Watching Christmas movies on Netflix, regardless of the device, is a great way to enjoy the holidays, especially if you want to really immerse yourself in the season. And don’t worry about your connection, as there are many ways to improve your Netflix stream.
Whatever your preference, and whether or not you think Netflix is worth the money, Netflix is here to help you chill out and enjoy the holidays, wherever you are in the world.
Netflix has so much content it’s often difficult to sort the wheat from the chaff. So, to help you out over the holidays, we have selected 12 Christmas movies worth watching on Netflix.
Bad Santa
Bad Santa is one of the first films I watch during the holidays, mainly because of the crude language and great acting. The film stars Billy Bob Thornton and the late Bernie Mac, with support from John Ritter, Tony Cox, and Lauren Graham.
Bad Santa, which was released in 2003 and was John Ritter’s last film (not including his voice work with Clifford’s Really Big Movie), has turned into a Christmas cult classic, and should be a must-watch over the holidays.
The Nightmare Before Christmas
To be perfectly honest, I’m still not sure if this is a Christmas or Halloween movie, but The Nightmare Before Christmas is a great flick and a true cult classic. It’s also another movie I personally watch to get into the Christmas spirit.
The 1993 film was originally created by Tim Burton as a poem during his days with Disney, and was then turned into a storybook. The dark musical film tells the story of Jack Skellington, aka The Pumpkin King, and his desire to get out of the mundane and tiresome Halloween routine. The movie is unlike any other Christmas movie, which makes it an interesting watch during the holidays.
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Plains, Trains and Automobiles is another must-watch holiday film, and stars the great Steve Martin and the late, great John Candy. The movie was released in 1987 and is sure to make you laugh, as Martin and Candy are downright hilarious. This movie is definitely a pick-me-up film for the sometimes-stressful holidays and features some very heartwarming moments.
I often enjoy this movie during the holidays with my family, as the movie seems to teach the importance of family and putting up with people you might otherwise not want to deal with.
Everybody’s Fine
Everybody’s Fine stars Robert De Niro and was released in 2009. The movie centers around De Niro’s character and his attempt to reconnect with his children during the holidays, which, sadly, is all too common in real life. The film also stars Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale, and Sam Rockwell.
While the trailer appears to show a cheesy comedy, the film is more of a drama with a few funny moments. This film is just too good to pass up, especially during the holidays.
The Fitzgerald Family Christmas
The Fitzgerald Family Christmas, released in 2012, stars Edward Burns, who also produced. The movie is much like Everybody’s Fine in that it centers around a family trying to reconnect during the holidays.
While the film centers around this emotional issue, the film also has a very romantic theme, with Burns’ character falling madly in love. The movie has been well received by reviewers on Netflix, with many saying that the characters are believable and that their backstories are interesting and easy to follow, which always makes a movie that much easier to watch.
The Ref
Another movie much loved by Netflix reviewers is The Ref, a Christmas black comedy released in 1994. The movie stars Denis Leary, Judy Davis, and Kevin Spacey, and centers around a thief who kidnaps a wealthy and annoying couple on Christmas Eve.
Soon enough, the burglar realizes that he is in over his head when trying to deal with a couple on the verge of divorce, and presses his luck during the entire movie. While you hopefully cannot relate to this film, you can most certainly enjoy it on Netflix during the holidays.
Christmas with the Kranks
Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dan Aykroyd, and “Cheech” (from Cheech and Chong) help to make Christmas with the Kranks a thoroghly enjoyable film. It also teaches a valuable lesson about the importance of, you guessed it, being with family during the holidays.
The movie was adapted from the 2001 book Skipping Christmas by John Grisham. And though it appears at first glance to be a wacky 1990s film, it has some real-life themes that make the movie an interesting watch.
White Christmas
Irving Berlin’s White Christmas movie from 1954 is certainly a classic. The movie features Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye who start up a song-and-dance routine after the war and become wildly popular. The two then join a sister act, played by Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen, and head to Vermont to finally experience a White Christmas.
What makes this movie great, aside from the movie itself, are the nostalgic memories you may enjoy while watching it, as it has been regularly broadcast for many, many years during the holidays.
A Christmas Carol
Another classic holiday movie is A Christmas Carol. This version stars Reginald Owen, Gene Lockhart, Kathleen Lockhart, and Terry Kilburn, among others. The film, which is just over an hour long, is one that I have seen many times during Christmas, and was adapted from the 1843 Charles Dickens novel of the same name.
The movie is seen by many as a sentimental favorite, and, much like White Christmas, has been broadcast on TV for many years. Though many people say the film doesn’t stick so closely to the Dickens novel, it is still seen as a favorite Christmas movie and will surely be enjoyed for many more years to come.
Get Santa
Get Santa is a British-based movie with British-based humor. The movie was released in 2014 and features a top notch group of actors and actresses, including Jim Broadbent, Kit Connor, Warwick Davis, and Rafe Spall.
What makes this movie eminently watchable is that it can be enjoyed by kids as well as adults. It also features an interesting plot that will really get the kids in the family cheering for Santa. As if they weren’t doing so already.
Love Actually
Another movie based in England is Love Actually, a 2003 film which stars an ensemble cast of actors and actresses. The comedy has received mostly positive reviews on Netflix and is described on the site as witty, romantic, and sentimental.
The movie centers around 10 love stories that intertwine throughout the movie and eventually lead up to a “climax on Christmas Eve.” If you’re a sucker for romantic comedies, you’ll love this film. If not, give it a try anyway, as the London scenery is sure to impress.
A Very Murray Christmas
A Very Murray Christmas features the one and only comedic genius that is Bill Murray, among a whole host of other Hollywood A-listers. The movie, pitched as a fake documentary, is hilarious and an “irreverent twist on holiday variety shows.”
The trailer should be all you need to know whether you’d like to check this one out for yourself. However, George Clooney is in it, so we’re guessing that’s half the population sold on it already.
What Christmas Movies Are You Watching?
If you’re looking for more great Christmas movies to watch on Netflix, just click on “Genres,” then “Holiday Favorites” to find more hand-picked holiday films available to watch right now. And then come back here to tell us what gems you found.
What Christmas movies are you looking forward to watching on Netflix over the holiday season? Are you a fan of the flicks featured in the list? Or are you desperate to tell us about a Christmas movie we should have featured?
The comments section is located below for you to have your say.