Christmas Films With Soundtracks Worth Turning Up
Christmas films live and die by their music. Strip out the soundtrack and half the magic goes with it. So before you settle in for this year's festive viewing, here are the films that sound as good as they look, and are worth watching with the volume turned up.
Love Actually (2003)
Love it or roll your eyes at it, the soundtrack is superb. There's Billy Mack's gloriously cynical "Christmas Is All Around", the school concert version of "All I Want for Christmas Is You", and Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" playing under the best scene in the film. It's still the saddest present ever unwrapped.
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
Paul Williams wrote the songs and every one is a winner, from "One More Sleep 'Til Christmas" to the rousing finale. It's the rare family film that adults happily rewatch every year, and Michael Caine plays Scrooge completely straight, which is exactly why it works.
Home Alone (1990)
John Williams scored it, so it was always going to be good. The score blends mischief with real warmth, and "Somewhere in My Memory" has been making grown adults misty-eyed for more than thirty years. Add Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" and it's a proper festive mixtape.
Elf (2003)
Will Ferrell and Zooey Deschanel's "Baby, It's Cold Outside", heard through a shower curtain, plus a big singalong to save Christmas. The whole film runs on the idea that "the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear", which is good advice for any dad.
Scrooged (1988)
Bill Murray at his most acidic, and a finale built around "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" by Annie Lennox and Al Green. Few films end on a better song.
Die Hard (1988)
Yes, it counts. Run-DMC's "Christmas in Hollis" opens the film, and Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" crops up at the most villainous moments. It's a better soundtrack than it has any right to be.
Make it a double bill
Our tip: put the soundtrack on while you wrap the presents, then watch the film once the kids are in bed. It's the closest thing to a perfect Christmas Eve.
