Movies like National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
The best movies like National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) are Christmas with the Kranks (2004), A Merry Friggin' Christmas (2014) and Scrooged (1988). If National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation hooked you with its comedy, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedPlanes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)7.3/10 from 2,369 votes
- NewestOh. What. Fun. (2025)Released 2025
- Same seriesNational Lampoon's Vacation (1983)National Lampoon's Vacation
Christmas with the Kranks (2004)
When their only daughter Blair leaves the family nest, Luther and Nora Krank decide to book an island cruise to beat the yuletide blues and just skip the holidays. But their decision to boycott tradition has the whole neighborhood in an uproar, and when Blair calls on Christmas Eve to announce a surprise visit with her new fiancée, the Kranks have just twelve hours to perform a miracle and pull themselves and their neighbors together to throw the best celebration ever!
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Merry Friggin' Christmas (2014)
Boyd Mitchler and his family must spend Christmas with his estranged family of misfits. Upon realizing that he left all his son's gifts at home, he hits the road with his dad in an attempt to make the 8-hour round trip before sunrise.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisScrooged (1988)
Frank Cross is a wildly successful television executive whose cold ambition and curmudgeonly nature has driven away the love of his life. But after firing a staff member on Christmas Eve, Frank is visited by a series of ghosts who give him a chance to re-evaluate his actions and right the wrongs of his past.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Christmas Story (1983)
The comic mishaps and adventures of a young boy named Ralph, trying to convince his parents, teachers, and Santa that a Red Ryder B.B. gun really is the perfect Christmas gift for the 1940s.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisOh. What. Fun. (2025)
Claire Clauster is the glue that holds her chaotic, lovable family together at the holidays. But this year, after planning a special outing for them, they make a crucial mistake and leave her home alone. Fed up and feeling under appreciated, she sets off on an impromptu adventure of her own. As her family scrambles to find her, Claire discovers the unexpected magic of a Christmas gone off-script.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisDeck the Halls (2006)
Determined to unseat Steve Finch's reign as the town's holiday season king, Buddy Hall plasters his house with so many decorative lights that it'll be visible from space! When their wives bond, and their kids follow suit, the two men only escalate their rivalry - and their decorating.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Santa Clause (1994)
On Christmas Eve, divorced dad Scott Calvin and his son discover Santa Claus has fallen off their roof. When Scott takes the reins of the magical sleigh, he finds he is now the new Santa, and must convince a world of disbelievers, including himself.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSurviving Christmas (2004)
Wealthy executive Drew Latham has no close relationships and becomes nostalgic for his childhood home as Christmas approaches. When he visits the house and finds another family living there, he offers the residents a large sum of money to pretend they are his parents.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisDaddy's Home 2 (2017)
Father and stepfather Dusty and Brad join forces to make Christmastime perfect for the children. Their newfound partnership soon gets put to the test when Dusty's old-school, macho dad and Brad's gentle father arrive to turn the holiday upside down. After a sudden change in plans, the four men decide to take the kids to a luxury resort for a fun-filled getaway that turns into a hilarious and chaotic adventure.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTrapped in Paradise (1994)
Residents of a friendly Pennsylvania town foil three brothers' plan to rob a bank on Christmas Eve.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisHome for the Holidays (1995)
After losing her job, making out with her soon-to-be former boss, and finding out that her daughter plans to spend Thanksgiving with her boyfriend, Claudia Larson faces spending the holiday with her unhinged family.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisErnest Saves Christmas (1988)
When Santa Claus decides to retire and pass on his magic bag of Christmas surprises to a new Saint Nick, he enlists the aid of a hilarious assortment of characters. A perky teen runaway and hapless taxi driver Ernest P. Worrell must convince a skeptical kiddie-show host to take over the post of Father Christmas.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisUnaccompanied Minors (2006)
Five disparate kids snowed in at the airport on Christmas Eve learn some lessons about friendship when they launch a bid to get back to their families and outsmart a disgruntled airport official who wants to keep them grounded.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJingle All the Way (1996)
Howard Langston, a salesman for a mattress company, is constantly kept busy at his job, disappointing his son. After he misses his son's karate exposition, Howard vows to make it up to him by buying an action figure of his son's favorite television hero for Christmas. Unfortunately for Howard, it is Christmas Eve, and every store is sold out of Turbo Man. Now, Howard must travel all over town and compete with everybody else to find a Turbo Man action figure.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNational Lampoon's Vacation (1983)
Clark Griswold is on a quest to take his family to the Walley World theme park for a vacation, but things don't go exactly as planned.
Why it matches: Same series: National Lampoon's Vacation · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Ref (1994)
A cat burglar is forced to take a bickering, dysfunctional family hostage on Christmas Eve.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMixed Nuts (1994)
The events of a crisis hotline business on one crazy night during the Christmas holidays.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisFour Christmases (2008)
Brad and Kate have made something of an art form out of avoiding their families during the holidays, but this year their foolproof plan is about go bust -- big time. Stuck at the city airport after all departing flights are canceled, the couple is embarrassed to see their ruse exposed to the world by an overzealous television reporter. Now, Brad and Kate are left with precious little choice other than to swallow their pride and suffer the rounds.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisJingle All the Way 2 (2014)
Larry's daughter wants only one thing for Christmas - a talking bear. His daughter's step-dad intends to make sure that Larry can't get one.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisOffice Christmas Party (2016)
When Carol Vanstone, CEO of the technology company Zenotek, expresses her intention to close the Chicago branch, run by her brother Clay, he and his co-workers organize a Christmas party in an effort to impress a potential client and save their jobs. But the party gets out of control…
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies 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: Fans watch both · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Christmas Story Christmas (2022)
Follows Ralphie, now adult, who returns to the house on Cleveland Street to give his kids a magical Christmas like the one he had as a child, reconnecting with childhood friends, and reconciling the passing of his Old Man.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisI'll Be Home for Christmas (1998)
Estranged from his father, college student Jake is lured home to New York for Christmas with the promise of receiving a classic Porsche as a gift. When the bullying football team dumps him in the desert in a Santa suit, Jake is left without identification or money to help him make the journey. Meanwhile, his girlfriend, Allie, does not know where he is, and accepts a cross-country ride from Jake's rival, Eddie.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBad Santa (2003)
You'd better watch out - Willie T. Soke is coming to town, and he doesn't care if you've been naughty or nice. Willie's favorite holiday tradition is to fill his sacks with loot lifted from shopping malls across the country. But this year his plot gets derailed by a wisecracking store detective, a sexy bartender, and a kid who's convinced Willie is the real Santa Claus.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPlanes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)
An irritable marketing executive, Neal Page, is heading home to Chicago for Thanksgiving when a number of delays force him to travel with a well meaning but overbearing shower curtain ring salesman, Del Griffith.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA Very Harold & Kumar Christmas (2011)
Six years have elapsed since Guantanamo Bay, leaving Harold and Kumar estranged from one another with very different families, friends and lives. But when Kumar arrives on Harold's doorstep during the holiday season with a mysterious package in hand, he inadvertently burns down Harold's father-in-law's beloved Christmas tree. To fix the problem, Harold and Kumar embark on a mission through New York City to find the perfect Christmas tree, once again stumbling into trouble at every single turn.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Great Outdoors (1988)
It's vacation time for outdoorsy Chicago man Chet Ripley, along with his wife, Connie, and their two kids, Buck and Ben. But a serene weekend of fishing at a Wisconsin lakeside cabin gets crashed by Connie's obnoxious brother-in-law, Roman Craig, his wife, Kate, and the couple's two daughters. As the excursion wears on, the Ripleys find themselves at odds with the stuffy Craig family.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNational Lampoon's European Vacation (1985)
The Griswolds win a vacation to Europe on a game show, and so pack their bags for the continent. They do their best to catch the flavor of Europe, but they just don't know how to be be good tourists. Besides, they have trouble taking holidays in countries where they CAN speak the language.
Why it matches: Same series: National Lampoon's Vacation · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBeethoven's Christmas Adventure (2011)
A Christmas elf accidentally takes off in Santa's sleigh, crash lands in a small town, and loses the magic toy bag. Beethoven must rescue the elf, recover the bag from greedy crooks, and return the sleigh to Santa in time to save Christmas.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMerry Little Batman (2023)
This Christmas, Damian Wayne wants to be a superhero like his dad – the one and only Batman. When Damian is left home alone while Batman takes on Gotham’s worst supervillains on Christmas Eve, he stumbles upon a villainous plot to steal Christmas and leaps at the chance to save the day.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation?
The closest matches to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation are Christmas with the Kranks (2004), A Merry Friggin' Christmas (2014) and Scrooged (1988). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation?
People who watched National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation most often go on to Christmas with the Kranks (2004), A Merry Friggin' Christmas (2014) and Scrooged (1988).
What is the highest-rated movie like National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation?
Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987), rated 7.3/10 by 2,369 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation?
Oh. What. Fun. (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Is National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation part of a series?
Yes. It belongs to National Lampoon's Vacation, which includes National Lampoon's Vacation (1983) and National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985).
Are there English movies like National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation?
Yes: Christmas with the Kranks (2004), A Merry Friggin' Christmas (2014) and Scrooged (1988).
How are movies similar to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.