The Best Hanukkah Movies To Watch

A good Hanukkah film may not even take place during Hanukkah, but it may capture the Jewish experience perfectly, or it may just be a really great movie with fleeting Hanukkah references. Blessing CALD has listed a list of the best movies to watch for Hanukkah.

The Night Before

In a lot of holiday films that feature Hanukkah, it is merely as a foil to Christmas. And while this is definitively a Christmas film, there is a hilarious scene of Seth Rogan’s character freaking out in a church during a Christmas service while drunk and high. For any Jewish people who have felt uncomfortable in a Christmas-centric world, there is bound to be at least something for you in this film. 

Switchmas

The film explores both how Ira feels being separated from his family during one of the most exciting times of year and how his love for a Christian holiday fits into his family dynamic. On top of these timely holidays, themes are a fair number of “Parent Trap” style shenanigans that make “Switchmas” a fun, feel-good showcase of what color the grass is on the other side.

Hanukkah

“Hanukkah” is a low-budget horror entry and indeed suffers from various pitfalls and tropes. However, it is also one of the very few Jewish horror films in existence. More specifically, it’s probably the first Hanukkah horror film, making it a notable entry in the horror genre. “Hanukkah” is worth checking out for any fans of Hanukkah or horror flicks.

Little Fockers

In “Little Fockers,” a Jewish family and a Christian family unite to celebrate “Christmakah” as they come to terms with the fact that they are all in-laws. Inevitably, hijinks ensue. One notable joke involves main character Greg Focker’s parents surprising his father-in-law with the news that he is one twenty-third Israelite.