With the holiday season upon us and the cold nights starting to creep in, there’s no better time to snuggle up with your favorite Christmas movie. So, if you want to fill your evenings with festive cheer, we’ve got you covered! Using Google Trends, we’ve uncovered the most popular movies in each state over the past year, offering a delightful mix of timeless favorites and some enthralling new releases.
This year, 2024’s hottest new release–The Best Christmas Pageant Ever–has topped the charts as the most popular Christmas movie in the US, being a must-see in 15 states. This heartwarming tale centers on the infamous Herdman siblings who have a reputation locally as being the “worst kids in the world.” But when they take over their local church’s Christmas pageant, the outcome isn’t what everyone was expecting and might just teach everyone a thing or two about the true meaning of Christmas. The movie boasts an IMDb rating of 7.4, making it the perfect choice if you’re looking for something new.
Despite most states seeking fresh fairytales this holiday season, some are clinging to the beloved classics. Massachusetts, for example, crowned the 1942 classic Holiday Inn (the oldest movie on our list) as its favorite. Starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire, this movie introduced the world to the iconic song “White Christmas” and remains a staple holiday tradition for many.
Which states favour new releases and which are sticking to the old classics?
According to our findings, 31 states opted for a Christmas movie that was released over the last two years, showcasing that most people are craving something new to feast their eyes upon this year.
Alongside top choice The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, some other standout titles include:
- Meet Me Next Christmas (2024): This rom-com follows Layla who, after finding out her boyfriend is cheating on her, is on the lookout for love in New York. But she gets more than she was bargaining for when she ends up in a love triangle with a twist. Will she choose James, the guy she fatefully met last Christmas Eve, or Teddy, the man who’s helping her in her quest for love? This was a must-see in Hawaii and New Mexico.
- Christmas Island (2023): After Kate’s first private flight is diverted due to a heavy snowstorm, can she land her dream job as the family’s pilot by partnering up with an air traffic controller (who just so happens to be the rather dashing Andrew Walker)? Those in Alaska, Arizona, California, Indiana, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, and Utah couldn’t wait to find out!
Elsewhere, 14 states opted for a movie that was at least 20 years old. This included:
- The Polar Express (2004): This animated movie featuring the likes of Tom Hanks sees a young boy taking the journey of a lifetime to meet Santa Claus in the North Pole. But it’s the people he meets along the way that make this adventure one to remember. Popular in South Carolina and Vermont.
- Home Alone (1990): Is it even Christmas until you’ve watched this film? After making his family disappear, Kevin finds himself all alone at home. But as the joy of eating junk food and watching rubbish starts to wear off, Kevin must do all he can to save his family home from a pair of local thieves–aka the Wet Bandits. Iowans continue to love this film.
- Bad Santa (2003): In this movie, Billy Bob Thornton plays Willie, a long-time swindler under the guise of Santa. After he and his sidekick “elf” (Marcus) try to rob a shopping mall, they come away with more than they were expecting when they befriend eight-year-old Thurman Merman.
Some of the other older classics include: Christmas with the Kranks (2004), Love Actually (2003), How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), Jingle All The Way (1996), and White Christmas (1954).
Which states have the best and worst taste in Christmas movies?
The average IMDb rating of all the top movies featured in our Christmas list is 6.9. But some states appear to have a more discerning taste.
The top IMDb rating goes to Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) with a score of 8. This animated tale about a misfit reindeer who saves Christmas continues to warm the hearts of many, especially those in Connecticut.
Other high-rated choices include A Christmas Story (1983) with an IMDb rating of 7.9 which residents of DC opted for and The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) which was a top choice for the state of Georgia.
At the other end of the scale with the lowest IMDb rating was How the Gringo Stole Christmas with a score of just 3.3. However, Nevada had this movie as its top choice this year, showing that IMDb ratings aren’t all that when it comes to choosing a festive film. Another low scorer was Black Christmas which has an IMDb score of 3.5 and was popular in Kansas.
Please note: As they are based on user reviews, IMDb scores frequently change (especially for newer releases).
The top 5 most popular Christmas movies in the US as a whole
If we take a look at the whole of the US, a few other top contenders creep into the charts. According to our findings, the following five movies are popular across all of the US:
- The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (2024): With laughter, troublesome kids, a Christmas pageant, and a heartwarming reminder of what Christmas is all about, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever has all of the hallmarks of a classic Christmas movie.
- Red One (2024): For those looking for a more action-packed holiday story, Red One is a must-see. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson features as the head of North Pole Security and he’s on a mission to rescue a kidnapped Santa Claus, all with the help of an infamous hacker, played by Chris Evans.
- Christmas Island (2023): As we’ve already seen, this movie with its classic Christmas movie will-they-or-won’t-they storyline and dreamy characters is an absolute must for many.
- How the Gringo Stole Christmas (2023): When a Mexican father finds out his daughter has brought home an unwanted guest this Christmas (the “gringo”), his family plans go awry in this hilarious comedy.
- Candy Cane Lane (2023): After Chris (Eddie Murphy) finds himself unemployed just before the holidays, he takes it upon himself to do anything he can to win the neighborhood’s annual Christmas decorating contest. But after striking a deal with a mischievous elf named Pepper, chaos erupts as she brings the 12 days of Christmas to life.
Methodology
Using Google Trends to search for the term “Christmas movie” under the “movies” category in each state, we looked to see which film was a rising topic in the related topics section. Rising topics are the top related search terms users looking at Christmas movies also searched for over the past year and saw the biggest influx in searches during that period. The top result for each state was the designated movie for that state. If non-Christmas films appeared, they were not included.
Data researcher: Charlotte Bond
