Ranging from funny to festive, these holiday favorites are just waiting for you to binge
at your leisure and whenever you get started, it'll be the most wonderful time of the year.
Here's a look at the best Christmas movie son Netflix.
If you're a bit of Christmas cynic, you could always spike your eggnog and sit down with
Bad Santa, a comedy about a man who uses one of the season's most enduring symbols to gain
the trust of everyone around him, and then rob them blind while also getting blackout
drunk. Sure, it might seem a little mean-spirited, but Bad Santa is actually part of a grand
tradition of Christmas films including the beloved classic It’s a Wonderful Life that
use misfortune and misery as entry points into discovering the true meaning of the season.
In this case, the person who needs to discover it is Willie Soke, played by Billy Bob Thornton,
a safecracker who's sick of his life masquerading as a mall Santa. When he meets a naive but
good-natured boy named Thurman, Willie finds his life slowly beginning to take on meaning
again, whether he really wants it to or not. It’s unapologetically foulmouthed and surprisingly
joyous by the end, and features a terrific supporting cast that includes the late John
Ritter and Bernie Mac. Plus, if you're having fun with Bad Santa, Netflix can also carry
you right over to the sequel, Bad Santa 2.
In the years since Love Actually was released, it has divided viewers with the hottest Christmas
medai debate since “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” In the years since Love Actually was released,
it has divided viewers with the hottest Christmas medai debate since “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.”
Set in the month leading up to Christmas it has a cast of… well, basically every British
actor you’ve ever heard of, including Alan Rickman, Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley, Liam
Neeson, Mr. Bean, Bilbo Baggins and Rick from the Walking Dead. Thanks to its interweaving
stories of love, it’s been called "the ultimate romantic comedy,” and embraced as a a holiday
essential by many, while dismissed as an overwrought mess by others who think it has some pretty
dubious ideas about romance. It's a debate we still have every Christmas, but after all
that dust settles, we still want to watch it every single year.
Some viewers may dismiss A Christmas Prince as another generic royal romantic comedy that
the filmmakers just slapped some Christmas decorations on. If you actually sit down and
watch it, though, you'll find charm, heart, and a story that wrings every little bit of
joy out of what it's given to work with.
Rose McIver stars as a young reporter eager to catch the eye of her boss by infiltrating
the Aldovian monarchy and learning what's keeping the mysterious Prince Richard from
claiming his rightful place on the throne. After going undercover as a tutor to the Prince's
young sister surprise! she quickly falls in love with Richard, only to find that there
are enemies out to stop his coronation on Christmas Eve. It's not the most lavish production
you'll ever see, but there's a reason Netlfix dropped a sequel this year. Here’s hoping
it becomes an annual tradition with increasingly ridiculous plots!
Santa Buddies is a warm little movie perfect for kids who love cute dogs and holiday cheer.
The story revolves around Puppy Paws, the son of Santa's dog Santa Paws (because of
course that's his name), who's a bit worn out by Christmas and just wants to be a normal
puppy.
“Maybe you should be thinking about how important Christmas is to children and puppies
all around the world.”
Puppy Paws leaves the North Pole and tries to learn how to be a regular puppy from a
few who happen to be on Santa's naughty list. What Puppy Paws doesn't know, though, is that
the very fate of Christmas hinges on him learning a lesson about the true spirit of the holiday,
and he'd better learn it fast before the cold-hearted dog catcher played by Christopher Lloyd can
ruin everything
In other words, it’s the exact plot of Elf, but with an adorable puppy instead of Will
Ferrell. Believe it or not, though, it’s both adorable and weird enough to be watchable.
The only real problem with showing it to your kids is that they might decide a puppy is
the one thing they want for Christmas.
Get Santa is yet another film that follows a recognizable holiday formula. This time,
it’s the tale of the young child trying to convince a cynical adult that Santa Claus
is real. The twist is that Get Santa takes that premise and mixes it up with a kinder,
gentler version of a Guy Ritchie crime comedy, and the results are as strange as they are
delightful.
Rafe Spall stars as Steve, a former getaway driver fresh out of prison and eager to reconnect
with his son Tom. Tom is a bit disinterested, but calls his father for help when he believes
he's found Santa inside a shed.
“Hello mate, how are you, how you doing?”
“Santa’s in the carriage.”
“What?”
This "Santa" claims that his sleigh crashed and his reindeer have been scattered, and
asks for help only to end up locked in prison instead. With Christmas on the line, it's
up to Steve and Tom to find the reindeer, enlist the help of some elves, and "get Santa."
That is, if Steve can ever find his way to believing in Father Christmas again. It's
a wonderfully weird little movie with a new twist on a classic tale, plus a version of
the journey to the North Pole (or "Elf City" as it's called in the film) you've likely
never seen before.
If you're after an enduring holiday classic full of musical numbers, gorgeous Technicolor
imagery, and the exquisite comic timing of Danny Kaye, then White Christmas is for you.
“I want you to get married. I want you to have nine children. And if you only spend
five minutes a day with each kid, that's 45 minutes, and I'd at least have time to go
out and get a massage or something!”
Like many holiday films of its time, it doesn't entirely revolve around Christmas, but rather
builds to it by telling the story of four entertainers who find themselves at an inn
in Vermont only to find that December hasn't brought any snow with it yet. Like the characters,
the audience waits virtually the entire film for anything wintry or Christmasy to show
up, but when it finally does, it proves to be absolutely worth it.
In addition to Kaye's comedic mastery, the film also features Bing Crosby in one of his
most famous roles, Rosemary Clooney showing both her acting and singing chops, Vera-Ellen's
incredible dancing, and some of the most memorable musical numbers you'll ever see. Oh, and there’s
also a pretty good song in there that you might’ve heard of. This film has lived on
in the hearts of Christmas movie fans for more than 60 years, and a single viewing is
all it takes to understand why.
Netflix isn't just excelling in the fairy tale princess Christmas romcom department.
They've also branched out into more humble, even somewhat quirky, offerings aimed at everyone
who enjoys cozy, low-stakes Christmas fare. Enter The Holiday Calendar, the story of a
small-town photographer stuck in a rut both personally and professionally. Her life seems
to be going nowhere, until her grandfather gives her an antique advent calendar that
once belonged to her late grandmother.
“those are predicting the future." "how much wine have you had tonight?”
The calendar will only open its doors on its own, magically, at midnight each night in
December, revealing a unique charm item that will prove to have some meaning in her life
the following day. Through the calendar's magic, Abby thinks she finds love, then realizes
there are bigger lessons to be learned from this strange little family artifact. The Holiday
Calendar is, like so many Christmas romantic comedies, is ultimately predictable, but its
charm is such that you won't really care if you see the ending coming.
Sometimes the most casually enjoyable Christmas movies arrive when you take a tried and true
romantic comedy formula and just sprinkle a little holly and mistletoe through it all.
That's the case with Christmas Wedding Planner. The film follows wedding planner Kelsey as
she attempts to plan and execute the perfect holiday wedding. Her biggest problem isn't
the venue, or the bride, but a private investigator who's threatening to expose the truth about
the couple at the heart of the ceremony and wreck the whole wedding.
“You expect me to believe that some mysterious person hired you to ruin this wedding. "
“Well, technically looking at Todd, but ah... ruining the wedding is a potential outcome.”
In an effort to keep the P.I. happy while still delivering the dream wedding she was
hired for, Kelsey agrees to join his case and help him get to the bottom of it. Of course,
if you know romantic comedies at all, you can probably guess what happens next. After
a long day of shopping, this is exactly the kind of light, crowd-pleasing holiday fare
to throw on while you’re wrapping presents.
Dear Santa is one of the best known and most beloved of the 21st century's large crop of
made-for-TV Christmas romances that frequently circulate on Lifetime, Hallmark, and now Netflix.
It's a growing subgenre in steady rotation for many fans, and Dear Santa is a big reason
why. Amy Acker plays Crystal, a rich girl who's facing the threat of being cut off by
her parents if she doesn't find some sense of direction. When she stumbles upon a letter
a little girl wrote to Santa asking for a new wife for her widowed, soup kitchen-running
father, Crystal takes it as a sign that she's meant to be part of their family. Of course,
not all goes according to plan.
“I didn’t do anything, I just happened to be here.”
Netflix's devotion to original programming led to an even bigger holiday movie boom in
2018 than we've seen in previous years, and that may have reached its peak with The Christmas
Chronicles, a film that blends a little bit of The Santa Clause, a little bit of found
footage, and whole lot of Kurt Russell into a very enjoyable package. The film follows
a pair of children whose family has been devastated by loss as they try to get along together
on Christmas Eve. When young Kate believes she spotted Santa in an old family home movie,
she persuades her brother Teddy to stay up with her for a stake out. One thing leads
to another, and the siblings find themselves face to face with the real Santa Claus, who's
very different than decades of marketing have made him out to be.
“No need to wake up early, there won't be any presents. You two are on the naughty list
for life.”
With little time and a lot of frustration, the trio has no choice but to team up, find
Santa's lost belongings, and save Christmas. It’s exactly the kind of charming romp you’d
expect from the producer of the Harry Potter movies and a director who worked on Frozen
and Wreck It Ralph, only weirder.