Who doesn’t love a comedy to watch during the holiday season, especially one starring Will Ferrell? In Elf, Ferrell plays naive human Buddy, who is raised as an elf at the North Pole. Now an adult, Santa allows Buddy to head to New York City to meet his birth father, which doesn’t exactly go to plan.
Between Buddy’s inexperience with the human world and his father’s standoffish nature, the movie is pure fun from beginning to end. If you enjoyed the family connections, childish wonder, and Christmas spirit, make sure to check out these six other movies like Elf.
6. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
Sixth for our movies like Elf list is How the Grinch Stole Christmas, starring Jim Carrey as the Grinch. The film takes place in the magical city of Whoville, where the Whos live and adore Christmas. Just outside of their cherry town lives the Grinch, a green, revenge-seeking creature who plans on ruining Christmas for all of Whoville. When he accidentally meets little Cindy Lou Who, the girl decides to make the Grinch her friend and teach him about the importance of the holiday season.
–IMDb score: 6.3
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5. Noelle (2019)
Next up for movies like Elf is Noelle, a fun new take on the Santa Claus story. Noelle is the daughter of Santa and has been supporting her brother Nick for years as he prepares to become the new Santa. Right before he takes the mantle, Nick disappears, and it’s up to Noelle to find her brother and bring him back in time for Christmas. Along the way, she’ll learn what Christmas is really about.
–IMDb score: 6.3
4. The Santa Clause (1994)
Coming in fourth for movies like Elf is The Santa Clause, starring Tim Allen. Divorced dad Scott Calvin (Allen) has his 6-year-old son Charlie for Christmas Eve. As the two try to sleep, an unexpected visitor on their roof gets startled by Scott and falls off. When Scott dons the red suit, he is transported to the North Pole and becomes the next Santa. Not convinced, Scott slowly starts to grow a beard, gain weight, and get a hankering for sweets. When he accepts his new position, a new problem emerges: keeping it secret from his family.
–IMDb score: 6.6
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3. Spirited (2022)
Rounding out the top three movies like Elf list is Spirited, also starring Will Ferrell, but this time alongside Ryan Reynolds. Taking a new spin on the classic Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Story, this musical brings to light a miserable man who treats everyone around him poorly. One night, he is taken on a fantastical adventure into three time periods: past, present, and future, to discover how he became so unhappy and alone.
–IMDb score: 6.6
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2. The Christmas Chronicles (2018)
Taking the number two spot on the movies like Elf list is The Christmas Chronicles, one of Netflix’s newer Christmas-themed films. The story follows siblings Kate and Teddy Pierce as they plan to catch Santa Claus on camera. When they sneak into Santa’s sleigh and catch a ride, the bumpy ride turns into a crash landing in Chicago with reindeer, magic hat, and presents all missing. With half the world still needing presents, the siblings have to help Santa get the sleigh fixed to save Christmas Day.
–IMDb score: 7.0
1. Home Alone (1990)
Last but not least on our movies like Elf list is Home Alone, the quintessential Christmas movie. It’s finally Christmas, and the McCallister family is prepping for a vacation in Paris. After getting in a scuffle with his older brother, Kevin, the youngest in the family, is sent to his room on the third floor. As the family rushes the next morning to get to the airport, Kevin is forgotten at home. Having fun at first, Kevin learns about two burglars who are about to rob his house on Christmas Eve. In a hysterical twist, Kevin booby traps the entire house, ready for the two burglars to try and break in.
–IMDb score: 7.7
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