It’s that time of the year again when the cool air bursts, and life with family and friends begins. Some of you may have already started (or finished) your Christmas shopping. Some of you may have already started planning holiday gatherings that include travel. Hollywood may provide some inspiration as you solidify your vacation plans. Whether it’s a magical trip to a snowy village or spending time with unexpected companions in a quaint little town, some fan-favorite movies come to mind.
Bounce surveyed movies that included travel as an important element that takes place during the holidays and highlighted the 10 best. Each film had to score at least 6.5 on IMDb and garner over 10,000 user votes.
Keep reading for more travel-inspired holiday movies. Get ready for some holiday cheer!
The Weinstein Company
Carol (2015)
– Director: Todd Haynes
– IMDb User Rating: 7.2
– Metascore: 94
– Runtime: 118 minutes
Based on Patricia Highsmith’s 1952 novel The Price of Salt, this romantic film takes lesbian romance to life in New York City.
One day, while doing last-minute holiday shopping, New York City shopgirl and aspiring set designer Therese Belivet (Rooney Mara) meets a sophisticated older man named Carol Aird (Cate Blanchett). meet women. There are men in Thérèse and Carol’s lives, but they struggle to live up to society’s conservative 1950s expectations as they explore their deep connection to each other.
The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw described the film as “brilliantly detailed”, immersing viewers in the gorgeous scenes of perfectly coiffed women, train carriages and record players. pulled into the past. ‘Carol’ received many nominations for cinematography, costume design, and hair and makeup. Rooney Mara won the Best Supporting Actress award at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.
new line cinema
Elf (2003)
– Director: Jon Favreau
– IMDb User Rating: 7.0
– Metascore: 64
– Runtime: 97 minutes
In this Christmas comedy, a human baby crawls into one of Santa’s toy sacks, but St. Nick doesn’t realize it until he reaches the North Pole. Santa and the elves decide to keep the baby and name it Buddy (Will Ferrell).
Over time, Buddy becomes familiar with the elven way of life, but does not realize his human origins until he overhears his elf companions talk about his unique traits. soon searches for his biological father in New York City, but it has its own set of obstacles. The film features the magical New York City of Christmas, complete with the appearance of the famous Gimbels and his department store that may inspire nostalgia in some viewers.
Warner Bros.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
– Director: Alfonso Cuarón
– IMDb User Rating: 7.9
– Metascore: 82
– Runtime: 142 minutes
Generally, Harry Potter movies are not considered “holiday movies”, but some movies, including “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” are cut. Yes, the plot centers around a mass murderer’s jailbreak, but it’s full of winter wonderland scenes.
In one scene, the characters visit Hogsmeade. Hogsmeade is a quaint, snowy village full of magic, home to an old-fashioned sweet shop.
visiona romantica
The Hateful Eight (2015)
– Director: Quentin Tarantino
– IMDb User Rating: 7.8
– Metascore: 68
– Runtime: 168 minutes
“The Hateful Eight” has become a rare Christmas favorite for those in the mood to keep their saccharine low. follow people. A humorous but violent scene follows. As Bob (Demian Bichir) begins playing “Silent Night” on the piano, Major Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson) and General Sandy Smithers (Bruce Dern) place blankets on his lap Start eating around the fireplace. It feels a little Christmasy, albeit menacing.
The film won an Academy Award for Best Music and a BAFTA Award for Best Original Music.
columbia movie
The Holiday (2006)
– Director: Nancy Meyers
– IMDb User Rating: 6.9
– Metascore: 52
– Runtime: 136 minutes
In the romantic comedy The Holiday, two women who meet online fall in love with equally ill-fated love and agree to swap houses for the holidays. Hard-working film industry businessman Amanda Woods (Cameron Diaz), who lives in Los Angeles, quickly swaps places with social columnist Iris, who lives in a cozy stone cottage in the English countryside.
The change of scenery is positive for both women, not only in terms of romantic possibilities but also in terms of sheer beauty. The cottage is a two story bougainvillea laden dream. The scenery makes me want to book the next transatlantic flight. The film won a Teen Choice Award in 2007 for Choice Movie: Chick Flick.
20th Century Fox
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
– Director: Chris Columbus
– IMDb User Rating: 6.8
– Metascore: 46
– Runtime: 120 minutes
In “Home Alone 2,” 10-year-old Kevin McAllister (Macaulay Culkin) and his family were supposed to be on a Christmas trip to Florida, but Kevin got lost at the airport and got on the wrong plane. put away. New York. Taking his father’s credit card and wallet, Kevin books a luxury suite in a Manhattan hotel. It includes a huge bed and an oversized sundae.
It sounds like the perfect holiday until he gets kicked out of the hotel and has to face the same thieves he faced in the first installment. Let Kevin show you the many sights of New York, including statues, Central Park, and even Santa on stilts outside the Empire Diner.
Focus function
In Bruges (2008)
– Director: Martin McDonagh
– IMDb User Rating: 7.9
– Metascore: 67
– Runtime: 107 minutes
In this comedy-drama thriller, assassins Ray (Colin Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson) travel to Bruges, Belgium at Christmastime to go into hiding after a failed assassination attempt. Guilt-ridden about his crime boss’ failed first job, Ray wants to leave Bruges, but Ken sees the trip as a small vacation.
The film introduces viewers to picturesque places in Bruges such as the Market Square, Belfry (on the UNESCO World Heritage List) and Relais Bourgondish Kreis (a boutique hotel where murderers stay). To do. The film won several awards including a BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay.
fuse entertainment
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
– Director: Jeremiah S. Chechik
– IMDb User Rating: 7.5
– Metascore: 49
– Runtime: 97 minutes
In this slapstick comedy movie, everything seems to go wrong as the Griswold family prepares for a holiday celebration. Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) is determined to have a fun, traditional family Christmas with his wife Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo) and his two children, but Clark’s grumpy uncle and Complicating things is that both of the cranky aunts have stepparents.
The moment the floor collapses, the ladder falls, and Clark has to change the direction of the car to avoid colliding with the snowplow, and is superpowered by an experimental “calorie-free silicone-based kitchen lubricant.” Given the epic sleigh scene, viewers can enjoy more…than a few laughs. The Griswold house scenes were shot in Los Angeles, with most of the outdoor scenes shot in Breckenridge, Colorado.
paramount pictures
Airplane, Train, Car (1987)
– Director: John Hughes
– IMDb User Rating: 7.6
– Metascore: 72
– Runtime: 93 minutes
In this comedy, the easily irritable Neil Page (Steve Martin) is heading back to Chicago to spend Thanksgiving with his wife Susan (Lila Robbins) and kids. But of course, so is everything that goes wrong.
A heavy snowfall in Chicago causes Neil’s flight to be rerouted to a city in Kansas. With the hotel already booked, he has no choice but to share a room with friendly, laid-back, eccentric travel salesman Del Griffith (John Candy). While the two go on adventures, viewers can enjoy homely small-town locations, including an old-fashioned gazebo in the middle of the square.
Castle Rock Entertainment
Polar Express (2004)
– Director: Robert Zemeckis
– IMDb User Rating: 6.6
– Metascore: 61
– Runtime: 100 minutes
Based on Chris Van Allsberg’s best-selling book, this animated film tells the story of a young boy who sets off on Christmas Eve. A boy travels by train from his hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan to the North Pole. Along with other children, he is treated to literal singing and dancing by servers and chefs, ending with a steaming cup of hot chocolate. An otherworldly aurora twinkling in the sky. And of course, the majestic North Pole.
When the train stops, the conductor informs the children that the elves have gathered in a magical city and how they are waiting for Santa to give them gifts. Despite the message, the grand gesture is what makes viewers reach out to their loved ones.
This story was originally published on Bounce and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
