These are the worst Christmas films ever, according to Rotten Tomatoes

Quite embarrassed that all my favourites are here

3 years ago

Christmas movies are pretty much known for being bad. That’s why we love them though, their cringey, optimistic attitude and questionable plots would not be acceptable any other time of the year. However come December, we’re all gagging for a bit of Santa related cheese. But is has to be said there are some truly awful Christmas films.

Rotten Tomatoes has compiled a list of the worst rated Christmas films on their site, and I’m surprised a few of Netflix’s originals didn’t make the list.

The films included had to have scored less than 30 per cent on the Tomatometer and had to have at least 20 reviews from critics to assert their status as “universally loathed”.

And these are the top 20 worst Christmas movies according to Rotten Tomatoes:

20. Noel

Kicking off the list is the 2004 film Noel starring Susan Sarandon, Robin Williams, Penelope Cruz and Paul Walker. You’d think with a cast like that they’d have done pretty well but apparently not.

The film has a score of 28 per cent and if the bad score hasn’t put you off watching it’s about five strangers who are all linked together on Christmas Eve.

19. Four Christmases

If you have divorced parents Four Christmases hits deep, if not you’ll be like the critics who slammed on this film and called it “as predictable as socks under the tree”.

The movie is about an unmarried couple Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughan, who spend their Christmas travelling around to four family get togethers.

18. Santa Claus Conquers the Martians

You should know that Santa and aliens just don’t mix. This 1964 film involves the kidnapping of Santa by the Martians, which just isn’t believable (as opposed to every other Christmas film).

It received a percentage score of 23 and a comical review that puts it simply as: “Ho, ho, oh, no.”

17. I’ll Be Home For Christmas

This Disney Christmas film was one of Jessica Biel’s first acting roles and is all about a spoilt college student. Jake attempts to go home for Christmas with the hope of being gifted a Porsche, but is dumped in the middle of the desert in a Santa suit.

His girlfriend, played by Jessica Biel, travels back with Jake’s rival and unsurprisingly that classic plot only got the film a score of 23 per cent on the Tomatometer.

16. The Christmas Candle

Sorry but did everyone know Susan Boyle starred in a Christmas film? This 2013 film, The Christmas Candle is set in the 19th Century and is about a village who believe whoever lights the candle touched by an angel will receive a miracle.

A critic called it “Indigestible Christmas stodge”, which is just unacceptable considering Susan Boyle is in it.

15. Fred Claus

Another Vince Vaughan film has made the list, maybe he should take the hint and stop starring in Christmas films?

Fred Claus is about the younger brother of Nicholas Claus aka Santa, and received a score of 21 per cent on the Tomatometer.

14. Santa Claus: The Movie

This 1985 film chronicles the origins of Father Christmas and attempts to answer lots of children’s questions about Santa.

It stars Dudley Moore, David Huddleston and John Lithgow, but despite the stellar cast it only received a score fo 20 per cent.

13. Tyler Perry’s A Madea Christmas

A Madea Christmas is considered one of Tyler Perry’s “least entertaining” works. Made in 2013 it is about Madea who accompanies her niece to a small town to find her daughter who won’t come home for Christmas.

It stars Chad Michael Murray which you think would be enough to get it over 20 per cent on the Tomatometer, but clearly not.

12. The Perfect Holiday

Sorry but how can anything with Queen Latifah in be classified as bad? The 2007 film is about a single mother of three, played by Gabrielle Union, and her youngest daughter who senses her sadness, sets about to do something to change it.

It has a score of 19 per cent on the Tomatometer and has been called “pathetic and forgettable”.

11. Christmas With The Coopers

Christmas With The Coopers seems so promising with its famous cast of Diane Keaton, Ed Helms and Amanda Seyfried, but it just fell flat. In fact it’s actually quite depressing with all the family members revealing their problems.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, it turns out to be narrated by a dog, no wonder it got a score of 18 per cent.

10. The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause

The film coming in at number 10 is the third instalment of the Santa Clause franchise. The 2006 film starring Tim Allen, had a rating of just 17 per cent on the Tomatometer.

In this movie, Santa invites his in-laws to the North Pole, but Jack Frost is also there and planning on taking over as Santa.

9. Jingle All The Way

Jingle All The Way is a movie about a father trying to get his son a Turbo Man action figure for Christmas, however they’re all sold out.

It received a measly score of 15 per cent and has been called a career “low point” Arnold Schwarzenegger who plays the main character.

8. A Merry Friggin’ Christmas

This 2014 film was sadly one of Robin Williams’ last movies. And it’s all about a man and his father having to go on an eight hour round trip to get the grandson’s Christmas presents.

Even Robin Williams couldn’t save the movie from getting a Tomatometer scoring of 14 per cent.

7. Black Christmas

Black Christmas is a slightly unusual Christmas film in that it’s actually a slasher film about a group of sorority girls.

Even with Lacey Chabert (Gretchen in Mean Girls) and Michelle Trachtenberg (Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl) the film received a rubbish score of 14 per cent.

6. An American Carol

Don’t see how this is a Christmas film which is probably why it’s so high up the list of the worst Christmas movies. It scores a pathetic 12 per cent on the Tomatometer.

It was made in 2008 and stars Kelsey Grammer and Kevin P. Farley.

5. Mixed Nuts

And the top five begins with the 1994 movie Mixed Nuts which has been called “the beginning of Steve Martin’s non-funny comedies”.

The movie is about people who work at a suicide prevention hotline, who find out they’re being evicted from their office on Christmas Eve.

4. Surviving Christmas

Surviving Christmas has a pretty good cast of Ben Affleck, Christina Applegate and Catherine O’Hara but still only got a score of 7 per cent on the Tomatometer.

It’s about a wealthy executive who pays the people living in his old house to pretend to be his parents, which now explains why it received such a low score.

3. Deck The Halls

Taking the number three spot is the 2006 film Deck The Halls starring Danny DeVito, Kristin Davis and Kristin Chenoweth.

It received a score of just six per cent and was called a “lifeless comedy” by one critic.

2. Christmas With The Kranks

Yet another Tim Allen Christmas film in the top 10. He really should leave the festive season alone. If you haven’t seen it, the film is about a couple who become outcasts because of their lack of holiday spirit.

And it clearly didn’t hit well with the critics, with one calling it “unoriginal, unfunny slapstick”.

1. The Nutcracker in 3D

And the prize for the worst Christmas movie ever is The Nutcracker in 3D, according to Rotten Tomatoes, who gave it a score of 0 per cent on the Tomatometer.

The critics weren’t nice about it either, calling it “the most misguided children’s films ever made” and “spectacularly misconceived, bloated and incredibly ugly.” So there’s that, wouldn’t add this one to the list if I were you.