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Christmas is one of the most popular holidays of all year, if not the most popular one. As a result, the audience gets new Christmas movies each year. And if that wasn't enough, there are also plenty of classics that are worth watching, sometimes repeatedly.
Netflix so far managed to introduce plenty of great Christmas movies, so the people who like holiday movies have a lot to choose from. Netflix has something for children, those interested in romantic comedies, or even fantasy stories. However, some Christmas Netflix movies are unsurprisingly better than others and stand out among the rest.
Updated on December 15, 2022, by Levana Chester-Londt: Although there is a strong formulaic approach to most Christmas movies, more often than not, there is a dominant influencing factor that allows the best stories to stand out from the crowd. Netflix is particularly adept at homing in on a distinct theme and running with it, resulting in a vast selection of fun-filled family films perfectly suited for the silly season. Those "dreaming of a white Christmas" are not necessarily talking about Christmas content, but, unfortunately, festive films tend to be rather whitewashed in general. Times are changing as diversity is prioritized, as there should be something for everyone to enjoy during the holidays!
13 A Bad Mom Christmas (2017)
This comical Christmas chick-flick sets out to give the moms a break, as there is simply never a moment's peace for these mama bears over the festive season. This star-studded cast explores the intricacies of female expectations and the sacrifices that need to be made in order to keep the family happy.
The concept of relaxation gets completely blown out of the water when these (un)lucky ladies discover their own mothers will each be making an appearance for Christmas. Things get wildly out of hand as the matriarchal power systems get reestablished, because for once, Amy, Kiki, and Carla have decided to do things their own way for a change!
12 Scrooge, A Christmas Carol (2022)
This magical rendition of the age-old classic is filled with mindblowing imagery and sensational special effects that put a romantic twist on the traditional tale. Ebenezer Scrooge's time-traveling escapades urge the grumpy grouch to learn from his past mistakes, as he has only himself to blame for his miserable life.
Each of the spirits that visit the old geezer adds their own colorful flare to the scenarios and are all exceptionally entertaining, to say the least. Rich world building with multifaceted narratives liven things up further; the world may be well acquainted with Scrooge's sensational story, but they have never seen it told quite like this before!
11 Let It Snow (2019)
Giving the teenagers a chance to enjoy the Christmas vibes, this winter-themed tale follows a bunch of high schoolers who find themselves in increasingly awkward predicaments as they make their way towards the big Christmas Eve party at the Waffle Town.
This diverse up-and-coming cast brings life to the top-selling novel, "Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances" and perfectly depicts the angsty troubles that the younger generation has to deal with in the silly season. Julie and Stuart share the bulk of the romantic development, but, naturally, everyone has extensive issues of their own, giving a realistic representation of how dramatic the adolescent days can be.
10 Operation Christmas Drop (2020)
When a stern workaholic skips family Christmas for the sake of her career, she gets more than she bargains for when she gets sent to an island in the middle of nowhere. Some significant budget cuts are needed in theUS Air Force and so Erica must evaluate the efficiency of the charitable Christmas Drop venture. Things are not looking good, that is, until Major "Eye Candy" Andrew turns on the charm and Guam's beautiful beaches take hold.
Although a strong political element hovers over the storyline, it is not the dominating factor of the narrative and is more of a plot device than anything else. Generally speaking, the focus falls more towards prioritizing family values with additional cheesy cliches and vacation vibes thrown in to lighten the mood.
9 Single All The Way (2021)
As Christmas content slowly diversifies, the LGBTQ+community also claims some well-deserved representation with a charmingly complicated charade. Desperate to avoid another holiday season being judged for his solitude, Peter drags his best buddy, Nick, along for the family celebrations, as a faux-boyfriend to silence their incessant questioning.
As to be expected, things get wildly out of control from the get-go, as Peter's "woke" mom already has a blind date set up for him, with her drop-dead-gorgeous (gay) gym instructor. Single All The Way eloquently avoids many stereotypically nauseating tropes, focusing instead on the classic Christmas rom-com vibe, that just happens to feature homosexual heartthrobs instead.
8 A Boy Called Christmas (2021)
In a time before Christmas, things are particularly harsh for Finnish residents, as surviving the elements is prioritized above the joys of comfort. One day, a single father named Joel embarks on a quest to find Elfhelm to cash in the reward, and, although ordered to remain behind, it doesn't take Nikolas long to go after his papa.
The treacherous journey is improved by the companionship of an adorable, conversational mouse and a friendly reindeer; however, it appears that the boy's storybooks lacked accuracy, as Mother Vodo has transformed Elfheim into a nightmarish realm, overflowing with hatred for humanity.
7 Christmas With You (2022)
When thinking about Christmas, the term quinceañera isn't likely to be the first thing to spring to mind, but in Christina's case, they are one and the same. Delving into the Latina side of life, this Christmas celebration provides a refreshing cultural element as a young girl's journey into womanhood crosses paths with her pop star idol, Angelina Costa.
As a last-ditch effort to save her struggling career, Angelina takes a leaf out of Maria Carey's book and attempts to make a Christmas song of her own, but is lacking in the inspiration department. Stumbling across Christina's online tribute, Angelina makes a house call and subsequently meets her dashingly single father, Miguel; however, the pop princess still has a nagging boyfriend back home.
6 The Holiday (2006)
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Some people love Christmas and enjoy that time of year, while others... not so much. The heroines of this movie decide to switch places for Christmas: one of them goes to London and the other one to Los Angeles. As a result, they get to know each other's partners as well, and things might just work out for the best.
The movie is both intelligent and funny. Plus, it helps that it has an excellent cast. Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Jack Black, and Cameron Diaz play the leading parts, so all of their fans shouldn't miss out on watching The Holiday.
5 The Christmas Chronicles (2018)
Whether Santa is real or not, it's a good thing to believe in him. That's what the main heroes, a young brother and sister, learn in this movie when they accidentally crash Santa's sleigh and have to help him or else Christmas won't happen.
Kurt Russell shines as Santa Claus, and the movie is both funny and touching. The atmosphere of Christmas is strong in The Christmas Chronicles, so if anybody's looking for the perfect Christmas family movie, this is it. It also has a solid sequel from 2020.
4 Klaus (2019)
Animated Christmas movies are just as popular as live-action ones, if not more because they allow creating things that don't exist in the real world and would be difficult to create in live-action movies without CGI. In this case, the audience gets to see the story of how Santa Claus came to be.
The movie works with the clever idea that behind every myth, there's a grain of truth. Klaus is a surprisingly sad movie at times as the titular Klaus lost his wife and locked himself away from the world, but it's still a Christmas story and things do eventually get better.
3 Holidate (2020)
Holidate is an unusual Christmas movie since the story takes place during multiple festivals and celebrations, not just Christmas. When Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey agree to be each other's holiday dates (and nothing more), they have no idea they might fall for each other.
This movie will be relatable to all people who were ever single during Christmas and had to fight their relatives' unwanted questions. It has plenty of funny moments as well as a strong main and supporting cast (such as Frances Fisher and Kristin Chenoweth).
2 Jingle Jangle (2020)
The best Christmas movies score both with adult viewers and children and make the older ones feel like they're children again. Jingle Jangle is a charming story about a young girl whose joy and resilience are enough to convince a former toymaker to return to his passion again.
Forest Whitaker and Madalen Mills give excellent performances. And the ultimately optimistic message the movie sends out makes it a feel-good piece that's ideal for Christmas. Plus, Jingle Jangle is also a musical and has several excellent numbers.
1 Love Hard (2021)
One of the newest Christmas movies on Netflix shows that sometimes it's good not to give up immediately when things don't look the way people imagined. Nina Dobrev stars as Nathalie, a woman who hasn't had any luck in love - until she finally meets the perfect man online, Josh. But when Nathalie decides to surprise Josh for Christmas, she realizes she's been catfished.
Even though it's easy to predict how the movie will end, the excellent actors as well many funny scenes make it a great Christmas movie. Plus Love Hard doesn't shy away from references to Die Hard and Love Actually, which is good news for all fans of these classics.