10 best British Christmas films to warm your heart

Of all movie genres, Christmas films are the most heartwarming. They bring the joy of the holidays to our screens as we cozy under blankets to stave away the cold.

Is there anything better than a good British Christmas film? As Hollywood churns out Hallmark movies filled with busy, big-city women finding love in the rural countryside just in time for Christmas, British films offer a much more down-to-earth and, in some cases, more realistic look at the festive season. Rather than completely sugarcoating the Christmas messaging, these films sprinkle in dark humor, genuine struggles, and a hint of crassness to create something more relatable and true to our experiences.

So bearing all that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the best British Christmas films.

10. This Is Christmas

Ah, the British commute, when we all cram onto (slightly dirty) trains to make our way to work to earn the money we need to live. But what if all those strangers—the ones you see taking the same commute as you, day in, day out—could be potential friends? That’s exactly what Adam (Alfred Enoch) wonders. He puts his idea to the test inviting all his fellow commuters to a Christmas party. Who knows? There may be more than friendship on the cards for Adam. This great ensemble Christmas film transforms a banal activity into something magical: an opportunity to connect with those around us.

9. Your Christmas or Mine?

The age-old question for couples: where are we spending Christmas, with your family or mine? When couple James (Asa Butterfield) and Haley (Cora Kirk) head home for Christmas, James to his rigid and cheerless family in Kimbal and Haley to her boisterous family in Macclesfield, they both decide last minute to join their partner instead—at the same time. After jumping off their trains and getting on the other’s, they find themselves at their partner’s family home and, thanks to the snow, they’re stuck there. Class cultures collide as they try to fit in with their partner’s family, but as secrets emerge, will their relationship survive?

8. Arthur Christmas

The Claus family has been handing down the title of Santa for generations. Now, Christmas Eve is a military operation led by Santa’s son, Steve, who has the whole process organized down to the last millisecond. But when a glitch in his system causes one child to be missed, it’s up to the youngest son, the underestimated Arthur, to correct the mistake, and he’s going old school. Arthur and his grandpa (the former Santa) set off across the world to ensure that this one child gets her gift. Starring the voices of British acting legends like James McAvoy, Hugh Grant, Imelda Staunton, Bill Nighy, and Jim Broadbent, this animated film is a treat for the whole family.

7. Silent Night

This dark comedy is less “joy to the world,” and more “we’re all doomed.” At their country house, a family prepares to welcome their nearest and dearest—those who are still alive, that is. An impending environmental catastrophe in the form of a toxic green cloud looms near, and this family is set on having one more good night before taking their government-issued suicide pills. But with such a terrifying future ahead of them, the night doesn’t go as well as they may have hoped. For the more adult audience, this is a great dark comedy Christmas film to laugh at while contemplating the state of our planet … Merry Christmas!

6. Last Christmas

Kate, a.k.a. Katarina is struggling to get any work as a performer whilst simultaneously working at a year-round Christmas shop. Her life hasn’t quite been on track, especially after a near-death illness required her to receive a heart transplant last year. After bumping into a mysterious stranger who shows her how to change her perspective, Katarina starts to reconcile with the life she is leading. Starring the phenomenal Emilia Clark, Emma Thompson, Henry Golding, and Michelle Yeoh, this film is both heartwarming and tearjerking at the same time. It highlights the power of a gift, and the many ways we can give to those who need it.

5. Millions

After losing his mother, an imaginative Catholic nine-year-old, Damian (Alex Etel), builds a small fort of cardboard boxes near the train tracks. There, he talks to the saints he sees, asking them questions about life. So when a bag of money falls out of the sky, he thinks it’s a gift from God meant to help the poor and needy. His older brother, Anthony (Lewis McGibbon), thinks differently. Damian starts to give the money away whilst his brother spends it, and soon they attract suspicion. Directed by renowned British director Danny Boyle, the film looks into altruism and faith and what it means to help those in need. This film takes place near Christmas but it’s not the central focus.

4. The Holiday

Okay, this is the best of both worlds: Hollywood schmaltz with British charm. Amanda (Cameron Diaz) and Iris (Kate Winslet) live drastically different lives; Amanda runs a film trailer company in L.A., while Iris writes wedding announcements for a London-based newspaper. Both have been unlucky in love and are looking to shake things up, so they decide to swap houses for the holidays. Amanda finds herself in Iris’s chocolate box Surrey cottage whilst Iris winds up in Amanda’s L.A. mansion. By stepping out of their comfort zones, the two open themselves up to new experiences and love. A Nancy Meyers classic, the film is dripping in sweetness but we love it year after year, cementing it as a Christmas favorite.

3. The Snowman

A classic British Christmas animated film comes in the form of The Snowman. Based on the picture book by Raymond Briggs, the film has no dialogue, with the only words spoken coming from the famous song “Walking in the Air” by Howard Blake. The story follows a young boy who, upon discovering his snowman has come to life, is taken on a magical flight to the North Pole. There he meets all the other living snowmen and even Father Christmas. The pair then fly home, with the boy heading back to bed. The next morning, the snowman has sadly melted, leaving only his scarf, and the boy grieves his friend. A short film that’s only 26 minutes long, you can now watch the whole thing on YouTube.

2. Love Actually

You can’t deny that Love Actually is one of the most popular British Christmas films of all time (even if it has become more problematic over the years). Still, it had to be high up on this list. A massive ensemble performance featuring some of Britain’s best actors, the film takes you through the interconnected lives of a handful of Londoners in the countdown to Christmas. Stories of love, loss, betrayal, lust, and friendship show the many forms that love can take, how hard it can be to find it, and how easy it is to lose it. Not everyone gets a happy ending—this is a British film, after all—but that’s what makes it (a little more) realistic.

1. The Muppet Christmas Carol

I both love and hate this as my number-one pick. I love that it’s one of the best Christmas films of all time, a story written by one of Britain’s greatest writers, Charles Dickens. However, this is a list of British Christmas films, and the Muppets are decidedly not British. Having said that, however, given it’s a British story and stars the phenomenal Michael Caine as the lead character of Ebenezer Scrooge, I’m going to claim it as a British Christmas film. Narrated by Gonzo and Rizzo the Rat, the story follows the Christmas redemption of the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge as he is taken on a journey through Christmas’ past, present, and future. It shows that, when faced with your wrongdoing and the consequences of your actions, man can learn to change their ways, just in time to bring Christmas cheer to all.

What do you think of this list? Do you disagree with my top choice? Let us know your thoughts and here are some more Christmas films for you to watch this festive season. Happy Holidays to you all!