Best movies like The Christmas That Almost Wasn't
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
Sam Whipple, an attorney in once-upon-a-time-land, is startled to receive a visit from Santa Claus shortly before Christmas. It seems that when he was a child, Sam wrote a letter thanking Santa for the presents he'd received, and offering to return the favor someday. That day is now - a mean old soul named Phineas Prune, who holds the deed to the North Pole, is demanding back rent. Otherwise, he's going to evict Santa, Mrs. Claus and the elves and take all the Christmas toys. It's up to Sam and Santa to find a way to pay off Prune and prevent Christmas from being canceled.
IMDB Rating: 3.5
IMDB Votes: 923
Genere: Family, Fantasy
Country: Italy, USA
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: independent film
Best tv shows and movies like The Christmas That Almost Wasn't (1966):
Similar in 77%
Magic Land of Mother Goose (1967)
Plot Summary:
See Storybook Characters Come to Life! Hear Beautiful Songs! Laugh at the Rag Doll! Be thrilled, amazed, and just plain dumbstruck by this kooky kiddie klassick from Mr.Gore himself, HERSCHELL GORDON LEWIS!.
IMDB Rating: 3.1
IMDB Votes: 75
Genere: Family, Fantasy
Country: USA
Duration: 59 min
Plot tags: grindhouse, children's story, fairy tale, independent film
Similar in 85%
Santa's Summer House (2012)
Plot Summary:
A dense fog falls over Southern California, sending a group of discontent vacationers to a mysterious island occupied by a jolly old soul whose Christmas magic works all year round. Before this trip is over, each of the weary travelers learn to see their lives through a more optimistic lens. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi.
IMDB Rating: 2.4
IMDB Votes: 526
Genere: Family, Fantasy
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 78%
Quincy's Quest (1979)
Plot Summary:
It's the night before Christmas, and all toy store rejects are due to be tossed into the furnace. This includes Quincy, a most lifelike doll. In a last ditch effort to save himself and his "unwanted" chums from incineration, Quincy goes on a long and perilous journey in search of the only one who can save them: Santa Claus.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 156
Genere: Family, Fantasy
Country: UK
Duration: 80 min
Plot tags: psychotronic
Similar in 87%
A Magic Christmas (2014)
Plot Summary:
Jack Carter, a man constantly living in a state of regret, takes his technology-obsessed family, including their lovable dog Buster, on a Christmas vacation to the mountains in the hopes of reconnecting with them. While on vacation, Jack and his family run into an estranged, uber-competitive friend of Jack's, who now lives the life of luxury Jack pines for. Through a series of juvenile competitions, Jack realizes that the love of his family is more rewarding than anything money could buy.
IMDB Rating: 5.1
IMDB Votes: 244
Genere: Family
Country: USA
Duration: 80 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 80%
The Good Witch of Christmas (2022)
Plot Summary:
In this adorable sequel to "Christmas Thieves," Frank and Tony are babysitting for Liam and Olivia, while their parents Emma and Peter are out shopping for last-minute Christmas presents. Emma and Peter get into an accident with Santa Claus, and have scared off all of his reindeer. Santa needs to call for back-up and the only person left to save the day is the Christmas Witch. Unbeknownst to Santa, the Christmas Witch has accidentally landed in front of Olivia and Liam's house, and she has completely lost her memory. Liam, Olivia, Frank and Tony try to find answers for the Witch in the book "Puffins". Will the Puffins help the Witch remember that she needs to go help Santa in enough time to save Christmas? This heartwarming live-action and animated Christmas film is filled with lots of holiday magic, and is something the whole family will enjoy together.
IMDB Rating: 3.6
IMDB Votes: 212
Genere: Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Country: Italy
Duration: 77 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 90%
Kiwi Christmas (2017)
Plot Summary:
Fed up with the materialism of Christmas, Santa runs away to New Zealand for a summer holiday. When two Kiwi kids figure out who he is, they have to find a way to get him back to the North Pole in time for Christmas.
IMDB Rating: 5.1
IMDB Votes: 259
Genere: Family, Fantasy
Country: New Zealand
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: funny, sincere, feel good, humorous, captivating, entertaining
Similar in 84%
Santa Switch (2013)
Plot Summary:
A struggling dad gets a new start after a strange encounter replaces his mall Santa gig with the real thing.
IMDB Rating: 5.3
IMDB Votes: 489
Genere: Family
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: light, sincere, feel good, not serious, christmas special
Similar in 86%
Defending Santa (2013)
Plot Summary:
Kris Kringle, aka Santa Claus, goes on trial for mental competency in Small Town U.S.A.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 527
Genere: Drama, Family, Fantasy
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: sincere, romantic, captivating, entertaining, disturbing, semi serious
Similar in 83%
The Night They Saved Christmas (1984)
Plot Summary:
An oil company is exploring two Arctic sites for oil. The needed blasting at the first site rocks Santa Claus' North Pole village. He realizes that any blasting at the second site will destroy his home. He enlists the aid of a woman and her children to convince her husband (who works for the company) that the first site is where the oil they want is. Along the way, Santa explains all his secrets in delivering presents all around the world.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Family, Fantasy
Country: USA
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: feel good, humorous, semi serious, independent film
Similar in 86%
Santa Claws (2014)
Plot Summary:
Santa is allergic to cats, so he has a policy against delivering them as gifts, but little Tommy has been SO good, and all he wants is one small kitty. Santa says OK, but instead of one, the whole litter climbs into the sack. When Santa has a major allergic reaction, the kittens have to take over and deliver the presents on time.
IMDB Rating: 3.0
IMDB Votes: 848
Genere: Family, Fantasy
Country: USA
Duration: 86 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 88%
The Case for Christmas (2011)
Plot Summary:
A lawyer finds himself defending Santa Claus in the biggest trial in history.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 754
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 88 min
Plot tags: humorous, sincere, captivating, feel good, emotional, semi serious
Similar in 85%
Northpole (2014)
Plot Summary:
Northpole, the magical city where Santa and his elves live and work is in trouble. Families around the globe have gotten too busy to enjoy the season together, and Northpole depends on their holiday happiness to keep running. In the hopes of turning things around, a determined young elf befriends a little boy with a lot of spirit. His skeptical journalist mom doesn’t have room in her heart for anything but the facts, so it’s going to take a little nudge from his charming teacher to create an unbeatable Christmas team to turn around this town and share the importance of the season with the whole world.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Family, Fantasy
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 81 min
Plot tags: feel good, sentimental, captivating, humorous, serious
Similar in 76%
Santa's Boot Camp (2016)
Plot Summary:
When kids become so bratty and self-centered that Santa's elves go on strike, Santa, in desperation, must bring six unscrupulous youths to his boot camp to help save Christmas.
IMDB Rating: 3.1
IMDB Votes: 202
Genere: Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Country: USA
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 90%
Miracle on 34th Street (1973)
Plot Summary:
A department store Santa tries to convince a little girl who doesn't believe in Santa Claus that he is Santa Claus, and winds up going on trial to prove who he is.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 672
Genere: Drama, Family, Fantasy
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 86%
Help for the Holidays (2012)
Plot Summary:
Although she loves Christmas, Santa’s elf Christine (Summer Glau) wonders if there could be more to life than making toys in the North Pole. When Santa receives an emergency wish from a little boy in Los Angeles, he puts Christine on a special assignment, sending her to L.A. to give the VanCamp family—mom Sara (Eva La Rue), dad Scott (Dan Gauthier), and their two kids Ally (Izabela Vidovic) and Will (Mason Cook)—a holiday wake-up call. Will Christine fail her assignment and be sent back to the North Pole for good, or will the VanCamps come to their senses about the meaning of Christmas?.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Family, Fantasy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: sincere, entertaining, light, feel good
Similar in 75%
The Santa Suit (2010)
Plot Summary:
Drake Hunter, the president of Hunter Marketing, has the perfect plan to boost sales for his father's toy company over the holiday season--hire department store Santas to promote his father's merchandise. When the real Santa Claus turns Drake into a Santa lookalike, Drake finds himself working as a dress-up Kris Kringle to make ends meet. Stripped of power and position, Drake discovers the importance of honesty, compassion, and respect as he helps an unprivileged girl enjoy the magic of Christmas. Stars Kevin Sorbo.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: semi serious, humorous, sentimental, light, entertaining
Similar in 86%
One Magic Christmas (1985)
Plot Summary:
Ginny Grainger, a young mother, rediscovers the joy and beauty of Christmas, thanks to the unshakable faith of her six-year-old daughter Abbie and Gideon, Ginny's very own guardian angel.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Family, Fantasy
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: sentimental, touching, emotional, surprise ending, feel good, humorous, semi serious, light, unusual plot structure, sweet
Similar in 84%
The Claus Family (2020)
Plot Summary:
When his grandfather suddenly falls ill, holiday-hating Jules learns of his family's magical legacy and realizes he's the only hope to save Christmas.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Country: Belgium
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: sincere, feel good, captivating, entertaining, semi serious
Similar in 83%
The Year Without a Santa Claus (2006)
Plot Summary:
Thoroughly disgruntled, Santa (Goodman) opts to take a year off from delivering presents, until a young man helps him rediscover the meaning of the holidays.
IMDB Rating: 3.7
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags: fairy tale, light, feel good, sweet, christmas special
Similar in 80%
The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two (2020)
Plot Summary:
Kate Pierce is reluctantly spending Christmas with her mom’s new boyfriend and his son Jack. But when the North Pole and Christmas are threatened to be destroyed, Kate and Jack are unexpectedly pulled into a new adventure with Santa Claus.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 34000
Genere: Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Country: USA
Duration: 112 min
Plot tags: light, sincere, feel good, captivating, fairy tale, funny
Similar in 77%
My Santa (2013)
Plot Summary:
A young, single mother, Jen, begins to lose her faith in the magic of Christmas. However, when she takes her son Eric to see the local mall Santa, Jen immediately feels an attraction and connection with Chris, the young, attractive man filling the suit. As they begin spending time together, she begins to rediscover her belief in Christmas.
IMDB Rating: 5.5
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Family, Fantasy
Country: USA
Duration: 84 min
Plot tags: feel good, humorous, semi serious, touching
Similar in 82%
The Night Before the Night Before Christmas (2010)
Plot Summary:
When Santa sets off on his Christmas duties a day early, crashes into the Fox family's house, ends up with amnesia and loses his magic sack of presents, he needs help! But the Fox family are a modern and broken family. Can they help him? The parents are preoccupied with work and the kids aren't very festive. But it's up to them to help Santa find his magical bag of toys and the clock is ticking or Christmas will be ruined. Forced to set their own problems aside and work together the Fox family rediscover how much they enjoy being together and realise that maybe they need to reprioritise their lives. The Night Before The Night Before Christmas is a crazy Christmas fantasy for all the family, brimming with festive spirit.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 725
Genere: Family, Fantasy
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 88 min
Plot tags: feel good, semi serious, sincere, funny, light, touching
Similar in 87%
Meet The Santas (2005)
Plot Summary:
Because she is marrying the man who assumed the mantle of Santa Claus last December 26, Beth's postponed wedding has to be rescheduled for Xmas eve. Overwhelmed by selling the house she and her son share and the prospect of the duties of Mrs. Claus, she has to call on her estranged socialite Grinch of a mother to arrange the wedding. Of course her mom has never met the fiancé nor his family and has no inkling of his secret. This is a sequel to 2004's Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: fairy tale, sentimental, light, sincere, feel good
Similar in 82%
Santa Claus (1985)
Plot Summary:
The first half of this film, set hundreds of years ago, shows how the old man who eventually became Santa Claus was given immortality and chosen to deliver toys to all the children of the world. The second half moves into the modern era, in which Patch, the head elf, strikes out on his own and falls in with an evil toy manufacturer who wants to corner the market and eliminate Santa Claus.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 15000
Genere: Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Country: UK, USA, Netherlands
Duration: 107 min
Plot tags: sweet, slasher, mysterious, exciting, touching, offbeat, feel good, humorous, semi serious, fairy tale
Similar in 82%
The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006)
Plot Summary:
Now that Santa and Mrs. Claus have the North Pole running smoothly, the Counsel of Legendary Figures has called an emergency meeting on Christmas Eve! The evil Jack Frost has been making trouble, looking to take over the holiday! So he launches a plan to sabotage the toy factory and compel Scott to invoke the little-known Escape Clause and wish he'd never become Santa.
IMDB Rating: 4.8
IMDB Votes: 42000
Genere: Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: feel good, christmas special, humorous, semi serious, fairy tale, sweet, entertaining, mysterious, exciting, funny
Similar in 87%
Noelle (2019)
Plot Summary:
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.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 26000
Genere: Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: light, fairy tale, feel good, humorous, exciting, captivating, entertaining, naughty, gay cinema
Similar in 89%
The Christmas Chronicles (2018)
Plot Summary:
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.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 81000
Genere: Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Country: USA
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: light, sincere, atmospheric, sentimental, feel good, captivating, fairy tale, funny, mysterious, stylized
Similar in 82%
Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
Plot Summary:
A little girl discovers dreams can come true if you really believe. Six-year-old Susan Walker has doubts about childhood's most enduring miracle - Santa Claus. Her mother told her the 'secret' about Santa a long time ago. But after meeting a special department store Santa who's convinced he's the real thing, Susan is given the most precious gift of all something to believe in.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 42000
Genere: Drama, Family, Fantasy
Country: USA
Duration: 114 min
Plot tags: fairy tale, sentimental, touching, feel good, inspirational, uplifting, humorous, semi serious, independent film, light
Similar in 79%
Fred Claus (2007)
Plot Summary:
Fred Claus and Santa Claus have been estranged brothers for many years. Now Fred must reconcile his differences with his brother whom he believes overshadows him. When an efficiency expert assesses the workings at the North Pole and threatens to shut Santa down, Fred must help his brother to save Christmas.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 47000
Genere: Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Country: USA
Duration: 116 min
Plot tags: sentimental, humorous, light, melancholic, semi serious, slapstick, exciting, fairy tale, mysterious, surreal
Similar in 82%
The Santa Clause 2 (2002)
Plot Summary:
Better watch out! The big guy in red is coming to town once again. This time, Scott Calvin -- also known as Santa Claus -- finds out there's an obscure clause in his contract requiring him to take on a wife. He has to leave the North Pole to fulfill his obligations, or else he'll be forced to give up his Yuletide gig.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 63000
Genere: Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: fairy tale, humorous, feel good, light, entertaining, touching, christmas special, semi serious, funny, exciting