Christmas is a time of year at which we often find ourselves watching some truly terrible films in order to satisfy our friends and relatives, occasionally resulting in heated post-luncheon arguments. In fact, the very definition of what constitutes a “Christmas film” is a contentious issue (just ask anyone what they think of Die Hard). Thankfully, there are some genuine classics to be enjoyed over the holidays. The following list is a selection of the best Christmas films I have watched over the last month. From action, to comedy, to romance, there’s a choice for every mood.

10) Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

The only film on the list to feature a masked illuminati orgy, Eyes Wide Shut isn’t the sort of Christmas film you can watch with your Nan. Nevertheless, it provides a dark and eerily erotic take on the season of goodwill, skewering the fiercely exploitative nature of modern consumer culture in the process. Stanley Kubrick’s final work, it makes for an intoxicating experience as we follow Dr William Hartford (Tom Cruise) on a journey of self-discovery amidst New York’s sleazy and surreal underworld. It’s a complex film with myriad implications and interpretations, revealing more upon each viewing. What better way is there to escape the monotony of a family Christmas than to immerse oneself in Kubrick’s final, erogenous misadventure?

9) Joyeux Noel (2005)

Chronicling the 1914 Christmas Truce during the First World War, Joyeux Noel follows the experiences of British, French, and German soldiers as they come together in No Man’s Land. The film lacks the battle sequences and destruction of other films set during WWI, and instead focuses on a moment of peace. The result is a touching and ultimately tragic film which provides a testament to the strength of human compassion amidst the most inhumane of conflicts.

8) Home Alone (1990)

Home invasion films aren’t typically a barrel of laughs, but the brilliance of Home Alone is that it essentially functions as a live-action Disney cartoon. As eight-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) defends his home from violent burglars Harry and Marv (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern), the invaders are set on fire, beaten, shot, and pierced with spikes, but quickly bounce back without any serious injuries. It doesn’t have much to do with Christmas, but this is slapstick comedy in its purest form, elevated by charismatic performances from Culkin and Pesci. Several lacklustre sequels have since followed, but none have dampened the appeal of this anarchic original.

7) Trading Places (1983)

Director John Landis’ last great comedy before his subsequent decline into mediocrity, Trading Places is a wonderfully subversive Christmas romp. Drawing from Mark Twain’s 1881 novel The Prince and the Pauper, the film sees a wealthy business executive (Dan Aykroyd) exchange lives with a poor street hustler (Eddie Murphy) in order to satisfy a bet between two aristocratic brothers. Both Murphy and Aykroyd are at the height of their comedic powers, complemented by scene-stealing turns from Jamie-Lee Curtis and Denholm Elliot. Dealing with issues like racism, drug abuse, prostitution, and inequality, it’s an atypical Christmas comedy which delivers laughs year-on-year.

6) Carol (2015)

Adapted from Patricia Highsmith’s 1952 novel The Price of Salt, Carol is the story of a yuletide romance between an unhappily married woman (Cate Blanchett) and a young, aspiring photographer (Rooney Mara). It’s an achingly tender film, in which every glance and touch is palpably weighted with unspoken longing. Edward Lachman’s sumptuous 16mm cinematography transports the viewer to the early 1950s, capturing an idealised vision of a snow-swept New York. All this serves to underpin the fizzling chemistry between Blanchett and Mara, resulting in a Christmas love story which speaks to anyone who has ever found themselves suddenly and unexpectedly in love.

5) Brazil (1985)

Depicting a deeply bureaucratic and consumerist dystopia, it’s no accident that Brazil takes place around Christmastime. Hymns, Christmas trees, and men in Santa costumes provide an inane and incongruous backdrop to the futuristic tyranny of the film’s world, but it also provides a commentary on the hollow materialism which often characterises Christmas in the real world. Deftly swerving between comedy and horror, the film makes a rewarding change of pace from the forced sentimentality of more conventional Christmas classics. Beside its festive credentials, Brazil remains the pinnacle of director Terry Gilliam’s career – an intimate study of the human condition in a world devoid of humanity.

4) The Bishop’s Wife (1947)

There is a sequence at around the halfway point of The Bishop’s Wife, lasting about ten minutes, in which three characters go ice-skating on a frozen lake. It’s a spellbinding chapter which acts as a useful demonstration of what makes this film so magical; this is Christmas as it appears in children’s picture books, a fantastical ideal of snowbound streets and icy parks. This serves as the perfect backdrop for a funny and charming story of romance and the true meaning of Christmas. Cary Grant is perfectly cast as Dudley, a suave angel sent to provide guidance to Bishop Henry Brougham (David Niven), an overworked clergyman who is losing touch with his faith and, more crucially, his wife Julia (Loretta Young). Grant oozes the charisma which defined his on-screen career, and it’s worth watching for the immaculate contours of his haircut alone – perhaps explaining why the film was retitled Cary and The Bishop’s Wife for some US markets.

3) The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

For my money, this is the finest cinematic adaptation of Charles Dickens’ widely filmed novella, and the best entry in the Muppet franchise. The tunes are all appropriately catchy and the Muppets are as hilarious as ever, but it’s Michael Caine’s central performance as Ebenezer Scrooge which elevates this film into the classic it is. Despite acting against the surreal and slapstick stylings of Kermit and gang, he plays his part entirely straight, injecting genuine tragedy into the character of Scrooge. His journey from pitiless miser to benevolent altruist is entirely believable, as an icy exterior slowly thaws with feelings of sorrow, regret, and finally compassion.

2) It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

It’s easy to understand why this film continues to resonate with audiences over 70 years since its release. Dealing with the same doubts and fears which we all face throughout our lives, It’s a Wonderful life is an archetype of life-affirming cinema. James Stewart gives one of his finest performances as George Bailey, a down-on-his-luck family man who considers suicide on Christmas Eve – that is, until a guardian angel arrives to show George what the world would be like had he never existed. It’s a film which affirms our collective responsibility towards our fellow man and the dangers of greed and cynicism. Most importantly, a Christmas viewing of It’s a Wonderful Life serves an annual reminder that your life matters, and that every act of kindness, no matter how small, helps to make the world a better place.

1) Die Hard (1988)

Over the past few weeks, an irritating assembly of naysayers have tried to argue that Die Hard isn’t a Christmas film at all, but merely an action movie which happens to be set on Christmas Eve. It must be asked whether any of these dullards have actually watched Die Hard – this is a quintessentially festive tale of redemption and rekindled romance, which happens to take place during a terrorist siege. The hero of the film, NYPD Officer John McClane, is a modern-day Ebenezer Scrooge; a cranky misanthrope more concerned with catching crooks than being with his estranged family. Over the course of an explosive Christmas Eve, he begins to recognise the error of his ways and eventually finds redemption in the arms of his wife. The fact that he blows up a few people doesn’t detract from the film’s essentially festive themes. Die Hard is a timeless reminder that Christmas is a time to reconnect with those you love, even when Alan Rickman is trying to shoot you.