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A Christmas Carol poster

Movies that feel likeA Christmas Carol (2009)

Miser Ebenezer Scrooge is awakened on Christmas Eve by spirits who reveal to him his own miserable existence, what opportunities he wasted in his youth, his current cruelties, and the dire fate that awaits him if he does not change his ways. Scrooge is faced with his own story of growing bitterness and meanness, and must decide what his own future will hold: death or redemption.

If you loved A Christmas Carol, the closest films we have are The Secret of Kells (2009), Ponyo (2008) and Song of the Sea (2014). All three share A Christmas Carol's whimsical and warm feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Kirikou and the Sorceress (1998).

🍅 52% Rotten Tomatoes★ 6.8 IMDb ↗TMDB ↗dir. Robert Zemeckiswhimsicalwarmcozydreamlike
7 of 12 streaming nowHBO Max · Amazon Prime Video · Disney Plus

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If A Christmas Carol hit the spot, these will too

The Secret of Kells poster
The Secret of Kells
2009 · dir. Tomm Moore
🍅 90%★ 7.5animation · family · fantasy

The same mix in both: whimsy, then warmth

The difference: Critics rated this one higher still

Adventure awaits 12 year old Brendan who must fight Vikings and a serpent god to find a crystal and complete the legendary Book of Kells. In order to finish Brother Aiden's book, Brendan must overcome his deepest fears on a secret quest that will take him beyond the abbey walls and into the enchanted forest where dangerous mythical creatures hide. Will Brendan succeed in his quest?

Ponyo poster
Ponyo
2008 · dir. Hayao Miyazaki
🍅 91%★ 7.6animation · fantasy · familyMax

Cozy where it counts, dreamlike underneath

When Sosuke, a young boy who lives on a clifftop overlooking the sea, rescues a stranded goldfish named Ponyo, he discovers more than he bargained for. Ponyo is a curious, energetic young creature who yearns to be human, but even as she causes chaos around the house, her father, a powerful sorcerer, schemes to return Ponyo to the sea.

Song of the Sea poster
Song of the Sea
2014 · dir. Tomm Moore
🍅 99%★ 8family · animation · fantasy

Whimsical animation, and it commits to that

The story of the last Seal Child’s journey home. After their mother’s disappearance, Ben and Saoirse are sent to live with Granny in the city. When they resolve to return to their home by the sea, their journey becomes a race against time as they are drawn into a world Ben knows only from his mother’s folktales. But this is no bedtime story; these fairy folk have been in our world far too long. It soon becomes clear to Ben that Saoirse is the key to their survival.

Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole poster
🍅 52%★ 6.9animation · adventure · family

Warm family in both cases

The difference: Sits closer to adventure than A Christmas Carol does

When a young owl is abducted by an evil Owl army, he must escape with new-found friends and seek the legendary Guardians to stop the menace.

Epic poster
Epic
2013 · dir. Chris Wedge
🍅 65%★ 6.6animation · adventure · familyMax

Fantasy with a pulse of comfort, in both cases

A teenager finds herself transported to a deep forest setting where a battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil is taking place. She bands together with a rag-tag group characters in order to save their world—and ours.

The Book of Life poster
The Book of Life
2014 · dir. Jorge R. Gutierrez
🍅 82%★ 7.2animation · family · fantasyDisney+

Both lean on dream logic more than on animation

The journey of Manolo, a young man who is torn between fulfilling the expectations of his family and following his heart. Before choosing which path to follow, he embarks on an incredible adventure that spans fantastical worlds where he must face his greatest fears.

The Polar Express poster
The Polar Express
2004 · dir. Robert Zemeckis
🍅 55%★ 6.6adventure · animation · family

Robert Zemeckis directing both, with the same fingerprints on each

When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.

Arthur and the Invisibles poster
Arthur and the Invisibles
2006 · dir. Luc Besson
🍅 21%★ 6adventure · fantasy · animation

Family built on whimsy, twice over

Ten-year-old Arthur, in a bid to save his grandfather's house from being demolished, goes looking for some much-fabled hidden treasure in the land of the Minimoys, tiny people living in harmony with nature.

The Lorax poster
The Lorax
2012 · dir. Chris Renaud
★ 6.4animation · family

One thread runs through both: money

The difference: Easier on the dream logic than A Christmas Carol

A 12-year-old boy searches for the one thing that will enable him to win the affection of the girl of his dreams. To find it he must discover the story of the Lorax, the grumpy yet charming creature who fights to protect his world.

The Nightmare Before Christmas poster
The Nightmare Before Christmas
1993 · dir. Henry Selick
🍅 95%★ 7.9fantasy · animation · familyDisney+

Both keep coming back to the same thing: holiday

Tired of scaring humans every October 31 with the same old bag of tricks, Jack Skellington, the spindly king of Halloween Town, kidnaps Santa Claus and plans to deliver shrunken heads and other ghoulish gifts to children on Christmas morning. But as Christmas approaches, Jack's rag-doll girlfriend, Sally, tries to foil his misguided plans.

Return to Never Land poster
Return to Never Land
2002 · dir. Robin Budd
🍅 46%★ 5.8adventure · fantasy · animationDisney+

Warm fantasy, and it commits to that

In 1940, the world is besieged by World War II. Wendy, all grown up, has two children; including Jane, who does not believe Wendy's stories about Peter Pan.

Kirikou and the Sorceress poster
Kirikou and the Sorceress
1998 · dir. Michel Ocelot
🍅 96%★ 7.5fantasy · adventure · animationPrime Video

Cozy animation, and it commits to that

Drawn from elements of West African folk tales, it depicts how a newborn boy, Kirikou, saves his village from the evil witch Karaba.

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The best-reviewed films that share A Christmas Carol’s defining feeling.