Christmas movies have happy endings. We don't always have to be challenged. Sometimes we don't have to learn more about the human condition. This list of Christmas films is sure to make you feel happy, from the classics to the unconventional.
The best Christmas movies are now available on the internet.
1. The holiday
A holiday romance that's sooon-worthy. Credit: Sony Pictures
Nancy is the best Christmas person. The 2006 romantic comedy follows two women who switch houses during the Christmas season to distance themselves from their previous relationships. A big return on investment can be found in the English countryside cottage where the two met. Across the pond, Jack Black is the one who leads her to Los Angeles. The Holiday is predictable, but it is a sweet and touching film. The actors are charming, but by the end of the movie, you will be in love with Black.
The Holiday is available to watch on the internet.
2. All the way.
The movie focuses on what Christmas is really about. The kids movie Jingle All the Way was a hit in the 90s and starred Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sinbad as two dads trying to redeem themselves by buying their children the perfect Christmas gift. On Christmas Eve, they both set out to get the big gift, aTurbo-Man action figure, but upon learning the toy is sold out, they embark on a series of increasingly desperate escapades. There is something comfortingly familiar about this story, because the film was inspired by the real-life fervor for Cabbage Patch Kids and the Power Rangers toys in the '80s and '90s. It isn't a good movie, but it isn't all beloved Christmas movies are! The cast of Jingle All the Way includes Phil Hartman, Rita Wilson, and Jim Belushi, so you will feel like you are in the '90s.
You can watch the show on Hulu.
3. A Christmas Tale is a rare export.
A Christmas Tale dares to ask the question, "What if Santa Claus was a demon that devoured naughty children in their sleep?" This Christmas horror is a must-watch for any film fan looking for something new this holiday season. In the harsh, isolated wilds of northern Finland, families travel by snowmobile to reach one another, and the community relies on the yearly reindeer migration to survive. A young boy, Pietari, is the only one to sense the danger when a nearby research facility finds something in the ice, something that was seemingly trapped there on purpose, something like Santa Claus.
It is a shocking and fantastic premise that works thanks to the director's slow and methodical building of suspense and the full commitment of the actors. By the time we see a monster, we are on board, frightened and happy.
You can watch Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale.
4. The best season of the year.
An excellent cast for a Christmas movie. Credit: Hulu.
The perfect Christmas rom-com for the 2020s, The Happiest Season follows a young couple heading to a family home for Christmas. The only problem is thatHarper hasn't told her family yet that she's dating women, which leaves her in the awkward position of having to lie about herself for the holidays. The cast is topnotch. The internet had a complete breakdown about how magnetic Aubrey Plaza is as a former girlfriend ofHarper. The cast of this film includes Alison Brie, Dan Levy, Mary Holland, Victor Garber, and Mary Steenburgen.
It is a modern take on the holiday romance. It feels believable, which is almost unheard of for a Christmas movie. Don't wait another second to watch this intelligent, funny, and cheerily sincere film.
The Happiest Season can be watched on Hulu.
5. Dear Santa.
We know what the people want for Christmas. The Postal Service's "Operation Santa" program allows the public to fulfill the Christmas wishes of needy kids country-wide. Dear Santa takes us on a journey across the country to show how they facilitate making the dreams of thousands of children come true. The USPS program is the subject of a documentary that is sure to fill your heart with warmth.
You can watch Dear Santa on the internet.
6. The tones of the mistle-tones.
Holly is a woman who dreams of joining the local Christmas cover group, the Snow Belles, and spending every Christmas Eve singing at the mall. When Holly was denied a spot in the group, she started her own singing group and competed with the Snow Belles for the coveted mall gig.
The Mistle-Tones is fun and fluffy, and it stays engaging thanks to its multiple Christmas performances. Holly's boss is a standoffish workaholic, so there is romance here. I bet that will change soon, Mowry and Spelling are both so used to the camera that their casual self-assurance tends to steal most of their scenes.
The Mistle-Tones is available to watch.
7. The man was the creator of Christmas.
Charles Dickens and others. Kerry Brown/ Mazur/Kaplan/Kobal/Shutterstock
Are you trying to sneak a drama into a holiday movie? The man who invented Christmas should be the one to do it. The movie tells the story of Charles Dickens, who was on the verge of financial ruin, and was forced to write A Christmas Carol in six weeks so it could be published in time for Christmas. Random events in Dickens' life inspire the story we know so well. Dickens talks to the fictional characters as he works on the plot in real time. The movie stays fixated on Dickens' state of mind, his haunting past, and his increasing stress under the mounting pressure for success, instead of focusing on retreading a story we know by heart.
The Man Who Invented Christmas is available to watch.
8. Every other holiday.
It's time for Christmas and a divorce-reconcilation fantasy. When their kids announce the only thing on their Christmas list is a holiday with both Mom and Dad, divorced parents have to pack the car. Dee Wallace plays Grandma, who is very domineering, has never liked Rick, and is determined to stamp out any holiday sparks that might fly between the separated couple, because you know there are gonna be sparks!
Every other holiday is like butter. It feels fresh compared to other TV holiday flicks thanks to the talent of its two leads, Shuyler Fisk and David Rogers. There is a sprinkling of church here and there, and there are some parts of the movie that could have been edited better, but the movie is a good guilty-pleasure watch.
You can watch Every Other Holiday on Hulu.
9. Same time for Christmas.
Same Time, Next Christmas is not a Christmas movie. It is an easy rom-com that has important plot points during the holiday season. It might be just what you are looking for after the mainlining of the holiday. A star-crossed couple whose families spend Christmas at the same Hawaiian resort each year are the focus of this fluffy romp. Though they were close as kids, Jeff andOlivia can't seem to get the timing right as adults. Maybe it's because they can't communicate outside of Hawaii for a week each year. It's just a guess.
The real stars of the movie are the parents, with George Newbern and Nia Vardalos playing their sexy roles. Same Time, Next Christmas is not going to win any awards, but if you keep your expectations low, it will be a nice romantic movie.
Same Time, Next Christmas is available to watch on the internet.
