11 podcasts reviewing classic Christmas movies, from ‘Home Alone’ to ‘Elf’

Thanksgiving is over, Mariah Carey has fully thawed, and the only thing that matters is whether or not to put peppermint in our hot chocolate. So, turn off that Netflix Yule Log (for now) and switch on a holiday classic. To prepare us for our impending holiday movie marathons, we found some awesome podcasts reviewing Christmas movies to see whether or not we should be adding (or removing) any to our list.

We’ve got Home Alone, Love Actually, Elf, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and every Hallmark movie you can imagine on this list. Check out this list of podcasts reviewing Christmas movies for the holiday season.

Deck The Hallmark

The only reason for the season is for Hallmark to make money off of cringe-watching their cheesy, made-for-TV Christmas “movies.” Hosts Bran, Panda, and Dan are attempting to watch every single one of these Hallmark concoctions in time for Christmas, and, well, uh, with over 500 (!!) episodes, we sure do hope they are close to meeting their goal. Check out “Deck The Hallmark” if you, too, are anxiously awaiting Hallmark’s newest Christmas drops.

A Very Merry Iconic Podcast with Danny & Jenna

“Everything Iconic” host Danny Pellegrino is joined by Lifetime and Hallmark movie writer Jenna Brister to recap your favorite holiday content. From holiday Friends episodes to 1998’s I’ll Be Home for Christmas, the Santa Clause Trilogy, and Lindsay Lohan’s Falling for Christmas, this festive podcast is sure to put a smile on the face of even the Scroogiest listener.

The Rewatchables

We expected The Ringer’s “The Rewatchables” to have a Christmas movie review, but we didn’t expect it to be with such an all-star team. ESPN’s Mina Kimes joins The Ringer’s Chris Ryan and Sean Fennessey to talk all about the classic Home Alone, the young Macaulay Culkin, Catherine O’Hara, and Joe Pesci.

Rotten Tomatoes Is Wrong

Hey, you know, sometimes Rotten Tomatoes gets it wrong. In this episode, hosts Jacqueline Coley and Mark Ellis along with qualified guests are settling the score on Love, Actually. What some people see as the perfect Christmas romance film, others see as a problematic rom-com despite its all-star cast. Like, it was weird that Hugh Grant’s character hit on his inferiors, right? And we know that Alan Rickman’s character was bad, but, once again, why did Colin Firth have to hit on his employee/housekeeper? At least Emma Thompson gives her usual Oscar-worthy performance. Listen to “Rotten Tomatoes Is Wrong” to hear whether its tooth-aching sweetness is just a cover. Also, check out their episodes on Jim Carrey’s How The Grinch Stole Christmas and Home Alone 2.

Pop Culture Happy Hour

“Pop Culture Happy Hour” celebrated holiday classics in past episodes. This year, NPR’s podcast discussed new holiday films like “Spirited,” “Violent Night,” and more. An episode from November shared a 2022 guide to Christmas movies.

Maximum Film!

The Clea Duvall/Kristen Stewart/Dan Levy queer Christmas film we’ve all been waiting for was released in 2020 with Happiest Season. “Maximum Film!” reviews the new Christmas classic, having their happiest podcast guest Jordan Crucchiola on to review. They talk about what worked, what didn’t, and why they had MacKenzie Davis wear that weird wig. P.S. they start the review just before the 22-minute mark since they like to share new pop culture news at the start of the podcast.

Unspooled

The Halloween-Christmas gothic classic is up to bat on “Unspooled.” Appropriately released in November (because, really, when should we start watching this movie? October or December?), Paul and Amy talk about the impeccable orchestrations of Danny Elfman, who the true creator of The Nightmare Before Christmas is, and what’s up with Jack Skellington’s eyes.

10ish Podcast

“10ish Podcast” has the list of the highest-grossing Christmas movies of all time, and an even longer list with fun facts about the classics. Find out which Christmas movies kill off Santa, who the most iconic Christmas character is, Christmas movie sequels with guns, and so much more. Also, you can check out an earlier episode from “10ish Podcast” to hear the hosts’ top 10 Christmas movies on their lists.

Black Men Can’t Jump [in Hollywood]

Last holiday season, “Black Men Can’t Jump [in Hollywood]” reviewed the new Christmas movie Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey. With a focus on movies with Black leading actors, this podcast could not get enough of this new Christmas classic. It’s filled with stars new and old with Forest Whitaker, Keegan-Michael Key, Hugh Bonneville, Anika Noni Rose, Madalen Mills, Phylicia Rashad, Lisa Davina Phillip, and Rick Martin.

A Film and A Movie

Oh, how controversial. “A Film and A Movie” is hosted by Dan Thompson of “Deck the Hallmark” and Alonso Duralde, a real life film critic. Together, they compare a film and a movie under the microscope to see how old cinema has shaped modern cinema. And thank goodness, because this episode covers two classics in one – Miracle on 34th Street and Elf.

That Aged Well

To finish off our list of Christmas movies, we had to go with Die Hard. “That Aged Well” recognizes this movie for what it is: outrageous plot lines, improbable violence, and the true meaning of Christmas. Hosts Paul and Erika took meticulous notes through this shockingly long movie, making sure to clock Alan Rickman’s Britishness punching through that German accent and give Bruce Willis props for his ever-impressive acting chops, making this movie actually heartfelt.