With the festive season just around the corner, now is the time for everyone to start getting into the Christmas spirit. For some, that means decorating the tree, taking mince pies out of the oven or hanging the lights up in the windows. Christmas time is like winning the jackpot in the best online casino. For many of us, however, nothing says “Christmas” like settling down with friends and family to rewatch some classic Christmas movies. With Netflix at your disposal, there’s the opportunity to find some brand new favorites to add to your list as well. Here are 12 Christmas movies to suit all tastes and ages. So deck the halls, brew up some cocoa and get stuck into some festive fun.
1. Love, Actually (2003)
Richard Curtis’ heartwarming romantic comedy follows the lives of eight different couples in the run-up to Christmas, exploring all the highs and lows the holiday season has to offer.Pitch-perfect script and a stellar cast including the likes of Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, and Hugh Grant help bring Curtis’ trademark magic to life. Funny and relatable, this is one Christmas film to watch with your partner under the mistletoe.
2. Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
A remake of the classic 1947 original, Miracle on 34th Street is an all-ages treat where the magic of Christmas literally comes to life. Richard Attenborough perfectly casts as Kris Kringle, hired by a department store manager after her previous Santa Claus is fired after a drunken meltdown. Attenborough’s character is so convincing at his job, could he be the real thing? A film guaranteed to melt your heart on a cold December evening.
3. White Christmas (1954)
If you haven’t seen this film before, you’ve almost certainly heard Bing Crosby’s classic Christmas song of the same name. The song actually debuted in the 1942 film Holiday Inn but took on such a cultural significance that its impact on American GIs fighting in the Second World War got commemorated in this title. Crosby plays a war veteran touring the country in his band, who then decides he wants to have a cozy Christmas in with the band’s sister act played by Vera-Ellen and Rosemary Clooney (George Clooney’s mother). A cast of the big band all-stars makes this one of the quintessential odes to classic Hollywood musicals.
4. Bad Santa (2003)
Like the real Santa, you’ll want to make sure that the kids are asleep before you watch this depiction of a Father Christmas who is certainly more naughty than nice. Billy Bob Thornton plays a small-time crook who takes a job as a department store Santa in order to get his hands on a big heist. It’s a hilarious black comedy that’s a great antidote for anyone feeling overwhelmed by festive cheer, but at its heart, this film isn’t quite as mean-spirited about Christmas as Santa’s shocking antics would initially suggest.
5. The Nutcracker (1993)
Whilst Netflix sadly hasn’t got the classic Home Alone movies available just yet, there’s still an opportunity to watch Macaulay Culkin dishing out the Christmas spirit in this film adaptation of Tchaikovsky’s classic Russian fairy tale. With dance moves supplied by acclaimed choreographer George Balanchine and the New York City Ballet, this brings the grandeur of the stage right to your living room in a magical story about toys coming to life.
6. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
Jim Carrey born to play the role of the green hairy meanie who’s out to ruin Christmas for the whole family. This lively adaptation of the classic Dr. Seuss story remains the most successful holiday film of all time, just behind the original Home Alone. Catch it now before going to see the new Grinch film in theaters this Christmas.
7. Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas (1999)
Kelsey Grammar narrates this charming anthology story featuring Disney’s beloved anthropomorphized rodent and a cast of his best-loved friends. The stories feature Mickey, Donald Duck, Pluto, Goofy, Minnie Mouse and more recreate classic Christmas stories certain to delight younger viewers.
8. Black Mirror: White Christmas (2014)
The traditional TV Christmas special gets the most sinister of imaginings with this one-off from the dystopian sci-fi series. Jon Hamm plays a mysterious character in different roles over three short stories: one as a lifestyle coach, the other as a “cookie” salesman and another as a man waiting out Christmas Day in a cabin. The final reveal certainly isn’t very “Christmassy”, but it’s a gripping horror portmanteau nonetheless.
9. A Very Murray Christmas (2015)
Everyone’s favorite Hollywood curmudgeon turns up with a host of his famous friends (all playing themselves) for this hangdog spin on the traditional Christmas special. For anyone who likes their holiday spirit with a liberal dose of irony and raised eyebrows, this could be the holiday special for you.
10. Happy Christmas (2014)
Indie darling Joe Swanberg goes for an irreverent spin on Christmas and the toll it can take on personal and romantic relationships. Filmed in his typical improvisation-heavy style, the film features the ever-watchable Anna Kendrick as Jenny, a girl at a loose end looking for a new direction in life. It’s an enjoyably low-key Christmas movie for anyone who finds the rush of the holiday season slightly beleaguering.
11. Scrooged (1988)
Bill Murray makes another appearance on our list with this loose retelling of Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol. Murray plays Frank Cross, a self-absorbed TV executive haunted by the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future on Christmas Eve. It’s a fun rendition of the story, with Bill Murray on absolutely classic form throughout.
12. A Christmas Prince (2017)
This Netflix original is a must-watch for fans of the royal wedding. A handsome prince is joined by a young journalist in the run-up to Christmas for an extended interview. You can probably guess the rest from there.
Author’s bio: Joseph Brown
Joseph is a Writer and Enthusiastic blogger. Besides being an active blogger, he loves to watch TV shows. discovered Netflix in 2006, and immediately became a fan of movies. Most of all he liked to watch TV shows during Christmas. Since this is the time where the whole family gets together and has fun.