes her in, introducing her to the warm and cozy world of a simple family where mutual understanding, support, and love reign.

Photos: Netflix, stills from «Home Alone», «Curly Sue», «Borrowed Hearts», «How the Grinch Stole Christmas», «Love Actually», «Surviving Christmas», «Four Christmases», «A Bad Moms Christmas», «Last Christmas», «Falling for Christmas».

The IMDb portal has released its lists of the most popular actors, movies, and TV shows of 2024.

Topping the list of actors is American actress Sydney Sweeney, best known for her role in the romantic film Anyone But You, which premiered last winter. Her other notable projects include Euphoria and Madame Web.

Second place went to Ella Purnell, who starred in Fallout, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, and Churchill.

The third spot was taken by Cristin Milioti, whose work can be seen in How I Met Your Mother, The Penguin, Black Mirror, and more.

In fourth place is Eiza González, recognized for her roles in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw.

Fifth place went to Glenn Powell, Sydney Sweeney’s co-star in Anyone But You. He also appeared in The Bad Guys, Jaws, and The Dark Knight Rises.

Rounding out the top ten are Barry Keoghan, Nicola Coughlan, Eve Hewson, Dafne Keen, and Rebecca Ferguson.

The most popular film of the year is the superhero action Deadpool and Wolverine. Following it is Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two. While sequels dominate the list, there are original titles as well, such as the body horror film Substance, starring Demi Moore.

The full top ten movies are:

• Deadpool and Wolverine
• Dune: Part Two
• Furiosa: Mad Max Saga
• Joker: Folie à Deux
• Alien: Romulus
• Substance
• Uprising of the States
• Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
• Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
• Tallman

The top TV show of the year is True Detective, thanks to its fourth season featuring Jodie Foster, which premiered earlier this year. Second place went to the superhero series The Boys, and third to The Penguin starring Colin Farrell.

The full list of top TV shows is:

• True Detective
• The Boys
• The Penguin
• Fallout
• House of the Dragon
• Shōgun
• Bridgerton
• The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
• The Gentlemen
• The Three-Body Problem

The rankings for movies and TV shows are based on data from IMDb’s MOVIEmeter and STARmeter, which track the page views of over 250 million monthly users. This means the lists reflect viewer engagement rather than project ratings.

Photo: Netflix