When it comes to the holiday season, there are often debates about the best Christmas movies fall into those exact categories.
There are a variety of shorts that appeal to kids, others that appeal to adults, and still more that appeal to the whole family. The best Christmas-themed short movies can fall into any of those categories, and surprisingly, many of them are even animated.
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15 Trolls Holiday (2017)
A Fun Take On A New Franchise’s Holiday Celebrations
Trolls Holiday
Cast
Anna Kendrick
Justin Timberlake
Christopher Mintz-Plasse
- Release Date
- November 1, 2017
- Directors
- Joel Crawford
- Writers
- Jonathan Fener
Trolls is one of the newest animated franchises made for kids. While the movies in the franchise are largely jukebox musicals, featuring pop songs that adults in the audience might know more than the kids, the holiday shorts in the franchise both aired on NBC before becoming available on other platforms. The first of the two holiday specials is arguably the better of the two.
In this installment of the Trolls franchise, Poppy wants to bring troll holiday traditions to the Bergens. The Bergens are former enemies of the trolls who are just learning to celebrate in ways that do not involve destroying whole troll settlements. Poppy’s Bergen friend Bridget becomes overwhelmed by all of the traditions that Poppy tries to teach her, and it leads to some anger and resentment between the two.
Ultimately, the short demonstrates that there are going to be different traditions among loved ones and that there has to be a middle ground during the holidays if everyone’s traditions are to be respected or if new traditions are to be made. It’s a great lesson for kids who might be used to doing things only one way and a great reminder for adults who might be stuck in their ways. Of course, in true Trolls fashion, it also features a great soundtrack.
14 H&M’s Come Together: A Fashion Picture in Motion (2016)
A Commercial Makes For A Whimsical Christmas Tale
...a wonderful short piece of art that anyone even remotely familiar with Anderson’s style will enjoy.
It’s rare for holiday commercials to become beloved. Instead, they often become fodder for internet memes or simply lost to time. 2016’s H&M commercial is something special though. Not only is it directed by Wes Anderson in his signature style, but it also stars Adrien Brody as a train conductor.
It features Brody’s Conductor having to announce to the engers on an old-fashioned train that their journey is going to be delayed - by more than 11 hours. In true Wes Anderson fashion, Brody then opens a window and uses a hook to snag a bag of supplies from someone at a station the train is ing in the snow. The bag helps him to turn the dining car into a festive party for the engers, bringing all of these strangers who are missing their holiday gatherings together.
It’s one of the few times a holiday commercial from a major company feels like it could actually be part of a longer movie. It’s also one of the few times the audience is not really paying attention to the product being d (all of the clothing) because they’re more interested in the heart-warming actions of the conductor. It’s a wonderful short piece of art that anyone even remotely familiar with Anderson’s style will enjoy.
13 Olaf’s Frozen Adventures (2017)
A Heartwarming Story Of Finding Holiday Traditions
Frozen has become one of the biggest franchises that Disney has in the modern age. It’s easy for anyone who is not a child singing the songs from the movie on repeat to get tired of the music and the characters. Despite that, the team behind Frozen has also produced some fantastically endearing short films.
In this one, Anna and Elsa are all ready to celebrate their first holiday season with Arendelle’s gates open to the outside world. They realize, however, that they do not have any holiday traditions of their own, and Elsa blames herself because she kept herself isolated from Anna to protect her for so long. Olaf makes it his mission to learn about other people’s traditions to see if he can find some the sisters can borrow.
Not only is this the kind of short that teaches young audience about different kinds of traditions during the winter holidays, but it also demonstrates that not all families have to have huge and elaborate celebrations to enjoy their time together. It’s a lovely story with some impressive modern animation and a great soundtrack to boot.
12 The Bojack Horseman Christmas Special (2014)
This Christmas Special Is All About Cheering Someone Up
BoJack Horseman
- Release Date
- 2014 - 2020-00-00
- Network
- Netflix
- Showrunner
- Raphael Bob-Waksberg
Cast
Amy Sedaris
Will Arnett
WHERE TO WATCH
Once the famous star of a hit sitcom, BoJack Horseman has fallen on tough times. Stuck in a major career slump and longing to relive his glory days, BoJack attempts to once more become relevant in an industry that has long since turned its back on him. With a few dysfunctional friends at his side, BoJack begins his long-overdue career comeback.
- Seasons
- 6
It is well known that some of the worst depressive episodes happen during the holiday season. While the time of year might be jolly and celebratory for some, for others, it is a reminder of all of the unhappiness and loneliness they face. With Bojack Horseman being an animated series that brings a fresh light to depression, it makes perfect sense for a holiday special with the characters to find a way to address holiday depression and loneliness.
Here, Bojack Horseman has no interest in celebrating the holidays, but his friend Todd is not about to let him be alone or wallow in darkness. Todd comes over on Christmas morning, singing his own versions of holiday songs and watching a Christmas special with his friend to remind him that he does not have to be alone.
While the plot of the episode might be cheesy to some, it makes sense for the themes present in the show and presents plenty of laugh-out-loud humor for fans of the series.
11 Shaun The Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas (2021)
A Very Different Holiday Story
Shaun the Sheep is a spin-off of the Wallace and Gromit franchise which has done very well for itself. With stop-motion animation, but smoother animation, it feels like a fusion of an old-fashioned animated special and modern sensibilities.
Timmy the young sheep accidentally ends up heading to town with the farmer when he believes the farmer, dressed for a holiday celebration, is the real Santa Claus. Shaun and the rest of the sheep have to mount a rescue mission to get Timmy back.
The short Christmas special is not the usual holiday fare since holiday movies do not usually mount rescue missions, making it a nice change of pace for modern families who do not want to see the same stories they might have been able to watch play out a decade earlier.
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10 Pluto’s Christmas Tree (1952)
A Classic Disney Short Of Hilarious Gags
Walt Disney Animation has released hundreds of animated shorts featuring Mickey Mouse and assorted characters since Mickey made his animated debut. One of the earliest holiday shorts is “Pluto’s Christmas Tree” which places most of the focus on Pluto as well as Chip and Dale, who at the time, were usually used as antagonists for Donald Duck instead.
During the short, Mickey and Pluto chop down a tree and bring it to their home, decorating it for Christmas. What Mickey fails to realize is that Chip and Dale happen to be chipmunks in the tree. Pluto essentially goes to war with them, upsetting all of the ornaments and stripping the tree of its branches before Mickey realizes it.
The holiday short is very much in the vein of most classic animation, featuring one character repeatedly the butt of the jokes, in this case, Pluto, and another character constantly antagonizing him on purpose, in this case, the chipmunks. It’s fun and funny and a peek into the kind of animation Disney used to heavily feature.
9 Robin Robin (2021)
A Christmas Heist With A Twist
- Release Date
- November 27, 2021
- Runtime
- 30 Minutes
- Director
- Mikey Please, Daniel Ojari
- Writers
- Mikey Please, Daniel Ojari, Sam Morrison
The story itself is a heartwarming one about wanting to fit in that will resonate with kids, but seeing Robin trying to pull off the heist will be just as fun for adults.
Heist movies tend to be very popular. When the heist is being pulled off by a bird who has been raised by mice, however, it tends to be something very different and very fun.
Robin is a bird whose egg ends up in the possession of a family of mice. The mice raised her as one of their own. As much as she feels like one of them, however, she knows she is not really a mouse. When a cat reminds her of that fact, she intends to prove that she can be just as sneaky as her mouse family by pulling off a Christmas heist in a local human family’s house.
The animation style is similar to that of Shaun the Sheep, but the short has a more unique fabric look to the animals, making them look like they have just popped out of a children’s book. The story itself is a heartwarming one about wanting to fit in that will resonate with kids, but seeing Robin trying to pull off the heist will be just as fun for adults.
8 Drunk History Christmas (2012)
Drunk History Puts Its Spin On A Holiday Classic
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Drunk History
- Release Date
- 2013 - 2019-00-00
- Network
- Comedy Central
Cast
QuestloveHimself
Virginia Hall
WHERE TO WATCH
Drunk History is a comedic series in which historical events from America's past are humorously reenacted by A-list actors while narrated by intoxicated storytellers. The show presents a distinctive approach to exploring both well-known and obscure figures and events, resulting in memorable and entertaining retellings.
- Creator(s)
- Derek Waters
Drunk History asks experts and actors to imbibe in a little alcohol and then recount historical stories of fact. Typically, that leads to a lot of humor and hilarious reenactments from accomplished actors. This time around, the Funny Or Die program takes on a holiday classic.
The classic Christmas poem from Clement Clarke Moore, “‘Twas The Night Before Christmas” has been illustrated in storybooks and brought to life on screen many times. It has never been done like this though. Here, actor Allan McLeod is asked to drink half a bottle of whiskey and then attempt to recite the poem.
McLeod is a great choice for narrator in the familiar format because, despite clearly not being able to recount the whole poem correctly, he’s incredibly sincere in his retelling of the story, making it an even better experience. Fan-favorite guest stars Ryan Gosling, Eva Mendes, and Jim Carrey appear in the actual reenactment with hilarious results.
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7 Shrek The Halls (2007)
Shrek Learns About Christmas
Shrek the Halls
- Release Date
- November 28, 2007
- Writers
- Gary Trousdale, Sean Bishop, Theresa Cullen
The Shrek franchise is so beloved because it gives the audience a unique take on fairy tale characters and tropes. It does the same here for Christmas.
Set between the events of the third and fourth Shrek movies, Shrek, Fiona, and their triplets are experiencing their first Christmas together. For Shrek, it’s his first Christmas ever since ogres do not celebrate any holidays. While Shrek attempts to learn about the holiday and make it perfect for his family, his fairy tale friends interrupt him at every turn.
It’s interesting for Shrek fans to learn that Shrek has never celebrated anything ever. It gives another interesting angle to his character as he gets to learn about just what Christmas is (in the context of the fairy tale world). It’s also hilarious to see just what parts of Christmas are most interesting to his friends, as Donkey, Puss, and Gingy all have very different points of view about the holiday, making it a fun and fresh holiday special.
6 Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983)
A Shorter Take On A Christmas Carol
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Mickey's Christmas Carol
- Release Date
- December 16, 1983
- Runtime
- 26 Minutes
- Director
- Burny Mattinson
Cast
-
Alan YoungScrooge
-
Wayne AllwineBob Crachit
WHERE TO WATCH
Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983) is an animated film adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic tale, featuring Mickey Mouse as Bob Cratchit and Scrooge McDuck as Ebenezer Scrooge. Directed by Burny Mattinson, the film follows the familiar storyline of Scrooge's transformation after ghostly visits, encapsulating the spirit of Christmas with beloved Disney characters.
- Writers
- Charles Dickens, Burny Mattinson, Tony Marino, Ed Gombert, Don Griffith, Alan Young, Alan Dinehart, Ted Osborne, Al Taliaferro
If holiday fans love to see Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol adapted with new characters, this is the Christmas short film for them. It has a lot in common with, arguably the best Christmas Carol adaptation, A Muppet’s Christmas Carol.
The movie sees various Disney characters take on the roles of Dickens’ characters. Scrooge McDuck becomes Ebenezer Scrooge while Mickey Mouse becomes Bob Cratchit, and the story plays out from there.
Mickey’s Christmas Carol does not add any new takes or twists to the classic story, but there’s something so fun about seeing the Disney characters in these classic roles. It’s also refreshing to see Scrooge McDuck get the role of the main character since he does not often take the lead in Disney shorts. While some will argue that Mickey’s name in the title is misleading, the idea is that these are all characters associated with Mickey Mouse, and it works very well.
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