Netflix has become the go-to streaming service for holiday films, particularly Christmas movies. The company has made an annual tradition of pumping out original holiday movies each year, the perfect gifts under the Christmas tree for those looking to snuggle up and watch a movie. With the holiday quickly approaching, it’s time to get festive and feast on the best Christmas movies on Netflix.
Looking to get your holiday fix on a different streaming service? We’ve also written guides to the best Christmas movies on Amazon Prime and the best Christmas movies on Hulu.
Single All the Way (2021)
99m
Genre
Romance, Comedy, Drama
Stars
Michael Urie, Philemon Chambers, Luke Macfarlane
Directed by
Michael Mayer
In a classic Christmas caper, a man convinces his friend to pretend to be his boyfriend, only to face meddling from an overbearing mother. If that seems somewhat mundane for Netflix’s first gay holiday film, that’s the point. Single All the Way plays with all of the classic holiday movie tropes but situates a gay man at the center, a win for representation. None of the drama revolves around questions of sexuality either, normalizing that queer people can get into wacky Christmas hi-jinks just the same as anyone else.
Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square (2020)
98m
Genre
Comedy, Music, Family
Stars
Dolly Parton, Christine Baranski, Treat Williams
Directed by
Debbie Allen
American treasure Dolly Parton can do no wrong these days, and one of her most important contributions in recent years was the original music for Christmas on the Square. The film stars Christine Baranski as Regina Fuller, a greedy landlord looking to evict residents from her hometown so she can make a quick buck on the real estate market. Through the power of Parton’s music and some good old camp, however, Fuller is about to learn the meaning of Christmas. If that sounds like the lot of every holiday movie, well, it is. But this movie succeeds by embracing the oddity of cookie-cutter holiday movies head-on, showcasing a rare bit of self-awareness in the genre.
The Princess Switch (2018)
101m
Genre
Romance
Stars
Vanessa Hudgens, Nick Sagar, Alexa Adeosun
Directed by
Mike Rohl
After High School Musical, it became clear that you can never get too much Vanessa Hudgens. Netflix proves the point with The Princess Switch, starring Hudgens as a baker named Stacy De Novo … and Lady Margaret Delacourt. The twin-swap nature of the movie is cute, especially with its royal setting and baking bonanza. Netflix clearly enjoyed the low-stakes froth, as it has led to two sequels, both of which see Hudgens play three lookalikes.
Love Hard (2021)
105m
Genre
Comedy, Romance
Stars
Nina Dobrev, Jimmy O. Yang, Darren Barnet
Directed by
Hernán Jiménez
Ah, the classic holiday cat-fishing. We sign up for love through a dating app, only to discover that the Christmas-inspired romance we thought we were netting isn’t the person we expected at all. Such is the case for Natalie Bauer (Nina Dobrev) in Netflix’s Love Hard. An LA-based dating columnist, Natalie’s cat-fish troubles arise when she matches with a guy named Josh on a dating app who has been using a friend’s profile pic and info. After flying across the country to surprise him, Natalie is forced to reckon with the duping but also learns to like Josh in the process. It’s not exactly reinventing the wheel, but Love Hard manages to serve up enough holiday laughs and cheers for any and all interested parties.
A Castle for Christmas (2021)
98m
Genre
Romance, Comedy, Family
Stars
Brooke Shields, Cary Elwes, Lee Ross
Directed by
Mary Lambert
In A Castle for Christmas, Brooke Shields stars as Sophie Brown, a novelist who flees to Scotland for Christmas when her latest book paints her into a not-so-wonderful corner. Overseas, she visits the ancestral grounds of a castle once maintained by her grandfather. As Sophie begins to fall for the sprawling estate, she must go toe to toe with a miserly duke who now runs it. Serving up everything we’d expect from an easy viewing direct-to-VOD Christmas flick, A Castle for Christmas is sure to delight most Christmas movie diehards.
A Bad Moms Christmas (2017)
104m
Genre
Comedy
Stars
Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn
Directed by
Jon Lucas, Scott Moore
A sequel to 2016’s Bad Moms, A Bad Moms Christmas reunites Amy (Mila Kunis), Carla (Kathryn Hahn), and Kiki (Kristen Bell) for a merry bunch of holiday hijinks. As Christmas edges closer, the three mothers have plenty on their hands to keep busy with, a daunting set of tasks made all the more heavy by the unplanned arrival of each woman’s own mother — roles claimed by Susan Sarandon, Cheryl Hines, and Christine Baranski. A war of wits between multiple generations, this Bad Moms sequel isn’t nearly as hilarious as the original film, but there are some decent jokes and fun writing layered throughout this capitalization that dropped only a year after the mothers’ first cinematic outing.
A Boy Called Christmas (2021)
106m
Genre
Family, Adventure, Fantasy
Stars
Henry Lawfull, Kristen Wiig, Michiel Huisman
Directed by
Gil Kenan
Adapted from the bestselling book by Matt Haig, A Boy Called Christmas boasts an outstanding cast including Maggie Smith, Kristen Wiig, Michiel Huisman, and Sally Hawkins. Nikolas (Henry Lawfull) is an ordinary boy who misses his father around Christmas. So, he decides to set out to find his father in the fabled village of the elves, Elfhelm. Nikolas brings with him a headstrong reindeer named Blitzen and his loyal pet mouse, soon falling into an extraordinary adventure that proves nothing is impossible.
Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas (2021)
30m
Genre
Animation, Comedy, Family
Stars
Justin Fletcher, Kate Harbour
Directed by
Steve Cox
Netflix adds to its considerable collection of original Christmas content with this 30-minute special starring everybody’s favorite claymation sheep! The Flight Before Christmas finds Shaun getting excited for the holiday season, but when a farmhouse raid to get bigger stockings for the Flock goes haywire, they accidentally leave Timmy behind. Shaun has to get Timmy back now before he becomes somebody else’s Christmas present.
A California Christmas (2020)
106m
Genre
Comedy, Romance, Drama
Stars
Lorynn York, Josh Swickard, Ali Afshar
Directed by
Shaun Paul Piccinino
One of Netflix’s better-reviewed Hallmark-esque Christmas romances, A California Christmas stars real-life husband and wife Lauren and Josh Swickard as romantic leads. Josh plays a wealthy charmer who, seeing his carefree life at risk of falling apart, poses as a ranch hand to get a farmer (Lauren Swickard) to sell her family’s land.
The Knight Before Christmas (2019)
92m
Genre
Comedy, Romance
Stars
Vanessa Hudgens, Josh Whitehouse, Emmanuelle Chriqui
Directed by
Monika Mitchell
It’s 1334 in Norwich, England, and Cole Christopher Fredrick Lyons (Josh Whitehouse) falls into the company of an elusive enchantress that grants him the ability to time-travel to modern times. She also promises the young cherub that if he doesn’t complete an unknown quest, he will never be a true knight. Whisking Cole away to a Christmas-themed village in Ohio, he meets Brooke Winters (Vanessa Hudgens), a high school teacher that despises chivalry. In the lead-up to Christmas, stars align between Cole and Brooke as these two lost souls begin falling for one another. A fairly by-the-books Christmas standard, The Knight Before Christmas is a sugar-coated Netflix romance with a dash of holiday cheer thrown in for good measure, making for a final dish that is hard to deny.
Operation Christmas Drop (2020)
95m
Genre
Comedy, Family, Romance
Stars
Kat Graham, Alexander Ludwig, Virginia Madsen
Directed by
Martin Wood
Erica (Katerina Graham) is a hard-nosed political aide assigned to investigate a U.S. Air Force Base. Intending to search for reasons to shutter the island operation, Erica’s pink-slip mission is suddenly put to the test when she meets Captain Andrew Jantz (Alexander Ludwig). When Andrew begins touring the base with Erica, he introduces her to a benevolent yuletide tradition, Operation Christmas Drop — a seasonal airlifting of goods to surrounding impoverished isles. The more time Erica spends with Andrew, and the more good cheer she is privy to, the harder it is for her to want to disband the base. Operation Christmas Drop is a holiday romance wrapped with a tropical bow. While not close to reinventing the Christmas rom-com, it hits all the beats that we’d expect, and the on-screen chemistry between Graham and Ludwig is hard to turn away from.
Holidate (2020)
Genre
Comedy, Romance
Cast
Emma Roberts, Luke Bracey, Kristin Chenoweth
The holidays are full of awkward gatherings with friends and family that are only more awkward when you’re single. Fed up with being the odd ones out, two strangers agree to be each other’s platonic plus-ones for the entire year. As you might expect, however, they start catching feelings.
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Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020)
122m
Genre
Family, Fantasy, Music
Stars
Forest Whitaker, Keegan-Michael Key, Hugh Bonneville
Directed by
David E. Talbert
Jingle Jangle is a Christmas musical for the ages. Featuring original compositions by John Legend and Philip Lawrence, the story follows Jeronicus Jangle (Forest Whitaker), a toymaker and shop owner who falls on hard times when his trusted assistant, Gustafsan (Keegan-Michael Key), runs off with the inventor’s latest miracle, a sentient matador doll named Don Juan Diego that doesn’t want to be mass-produced. Together, Diego and Gustafsan rob Jeronicus of his hard work. Years later, after the death of his wife and estrangement from his daughter, Jangle is visited by a local banker, Mr. Delacroix (Hugh Bonneville), who tells Jangle that if he doesn’t produce a new successful invention by Christmas, he will lose his now floundering shop. When all hope seems lost, the reemergence of Jangle’s daughter and aspiring inventor granddaughter may finally set things straight for the down-on-his-luck tinkerer. Lovingly filmed and grandiose in every way, this is a holiday extravaganza you won’t soon forget.
White Christmas (1954)
120m
Genre
Comedy, Music, Romance
Stars
Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney
Directed by
Michael Curtiz
A famous Technicolor marvel, Michael Curtiz’ White Christmas stars Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye as Captain Bob Wallace and Private First Class Phil Davis, a Broadway savant and aspiring entertainer who launch a successful career in showbiz after their World War II enlistment. Hot off the success of their latest Broadway hit, Playing Around, the duo is contacted by a former mess sergeant, asking Bob and Phil to consider his sisters, Betty (Rosemary Clooney) and Judy (Vera-Ellen), for their traveling show. En route to Pine Tree Inn, a failing lodge run by Bob and Phil’s former general, it’s up to the showmen to bring life and business to their former commander’s establishment while dealing with budding romances for the smitten sister act. A holiday classic with a medley of notable songs, White Christmas rings true over 70 years later.
The Christmas Chronicles (2018)
104m
Genre
Comedy, Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Stars
Kurt Russell, Darby Camp, Judah Lewis
Directed by
Clay Kaytis
What screams Christmas more than ’80s action star Kurt Russell manning an enchanted sleigh? That’s right, in director Clay Kaytis’ The Christmas Chronicles, Russell plays the man himself, jolly Saint Nick, and he’s got some holiday troubles to deal with. When Teddy and Kate (Judah Lewis and Darby Camp) put a trip wire and camera in place to prove Santa’s existence on Christmas Eve, they catch the gift-giver in their living room. Darby follows him to the roof and hides in his sleigh, along with Ted. When they reveal themselves, a startled Santa teleports to Chicago, where his sleigh breaks down. On top of no flying gear, Santa’s magic hat and bag of Christmas gifts are gone. It’s up to Russell and his two ride-alongs, Kate and Ted, to retrieve the artifacts before Christmas spirit disappears. Admittedly, the film’s plot plays a bit like an extended third act of Jon Favreau’s Elf, another Christmas classic, but screenwriter Matt Lieberman’s The Christmas Chronicles is packed with enough laughs, action, and heartwarming holiday cheer to stand proudly on its own two legs.
The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two (2020)
112m
Genre
Family, Fantasy, Adventure, Comedy
Stars
Kurt Russell, Goldie Hawn, Darby Camp
Directed by
Chris Columbus
Santa Kurt is back in this follow-up to Netflix’s 2018 The Christmas Chronicles. On vacation with her mother, stepfather, and stepbrother Jack in Mexico, teenage Kate Pierce (Darby Camp) is sick of the holidays and decides to run away from her nightmare of a trip. Jack decides to follow after her, but soon after their getaway, the duo is transported to the North Pole, where Kate is reunited with Mr. and Mrs. Claus (Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn). Things aren’t so pleasant in the Arctic though, as an evil elf named Belsnickel (Julian Dennison) has plans to end Christmas once and for all. It’s up to Kate, her bro, and the Claus clan to put an end to the angry elf’s reign of terror. Chris Columbus of Home Alone fame picks up directing duties for this Netflix sequel. While it’s not as mesmerizing and original as the first in the series, it’s a high-quality sequel that makes for a more than welcome addition to your holiday lineup this year.
Klaus (2019)
96m
Genre
Animation, Family, Adventure, Comedy
Stars
Jason Schwartzman, J.K. Simmons, Rashida Jones
Directed by
Sergio Pablos
Receiving rave reviews, this traditionally animated adventure comedy film tells an alternate story of how Santa Claus came to be. Set in the 19th century, Jesper is a spoiled and lazy postman’s son whose father sends him on a mission in a distant northern town as a last resort to help him change his ways. While there, he meets a reclusive toymaker named Klaus. With a top-notch voice-acting cast that includes Jason Schwartzman as Jesper and J.K. Simmons as Klaus along with Rashida Jones, Will Sasso, Norm MacDonald, and Joan Cusack in supporting roles, the movie earned Netflix its first Academy Award nomination for an animated film.
A Christmas Prince (2017)
92m
Genre
Romance, TV Movie
Stars
Rose McIver, Ben Lamb, Alice Krige
Directed by
Alex Zamm
If you’re tired of the same old Hallmark Christmas movies but want a good romantic comedy, check out this one that has already spawned two sequels: A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding and A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby from 2018 and 2019, respectively. The story is about an aspiring young journalist named Amber who is sent to cover a press conference about a prince who is about to take the throne following the death of his father. She is told he’s an irresponsible playboy, but after being mistaken for his sister’s tutor, she gets to know the real him and, surprise, surprise, she falls for him after discovering that he’s not at all who people think. It’s totally predictable, but sometimes that’s just what you want from a Christmas film.
Let It Snow (2019)
93m
Genre
Romance, Comedy
Stars
Joan Cusack, Isabela Merced, Odeya Rush
Directed by
Luke Snellin
This romantic comedy was oddly better viewed by critics than audiences. Based on the young adult novel of the same name by Maureen Johnson, John Green, and Lauren Myracle, the movie has a star-studded cast that includes Kiernan Shipka, Joan Cusack, and Isabela Merced. It’s Christmas Eve, and as Julie struggles with earning a scholarship to a prestigious university and the need to care for her ill mother, she happens to meet a rising pop star named Stuart on a train. They strike up a friendship with a clear romantic interest in one another. The movie is described as being “comfortably cliché” with its influences worn right “on its sleeve.” But that’s kind of what you want from a Christmas-themed film, right?
A Very Murray Christmas (2015)
Genre
Comedy, Music
Cast
Bill Murray, Paul Shaffer, George Clooney
‘Tis always the season for the low-key comedy genius of Bill Murray. This 2015 Christmas musical, directed and co-written by Sofia Coppola, follows the titular Murray through a star-studded Christmas Eve of celebrity duets and bountiful drinking. Bill’s holiday odyssey kicks into gear when a live TV special he was due to host is sabotaged by a power outage. Relieved, Murray flees to the Carlyle bar, where the film’s major slew of Hollywood cameos start filtering in, including Maya Rudolph, Rashida Jones, Jason Schwartzman, Michael Cera, and more. In terms of plot, it’s not the most emotionally dense Christmas movie, but A Very Murray Christmas is sure to grab a chuckle or two from you while filling your ears and heart with various Murray-led carols. Plus, at under an hour, it’s a quick watch. Not a bad bet, if you ask us.
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