Movies like Defending Santa (2013)
The best movies like Defending Santa (2013) are Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh (2008), To Grandmother's House We Go (1992) and Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special (1988). If Defending Santa hooked you with its comedy and family, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedMerry Christmas, Drake & Josh (2008)7.3/10 from 241 votes
- NewestCandy Cane Lane (2023)Released 2023
Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh (2008)
Step brothers Drake and Josh must give a foster family the best Christmas ever or face years in jail for a Christmas party gone wrong.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTo Grandmother's House We Go (1992)
When precocious twins Sarah and Julie feel like Mom is tired of them, they take off on an exciting adventure to their grandmother's house and encounter a pair of villains along the way.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special (1988)
Pee-wee Herman and pals are celebrating Christmas in the Playhouse in their own creative ways: Pee-wee makes a list for Santa Claus 1.5 miles long, teaches Little Richard how to ice skate, goes for a sleigh ride with Magic Johnson, enslaves Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello into making Christmas cards, receives a long phone call from Dinah Shore, even has more musical fun with k.d. lang, the Del Rubio Triplettes and Charo! Finally, Big Red arrives and announces that Pee-wee's Christmas list was so big, he didn't have enough presents for all the children of the world. Will Pee-wee follow his own advice and help others?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDolly Parton's Christmas on the Square (2020)
A rich and nasty woman returns to her hometown to evict everyone but discovers the true meaning of Christmas thanks to the local townsfolk – and an actual angel. Features 14 original songs with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
SnoozefestMovies like thisCasper Meets Wendy (1998)
When a warlock threatens Wendy the Good Little Witch, she and her aunts hide out at a resort where Casper the Ghost is vacationing with his uncles. Although Casper and Wendy are told ghosts and witches don't get along, the two are kindred spirits! This spooky family-friendly adventure finds Casper and Wendy bridging the ghost-witch divide to battle the warlock who is intent on destroying Wendy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisKristin's Christmas Past (2013)
Kristin, a cynical 34-year-old, drinks a mysterious champagne on Christmas Eve and wakes up seventeen years in the past, sharing a room with her 17-year-old self. Given the chance to change the worst Christmas of her life, she attempts to fix past mistakes, only to discover surprising truths about her family that may help her mend her present-day relationships.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
SnoozefestMovies like thisA Flintstones Christmas Carol (1994)
Fred is cast as Ebenezer Scrooge in a stage adaption of the classic Christmas story, but is acting a bit stingy in real life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOlive, the Other Reindeer (1999)
After mis-hearing a radio broadcast about Santa canceling his Christmas trip due to an injured reindeer, Olive the dog decides to travel to the North Pole and volunteer to be a replacement. Unfortunately, Olive must deal with an evil postman who's tired of handling all the extra Christmas mail. Will Martini the penguin be able to help Olive realize her dream?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisUnder Wraps (2021)
Three friends try to save their mummified friend, Harold, from greedy criminals by returning him to his resting place before midnight on Halloween.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMagic Stocking (2015)
A young widow finds a tattered old Christmas stocking at a Holiday craft sale, but is skeptical of its magic when it seems to create small trinkets on its own.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Trailer Park Boys Xmas Special (2004)
In this holiday prequel, it’s 1997 and Sunnyvale Trailer Park is getting ready for the holiday season. Julian’s got a great idea to make money this Christmas, Ricky gets confused between God and Santa, and Bubbles tries to get the Boys together for an annual Christmas bonfire. Meanwhile, Mr. Lahey is thrilled because Christmas is the only day of the year that his wife Barb allows him to have a few drinks. Directed by series creator Mike Clattenburg, this hour-long special takes place before Jamie was J-Roc, before Randy and Lahey were a couple, and before the Shitmobile was missing a door.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCandy Cane Lane (2023)
Determined to win the neighborhood's annual Christmas decorating contest, family man Chris makes a pact with an elf to help him out-do the competition. However, the elf casts a spell bringing the twelve days of Christmas to life, unleashing chaos on the small unsuspecting town.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWho Killed Santa? A Murderville Murder Mystery (2022)
A holiday-hating detective is forced to solve a murder — and save Christmas — with help from famous trainees who must improv their way through the case.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPsych: The Movie (2017)
The ambitious friends come together during the holidays after a mystery assailant targets one of their own. A comedic thrill-ride follows, as the wild and unpredictable Psych team pursues the bad guys, justice … and, of course, food!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGet Santa (2014)
A father and son must team up to save Christmas when they discover Santa Claus sleeping in their garage, having crashed his sleigh and found himself on the run from the police.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBah, Humduck!: A Looney Tunes Christmas (2006)
In this adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Daffy Duck is the greedy proprietor of the Lucky Duck Mega-Mart and all he can think about is the money to be made during the holiday season.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe 12 Days of Christmas Eve (2022)
When Brian Conway, a successful businessman whose family relationships have suffered, gets in a car accident on Christmas Eve, Santa gives him twelve chances to redo the day and repair the relationships in his life, including with his daughter Michelle.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisClick & Collect (2018)
To save his daughter's Christmas, Andrew goes on a road trip with Dev, his neighbour from hell, to buy an elusive Sparklehoof the Unicorn Princess.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPsych 3: This Is Gus (2021)
In preparation for a shotgun wedding before the birth of Baby Guster, Shawn and Gus go rogue in an attempt to track down Selene’s estranged husband, as Lassiter grapples with the future of his career.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDashing Through the Snow (2023)
Eddie Garrick is a good-hearted man who has lost his belief in the wonder of Christmas. While spending time with his nine-year-old daughter Charlotte on Christmas Eve, he befriends a mysterious man in a red suit named Nick.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Christmas Wedding (2006)
Emily (Sarah Paulson) and Ben (Eric Mabius) find their plans to marry on Christmas day coming apart at the seams when Ben is left to plan the wedding details after Emily is forced to go on a business trip. Though Emily, a perfectionist, is determined to have a fairytale wedding, she realizes that love is all that really matters when a freak storm threatens to keep her from making it home in time for the big day.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & family
A Christmas Miracle for Daisy (2021)
Whitney Alder owns interior design firm Marietta Designs, which she runs with her friend Andi in the small town of Marietta, Montana. Whitney is designing Santa’s float for the annual Marietta Christmas Parade when a potential job opportunity comes her way: the full redesign of a landmark home by Christmas Eve.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & family
SnoozefestMovies like thisElmo's Christmas Countdown (2007)
There's a miracle on Sesame Street in this special holiday tale. Elmo, Abby Cadabby, and their new friend Stiller the Elf are going to count down to Christmas with the Christmas Counter-Downer. But all the counting boxes have gone missing and Christmas may never come again!
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & comedy
Alle unter eine Tanne (2014)
Elli and Robert have been divorced for three years. But for the festive season, they pretend to be a happy couple for their children, while the crisis-ridden offspring pretend to be in harmony with their parents. This year, the tree will burn: Robert's new lover and Elli's lover are not invited, but come anyway...
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & family
Santa Baby 2 (2009)
Santa's in the midst of a late-life crisis -- he's tired of the responsibilities of the job and is ready to pass on the reins to Mary, who feels torn between the family business and running her own high stakes firm in New York City, along with balancing a relationship with the love of her life, Luke (Dean McDermott). The situation gets increasingly dire when Teri, an ambitious new arrival to the North Pole, sows dissension at the workshop in an effort to take over Christmas.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
The Christmas Secret (2014)
While her life is falling apart, single mother Christine finds a magical family heirloom that leads to love and good fortune during Christmas.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLife with Mikey (1993)
Michael Chapman, a former child TV star, runs a struggling talent agency specilizing in child acts. When a young girl off the street puts on a real performance after he catches her picking his pocket, he may have just found the next big thing.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & family
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Sons of Mistletoe (2001)
A foster home for boys is in danger of being closed when its benefactor dies.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family
My Favorite Christmas Melody (2021)
Once a promising singer-songwriter, Abby now finds herself writing uninspired jingles for commercials. As she heads home for the holidays, she's enlisted by the local high school music teacher to help save the school arts program. In the process, Abby rediscovers her voice and regains the confidence to go after her dreams and lets the possibility of love in too.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
The Claus Family 2 (2021)
Jules Claus has embraced Christmas again and is getting ready for the busiest time of the year together with grandpa Noël. Everything seems to go according to plan, until Jules receives a very special letter with an intriguing question...
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Defending Santa?
The closest matches to Defending Santa are Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh (2008), To Grandmother's House We Go (1992) and Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special (1988). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Defending Santa?
Start with Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh (2008), the closest match to Defending Santa.
What is the highest-rated movie like Defending Santa?
Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh (2008), rated 7.3/10 by 241 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Defending Santa?
Candy Cane Lane (2023) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Defending Santa?
Yes: Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh (2008), To Grandmother's House We Go (1992) and Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special (1988).
How are movies similar to Defending Santa chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Defending Santa, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.