Our friends over at Playstar have been researching the 100 top Christmas movies in the US. Below we share a press release with all the data that has crowned Die Hard the most popular Christmas film and much more.
Die Hard is OFFICIALLY the most popular Christmas film in the US!
- ‘Die Hard’ is officially the USA’s favorite holiday film
- Indiana is the most ‘christmassy’ state in the US
- ‘Violent Night’ is the most anticipated festive release of the year
What better way to get into the holiday spirit than to get snuggled up on the couch with a good movie? Whether you’re into the festive classics or the more obscure titles, there is more than enough choice out there to find out what you’re pining for this season.
New research by PlayStar has discovered the USA’s official favorite festive film, including which new release the nation is the most excited for, and which state is the most festive over the holiday season.
Which is the most popular festive film in the US?
| Movie | How many states was it the favorite in? | IMDB rating | Rotten Tomatoes Score |
| Die Hard | 8 | 8.2 | 94% |
| Home Alone | 4 | 7.7 | 67% |
| Edward Scissorhands | 4 | 7.9 | 90% |
| White Christmas | 4 | 7.5 | 77% |
| Elf | 3 | 7 | 85% |
| Christmas with the Kranks | 3 | 5.4 | 5% |
| The Santa Clause | 2 | 6.5 | 73% |
| The Holiday | 2 | 6.9 | 50% |
| Jingle all the way | 2 | 5.7 | 19% |
| Jack Frost | 2 | 5.4 | 6% |
While the debate as to whether ‘Die Hard’ is actually a holiday movie is still ongoing, the data reveals that it is officially the favorite in the US. Eight states including Florida, Maryland, and Virginia crowned it as their favorite, taking the 1988 title to the top of the list.
‘Home Alone’ and ‘Edward Scissorhands’ were also popular, each being crowned favorite in 4 states, including Texas and New York.
Which of this year’s new releases are the most anticipated?
The study also asked which festive releases the nation were the most excited about, revealing that ‘Violent Night’ is the most anticipated holiday title due this winter, with a search volume of 8100 across Google.
It comes as no surprise that ‘Falling For Christmas’ was also one of the most anticipated releases in the US racking up a search volume of 2900, with popular actress Lindsay Lohan making a comeback after a long hiatus by starring in the Netflix original.
Which US state can officially be crowned most ‘Christmassy’?
| State | Google trends ranking (States which searched for ‘Christmas movies’) |
| Indiana | 4093 |
| Ohio | 3997 |
| Kentucky | 3972 |
| Utah | 3950 |
| Michigan | 3889 |
The research also found that Indiana, known for its basketball and southern sensibilities, is also the most ‘Christmassy’ state in the US according to the data.
Ohio, Kentucky and Utah followed closely behind the state, as a result of their festive nature and mix of Christmas traditions.
Which states have the best and worst tastes?
Missouri, Rhode Island and New Mexico are the states with the best taste according to the data, choosing the three most critically acclaimed movies for their top spots, including ‘Meet Me In St.Louis’ (IMDB rating 7.5) and ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ (IMDB rating 7.9).
However, Alabama, Kentucky and South Carolina had the worst taste out of the states, choosing the worst rated film as their festive favorite, ‘Christmas With The Kranks’ (IMDB rating 5.4).
Meanwhile, states such as Washington and Connecticut all favored holiday classics based in their area, running the patriotic nature of the country right through to the holiday season. This included classics such as Sleepless in Seattle and Christmas In Connecticut.
The Music City Drive-In 
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