One of the greatest parts of the holiday season is sitting around watching the myriad of classic Christmas movies. There are so many that can be classified as essential viewing for fans of cheery cinema, but a recent poll has shown that one particular Christmas pic stands above the rest – and it’s quite possible that it’s exactly the one you expected.
National Today has revealed that the 1990 family comedy Home Alone is most widely considered the best holiday film there is. The movie stars a young Macaulay Culkin as Kevin, an eight-year-old who’s at home by himself for Christmas after his parents accidentally leave for a vacation without him. When a pair of burglars (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) aim to break into Kevin’s house, he takes it upon himself to rig up a series of elaborate traps to fend them off.
Critics and viewers alike have long praised Culkin’s adorable performance, the clever traps that his character designs, and the general humor of the film, so it’s not difficult to see why it’d rank at the top for most people. It was also nominated for a variety of awards and held the record for the highest-grossing live-action comedy ever until The Hangover Part II finally stole its crown in 2011.
But what other films ranked high on the poll? Well, unsurprisingly, How the Grinch Stole Christmas snagged second place, followed by The Polar Express in third. Further down the list, Netflix’s The Christmas Chronicles came in fourth, and the Will Ferrell comedy Elf found its way to fifth.
You can see the full Top 10 below:
1. Home Alone
2. How The Grinch Stole Christmas
3. The Polar Express
4. Christmas Chronicles
5. Elf
6. The Nightmare Before Christmas
7. Die Hard
8. The Santa Clause
9. Love Actually
10. The Princess Switch
Tell us, though, do you agree that Home Alone is the best Christmas movie there is? Or is there one you like better? Let us know in the comments below.