The best Christmas movies to stream (that aren’t Love Actually)

Ask people what their favourite festive flick is and Love Actually will most likely get more than a few mentions… but it’s not the only Yuletide film to exist and there are many others I’d rank above it in all honesty. 

Don’t get me wrong, I’ll always have time for Hugh Grant dancing through Downing Street but Alan Rickman cheating on Emma Thompson kind of ruins the mood, you know? 

With that in mind, I’ve rounded up 10 of the best Christmas movies to stream this year – all available on either Netflix, Disney+ or Sky TV. If you don’t have a subscription, perhaps consider gifting yourself one… you deserve to put your feet up and relax too!

The Family Stone, Disney+

The Family Stone is the best Christmas film of all time and that’s a hill I’m willing to die on (ignore its poor rating on Rotten Tomatoes and trust me on this one). The plot follows the holiday misadventures of the Stone family in a small New England town when the eldest son (played by Dermot Mulroney), brings his uptight girlfriend (played by Sarah Jessica Parker) home for the first time. Overwhelmed by the hostile reception, she begs her sister (Claire Danes) to join her for emotional support, which – unsurprisingly – solves nothing. From the decor to the casting to the complicated family dynamics, I love everything about this film, though it never fails to make me cry.

Klaus, Netflix 

One of the most beautifully animated Christmas films I’ve ever seen, Klaus is an absolute festive delight. Serving as an alternate origin story of Santa Claus, the story centres on Jesper, a postman sent to work in the distant northern island town of Smeerenburg where he is tasked with establishing a post office and posting 6,000 letters within a year. If he fails, he’ll be cut off from his family’s fortune. Struggling to achieve his goal – thanks to two feuding families – Jesper seems to be out of luck… until he meets toymaker Klaus. Released in November 2019, the film went on to be nominated at the 92 Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature. 

The Holiday, Netflix

This movie will always hold a special place in my heart, thanks in no small part to Jude Law’s performance as Mr. Napkin Head. Kate Winslet plays Iris, a heartbroken writer, still hung up on her ex. Dumped and depressed, she agrees to swap homes with Californian Amanda (Cameron Diaz) for a much-needed Christmas holiday. Iris finds herself in a palatial Hollywood mansion while Amanda tries to settle into a homely cottage in a small English village. Enter Jack Black and Jude Law and well, I’m sure you know how the story goes. 

How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Netflix

How The Grinch Stole Christmas is one festive film I’ll never tire of, no matter how many times I’ve seen it. Narrated by Anthony Hopkins, the film stars Jim Carrey as the eponymous character, a grumpy, green recluse living on Mount Crumpit, who despises Christmas and the joyful residents of Whoville. When he is invited into town to accept the award of Holiday Cheermeister, old traumas are unearthed and the Grinch plans a vengeful scheme to ruin Christmas for all of the citizens of the town. Spoiler alert: he changes his mind, his heart grows three sizes and all is well.

The Holdovers, Sky Cinema Premiere/NOW TV

A new enough edition to my December rotation of festive films, The Holdovers is warm, nostalgic and will leave you with renewed faith in humankind. Directed by Alexander Payne, the story follows a curmudgeonly instructor (Paul Giamatti) at a New England prep school who is forced to remain on campus over Christmastime to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. Eventually, he forms an unlikely bond with one of them – a damaged, brainy troublemaker (newcomer Dominic Sessa) – and with the school’s head cook, who has just lost a son in Vietnam (Da’Vine Joy Randolph). Everything from the 70s-style aesthetic to the casting and soundtrack is pitch-perfect. I wish I could rewatch this one for the first time.

Single All The Way, Netflix 

Desperate to avoid his family’s judgment about his perpetual single status, Peter (Michael Urie) convinces his best friend Nick (Philemon Chambers) to join him for the holidays and pretend that they’re in a relationship. But when Peter’s mother (Kathy Najimy) sets him up on a blind date with her handsome trainer James (Luke Macfarlane) – the plan goes awry. Jennifer Coolidge directing the annual children’s Christmas pageant is inspired casting. 

The Muppet Christmas Carol, Disney+

It’s not Christmas until Kermit and Little Miss Piggy have made their annual appearance. Adapted from the 1843 novella by Charles Dickens, this is the fourth theatrical film featuring the Muppets and tells the classic tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, a selfish old man who cares nothing for anyone but himself, until he is visited by spirits who foretell his future and share secrets from his past and present, which helps change his view on life. The humour and soundtrack are brilliant and this always goes down a treat with audiences young and old.

Miracle on 34th Street, Disney+ 

Both the 1947 and the 1994 versions are on Disney+, though it’s the former I personally prefer. An old man going by the name of Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) fills in for an intoxicated Santa in Macy’s annual Thanksgiving Day parade. Kringle proves to be such a hit that he soon becomes a regular at the chain’s main store in midtown Manhattan. When Kringle surprises customers and employees alike by claiming that he really is Santa Claus, it leads to a court case to determine his mental health and, more importantly, his authenticity.

Arthur Christmas, Netflix

Another animated favourite I love rewatching this time of year, Arthur Christmas is all types of feelgood. The story centres on Arthur, Santa’s clumsy son who sets out on a mission with Grandsanta to deliver a misplaced present to a young girl in less than two hours on Christmas Day. It’s anything but smooth sailing for the two who end up stranded on a Cuban island at one point, but where there’s a will, there’s a way and Arthur is intent on ensuring no child is left without a present from Santa on Christmas. 

The Santa Clause, Disney+ 

Tim Allen stars as Scott Calvin, an ordinary man who accidentally causes Santa Claus to fall from his roof to his untimely death on Christmas Eve. When he and his young son, Charlie, get in the late St. Nick’s sleigh, it brings them to the North Pole where Scott learns that he has now been recruited to fill his place and must convince his loved ones that he is now the real Santa. It’s funny, easy to watch and packed full of festive charm – a special shout-out for Neil Miller’s wardrobe, which is a 90s dream. You’ll find all three films in the Santa Clause series on Disney+.

Nativity, Netflix

One of the most underrated Christmas movies out there, Nativity is genuinely laugh-out-loud funny (the first one is the best in my opinion. Martin Freeman plays a depressed teacher who lies to his rival – played by Alan Carr, no less – and tells him that Hollywood is coming to watch his school’s Christmas nativity. It isn’t long before the lie gets out of hand though and he must scramble to resolve the issue fast. The film was written by its director, Debbie Isitt, but was also partially improvised.

Photography by Netflix.