The Best Holiday Movies for Your Zodiac Sign

With so many movies instantly accessible to us, “What should we watch tonight” is quickly becoming the new “what should we eat for dinner?” Fortunately, astrology can provide some fresh ideas about which holiday or wintry film you should watch next!

The end of December brings a new moon in Sagittarius and another dreaded Mercury retrograde, plus Mercury in Capricorn. Mercury retrograde can stir nostalgia and sentimentality, and with Mercury in earth sign Capricorn, we might particularly be drawn to tradition, like classic movies or annual activities and rituals. 

The holidays are also hopefully a time when you can take some time off to rest and relax before the New Year, and with taskmaster Saturn in water sign Pisces, movies are a great way to get outside of yourself to explore new worlds and indulge in distraction! The VICE astrology team has teamed up with movie expert Christina Newland to brew up recommendations for your sun, moon, or rising sign (look to any or all for inspiration).

The ram is all over the place during the holidays. They love to get cozy on the couch with hot cocoa and can be surprisingly mushy and sentimental, eager for a holiday movie that will really pull their heartstrings… but the ram can sometimes get bored easily, and a more upbeat, funny, or even action-packed flick could be a good choice, too. 

Try something emotionally stirring like Last Christmas (2019). Newland also suggests something like Bad Santa (2003), “for its raucous sense of humor.”

Bad Santa (2003), directed by Terry Zwigoff

The bull knows what they like—they might have the same holiday film that they like to watch each year! We looked for a star-studded film with lots of glitz and glamor, and Newland delivered with the romantic musical High Society (1956), featuring Hollywood royalty, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and Bing Crosby. Newland also suggested Todd Hayne’s Carol (2015), “with its beautiful textures and aesthetic.”

Carol (2015), directed by Todd Haynes

Geminis can get bored easily, and with so much talk about the holidays taking place, they may enjoy a documentary that revolves around something aside from it. Meru (2015) follows climbers withstanding subzero temperatures in their attempt to climb the titular 21,000-foot peak in India. But that doesn’t mean that the holidays are totally off-limits for this zodiac sign: Newland asks Geminis, “Want something weird and noirish? Try Blast of Silence, a 1961 [black and white] film about a hitman wandering Manhattan on Christmas Eve.”

Blast of Silence (1961), directed by Allen Baron

When Cancer is not decorating holiday cookies or making festive crafts, you can often find them on the couch! Cancer is very sentimental and, like Taurus, may have a routine of favorite holiday films they like to watch each year. Cancer loves a holiday film full of romance, fashion, and charming banter. Cancer is nostalgic and all about nurturing, so try Little Women (1994).

Newland, a Cancer herself, had the perfect suggestion: the 1954 musical comedy White Christmas with Bing Crosby. “All the crazy glamourous musical numbers, plus Crosby singing that classic tune by the fire in Technicolor.” She also gave us a classic romantic comedy: “The best Christmas romance is always and forever The Shop Around the Corner, Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan, from 1940.”

White Christmas (1954), directed by Michael Curtiz

Leos typically love the holidays because they love to party, and movie night is one of their favorite ways to celebrate. Leos often love Hollywood because, if they’re not a movie star in this life, they suspect they may have been in a past one! A holiday film centered in Hollywood or with plenty of superstars is a great choice for Leo, like Love Actually (2003). And perhaps surprisingly, a spooky holiday could also be a great choice for them! Our film expert says, “If you want spooky, go for 1974 slasher movie Black Christmas. Very extra.” And speaking of spooky, there’s nothing better than Tim Burton’s odes to the festive season: Edward Scissorhands (1990) and The Night Before Christmas (1993).

Black Christmas (1974), directed by Bob Clark

For hardworking Virgo, the holidays are a well-deserved time off! As such, Virgo likes to get as cozy and comfy as possible, indulging in relaxation. A film that helps them totally escape from everyday life could be a great pick, like The Polar Bear King (1991).

Virgos are endlessly curious about the world, so a foreign film or documentary about holidays in other cultures could also be a fantastic choice. Our film expert suggested a French drama. “A very dark one, but Desplechin's film A Christmas Tale, about a family coming together over the holidays starring Catherine Deneuve, would probably do the trick if we want something foreign and urbane.”

A Christmas Tale (2008), directed by Arnaud Desplechin

Libras can be quite sentimental and nostalgic during the holidays. While they love a holiday party and enjoy having fun and being festive, they can also be wistful about the passage of time. They may be in the mood to watch a holiday film from their past. Movies that honor the passing of time, like When Harry Met Sally (1989), could also be a great choice… especially if Libra is in the mood for some romance, as they often are!

Holiday Affair (1949), Newland chimes in, “is a gorgeous little romantic Christmastime film starring Janet Leigh and Robert Mitchum, a real snow-in-the-movies Christmas movie.”

Holiday Affair (1949), directed by Don Hartman

There are two types of Scorpios: one’s that act totally oblivious to the holidays and those who are in competition with everyone else in the neighborhood to have the grandest decorations. Either way, a holiday science fiction or horror movie may be a delightful choice for the scorpion! Gremlins (1984) could be a fantastic, wacky choice for Scorpios during the holidays. Or a film that centers on peace and joy, and on communities coming together, like the classic It’s A Wonderful Life (1946). For something dark, romantic, and intense like the water sign you are, watch Phantom Thread (2017).

Phantom Thread (2017), directed by Paul Thomas Anderson

Sagittarius is one of the most festive zodiac signs of all! They love the holiday spirit: the generosity, hope, and wish for peace that is in the air. Sagittarius appreciates the magic of this time of year, and their presence can make any movie night more jolly. A tearjerker like The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) may be just what they’re in the mood for, or perhaps a sillier flick because Sagittarius loves to laugh! Newland suggests Scrooged (1988) for a Christmas comedy.

Scrooged (1988), directed by Richard Donner

Capricorn spends much of their time during the year working, and their zodiac sign has a famously serious attitude… which is why during the holidays, it’s so important to them to let loose and to be able to be silly! Capricorn likely can’t think of anything more boring than slogging through a slow holiday film. Turn on something slapstick like Trading Places (1983), or something fast-paced and action-packed like Die Hard (1988) or its criminally underrated Christmas cousin, Lethal Weapon (1987).

Die Hard (1988), directed by John McTiernan

If there’s a time of year when Aquarius feels free to indulge in cornier sides of themselves, it’s probably the holidays. We asked our film expert to give us a cheesy, feel-good classic. 

She replied, “It's gotta be National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) if we're going cheesy! Exactly the kind of film an Aquarian would reclaim.”

Food is also a big part of the holidays for many an Aquarius. Any version of How The Grinch Stole Christmas includes a great feast and roast beast. The Grinch (2000) still holds up.

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989), directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik

Pisces can be ditzy through many holiday activities, checked out in their own personal wonderland until it’s time to pick a movie when suddenly they transform into a professor of film and media. A smart, witty film with fantastic dialog may be a perfect choice for them.

Newland chose for us: “The Apartment (1960), which is set around [Christmas] and the New Year, and was directed by Billy Wilder, the king of dark Old Hollywood wit. It's incredibly funny and despairing and clever. It ends romantically on New Year’s Eve, with Auld Lang Syne in the background.”

A movie franchise that can be marathoned all evening could also be a fantastic pick. Maybe different variations on the same tale, like multiple different takes on Dickens’ A Christmas Carol: A Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) or Scrooge (1951) can start it off. Pisces is also deeply sentimental and emotional, and prone to nostalgia during the holidays. Try a fresh take on a classic, with Little Women (2019).

The Apartment (1960), directed by Billy Wilder

This article was updated for clarity. It was originally published in December 2022.