Movies like Joy to the World (2003)
The best movies like Joy to the World (2003) are The Small One (1978), The Nativity Story (2006) and Noelle (2019). If Joy to the World hooked you, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Christmas Chronicles (2018)7.2/10 from 2,470 votes
- NewestDashing Through the Snow (2023)Released 2023
The Small One (1978)
Ordered by his father to sell an old mule called Small One, a Hebrew boy in the ancient Holy Land takes the donkey to the Jerusalem market. Finding no buyers there, the boy is about to give up when he meets a kind man named Joseph, who buys Small One and uses the steed to take his pregnant wife Mary to Bethlehem.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Nativity Story (2006)
Mary and Joseph make the hard journey to Bethlehem for a blessed event in this retelling of the Nativity story. This meticulously researched and visually lush adaptation of the biblical tale follows the pair on their arduous path to their arrival in a small village, where they find shelter in a quiet manger and Jesus is born.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNoelle (2019)
Kris Kringle's daughter, Noelle, sets off on a mission to find and bring back her brother, after he gets cold feet when it's his turn to take over as Santa.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisChristmas in the Heartland (2017)
Kara and Jessie are two teenage girls from very different worlds, but with a little Christmas magic, they find they have much more in common than they ever imagined.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBlizzard (2003)
A young girl's aunt tells her the tale of a young ice skater and an enchanted reindeer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Very Corgi Christmas (2019)
All Lauren Bradley, a single mom and confirmed workaholic, wants this holiday is a much deserved break. Those hopes are dashed when she runs into fellow single dad Ben who enlists her help in taking care of a cute and cuddly christmas present he plans to give his daughter. Through all the chaos and calls from work, Lauren just might get the best gift of all, the holiday spirit.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Christmas Chronicles (2018)
Siblings Kate and Teddy try to prove Santa Claus is real, but when they accidentally cause his sleigh to crash, they have to save Christmas.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisChristmas Under the Stars (2019)
When Nick is fired from his high-powered investment firm at Christmastime, he takes a job at a Christmas tree lot. There, he meets Julie, an astronomy teacher who’s always looked to the stars for hope. As the Christmas spirit washes over him—and he begins falling for Julie—the once self-centered Nick discovers the joy of helping others.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey (2007)
When a broken hearted boy loses the treasured wooden nativity set that links him to his dead father, his worried mother persuades a lonely ill-tempered woodcarver to create a replacement, and to allow her son to watch him work on it.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAlmost Christmas (2016)
A dysfunctional family gathers together for their first Christmas since the death of their matriarch.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Search for Santa Paws (2010)
When Santa and his new best friend, Paws, discover that the boys and girls of the world have lost the spirit of the season, they take a trip to New York City. But after Santa loses his memory, it's up to Paws, a faithful orphan named Quinn, her new friend Will, and a wonderful group of magical talking dogs to save St. Nick and show the world what Christmas is really all about.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPrancer (1989)
Jessica, the daughter of an impoverished apple farmer, still believes in Santa Claus. So when she comes across a reindeer with an injured leg, it makes perfect sense to her to assume that it is Prancer, who had fallen from a Christmas display in town. She hides the reindeer in her barn and feeds it cookies, until she can return it to Santa. Her father finds the reindeer and decides to sell it to the butcher, not for venison chops, but as an advertising display.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisChristmas in Evergreen: Letters to Santa (2018)
Lisa's trip home to Evergreen for the holidays finds her shepherding an effort to save the town's beloved general store, fulfilling the wishes of a Christmas past and finding a romance full of Christmas magic.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisChristmas on Honeysuckle Lane (2018)
Emma Reynolds returns to Oliver's Well to celebrate Christmas for the last time with her siblings in the home they grew up in. After their parents recently passed, the siblings reluctantly agree to sell the family home on Honeysuckle Lane after the New Year, leaving Emma in charge of its belongings. While antiques expert Morgan Shelby appraises Emma's mother's collection, they find a hidden surprise in an antique desk that takes them on a journey to discover the power of love and family during the holidays.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisReturn to Christmas Creek (2018)
As Christmas approaches, Amelia Hughes, a career-focused Chicago app developer lacking in holiday spirit, returns to her small hometown of Christmas Creek to rediscover the meaning of Christmas. There, she reunites with her childhood best friend Mike and her estranged uncle Harry, whose mysterious rift with Amelia’s father divided her family during the holiday season when she was a child.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
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
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
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Christmas Ornament (2013)
Newly widowed Kathy plans to skip out on decking the halls and trimming the tree this Christmas, trying to avoid anything that will bring back memories of her late husband. When Kathy meets handsome Christmas tree shop owner Tim, their undeniable chemistry—along with an ornament Tim gives her that symbolizes hope—helps Kathy open up to the joys of the season again.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNational Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
It's Christmastime, and the Griswolds are preparing for a family seasonal celebration. But things never run smoothly for Clark, his wife Ellen, and their two kids. Clark's continual bad luck is worsened by his obnoxious family guests, but he manages to keep going, knowing that his Christmas bonus is due soon.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisChristmas at the Plaza (2019)
With Christmas approaching in New York City, historian Jessica is hired to create an exhibition honoring the history of Christmas at The Plaza Hotel. When she is paired with Nick, a handsome decorator, they wind up enjoying a host of holiday traditions together and find themselves falling for each other.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMeet Me in St. Louis (1944)
A year in the life of a turn-of-the-century middle class family, leading up to the opening of the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGremlins (1984)
After receiving an exotic small animal as a Christmas gift, a young man inadvertently breaks three important rules concerning his new pet, which unleashes a horde of malevolently mischievous creatures on a small town.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHen in a Boat (1984)
During the summer on their Grandfather’s land Johanna, Robert, Harald and Alex begin a secret journey up the river on a boat with a chicken in search of a new path to the North Sea of Germany. A classic German children’s adventure movie.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
A Waltons Thanksgiving (2022)
Follows the Walton family as they prepare enthusiastically for the annual Harvest Festival Fair on Walton Mountain in 1934, but their lives are dramatically changed after a young boy arrives.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Christmas on Mistletoe Farm (2022)
After inheriting a farm at Christmas time, a widowed father makes a bumpy adjustment to village life — while his kids hatch a plan to stay there forever.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
SnoozefestMovies like thisPieces of April (2003)
Quirky and rebellious April Burns lives with her boyfriend in a low-rent New York City apartment miles away from her emotionally distant family. But when she discovers that her mother has a fatal form of breast cancer, she invites the clan to her place for Thanksgiving. While her father struggles to drive her family into the city, April -- an inexperienced cook -- runs into kitchen trouble and must ask a neighbor for help.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBonjour Tristesse (1958)
A spoiled teenager spends the summer at the French Riviera with her rich, widower, playboy father, but when his old flame resurfaces, she resolves to keep her frivolous lifestyle at all costs.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWhile You Were Sleeping (1995)
A transit worker pulls commuter Peter off railway tracks after he's mugged, but—while he's in a coma—his family mistakenly thinks she's Peter's fiancée, and she doesn't correct them. Things get more complicated when she falls for his brother, who's not quite sure that she's who she claims to be.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThat Joyous Eve... (1960)
The story of three torn apart families on the verge of Sinterklaasavond, the Dutch equivalent of Christmas Eve.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
VeggieTales: An Easter Carol (2004)
Ebenezer Nezzer is out of control! He's trying to make Easter bigger than ever by filling London with plastic eggs! But just how hard can his mechanical chickens work before they're… well, fried? In just one unforgettable day and night, Cavis and Millward (Bob and Larry) and a music box angel named Hope must convince Nezzer that Easter is about more than candy and eggs. Inspired by Dickens' Christmas classic, this very special VeggieTales film explains why millions of Christians around the world celebrate Easter past, present and future.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Joy to the World?
The closest matches to Joy to the World are The Small One (1978), The Nativity Story (2006) and Noelle (2019). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Joy to the World?
Start with The Small One (1978), the closest match to Joy to the World.
What is the highest-rated movie like Joy to the World?
The Christmas Chronicles (2018), rated 7.2/10 by 2,470 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Joy to the World?
Dashing Through the Snow (2023) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Joy to the World?
Yes: The Small One (1978), The Nativity Story (2006) and Noelle (2019).
How are movies similar to Joy to the World chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Joy to the World, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.