If you have some time out over the Christmas holiday break then it's the ideal time to watch some of the best festive movies – whether as a whole family or when the kids've gone to bed – from across the range of the best streaming services.
But sometimes something doesn't have to be actually good to be, y'know, good. That's why I've been scouring Rotten Tomatoes' Christmas movies list to find the five supposedly worst Christmas films streaming – with scores so low they seem to defy logic.
Each of the five selected has landed a 49% rating or less. I think the majority of entries here are particularly surprising – and there were plenty of others in close contention, too, from Miracle on 34th Street (1994) on 60%, to Home Alone (1990) at 66%, or Love Actually (2003) at 64%.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
- Release year: 2000
- BBFC / MPAA rating: PG / PG-13
- Rotten Tomatoes rating: 49% (critics score)
- Available to stream on: Netflix
It may not be Dr Seuss's 1967 animated classic How The Grinch Stole Christmas, and it certainly couldn't be called a true classic in this turn-of-the-millennium format, but there's a lot to love about Jim Carrey's take on the Grinch in Ron Howard's movie adaptation.
Quirky is probably the kindest way to put it, but the kids will love the Grinch's peculiar green face and frankly odd antics, while adults will smirk at the sheer madness of the whole series of events. It's a fun movie – and many consider it a classic.
Despite some darker undertones, there's still a warm heart at the centre of this Grinch adaptation – and that's what makes a Christmas movie Christmasy – which ensures it's a family-friendly affair. But a mere 49% score? C'mon!
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
- Release year: 1992
- BBFC / MPAA rating: PG / PG
- Rotten Tomatoes rating: 35% (critics score)
- Available to stream on: Disney+
I shed a little tear to learn that the Home Alone sequel, Lost in New York, which was released in 1992, scored a mere 35% on Rotten Tomatoes from critics.
The original and this sequel are, in my opinion, utter Christmas classics. Sure, we can ignore any version thereafter – but the first pair are cult classics. It's a feel-good movie that reflects the cheer of the festive period – especially in this movie's snowy New York setting.
Sure, any sequel to Macaulay Culkin's classic first outing was going to be hard to follow. And when you watch it back, the degree of violence inflicted upon bad guys Harry and Marv wouldn't pass the sensors with a PG rating these days, but that marks it out all the more as a movie of its time. The 90s, eh? What a time to be alive.
Jingle All The Way
- Release year: 1996
- BBFC / MPAA rating: PG / PG
- Rotten Tomatoes rating: 20% (critics score)
- Available to stream on: Disney+
I'm not purporting that Arnie's performance in Jingle All The Way is in any way quality, but it's often hilarious – and every time this movie comes on TV I feel inclined to Watch It All The Way through. That's despite it landing a pretty terrible 20% score on Rotten Tomatoes from critics, with viewers not far behind – at 43% approved.
Once this might have been the closest thing we'd get to a Christmas superhero movie – a gap clearly spotted by 2024's Red One, which is dominating charts. Still, Jingle's out-and-out awfulness won't be grasped by the kiddos, yet your eyes will remain glued to the screen for the sheer hilarity of it all. It's worth it just to hear Arnie utter 'Turbo Man' umpteen times, really...
Jack Frost
- Release year: 1998
- BBFC / MPAA rating: PG / PG
- Rotten Tomatoes rating: 19% (critics score)
- Available to stream on: Netflix
This is one of Michael Keaton's worst-rated movies ever – at least according to Rotten Tomatoes, where it lands just 19% – and you don't want to confuse this Jack Frost with the unrelated Christmas horror movie that came before it in 1997. Although I can see how you might, as this is not exactly a cheery nor light-spirited film.
But despite those points, I feel Jack Frost is a seasonal route into addressing issues about family, about loss, about the idealism of success, and ultimately about growing up in the modern world. If you're having one of 'those days' then don't rule it out, its 40% audience score shows there's still a little bit of festive love for it...
Deck The Halls
- Release year: 2006
- BBFC / MPAA rating: PG / PG
- Rotten Tomatoes rating: 6% (critics score)
- Available to stream on: Amazon Prime Video
Well, we have a winner! I watched Deck the Halls over Christmas last year and, yes, it is indeed a terrible movie. But as a feel-good and entirely silly Christmas flick it's a great and easy watch. That Danny DeVito also stars gives it added appeal, as he's such a classic star.
The premise is about neighbours who ultimately get into 'Christmas lights wars', trying to take their homes to the next level (like view-it-from-space levels). If you live in an area like mine then I'm sure you'll be able to entirely relate to that.
As bad as Deck the Halls gets there's always some compelling reason to remain watching – even if just to see whether you agree with its unbeatably low 6% Rotten Tomatoes score!
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