Christmas is often cited as the most magical time of year, and there is indeed a little truth to that sentiment. It's a time where the unexpected and unthinkable can happen. It's a time where miserable misers can be haunted by three spirits, where wooden soldiers fight an army of rats, and where flying reindeer pull a sleigh full of toys across the sky.
Sugarplums aren't the only visions dancing through the audience's collective consciousness this time of year, not that they're complaining. The fantasy genre simply flourishes this time of year, all thanks to the imaginative spirit of the season.
10 Nutcracker: The Motion Picture
Tchaikovski's Nutcracker is one of the most cherished and delightful Christmas tales in the history of the holiday, and yet it lacks a proper stage-to-screen adaptation.
Nutcracker: The Motion Picture is indeed a filmed version of the ballet that sticks to the source pretty well, but this isn't the one viewers are liable to see down at the community theatre. Inspired by the art of Maurice Sendak, this Nutcracker gives the fairytale a very sharp bite.
9 Krampus
For those wishing for a scary Christmas, there are few holiday horror films as ghoulishly delightful as Krampus. Inspired by the German folk monster, the Shadow of St. Nicholas curses and stalks a dysfunctional family on one cringe-worthy Christmas eve.
What follows is a giant, hooded monster and an army of evil elves and terrifying toys picking off dislikable victims one by one. It definitely has a certain Nightmare Before Christmas vibe to it.
8 Gremlins
It's shameful how many people are quick to forget that Joe Dante's masterpiece Gremlins is indeed a Christmas movie. Gizmo is even given to young Billy as a Christmas present from his eccentric salesman father.
Details aside, most people would probably not want one of these creepy creatures stirring all through the house. Who would have guessed one of the most beloved monster movies of all time could be so freakishly festive?
7 Hogfather
For those who haven't read Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, imagine if Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and Monty Python and the Holy Grail were all thrown in a blender. For those who have read the books, they know that Death charmingly takes a page from Jack Skellington and takes over Christmas when a certain holiday figure is indisposed.
The Grim Reaper isn't exactly the jolliest characters in Christmas fiction, but his enthusiasm and heart for the job is certainly palpable.
6 Disney’s A Christmas Carol
There are dozens of versions of Charles Dicken's tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, but the one with the most fantastical (and sometimes frightening) elements has to be Disney and Robert Zemeckis's adaptation.
It sticks uncannily close to the novel, and in doing so it does not skip on the ghostly elements of the original story. That being said, it does still come off as a Disney-fied version at times.
5 Rise of the Guardians
It's not exactly the most traditional Christmas film, but with a cast featuring a swashbuckling Santa Claus and Australian Easter Bunny voiced by Hugh Jackman, how can one not call it a Holiday flick?
In this epic tale, the holiday figures of the world join together to fight against the forces of Pitch to protect children from his army of nightmares. It's an unconventional fairytale, but one fantasy lovers will adore.
4 The Polar Express
Once again, Zemekis graces the list with his strange obsession with motion-capture. Joking aside, The Polar Express is indeed one of the most magical flicks on the list and has no doubt been enjoyed over and over again since its release. This film is absolutely saturated with the sparkly sentimentalism of the Christmas spirit.
Besides, what kid wouldn't want to board a steam train to the North Pole on a magical and whimsical adventure with Tom Hanks?
3 Father Christmas
An honorable mention has to go to Raymond Brigg's Father Christmas. The title character, the one and only Santa Claus, provides all the fantasy motifs one could need in this rather unusual account of what the jolly old elf does on the other 364 days of the year.
RELATED: 10 Hidden Details You Never Noticed In Classic Christmas Movie Posters
Santa takes a vacation but does so the way only Santa would. He trades in his sleigh for a camper, hooks the reindeer to it, and goes flying around the globe.
2 It’s a Wonderful Life
An oldie but a goodie, the touching tale of George Bailey's perspective-shifting encounter with Clarence the angel will always be a timeless tradition around Christmas time.
Though a bit restrained in its fantastical elements, the journey George and Clarence take through an alternate reality certainly checks the box for a fantasy archetype. A charming and heartwarming production, but the fantasy is a flavoring, not the main course.
1 The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe
And now for something completely different as The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe wears its swords and sorcery proudly on its sleeve. Based on the Narnia series by C.S. Lewis, it's home to some very familiar Christmassy imagery.
The sight of the lampost in the snowy forest, Jadis riding in her silvery sleigh, and even Father Christmas giving Peter a sword, all festive bits of fantasy perfect for the holidays.
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