20 best Christmas movies on Netflix
It’s the holidays. People enjoy (or dread) the holidays for any number of reasons: the family, the gift-giving, the big meals. But for people who enjoy excuses for coziness, there’s a unilateral plus. The holidays provide the ultimate excuse to grab a hot chocolate (or hot toddy), snuggle up beneath some blankets, and watch a heartwarming, cheesy seasonal movie.
As the popularity of Hallmark Christmas movies show us, the best Christmas movies aren’t necessarily “good” movies in the conventional sense. While genuinely good Christmas movies exist, the time spent watch unabashedly corny Christmas movies are the true gifts we give ourselves on the holidays.
Fortunately, Netflix has a whole lot of Christmas movies. Even including some Hallmark movies! From Hollywood hits to Netflix originals and more, here’s the best Christmas movies you can find on Netflix.
20. Falling for Christmas
One of the gifts the last few years has bestowed upon us is the reentry of Lindsay Lohan into our lives. If you grew up The Parent Trap like I did, chances are you missed her terribly.
In Falling For Christmas, Lohan essentially plays a more self-aware version of Paris Hilton—the wealthy, spoiled, celebrity daughter of a massive hotel chain owner. Just after getting proposed to by her boyfriend, she falls and suffers a head injury which causes her to lose her memory. Luckily, a hot inn owner lets her stay while she recovers. Can she fall for someone who is… blue-collar?!
19. Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square
Dolly Parton is one of the great treasures of America. We should probably rethink Mount Rushmore so that her face can be up there instead. With that said, Parton’s Christmas Carol-inspired 2020 holiday musical film isn’t as good as you want it to be. Still, it’s Dolly Parton, and isn’t that alone enough to peak your interest?
Christine Baranski plays this universe’s version of Scrooge, who is fittingly a landlord. Parton plays the angel attempting to convince her not to evict an entire town on Christmas Eve. With the help of song and dance, of course. Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square is solid, campy fun, and in a self-aware way, too.
18. Meet Me Next Christmas
Meet Me Next Christmas hinges its entire plot on one of the more ridiculous Christmas-adjacent premises out there: a Pentatonix concert. Yes, the acapella group. This is definitely a Christmas movie for those who can forgive—or enjoy—absurd plot reaches.
Layla meets the man of her dreams at a Pentatonix concert one Christmas Eve, and they promise to meet up again at the same concert the following year. But when the time comes, Layla has a big problem: tickets are (gasp!) sold out. She hires a ticket broker to help her find the ticket that—in this modern day of cell phones and social media—is somehow the only way she will ever meet this man again. As they wander around New York ticket-hunting together, will Layla find a new Christmas dream man? Will he love Pentatonix as much as she does?
17. The Knight Before Christmas
All hail Vanessa Hudgens, our new modern-age Christmas Queen. And what’s a good Christmas film list with at least one title with an eyeroll-worthy pun?
The Knight Before Christmas is just as beautifully ludicrous as you’d hope from the title. Sir Cole, an actual medieval knight, is sent by a sorceress to—where else?—modern-day Ohio. He soon befriends Brooke (Hudgens), a science teacher nursing a broken heart and disillusioned by love, after she nearly hits him with her car. Brooke helps Cole get adjusted, even though she’s skeptical he’s really a time-traveling knight. But skepticism can’t get in the way of love.
16. Silent Night
This is unfortunately not the 2023 action film Silent Night. This is the 2021 exceedingly dark comedy film Silent Night, starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Goode. Somebody probably should have coordinated that better, but oh well.
Silent Night is described as both a comedy and a dark, but the British humor on display here is dark enough that “comedy” feels like it’s not quite the right word. Meaning that Silent Night is tonally very, very different from the rest of the films on this list. It centers on a group of friends having a holiday dinner. As the audience slowly figures out catastrophe is brewing outside, it might be their final meal, ever.
15. Love Hard
Love Actually is no longer on Netflix. But Love Hard is. Granted, Love Hard is a very different movie. But what makes it stand out is its very modern look at the dating world.
LA girl Natalie (Nina Dobrev) connects with New York guy Josh (Jimmy O. Yang) over the dating apps. She decides to fly to New York and surprise him for Christmas, only to make a very unpleasant realization—she’s been catfished. Fortunately, the hot guy from Josh’s photos is a real guy who lives in town, so Josh offers to help set her up. Love Hard is cute and a thrives in finding the humor inside such an awkward situation, making it a delightful addition to your holiday film list.
14. A Biltmore Christmas
Rejoice, for Netflix has recently added a smattering of Hallmark Christmas films! And of the Hallmark films available, the most delightful is arguably 2023’s A Biltmore Christmas.
A screenwriter, Lucy, turns over an hourglass as she takes a tour of Biltmore, a real-life gigantic estate in Asheville which was owned by Anderson Cooper’s relatives, the Vanderbilts. The (very fictional) hourglass ends up sending Lucy back in time to 1947, when a classic Hollywood Christmas film was being shot at the estate. And she ends up falling in love with the star. A Biltmore Christmas offers up nostalgia for Hollywood’s golden age and brilliantly combines it with the actual beauty of Biltmore itself.
13. The Christmas Chronicles
There’s one primary reason you watch The Christmas Chronicles. The film itself is fine, a solid B-tier family Christmas movie. But you’re here to watch Kurt Russel play Santa Claus. No one knew before this that Kurt Russel was born to be Santa. Who could’ve guessed? But now that The Christmas Chronicles exists, the human race can no longer deny that Kurt Russel is an absolutely incredible Santa.
The film follows two siblings whose plans for Christmas Eve center around getting proof of Santa’s existence on camera. Unfortunately, their clever scheme nearly derails Christmas, and they have to work with the man himself to get it back on track.
12. Let It Snow
Let It Snow is a particularly wholesome entry in the “ensemble comedy featuring high school seniors” genre. And whaddaya know, it just so happens to center around Christmas.
The film depicts a ragtag cast of high schoolers as they prepare for a snowstorm to hit their small town. Friendship, love—there’s something for everyone. For an all-too-rare added bonus, there’s a sweet budding lesbian romance depicted as well. Let It Snow wears its clichés with pride. Based on a young adult novel by the same name, it’s simply a warm, cute, and funny time.
11. Single All The Way
Praise be, a gay Christmas romance flick! Why are there so few? Other than … you know, the world as it exists today? Regardless, Single All The Way gives you the cherished opportunity to watch two cute guys falling in love with each other within just as cheesy of a Christmas movie as any.
Peter’s family has always been on his case about being perpetually single. And so, Peter invites his best friend Nick to Christmas, hoping to get his family off his case—just as his mom sets him up on a blind date with a hot physical trainer. But is it possible these friends may be more than friends after all?
10. A Boy Called Christmas
One of the saddest losses of 2024 was Maggie Smith—RIP to a real one. As such, one of the strongest arguments for watching A Boy Called Christmas is the fact that Smith is effectively the narrator of the story as “Aunt Ruth.”
The tale Smith weaves is about an ordinary boy, Nikolas, who leaves the care of his evil aunt (Kristin Wiig). Along with his talking mouse Niika (delightfully played by Stephen Merchant) and a talking reindeer, Nikolas goes on a journey to prove that elves are real. But the real trouble begins once he finds what he’s looking for.
9. A Castle For Christmas
Many of us developed a huge crush on Cary Elwes the second he whispered “as you wish” in The Princess Bride. You will be pleased to know that, even as an older man, Cary Elwes is still hot. And as an added bonus, in A Castle For Christmas, he has a Scottish accent and acts opposite Brook Shields. We all win.
A Castle For Christmas centers around a famous author dealing with her first major flop. So she does what any average person does—travel to Scotland and try to buy a castle off a grumpy Duke. But before the sale goes through, she must live in the castle for 90 days. Because … Christmas.
8. Alien Xmas
Remember those stop-motion Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer specials? Ever wish they revisited that style in the modern day? Although notably more quirky and “out of this world,” Alien Xmas is the closest we’ve gotten recently. The film focuses on an alien invasion where our “guests” want to steal everything on the planet, even taking away earth’s gravity to do so. And of course, you can’t have Christmas if everything’s gone! So one lone alien steps up to save Christmas.
At a brisk 42 minutes, it doesn’t quite qualify as a full-length movie, but it’s still a worthy addition to any Christmas movie night.
7. Feast of the Seven Fishes
Feast of the Seven Fishes was made in 2019, but it takes place in 1983—and evokes that retro, nostalgic feeling incredibly well. As you might guess, the film subsequently has less of a “Hallmark” and more “70s / 80s Christmas movie” vibe. It’s also one of the few films on this list that is not a Netflix production.
The film is a romantic comedy in which an aspiring artist comes back for the holidays and reunites with his crush. Their budding relationship gets put to the test when she’s invited to his Italian American family’s holiday tradition, the Feast of the Seven Fishes.
6. A Christmas Prince
A Christmas Prince is the film where Netflix declared, “So you like the Hallmark Christmas movie vibe, eh? Hold my eggnog.” The film centers on an American reporter who travels to a tiny, completely fictional European country, looking to get a big scoop on its mysterious prince. That prince, incidentally, is about to become king—and is looking for a queen. Peak corny, Christmasy romance ensues. A Christmas Prince has inspired two sequels to date, both of which are worth watching as well.
5. Hot Frosty
The first time the poster for Hot Frosty appeared on my social media feed, I thought it was AI, a joke, or both. But no, Hot Frosty is a real film made by human minds, and it’s probably the high point of corny Christmas films—at least if you enjoy absurdism and/or hot guys. Because if you saw the title Hot Frosty and wondered if it was about a snowman who comes to life as a hot man, you were exactly correct.
Widow Kathy unwittingly wraps a magical scarf around a snowman, bringing him to life. He’s naive, nice, and—lest we forget—hot, and he teaches Kathy to love again.
4. The Princess Switch
![The Princess Switch | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix](https://i0.wp.com/i.ytimg.com/vi/-WBhj57fHeI/hqdefault.jpg?ssl=1)
A Christmas Prince may have been Netflix’s breakout Hallmark-alike Christmas film, but The Princess Switch is the film of choice for those preferring a more absurd premise. The Princess Switch is basically The Prince and the Pauper, but during the holidays and with romance. A Chicago baker switches places with the princess of a small country after they come in contact during a baking competition. Both are played by Vanessa Hudgens.
If you want a near-perfect distillation of a cheesy, cliché Christmas movie, this is it. Case in point: there have been several Princess Switch sequels, and one is simply called Switched Again.
3. Robin Robin
Okay, so Robin Robin is more of a holiday special than a movie. It’s only 32 minutes long. But it’s an absolute delight of a holiday special that cannot be missed. After all, Robin Robin comes from Aardman, the beloved British stop motion animated studio behind Wallace & Gromit, Chicken Run, and Shaun the Sheep.
Robin is a robin, but she was lovingly raised by a family of mice. As the holidays near, Robin wants to join her adoptive family on a grand holiday heist within the nearby home, even as her non-mousey qualifies become more and more apparent. Featuring adorable songs and Aardman’s signature lovely animation, Robin Robin is an all-ages delight.
2. Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
For decades, it seemed like the idea of the Christmas musical was dead. But then came 2020’s star-studded Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey to prove us wrong. Forest Whitaker plays Jeronicus Jangle, a genius inventor and toymaker whose star pupil (Keegan Michael-Key) betrayed him by stealing his greatest invention. With the help of his granddaughter, Jeronicus finds his spark once more. Jingle Jangle is colorful and extravagant in all the ways you want a Christmas music to be, while offering genuinely excellent songs and dances to boot.
1. Klaus
While Klaus was made to be family-friendly, it’s one of those gems of films which is equally enjoyed by adults and children alike. The film presents an origin story for Santa Claus, which Jason Schwartzman and J.K. Simmons playing a postman and a toymaker (respectively) uniting to bring some joy to a crestfallen town in the Arctic Circle. With gorgeous animation and effusive charm, Klaus became an instant holiday classic upon its release in 2019. It presents us with a comforting vision of neighborly warmth and kindness which feels like hot chocolate for the soul.
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