Summary

• Santa Claus movies have been a staple of the holiday season for over a century, with Santa appearing as both the lead character and a side character in various Christmas films.
• While Santa is not in every holiday-themed movie, he is a central figure in several memorable ones, such as "The Santa Clause" and "The Polar Express."
• Santa Claus movies offer a mix of genres, from kids' comedies like "Elf" to horror films like "Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2," providing options for different tastes during the holiday season.

As the ultimate holiday icon, Santa Claus movies share a dominant place in many fan-favorite Christmas releases. Santa has been in movies almost since the dawn of cinema, his first appearance coming in a short film called Santa Claus Filling Stockings in 1897, less than a decade after the very first known movie in recorded history. Since that time, Santa has been a huge part of the holiday movie season, both as the lead character in movies delving into the life of the figure to a side character in stories about regular, everyday people during Christmas.

Be he an arbiter of Christmas cheer alongside Buddy in the great kids' Christmas comedy Elf or working to save both the holiday season and his relationship with his son in The Santa Clause, he helps to make each Christmas season magical. Of course, Santa Claus isn't in every holiday-themed movie, but he's definitely in several of the more memorable ones. From a teen in over his head in Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town to a widely revered saint in The Polar Express, Santa Claus movies have entertained fans for over a century, and don't appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

22 Santa Baby (2006)

Starring Jenny McCarthy As Santa's Daughter

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Rather than focusing on Santa and his traditional business of delivering toys, it instead focuses on his daughter, who is a high-powered businesswoman. The movie sees Santa fall ill, which leaves it all up to his daughter to drop everything and run to the North Pole to take over. Of course, there's an ample amount of romance sprinkled in for some added flair. Jenny McCarthy plays the role of the daughter, and, with Ivan Sergei as her romantic interest, it is hard not to love this film's storyline.

21 The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006)

Martin Short s The Franchise As Jack Frost

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When it comes to comedies, critical scores are often based on a particular sense of humor. When it comes to The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, critics didn't appreciate the humor of the movie, so it remains poorly reviewed. However, it is a fun Santa Claus movie that deserves a better reputation. It is Martin Short who steels the show here as Jack Frost. He is a man who is jealous of Santa and wants the role for himself. Of course, when he gets it, everything goes wrong, and Scott is there to reverse the magic and save Christmas. This marked the end for over a decade before The Santa Clauses brought it back with a Disney+ series.

20 The Santa Clause 2 (2002)

The Sequel To The Tim Allen Hit Santa Claus Movie

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This is the first sequel to The Santa Clause, and it was not nearly as well-received as the first movie. The first film drew a crowd, while the second was more of a bust with lackluster reviews and diminishing box office. Santa was told in this film that he had to find a wife before Christmas or he would lose his status. However, with limited time and Christmas around the corner, it seems like an impossible task. It is still a great movie to watch around the holidays, but there are some others about Santa himself that are even better.

19 Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (1987)

A Cult Classic Santa Claus Horror Movie

• Stream now on AMC+

A quintessential so-bad-its-good Christmas horror movie, Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 — which is more or less a recut of the first movie with a few added segments — is perfect for those who aren't in a holly jolly mood. Telling the tale of a man named Ricky who is compelled to go on a killing spree following the death of his parents at the hands of a man dressed as Santa, it's a gruesome film that only gets weirder as it goes on. Santa himself isn't technically in the film, and the men dressed as him are anything but merry. Still, for those looking for an alternative approach to the traditional Santa story, Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 delivers.

18 Jingle All The Way (1996)

Arnold Schwarzenegger & Sinbad In A Santa Claus Movie

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In a desperate bid to find a Turboman doll for his son before Christmas, Howard Langston, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, must quest across Minneapolis and embark on all sorts of weird adventures to secure his last-minute gift. In a subversion of typical holiday film tropes, the Santa Clauses Langston meets are all nefarious con men, and, faced with no other option, he's at one point forced to fight his way out of an entire warehouse full of them. It's a strange combination of comedy, chaos, and Christmas, and it's a memorable film role for the typically jolly Saint Nick.

17 The Polar Express (2004)

Robert Zemeckis Motion Capture Santa Claus Movie

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The Polar Express is a quintessential Christmas classic, but it's also filled with a lot of stranger filler moments that detract from the overall holiday theme. It is about a boy who boards a magical train to see the North Pole, and he meets several other young children along the way. They come across many complications and learn new things about one another before finally having a chance to sit on Santa's lap. It is warm and heartfelt, but, at times, it did drag at times, and the aged CGI and mysterious vagrant lent a creepy tinge to affairs.

16 Get Santa (2014)

A British Christmas Comedy

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Santa's sleigh crash lands and ends up in someone's garage. He is subsequently arrested, but a boy and his father go on a mission to save the day. Many different groups come together to save Christmas, and Santa learns how to survive while in prison. Viewers find themselves laughing throughout the entire film, as it is fun for the whole family. It's too recent and obscure to be deemed a classic, but those looking for a laugh this holiday season won't be disappointed.

15 Noelle (2019)

Anna Kendrick As Santa Claus' Daughter

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Anna Kendrick stars in this Disney movie about Santa Claus, his family, and the North Pole community. This movie follows the legacy of Santa Claus throughout his family, and the job is now in the hands of Santa's son, portrayed by Bill Hader. The only problem is that Hader's character does not feel that he's up to the job, as his training is going terribly, and he hates cold weather, so he runs away to a warmer climate. His sister, Noelle, who has always loved the Christmas spirit and felt a connection to her father Santa, has to try to bring him back before Christmas. IMDb ranks this as one of the best Christmas movies of the 2010s.

14 The Christmas Chronicles (2018)

Kurt Russell In The Netflix Santa Claus Franchise

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This Netflix movie sees Kurt Russell as Santa Claus and follows two young children who sneak onto his sleigh while he's dropping off their presents on Christmas Eve. The sleigh crashes, and the two children have to help Santa find his magical hat, keep track of all the presents, find the reindeer, and get him back on track, so he can successfully do his job. It's a fun movie that centers on Santa and was successful enough to have a sequel that was released in 2020. It was a surprising addition and one of Netflix's best Santa Claus movies, spawning a franchise with a sequel and the possibility of a third movie.

13 Violent Night (2022)

David Harbour In An R-Rated Santa Claus Action Movie

Stream now on Prime Video

Imagine if Santa Claus was a man who rewarded the good kids, but punished the bad without remorse. That describes jolly ole Saint Nick in VIolent Night. The movie stars David Harbour (Stranger Things) as a very different Santa Claus. When a little girl in danger calls him for help, he shows up and kills all the villains in the most violent ways possible. The movie is great fun, never taking itself seriously. It offers a lot of great kills, which might not be what everyone wants in the best Santa Claus movies, but it makes this one of the best ones for adults to watch and enjoy. It might be one of the most entertaining Christmas movies of the 2020s so far.