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It's the most wonderful time of the year! Be honest. You sang that, didn't you? Christmas is here once again, which naturally means we're in the mood for some good festive movies to put us in the holiday spirit, and there are more-than-enough out there to do just that. While you can watch Christmas movies at any time of year, seriously, no judgment here, there's something so warm and cozy about settling down with some hot chocolate and a good film in December to really raise those spirits high.
Over the years, hundreds of Christmas movies ranging from the good, the bad, the scary to the downright strange have provided that much-needed festive feeling. And while everybody has their own opinion on what makes a good "Chrimbo" film, there are those that sit a mile above the rest, well, according to Rotten Tomatoes, anyway. For years, the site has been a consistent source for scouting Christmas films considered either top-tier or total bombs, and these are supposedly the best of the best currently streaming on Netflix. Hot chocolate? Check. Cozy blankets? Check. Christmas movies? Check. You're ready to go.
20 'Holidate' (2020)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 45%
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Image via Netflix Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey star in the 2020 romantic comedy Holidate. The plot centers on Sam and Jackson, two strangers who agree to be each other's platonic plus-ones throughout the year's numerous holidays. Alas, things get complicated when they begin to catch actual feelings for each other. The bubbly Kristin Chenoweth also stars in a scene-stealing supporting role.
Holidate is generic but incredibly effective, largely because it's in on the joke. Roberts and Bracey make for a very good-looking couple, and their chemistry is enough to sustain the movie's fake dating trope-based story. The jokes don't always land, and the screenplay is as lazy as they come, but Holidate has enough charm to make it an enjoyable guilty pleasure around the holidays. – David Caballero
Release Date October 28, 2020
Director John Whitesell
Runtime 104
19 'Love Hard' (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 54%
Image via Netflix Directed by Hernán Jiménez (About Us), Love Hard follows Natalie, a dating columnist in Los Angeles, who falls for the rugged, outdoorsy Josh, in New York, via a dating app, and plans to surprise him for the holidays. On reaching New York, Natalie discovers that she has been catfished by Josh, who used his best friend, Tag’s photo for his profile. Though angry at Josh, Natalie agrees to roleplay his girlfriend for the holidays, in exchange for being set up with Tag.
Love Hard stars Nina Dobrev (The Vampire Diaries) as Natalie, with Jimmy O. Yang (Space Force) as Josh, and Darren Barnet (Never Have I Ever) as Tag, where Yang’s Josh and Dobrev’s Natalie remain the main driving factors of the film, even if the plot parallels similar holiday-themed romance dramas and love triangles. A portmanteau of Love Actually and Die Hard, Love Hard is a fun and easy holiday rom-com, with good music and ample festive vibes. — Maddie P
Release Date November 5, 2021
Director Hernán Jiménez
Runtime 104 minutes
18 'The Christmas Chronicles 2' (2020)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 62%
Image via Netflix A sequel to 2018’s The Christmas Chronicles, The Christmas Chronicles 2 picks up two years since the events of the first film and follows Kate Pierce (Darby Camp), now a teenager, who is unhappy to travel to Cancun for Christmas. Trying to escape the family vacation, Kate is reunited with Santa Claus and new friends to save Christmas from Belsnickel (Julian Dennison), a notorious, envious elf. Chris Columbus of Home Alone films fame directs this fun-packed sequel where Kurt Russell reprises his role of Santa Claus, along with Goldie Hawn, Judah Lewis, and Kimberly Williams-Paisley returning to their characters from The Christmas Chronicles.
The Christmas Chronicles 2, though not as thrilling as the first installment, manages to live up to the expectations of a well-made, if goofy, family holiday film. Russell, once again, delivers a perfect portrayal of the unconventional and adventurous Santa, with Hawn staying true to her heartwarming Mrs. Claus, in this fast-paced, exciting sequel. — Maddie P
The Christmas Chronicles 2
Release Date November 18, 2020
Director Chris Columbus
Runtime 115
Main Genre Fantasy
17 'Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square' (2020)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 64%
Image via Netflix The mighty Dolly Parton lends her larger-than-life powers to the 2020 Netflix extravaganza Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square. The equally iconic Christine Baranski stars as Regina Fuller, a wealthy businesswoman attempting to sell her hometown to a mall developer, thus evicting every resident. However, a miraculous and unexpected visit might just change her mind.
Christmas on the Square is among Netflix's campiest movies, and that's exactly the point. Powered by Parton's buoyant charm and aided by the ever-reliable presence of a game Baranski, the film thrives as a heartwarming holiday movie. Parton's legendary musical talent produces several catchy songs that further make Christmas on the Square a must-watch of any holiday season. – David Caballero
Release Date November 22, 2020
Director Debbie Allen
Runtime 98
16 'Christmas with You' (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 65%
Image via Netflix Directed by Argentinian filmmaker, Gabriela Tagliavini (Without Men), Christmas with You follows a pop star, Angelina, who travels to upstate New York to fulfill a young fan, Christina’s Christmas wish, and escape her career burnout. There she also meets Christina’s dad, Miguel, a music teacher and they form a bond, and Angelina begins to find inspiration for her music and love, in the cozy small town. Christmas with You stars Aimee Garcia (Lucifer) and Freddie Prinze Jr. (Star Wars Rebels) as the story’s protagonists, Angelina and Miguel, respectively.
Christmas with You is a simple, sincere, if not sometimes cheesy, holiday film, but it serves the purpose if you are looking for a feel-good and cozy story set during Christmas. Even if the plot feels cliched, both Garcia and Prinze Jr. remain highly likable throughout the film, fitting into their respective characters, thus ultimately making this film watchable. — Maddie P
Release Date November 17, 2022
Director Gabriela Tagliavini
Cast Lawrence J. Hughes, Deja Monique Cruz, Grace Dumdaw, Gabriel Sloyer, Freddie Prinze Jr., Aimee Garcia
Rating pg
Runtime 90 minutes
Genres Holiday, Romance, Comedy
15 'The Princess Switch' (2018)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 67%
Image via Netflix Vanessa Hudgens stars in dual roles as the Duchess of Montenaro, Lady Margaret Delacourt, and a baker from Chicago, Stacy De Novo, in 2018's The Princess Switch. Set just a few days away from Christmas, the film depicts the two characters' surprising meeting where they realize they look identical and soon agree to switch lives for a while just to escape the pressures of their lives. When they begin to fall in love with each other's partners, things get complicated.
Hudgens is hilarious and charming in The Princess Switch, as she clearly enjoys playing the two different characters. While not exactly new, and certainly done better by classics like The Parent Trap, the Netflix film still does the job and ends with a heartwarming Christmas celebration.
Release Date November 16, 2018
Director Mike Rohl
Runtime 101
14 'The Knight Before Christmas' (2019)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 67%
Image via Netflix The Knight Before Christmas is a Christmas fantasy rom-com that follows Sir Cole Christopher Fredrick Lyons' (Josh Whitehouse) unexpected adventure when an old crone gives him a quest to fulfill in the future. That future is the year 2019, where, in a small city in Ohio, disillusioned high school science teacher Brooke Winters (Vanessa Hudgens) accidentally hits Cole with her car. As Brooke helps Cole recover in her home, the duo form an unlikely connection.
While it's far from the greatest time travel movies ever, The Knight Before Christmas succeeds in its mission to create a cheesy and adorable love story full of magic. Hudgens is a treat to watch as the initially cold Brooke, whose heart inevitably softens to Cole's naivety and bravery.
The Knight Before Christmas
Release Date November 21, 2019
Director Monika Mitchell
Runtime 92
13 'Single All the Way' (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 68%
Image via Netflix Streaming is going all-in on queer holiday content, and 2021's Single All the Way was among the early pioneers. Michael Urie stars as Peter, a young man who convinces his best friend, Nick (Philemon Chambers), to pretend to be his boyfriend for the holidays. Their plan goes awry when they discover Peter's mother has set him up with her handsome spinning structure.
One of the best LGBTQ+ movies on Netflix, Single All the Way is a rom-com to a tee that never strays too far from the formula. Urie and Chambers shine as the classic friends-turned-lovers while supporting performances from icons like Kathy Najimy and Jennifer Coolidge further improve the film. Single All the Way is a crowd-pleaser, the film equivalent of comfort food and a warm hug for the holidays. – David Caballero
Release Date December 2, 2021
Director Michael Mayer
Cast Michael Urie , Philemon Chambers , Luke Macfarlane
Runtime 1 hr 41 min
12 'A Very Murray Christmas' (2015)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 68%
Image via Netflix
In director Sofia Coppola's A Very Murray Christmas, Bill Murray anxiously waits for his guests at the Carlyle Hotel. It's Christmas Eve and Murray is contractually obligated to deliver, but without his stars, he begins to get frustrated. With all hope eventually lost and time running out, Murray walks around the hotel, eventually running into other annoyed people, oh, and George Clooney.
A Very Murray Christmas is an entertaining musical comedy that sets out to do a lot of things that don't always work. Despite some misses, it's an overall fun and more adult-themed Christmas movie that tries to do something novel with familiar tropes. Murray is gut-busting and anchors the entire film hilariously, making it a must-watch for his fans.
Release Date December 4, 2015
Runtime 56 minutes
11 'The Christmas Chronicles' (2018)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 68%
Image via Netflix The Christmas Chronicles' plot centers on two young children, Kate (Darby Camp) and Teddy (Judah Lewis) Pierce, who climb aboard Santa's (Kurt Russell) sleigh in a misguided attempt at catching. A few sleigh crashes later and thousands of gifts gone and the kids must now help save Christmas for all the children in the world by delivering presents on time.
For many people, 2018's The Christmas Chronicles quickly became a contender for one we'd watch every year. The Christmas Chronicles is quirky, down-to-earth, and an all-around family adventure. While it received mixed reviews from critics, most were positive, especially regarding the film's novelty, performances – specifically Kurt Russell as the jolly Saint Nick – and its soundtrack.
Release Date November 22, 2018
Runtime 104
10 'The Noel Diary' (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 69%
Image via Netflix Netflix's 2022 rom-com, The Noel Diary, follows two individuals as they bond after coming together by fluke from connections in their separate pasts. It sees best-selling author Jake Turner (Justin Hartley) return to his enstranged mother's house in Connecticut after her death, 20 years since he's stepped foot there. While navigating his complicated emotions, he meets Rachel Campbell (Barrett Doss), who is coincidentally looking for information about her birth mother.
The Charles Shyer-directed movie is an enjoyable yet sometimes emotional ride, as most romantic comedies are. The film received mostly positive reviews from critics, although not so much from audiences. Despite this, it's a movie worth a watch if you're in the mood for a cozy night in.
Release Date November 24, 2022
Director Charles Shyer
Cast Barrett Doss, Justin Hartley, Essence Atkins, Bonnie Bedelia, James Remar
Rating TV-14
Runtime 99 minutes
Genres Holiday, Drama, Romance, Comedy
9 'A Christmas Prince' (2017)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 73%
A Christmas Prince is the first film in Netflix's festive trilogy released on November 17th, 2017. The plot follows a young journalist, Amber Moore (Rose McIver), looking for a break in her career who finds herself sent to Aldovia, a fictional fairytale country, to do a story on the Royal Family. More specifically, the scandalous Prince Richard (Ben Lamb), who has earned a reputation as a playboy.
Overused Christmas movie, romance, and fairytale tropes are sometimes all a person needs on a cold December night. While it may live up to those stereotypical aspects of a cheesy Christmas movie, there's just something about A Christmas Prince that makes it worth the watch. And if you're going to see the first one, then there's almost a compulsion to watch its two sequels on Netflix. Right? Right.
Release Date November 17, 2017
Director Alex Zamm
Runtime 1 hr 32 min
8 'A Castle For Christmas' (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 74%
Image via Netflix Netflix Christmas rom-com called A Castle For Christmas follows an author, Sophie Brown (Brooke Shields), who travels to Scotland to escape the stresses of a controversial book she'd just released. Her decision to kill off a beloved male lead was inevitably linked to her recent divorce, and the situation was just made messier by a chaotic interview. While escaping in Scotland, she meets a Duke, Myles Dunbar (Cary Elwes), who owns a castle.
A Castle For Christmas is a different take on a blossoming Christmas love and is chock-full of feel-good moments to outweigh its mixed reviews. Audiences and critics couldn't disagree more with some of these, could they? Sure, it's a little predictable, but this cheesy Christmas film is not bad at all.
Release Date November 26, 2021
Director Mary Lambert
Runtime 1 hr 38 min
7 'Let It Snow' (2019)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81%
Image via Netflix Young friends, small towns, and snow storms. What could possibly happen? This 2019 Netflix film follows a group of high school friends at Christmas as they quite literally let love take the wheel when a snowstorm brings them all together and emotions flow freely. It's a star-studded cast with some young faces you're bound to recognize – Shameik Moore, Jacob Batalon, and Isabela Merced, to name a few.
Is it a little predictable? Sure. Cliché? Definitely. But that doesn't mean it's a bad movie. Let It Snow is full of clichés but it doesn't pretend to be anything else, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes a little comfortable cheesiness is just what audiences need in a Christmas movie.
Release Date November 8, 2019
Director Luke Snellin
Runtime 92 minutes
6 'A Boy Called Christmas' (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 84%
Image via Netflix 2021's A Boy Called Christmas is a British Christmas fantasy film that takes viewers on a mystical journey of holiday magic in a new take on a type of Christmas origin story. Based on the eponymous 2015 novel by Matt Haig, the 2021 film follows an ordinary boy's extraordinary adventure to the north, as Nikolas (Henry Lawfull) braves the snow in order to search for the elves.
Netflix released the movie internationally on November 24th, 2021, to a mostly positive reception. While it may have been dubbed pretty unoriginal by critics, A Boy Called Christmas was still highly praised thanks to its characters and its holiday spirit. The film clearly borrows from the fantasy genre's very best movies to weave its magical tale, and when it works, it's great.
Release Date November 24, 2021
Director Gil Kenan
5 'Feast of the Seven Fishes' (2019)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%
Image via Shout! Studios When Beth (Madison Iseman) returns home from her Ivy League school, she meets Tony Olivario (Skylar Gisondo), a local in their 1983 small town. In the spirit of the holiday, Tony invites her to his family’s Christmas Eve dinner which, as the title suggests, centers around The Feast of the Seven Fishes. What follows is a heartwarming tale of blending religions and culture, and a budding romance between two characters yearning for connection.
Much like The Bear’s notable episode “Fishes,” Feast of the Seven Fishes is an authentic (albeit chaotic) depiction of Christmas dinner in an Italian-American household. Feast of the Seven Fishes infuses tropes with tradition, which critics praised alongside the film’s strong characters and casting. The 2019 rom-com promises a feel-good story about family and food, and according to critics, it does just that. – Ilana Davis
Feast of the Seven Fishes
Release Date November 15, 2019
Director Robert Tinnell
Runtime 99 minutes
4 'Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey' (2020)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%
Image via Netflix 2020's Christmas musical that's perfect for singing along to takes viewers on a fantasy-driven adventure with some good old yuletide fun thrown into the mix. The plot follows toy maker Jeronicus Jangle (played by Forest Whitaker in the film), an inventor searching for his next big break when his apprentice steals his latest work.
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey was released on Netflix on November 13th, 2020, marking a major success in the eyes of critics and audiences. It was nominated for 19 awards, winning 4, earning praise for its upbeat, catchy musical numbers, brilliant production, and phenomenal visuals. At its core, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey is a moving story about family and what Christmas truly means.
Release Date November 13, 2020
Director David E. Talbert
Runtime 122 minutes
3 'Who Killed Santa? A Murderville Murder Mystery' (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
Image via Netflix Who Killed Santa?A Murderville Murder Mystery is a holiday special from the Will Arnett-led comedic improv murder-mystery series Murderville, that follows Terry Seattle (Arnett), a Christmas-hating detective of Murderville Police Department, who is assigned by his ex-wife, Rhonda (Haneefah Wood), to find the killer of quarterback Johnny Blaze, who dressed as Santa for a town event. Per the show’s format, Terry partners with a celebrity to solve the case, who arrives on the set without a script and no background and has to improvise. In Who Killed Santa? A Murderville Mystery, Jason Bateman joins Terry to solve Santa Claus's murder.
Who Killed Santa? A Murderville Mystery has been praised for its absurd, silly, but well-performed improv...
If Murderville had already earned a following for its spontaneous narrative and laugh-out-loud moments, then the Christmas special has upped the ante of this comedy series. Who Killed Santa? A Murderville Mystery has been praised for its absurd, silly, but well-performed improv by Bateman and other celebrity guests, which include Maya Rudolph and Pete Davidson. — Maddie P
2 'Klaus' (2019)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%
Image Via Netflix 2019's heartwarming animated adventure Klaus follows the story of a postman, Jesper Johansen (voiced by Jason Schwartzman), who underperforms at the academy and is sent far north to the frozen town of Smeerensburg as a result. There, the community has no Christmas spirit, but Jesper's friendship with the reclusive Klaus (J. K. Simmons) may just change everything.
An alternative origin story to Santa Claus, the Spanish-American film is a heartwarming adventure for the whole family. Klaus is now undoubtedly part of many annual Christmas traditions, and for good reason. The film turned out to be a multi-award-winning animation, even becoming the first Netflix film ever nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards. Not only that, but it was nominated for a total of nine Best Animated Feature awards, along with many other accolades.
Release Date November 8, 2019
Director Sergio Pablos
Runtime 97
1 'Alien XMas' (2020)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
Image via Netflix Just like the Grinch, there is a thieving alien race who want to steal presents and ruin Christmas, as you will find out in Alien Xmas. One of the most adorable Christmas-themed films of recent years, the film focuses on X, a tiny extraterrestrial being of the race of Klepts, who is sent to the North Pole with a mission to destroy Earth’s gravity and steal all Christmas presents. But when X discovers being mistaken for a cute Christmas gift by a young elf, a wild adventure follows. Jon Favreau produces the film and voices the character of Obie (uncredited).
The stop-motion animated sci-fi fantasy adventure comedy comes from Stephen Chiodo of the special effects artists trio The Chiodo Brothers, and matches up to the visual and animation style that the trio is known for. Alien Xmas is sweet, silly, imaginative, and heartfelt, and highlights the importance of togetherness, coupled with remarkable visuals and character design. — Maddie P
Release Date November 20, 2020
Director Stephen Chiodo
Runtime 40 minutes
English (US) ·