The Worst Holiday Movies of All Time

Holiday movies arrive every year with twinkly lights and big hopes, but some entries have earned infamy instead of cheer. This list rounds up widely panned titles that show up again and again in worst-of discussions, drawing on review aggregators, box-office records, trade coverage, and award tallies. To keep things verifiable, every entry includes sources you can check yourself.

Selections were guided by factors like very low critic scores, poor financial performance relative to budgets, notorious production histories, and ignominious distinctions such as Razzie attention or inclusion on “0%” lists. For broader context, see Rotten Tomatoes’ roundup of historically low-scoring Christmas films and the running record of movies that have hit a 0% Tomatometer.

‘Saving Christmas’ (2014)

The faith-based ‘Saving Christmas’ drew a rare 0% Tomatometer, and shortly after release it surged to the top of IMDb’s Bottom 100, a moment amplified by news coverage when a social push to improve its ratings backfired. The film went on to win multiple Golden Raspberry Awards, including Worst Picture.

Trade reporting and databases record a limited theatrical rollout via Samuel Goldwyn Films and a box office total in the low single-digit millions. The Time write-up and the film’s entry in public databases provide contemporaneous snapshots of its reception and performance.

‘Deck the Halls’ (2006)

Critic aggregators document a strongly negative reception for ‘Deck the Halls,’ with review pages compiling pans from outlets across the spectrum.

Financial trackers show a worldwide gross in the high-$40-million range against an often-reported production budget in the low-$50-millions, a combination typically described as a box-office underperformance. The Numbers and IMDb list domestic, international, and combined totals.

‘Christmas with the Kranks’ (2004)

Aggregators record very low critic scores for ‘Christmas with the Kranks,’ alongside a “generally unfavorable” Metacritic average; audiences polled by CinemaScore graded it a “B.” The film’s reception section consolidates those data points for easy verification.

Box-office reporting shows that despite harsh reviews, the movie earned a worldwide gross approaching the nine-figure mark, illustrating how holiday timing can buoy even poorly reviewed titles.

‘Jingle All the Way 2’ (2014)

This sequel was produced as a direct-to-video collaboration between WWE Studios and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, with Larry the Cable Guy headlining and WWE talent in the cast—details confirmed by the studio announcement and trade coverage.

Aggregator pages reflect poor critical notices and document the release as a non-theatrical follow-up unrelated to the original storyline, which aligns with the distributor’s positioning of the title.

‘Surviving Christmas’ (2004)

Review aggregators log a rock-bottom critic score for ‘Surviving Christmas,’ and press recaps frequently cite it among the lowest-rated holiday releases.

Industry sources report a budget in the mid-$40-millions and worldwide grosses barely above the mid-teens, along with multiple Razzie nominations—facts summarized in its filmography entry.

‘Home Alone 4’ (2002)

This installment debuted as an ABC television movie rather than a theatrical release, with cast changes from the original films and a plot centered on a royal-kidnapping caper—production and broadcast details that are documented in reference entries and aggregator pages.

Critical reception archived on review sites captures consistent complaints about production values and recycled gags, and the title is commonly referenced as a low point in the series.

‘The Star Wars Holiday Special’ (1978)

The ‘Star Wars’ variety special aired once on network television and swiftly developed a reputation that official and fan histories have chronicled for decades. Vanity Fair’s oral history outlines how the project took shape and why it’s long been viewed as a franchise misfire.

Notably, the special introduced elements later embraced by Lucasfilm, including the Wookiee holiday Life Day and an animated segment that debuted Boba Fett; recent coverage explains how those ideas have since been woven into canon despite the special’s notorious standing.

‘The Nutcracker in 3D’ (2010)

Rotten Tomatoes records a 0% Tomatometer for this reinterpretation of Tchaikovsky’s ballet, with top-critic roundups cataloging the specific complaints about its storytelling and musical approach.

Box-office databases list a production budget reported at around $90 million and worldwide grosses in the high-teens, a gulf extensively discussed in trade-style postmortems and data trackers.

‘New Year’s Eve’ (2011)

Critic aggregators show an extremely low approval rating for ‘New Year’s Eve’ and a “generally unfavorable” Metacritic score, even as CinemaScore polling reported a much warmer audience grade—an instructive split between opening-night viewers and reviewers.

Review pages collect pans from major outlets, and retrospective coverage has noted how the film’s stacked ensemble and holiday branding didn’t translate to critical favor.

‘Santa Claus Conquers the Martians’ (1964)

This public-domain curio recurs on “worst films ever” lists and has been riffed by programs like ‘Mystery Science Theater 3000,’ a legacy summarized in its reference entry. The page also notes early box-office anecdotes and its cult afterlife.

Aggregator pages preserve the film’s modern-day critical consensus and archival materials, which highlight its enduring reputation as a notorious seasonal oddity.

Have a pick you think belongs here—or a defense of one we included? Share your thoughts in the comments!