Nothing gets us into the festive spirit quite like a Christmas film and luckily for Netflix subscribers there’s plenty to choose as you curl up on the sofa on a winter’s day or evening. From new classics to hidden gems, we’ve rounded up the best Christmas films on Netflix to help you get into the merry mood this Christmastime.
1. The Christmas Chronicles (1 and 2)
An instant hit with Netflix users, Kurt Russell stars as Santa Claus in The Christmas Chronicles – a heart-warming film that follows young girl Kate and her brother Teddy as they hatch a plan to catch Santa on camera. Naturally, the plan goes awry, and they end up on quite the journey as Santa travels the globe to deliver all of his presents. Streaming now.
2. The Princess Switch (1, 2 and 3)
One of a few fantastic Christmas films starring Vanessa Hudgens (which we’ll get onto a bit later…), The Princess Switch not only features one Hudgens, but two, in a double-act comedy full of festive vibes. The film follows a normal girl from Chicago who travels to another country for a baking competition, where she meets a Duchess who looks exactly like her. Available to stream now.
3. Falling For Christmas
Lindsay Lohan returns to our screens bringing with her a festive flick to curl up on the sofa with a blanket to enjoy. A newly engaged, spoiled hotel heiress (Lindsay Lohan) gets into a skiing accident, suffers from total amnesia and finds herself in the care of a handsome, blue-collar lodge owner (Chord Overstreet) and his precocious daughter in the days leading up to Christmas. Watch it now.
4. Klaus
Oscar-nominated Klaus follows the heart-warming tale of a failing postman who’s been sent on an impossible mission to work in an unaccepting, frozen town in the North – but everything changes when he discovers toymaker Klaus hiding out on the outskirts of the town. Watch it now.
5. Jingle Jangle
Remaining on Netflix’s Original roster, Jingle Jangle has been dubbed the Christmas version of The Greatest Showman thanks to its family-friendly vibe and many a musical number. Providing all the fuzzy warm feels, the film follows toymaker Jeronicus Jangle, whose apprentice betrays him to become the richest toymaker in the world. After years of taking a step back, Jangle receives new hope when his long-lost granddaughter turns up on his doorstep with a talent. Stream it now.
6. Single All The Way
Desperate to avoid his family’s judgment about his perpetual single status, Peter (Michael Urie) convinces his best friend Nick (Philemon Chambers) to join him for the holidays and pretend that they’re now in a relationship. But when Peter’s mother (Kathy Najimy) sets him up on a blind date with her handsome trainer James (Luke Macfarlane)— the plan goes awry. Available to watch now.
7. How The Grinch Stole Christmas
It’s not Christmas without an absolute classic like How The Grinch Stole Christmas. The green, revenge-seeking Grinch, who lives on the outskirts of Whoville and voiced by Jim Carrey, is back on our screens via Netflix to plot to ruin Christmas for all of the town. Bringing plenty of laughs, the Christmas-hating creature also happens to have quite a few of funny one liners that are more noticeable thanks to social media and aging. On Netflix now.
8. The Knight Before Christmas
The second in our mini love letter to Vanessa Hudgen’s Christmas films, The Knight Before Christmas is as cheesy and fantastic as it sounds. Providing laughs, an easy-to-follow rom-com plotline and a medieval edge, the film has it all. The Knight Before Christmas sees a medieval knight magically transported to the present day, where he meets an unlucky-in-love high school science teacher who guides him through modern life. Available to watch now.
9. Christmas With You
Alongside The Knight Before Christmas and The Princess Switch, Netflix is providing us with plenty of festive romantic films to add a little sparkle this Christmas with Christmas With You. Feeling career burn out (can you relate?), pop star Angelina escapes to grant a young fan’s wish in small town New York, where she not only finds the inspiration to revitalize her career but also a shot at true love. Stream it now.
10. A Christmas Prince (1, 2 and 3)
Another easy watch for rom-com lovers, A Christmas Prince tells the story of journalist Rose, who’s sent on a mission to get the scoop on the young prince of Aldovia. Things go too well, however, and Rose soon finds herself in hot water when she’s assumed the new tutor of his younger sister. Watch it now.
11. Holidate
A modern Christmas staple since its release in 2020, Holidate stars Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey – and is perfect for those who prefer more of a naughty laugh than your typical family-friendly festive flick. Following two strangers, Sloane and Jackson, after a casual meet-cute at the mall, the pair agree to be each other’s ‘holidate’ to ensure both have a platonic date on special occasions. Streaming now.
12. The Noel Diary
Released on last year’s roster of Christmas films on Netflix was The Noel Diary. When best-selling author Jake Turner (Justin Hartley) returns home at Christmas to settle his estranged mother’s estate, he discovers a diary that may hold secrets to his own past and that of Rachel (Barrett Doss) – an intriguing young woman on a mission of her own. Together, they embark on a journey to confront their pasts and discover a future that’s totally unexpected. Stream now.
13. A Very Murray Christmas
Bill Murray fans will have already seen A Very Murray Christmas, but even if you have, it’s an annual classic. Following the beloved actor as he worries that no one will make his show due to a terrible snowstorm in New York City, Murray finds a number of celebrity friends along the way to help with his Christmas show, resulting in a fabulously festive (and very musical!) watch. Stream it now.
14. Love Hard
Hopeless romantic but eternally single LA journalist Natalie (Nina Dobrev) thinks things are beginning to look up when she swipes right on Tag (Darren Barnet), a dreamy guy from the East Coast. Taking a leap of faith, she jumps on a flight to surprise her crush for the holidays, only to discover that she’s been catfished by Tag’s childhood friend who is equally unlucky in love, Josh (Jimmy O. Yang). Now streaming.
15. A Storm For Christmas
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16. Home for Christmas
OK, technically not a film, but from the same makers of A Storm for Christmas comes the Norwegian series Home for Christmas, or ‘Hjem til Jul‘ for those in the know. When love comes knocking, would you be ready? Follow Johanne through another December as she continues her pursuit for eternal, warm, and real love. When her family and the world around her fall apart, how can she still believe in true and everlasting love? Does it even exist and will she find the one for Christmas this year? Streaming now.
17. A Castle for Christmas
Another one of those easy watching, pretty cheesy (but classy) Christmas rom-coms, A Castle for Christmas follows famed author, Sophie Brown (Brooke Shields), who travels to Scotland hoping to buy a small castle of her own, but the prickly owner, Duke Myles (Cary Elwes), is reluctant to sell to a foreigner. Working to find a compromise, the pair constantly butt heads, but they just may find something more than they were expecting. Watch it now.
18. El Camino Christmas
One for those who aren’t so fond of the cosiness this time of year (blasphemy), El Camino Christmas provides a hearty amount of action for your yuletide viewing pleasure. When Eric Roth (Luke Grimes) goes on an impulsive journey to find the father he never knew, his search takes him to the remote desert town of El Camino, Nevada, where he’s mistaken for a drug dealer by local, dim-witted law enforcement and winds up pinned down in a liquor store holdup with five other lost souls on Christmas Eve…one of which is his father. Stream now.
19. Christmas as Usual
After surprising her Norwegian family with her new boyfriend – from India – Thea Evjen has to make him fit in over the Christmas Holidays. Life-long traditions are bent in every direction as the vibrant colors of Bollywood collide with the cold Norwegian winter. Another Scandinavian hit, because no one does it better. Streaming now.
20. Who Killed Santa? A Murderville Murder Mystery
Based on the BAFTA award winning BBC3 series Murder in Successville, Who Killed Santa? is bound to satisfy your mystery craving this festive season. Senior Detective Terry Seattle (Will Arnett) is back and this time, the case is critical. Along with his two celebrity guest stars, Jason Bateman and Maya Rudolph, he is on a mission to figure out… who killed Santa? But here’s the catch: Jason Bateman and Maya Rudolph aren’t being given the script. They have no idea what’s about to happen to them. Together, with Terry Seattle (and many surprises), they will have to improvise their way through the case… but it will be up to both of them to name the killer. Watch it now.
21. Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square
In another iconic twist from the Queen of Country, Dolly Parton has her very own Christmas film on Netflix. A rich and nasty woman, Regina Fuller, returns to her small hometown after her father’s death to evict everyone and sell the land to a mall developer – right before Christmas. However, after listening to stories of the local townsfolk, reconnecting with an old love, and accepting the guidance of an actual angel, Regina starts to have a change of heart. This is the story about family, love, and how a small town’s Christmas spirit can warm even the coldest of hearts. It features 14 original songs with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton – we’d watch it just for those. Streaming now.
22. Family Switch
Jess and Bill Walker are doing their best to keep their family connected as their children grow older, more independent, and more distant. When a chance encounter with an astrological reader causes the family to wake up to a full body switch, on the morning of the most important day of each of their lives, can the Walkers unite to land a promotion, college interview, record deal and soccer tryout? Watch it now.