The 67 best Christmas movies to stream on Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, HBO, and more

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We bring good tidings, with a slew of new Christmas movies being released in 2023—and there’s something for everyone! From kids movies to chaotic comedies, we’ve got plenty of alternatives to the holiday perennials Die Hard and Love Actually. Here’s a list of the best Christmas movies to stream in 2023.

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New Christmas movies
Christmas action classics
Funny Christmas movies
Christmas movies for kids
Christmas movies on Netflix
Classic Christmas movies
Christmas horror movies
Romantic Christmas movies

New Christmas movies in 2023

What’s new this year? We’ve got lots for the kids, another couple for the “Christmas horror” genre, and plenty of classic cheesy Christmas fare too. 

 

The Bad Guys: A Very Bad Holiday

Year: 2023

Starring: Michael Godere, Ezekiel Ajeigbe, Raul Ceballos, Chris Diamantopoulos

What it’s about: This 25-minute Christmas special takes place prior to the change of heart the gang experienced in the 2022 film. Mr. Wolf and his crew plan their annual Holiday Heist-tacular, but when things go wrong, they’ll need to save the day and restore the city’s Christmas spirit.

Available on: Netflix

EXmas

Year: 2023

Starring: Leighton Meester, Robbie Amell

What it’s about: Even though Graham is no longer engaged to Ali, his family just can’t let go. When Graham tells them he can’t come home for Christmas, his mom invites Ali, who happily accepts. Graham turns up unexpectedly on Christmas Eve, but Ali refuses to leave—and it becomes a battle of wills to determine who should stay and who should go.

Available on: Amazon Prime

The Velveteen Rabbit

Year: 2023

Starring: Helena Bonham-Carter, Nicola Coughlan, Alex Lawther

What it’s about: This classic children’s book has been adapted into a neat 40-minute film, which will be just enough time to reduce all the adults in the room to tears. For those who don’t remember, The Velveteen Rabbit tells the story of a stuffed rabbit who hopes to become real through the love of his owner, a shy young boy.

Available on: AppleTV+

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever

Year: 2023

Starring: Wesley Kimmel, Erica Cerra, Hunter Dillon, Chris Diamantopoulos

What it’s about: If you know the Wimpy Kid series, you know there’ll be plenty of whining from the self-interested Greg Heffley. In this animated Christmas adventure, Greg and best friend Rowley accidentally damage the neighbor’s snow plow and try to cover up the evidence of their crime as blizzards and power outages force the Heffley family into close quarters for Christmas.

Available on: Disney+

Best. Christmas. Ever!

Year: 2023

Starring: Brandy Norwood, Heather Graham, Jason Biggs

What it’s about: Every year, Charlotte (Heather Graham) receives a Christmas newsletter from her college friend, Jackie (Brandy Norwood), about her seemingly perfect life. Determined to prove things couldn’t possibly be as good as they seem, Charlotte and her family turn up unannounced for Christmas.

Available on: Netflix

Family Switch

Year: 2023

Starring: Jennifer Garner, Ed Helms, Rita Moreno

What it’s about: A freak astrological event results in the Walker family swapping bodies with each other—the kids are forced to take on adult responsibilities while the parents must navigate the tricky rites of teenage life, including soccer tryouts, romance, parties, and bullying.

Available on: Netflix

Candy Cane Lane

Year: 2023

Starring: Eddie Murphy, Tracee Ellis Ross

What it’s about: Eddie Murphy is back with a film about a man on a mission to win his neighborhood’s annual Christmas home decoration contest. Apparently there are jump scares and kung-fu fighting, which should make for some chaotic Christmas fun.

Available on: Prime Video

It’s a Wonderful Knife

Year: 2023

Starring: Jane Widdop, Joel McHale, Justin Long

What it’s about: This Christmas film is a comedy-slasher twist on It’s a Wonderful Life. Despite saving her town from a serial killer on the previous Christmas Eve, Winnie’s life is not wonderful. She makes a wish that she’d never been born and is transported to a parallel universe where she never existed and the killer is still on the loose.

Available on: Shudder

Christmas action classics

A unique category that possibly only exists to house the best holiday movie of all—and a few other controversial choices.

Die Hard 

Year: 1988

Starring: Bruce Willis, Bonnie Bedelia, Alan Rickman

What it’s about: You know what it’s about! But is it a Christmas movie? It takes place during a Christmas party, the soundtrack is full of Christmas classics, and more Americans watch Die Hard at Christmas than Home Alone. Convince us it doesn’t belong on this list.

Available on: Hulu, Starz, DirecTV, Tubi

Batman Returns

Year: 1992

Starring: Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken

What it’s about: The Penguin wreaks havoc at Christmas, Catwoman seeks vengeance, and Batman fights to save Gotham City. 

Available on: Prime Video, Max

Lethal Weapon

Year: 1987

Starring: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Gary Busey

What it’s about: Murtaugh and Riggs, an odd-couple pair of cops, are assigned to work together. As Christmas approaches, they uncover a drug-smuggling operation, becoming friends along the way. 

Available on: Available to stream or buy on AppleTV+, YouTube, and major cord-cutting services

The Long Kiss Goodnight

Year: 1996

Starring: Geena Davis, Samuel L. Jackson

What it’s about: A small-town mom with amnesia discovers she is actually an assassin working for the United States government. As her memory returns, she is torn between the life she’s made for herself and the life she used to lead. (And it’s Christmas.) 

Available on: Available to stream or buy on AppleTV+, YouTube, and major cord-cutting services

Funny Christmas movies

Why should the kids have all the Christmas fun? These movies feature grownups getting into plenty of Christmas shenanigans, from stoner comedies like Harold and Kumar and The Night Before through to dark comedies like The Ref and The Family Stone.

Spirited

Year: 2022

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Will Ferrell, Octavia Spencer

What it’s about: A Christmas Carol, but make it funny, and add some musical numbers? Ryan Reynolds is a modern-day Scrooge, and Will Ferrell is the Ghost of Christmas Present.

Available on: AppleTV+

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

Year: 2022

Starring: Sean Gunn, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Dave Bautista, Chris Pratt, Bradley Cooper, Kevin Bacon

What it’s about: The gang attempts to create a special Christmas for Quill, with predictably chaotic results. If anyone is playing “Six degrees of Kevin Bacon” this Christmas, this movie will make it easier!

Available on: Disney+

The Night Before

Year: 2015

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anthony Mackie

What it’s about: Three lifelong friends spend Christmas Eve searching New York for the Nutcracker Ball, the holy grail of Christmas parties.

Available on: Tubi

A Bad Moms Christmas

Year: 2017

Starring: Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn

What it’s about: When their mothers decide to come and visit at Christmas, these bad moms let loose and finally stand up for themselves. 

Available on: Fubo

A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas

Year: 2011

Starring: Kal Penn, John Cho, Neil Patrick Harris

What it’s about: After a long estrangement, Kumar arrives at Harold’s and accidentally burns down Harold’s father-in-law’s prize Christmas tree. They go on a mission through New York to find the perfect replacement.

Available on: Available to stream or buy on AppleTV+, YouTube, and major cord-cutting services

Bad Santa

Year: 2003

Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Bernie Mac, Lauren Graham

What it’s about: An alcoholic conman and his partner pose as Santa and his helper to rob a department store each year on Christmas Eve. 

Available on: Paramount+, PlutoTV

Deck the Halls 

Year: 2006

Starring: Mathew Broderick, Danny DeVito, Kristin Chenoweth, Kristin Davis

What it’s about: Two neighbors war over whose house has the best Christmas lights.

Available on: Hulu, Starz

Four Christmases

Year: 2008

Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Vince Vaughan, Mary Steenburgen

What it’s about: A couple lies to both sets of their divorced parents so they can go on a tropical vacation at Christmas. After they’re caught out, they have to visit each of their parents on Christmas Day. 

Available on: Max, Hulu

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

Year: 1989

Starring: Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Juliette Lewis, Johnny Galecki

What it’s about: The Griswolds are preparing for a fun family Christmas, but chaos ensues (surprise!). 

Available on: Max, Hulu

Noelle

Year: 2019

Starring: Anna Kendrick, Bill Hader, Shirley MacLaine

What it’s about: Nick and Noelle are Santa’s kids, but Nick is ordained to take over as Santa. Nick gets cold feet and goes AWOL right before Christmas, so Noelle sets out to find him. 

Available on: Disney+

Scrooged

Year: 1988

Starring: Bill Murray, Carol Kane, Robert Mitchum

What it’s about: A mean-spirited television executive is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve. 

Available on: Prime Video, Paramount+

The Family Stone

Year: 2005

Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker, Dermot Mulroney, Diane Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Luke Wilson, Claire Danes

What it’s about: A man brings his highly-strung girlfriend home to meet his eccentric, close-knit family at Christmas, but she doesn’t fit in. 

Available on: Starz, fuboTV

The Ref

Year: 1994

Starring: Denis Leary, Judy Davis, Kevin Spacey

What it’s about: A cat burglar takes a wealthy Connecticut couple hostage during a heist-gone-wrong, but they’re in marriage counseling and drive him crazy with their bickering. To avoid being arrested he must act as their referee. 

Available on: Hoopla

Trading Places

Year: 1994

Starring: Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd, Ralph Bellamy

What it’s about: A homeless man trades places with a wealthy, privileged commodities broker as part of a bet by two millionaires. 

Available on: Available to stream or buy on Apple TV+, YouTube, and major cord-cutting services

Christmas movies for kids

There’s plenty of winter magic here, from Christmas hijinx to stories of redemption, and lots of kids saving the day. 

The Christmas Chronicles

Year: 2018

Starring: Kurt Russell

What it’s about: Siblings Teddy and Kate hatch a plan to catch Santa on camera, but they end up on a magical and unexpected journey. 

Available on: Netflix

Arthur Christmas

Year: 2011

Starring: James McAvoy, Jim Broadbent, Bill Nighy

What it’s about: Santa’s clumsy son Arthur goes on a mission with his Grandsanta to deliver a misplaced present to a young girl only hours before Christmas morning dawns. 

Available on: Max

Elf

Year: 2003

Starring: Will Ferrell, James Caan, Mary Steenburgen, Zooey Deschanel

What it’s about: Buddy was left in an orphanage as a baby, but accidentally ended up at the North Pole. After being raised by elves, Santa allows an adult Buddy to return to New York to find his birth father. 

Available on: Hulu, Max

Home Alone

Year: 1990

Starring: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern

What it’s about: Amid a mad dash to the airport for their vacation, the McCallister family accidentally leaves behind their 8-year-old son, Kevin. Kevin is thrilled at first but must defend his house from a pair of burglars calling themselves the Wet Bandits. 

Available on: Disney+, Starz

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

Year: 1992

Starring: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern

What it’s about: This time, the McCallisters remember Kevin, but due to a mix-up at the airport, he gets on the wrong plane and ends up in New York by himself. He books a room at the Plaza Hotel but soon crosses paths with the Wet Bandits again. 

Available on: Disney+, fuboTV, Starz, DirecTV

Jingle All the Way

Year: 1996

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sinbad, Rita Wilson

What it’s about: A busy father promises to get his son a popular Turbo Man action figure for Christmas. But every store is sold out, and he must spend Christmas Eve trying to track one down at any cost.  

Available on: Disney+, DirecTV

Miracle on 34th Street

Year: 1994

Starring: Richard Attenborough, Elizabeth Perkins, Dylan McDermott, Mara Wilson

What it’s about: A little girl who knows ‘the truth’ about Santa meets a department store Santa who’s convinced he’s the real thing. She and a lawyer must work together to prove his claim. (See Classic Christmas Movies for the original 1947 version.)

Available on: Disney+

The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two

Year: 2020

Starring: Kurt Russell, Goldie Hawn

What it’s about: Now a cynical teenager, Kate is unexpectedly reunited with Santa and must help save Christmas. 

Available on: Netflix

The Grinch

Year: 2018

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch

What it’s about: The Whos live in Whoville, and they all love Christmas. Just outside town lives the Grinch, who hates Christmas and plans to steal it. (You can also look for the original animated version and the live-action Jim Carrey version.)

Available on: DirecTV, fuboTV, Peacock

The Muppet Christmas Carol

Year: 1992

Starring: Michael Caine

What it’s about: The Muppet characters retell the classic Christmas tale of the redemption of Ebenezer Scrooge. 

Available on: Disney+, Hulu

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Year: 1993

Starring: Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O’Hara

What it’s about: Jack Skellington is the king of Halloween Town. When he discovers Christmas Town, he attempts to bring Christmas to his home. 

Available on: Disney+

The Polar Express

Year: 2004

Starring: Tom Hanks

What it’s about: On Christmas Eve, a young boy boards a magical train headed to the North Pole. 

Available on: Max, Hulu

The Santa Clause

Year: 1994

Starring: Tim Allen

What it’s about: After accidentally knocking Santa off his roof on Christmas Eve, an ordinary dad must step in and take his place. 

Available on: Disney+

Christmas movies on Netflix

Is Netflix aiming to be the new Hallmark this Christmas? There’s plenty to choose from, including Hallmark-style romances as well as some surprisingly good additions to the Christmas genre.

Love Hard 

Year: 2021

Starring: Nina Dobrev, Jimmy O. Yang

What it’s about: In one of the better Netflix Christmas movies, a young woman in LA realizes she’s been catfished when she decides to surprise the guy she’s been chatting with on a dating app. Highlights include a caroling duet with updated lyrics for “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.”

Available on: Netflix

Falling For Christmas

Year: 2022

Starring: Lindsay Lohan, Chord Overstreet, George Young, Jack Wagner

What it’s about: Lindsay Lohan marks her return with a fun Christmas caper involving an amnesiac heiress and a hardworking everyman with a precocious child (sounds kind of like Overboard). Watch out for Lohan singing “Jingle Bell Rock,” which she previously performed in the non-Christmas classic Mean Girls.

Available on: Netflix

Scrooge: A Christmas Carol

Year: 2022

Starring: Luke Evans, Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley

What it’s about: A lighthearted animated telling of the OG Christmas story by Charles Dickens, complete with musical numbers (a bit of a theme this year).

Available on: Netflix

Christmas With You

Year: 2022

Starring: Aimee Garcia, Freddie Prinze Jr.

What it’s about: Popstar Angelina (Aimee Garcia from Lucifer) escapes the demands of her record label and makes a surprise visit to a fan in a small town. When she is snowed in, Angelina is invited to stay with the young fan and her single father (Freddie Prinze Jr.), reconnecting with her roots and falling in love (of course!).

Available on: Netflix

A Boy Called Christmas

Year: 2021

Starring: Maggie Smith, Henry Lawfull, Jim Broadbent, Kristen Wiig

What it’s about: Father Christmas’s origin story; a young boy called Nicholas searches for his father, who is on a mission to discover the fabled village of Elfhelm.   

Available on: Netflix

A Castle for Christmas

Year: 2021

Starring: Brooke Shields, Cary Elwes

What it’s about: A bestselling author decides to escape to Scotland to avoid a scandal. She falls in love with a castle and the grumpy duke who owns it. 

Available on: Netflix

Holidate 

Year: 2020

Starring: Emma Roberts, Luke Bracey

What it’s about: Two strangers agree to be each other’s platonic plus-ones for the year, only to develop feelings for each other. 

Available on: Netflix

Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey

Year: 2020

Starring: Forest Whitaker, Keegan-Michael Key, Hugh Bonneville, Anika Noni Rose

What it’s about: Jeronicus Jangle is a legendary toymaker, but when his apprentice steals his most prized creation, his granddaughter must go on an adventure to recover it with the help of a long-forgotten invention. 

Available on: Netflix

Let it Snow

Year: 2019

Starring: Kiernan Shipka, Joan Cusack, Isabela Merced

What it’s about: A snowstorm brings together a group of young people in a small town on Christmas Eve. 

Available on: Netflix

Single All the Way

Year: 2021

Starring: Michael Urie, Philemon Chambers, Kathy Najimy, Jennifer Coolidge

What it’s about: To avoid judgment from his family, Peter convinces his best friend Nick to pretend to be in a relationship with him for the holidays. Another top Netflix pick, and notably Netflix’s first gay rom-com.

Available on: Netflix

The Princess Switch 

Year: 2018

Starring: Vanessa Hudgens, Sam Palladio, Nick Sagar

What it’s about: A baker from Chicago travels to Belgravia with her best friend to compete in a Christmas baking competition, where she bumps into a duchess who looks just like her. They decide to switch lives for a couple of days. 

Available on: Netflix

The Princess Switch: Switched Again 

Year: 2020

Starring: Vanessa Hudgens, Sam Palladio, Nick Sagar

What it’s about: The Duchess unexpectedly inherits the throne to Montenaro. Her lookalike friend must save the day before a third lookalike steals the throne. 

Available on: Netflix

The Princess Switch 3: Romancing the Star 

Year: 2021

Starring: Vanessa Hudgens, Sam Palladio, Nick Sagar

What it’s about: The three lookalikes must join forces to recover a priceless relic on loan to Montenaro from the Vatican. 

Available on: Netflix

Classic Christmas movies

These golden oldies are the Christmas classics that have stood the test of time—featuring all your favorite festive songs, life lessons, and some familiar dialogue.

White Christmas

Year: 1954

Starring: Bing Crosby, Danny Kay, Rosemary Clooney, Vera-Ellen

What it’s about: Ex-Army friends team up to become a successful song-and-dance act. They meet two beautiful sisters who also perform. The four of them band together to help save a failing Vermont inn. Famous for Bing Crosby singing ‘White Christmas’, which Irving Berlin wrote for the film.

Available on: Netflix

A Christmas Carol (aka Scrooge)

Year: 1951

Starring: Alastair Sim, Jack Warner, Kathleen Harrison

What it’s about: Miserly Ebenezer Scrooge has no time for Christmas. But this Christmas Eve, he is visited by three Christmas spirits who show him the error of his ways. Famous for the line, “God bless us, every one.”

Available on: Plex

It’s a Wonderful Life

Year: 1946

Starring: James Stewart, Donna Reed

What it’s about: A frustrated businessman is visited by an angel, who shows him what life would have been like if he had never existed. Famous for the line, “every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings.”

Available on: Prime Video, fuboTV, Roku, Hoopla, Plex

Meet Me in St. Louis

Year: 1944

Starring: Judy Garland, Margaret O’Brien, Mary Astor

What it’s about: A wealthy family with four beautiful daughters live happily in St. Louis but are forced to relocate to New York, leaving behind love, St. Louis, and the St. Louis Fair. Famous for Judy Garland’s rendition of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.”

Available on: Available to stream or buy on Apple TV+, YouTube, and major cord-cutting services

Miracle on 34th Street

Year: 1947

Starring: Edmund Gwenn, Maureen O’Hara, John Payne, Natalie Wood

What it’s about: See Christmas Movies for Kids for the 1994 remake. 

Available on: Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu

Christmas horror movies

The Christmas horror genre is becoming increasingly popular, and while you’ll have to head to cinemas to see John Woo’s Christmas-revenge thriller Silent Night, there’s still plenty of festive horror to stream.

Violent Night

Year: 2022

Starring: David Harbour, Beverly D’Angelo, John Leguizamo, Cam Gigandet

What it’s about: After a group of mercenaries break into a wealthy family’s home on Christmas Eve and take everyone hostage, Santa steps in to save the day. There are plenty of Christmas puns, like, “Time for some season’s beatings.”

Available on: Prime Video

Black Christmas

Year: 2019

Starring: Imogen Poots, Cary Elwes

What it’s about: A group of sorority pledges is stalked by a stranger during Christmas break. Refusing to be terrorized, they fight back and discover that the killer is part of a college conspiracy. 

Available on: Netflix

A Christmas Horror Story

Year: 2015

Starring: William Shatner

What it’s about: A family is stalked through a winter wonderland by Krampus (the Christmas demon), a couple’s young son starts behaving strangely after a trip to get a Christmas tree, and Santa is fighting off zombie elves at the North Pole. 

Available on: AMC+, Tubi

Better Watch Out

Year: 2016

Starring: Olivia DeJonge, Levi Miller, Ed Oxenbould

What it’s about: A babysitter must defend a 12-year-old boy from intruders; however, she soon discovers that this is no “normal” home invasion. 

Available on: Prime Video, Hoopla, Roku, Tubi, Peacock Premium, Crackle 

Gremlins

Year: 1984

Starring: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates

What it’s about: A young man is given a new pet but inadvertently breaks two of three mysterious rules; no water, no bright light, and no food after midnight. Miniature green monsters take over the town of Kingston Falls. 

Available on: Available to stream or buy on Apple TV+, YouTube, and major cord-cutting services

Krampus

Year: 2015

Starring: Adam Scott, Toni Collette, David Koechner

What it’s about: Max is annoyed at his dysfunctional family and turns his back on Christmas, unleashing the spirit of Krampus, the Christmas demon. Beloved holiday icons take on a life of their own, forcing the family to fight together to survive. 

Available on: Peacock Premium

Romantic Christmas movies

There’s nothing like a little Christmas romance; think mulled wine by a fire, grand gestures in the falling snow, or a kiss under the mistletoe. 

Happiest Season 

Year: 2020

Starring: Kristen Davis, Mackenzie Davis, Mary Steenburgen, Dan Levy

What it’s about: Abby is about to propose to Harper. But a trip to stay with Harper’s family at Christmas forces Harper to admit that her family doesn’t know she’s gay, much less in a relationship. 

Available on: Hulu, DirecTV

Bridget Jones’s Diary 

Year: 2001

Starring: Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant

What it’s about: Bridget Jones keeps a diary as she tries to improve herself and her love life over the course of a year. Full of hilariously awkward moments, it also features an excellent fight scene.

Available on: Paramount+, PlutoTV

The Holiday

Year: 2006

Starring: Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Jack Black

What it’s about: Two women, one from L.A. and one from London, decide to escape their complicated love lives and swap homes at Christmas. It’s a Nancy Meyers film, so expect stunning homes and plenty of festive romance. 

Available on: Hulu, Starz, AMC+, DirecTV 

Love Actually

Year: 2003

Starring: All of England

What it’s about: Eight love stories play out in parallel across London at Christmas. (Just don’t try to make sense of the timeline.)

Available on: Netflix 

If you can’t get enough Christmas content, check out the best Christmas TV episodes ever, find out what else is streaming this holiday season, and use our Christmas movie flowchart to decide what to watch!

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