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Muppet-Christmas-Carol-Michael-Caine.jpg

The Best Holiday Movies Streaming Now

By Kristy Puchko | Film | November 15, 2019 |

By Kristy Puchko | Film | November 15, 2019 |


Muppet-Christmas-Carol-Michael-Caine.jpg

The countdown to Christmas has begun! Snow is on the ground. The scent of cocoa is in the air, and streaming services are presenting a panoply of holiday movies for us to enjoy while we celebrate. With so many streaming services and titles, picking what to watch can be overwhelming. So allow us to help with a list of the best holiday movies currently available on Hulu, Prime Video, HBO Now, Netflix, and Disney+.

HULU

Anna And The Apocalypse
Do you love Christmas? Musicals? Teen dramas? Zombies? Good news, this Irish import has got them all in one funny, ferocious, and fantastic film.
Watch here.

Home for The Holidays
Bracing yourself for the chaos and drama of visiting the family? Claudia Larson (Holly Hunter) can relate in this quirky coming-home comedy, directed by Jodie Foster and co-starring Anne Bancroft, Robert Downey Jr., Charles Durning, and Geraldine Chaplin.
Watch here.

Pooka!
Into The Dark is Hulu’s exclusive Blumhouse anthology series, which offers a holiday-themed horror film each month. For Christmas 2018, Nacho Vigalondo (Timecrimes, Colossal) presented a tale of toy terror with this mind-bending movie.
Watch here.

Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale
What if Santa wasn’t less jolly and more jarring? This Finnish horror movie re-imagines the secrets of Santa Claus in an adventure both festive and feral.
Watch here.

The Spirit of Christmas
Boy meets girl is so played out. So this holiday rom-com goes the stressed-out lawyer meets sexy hipster-ghost route. The path to love is solving the mystery of who murdered him on Christmas a century before. Natch.
Watch here.

Find more holidays movies on Hulu.


NETFLIX

The Christmas Chronicles
Kurt Russell stars as Hot Santa in a family-friendly adventure sure to please children with holiday hijinks. As for grown-ups, did I mention Hot Santa Kurt Russell?
Watch here.

A Christmas Prince
You want something sweet to have on while you wrap presents, bake cookies, or veg with a glass of wine because the holidays are hard? Enjoy iZombie’s Rose McIver fall in love with a blandsome prince while snow falls and life lessons are learned.
Watch here.

Elliot The Littlest Reindeer
Christmas is a time when dreams come true. So what better time for a plucky little pony to chase his dream to become one of Santa’s reindeers? This one’s a solid pick for kiddos.
Watch here.

Grinch
Dr. Seuss’s How The Grinch Stole Christmas gets a spirited new spin and his titular grump gets a thoughtful backstory in this computer-animated feature. Yeah, it’s not the Chuck Jones cartoon classic, but Grinch is nonetheless a delightful romp that’s sure to charm. Benedict Cumberbatch, Cameron Seely, Rashida Jones, and Pharrell Williams lend their voices.
Watch here.

The Holiday Calendar
Craving more rom-com treats? Then check out the Kat Graham vehicle in which she plays a cynical photographer whose life comes into focus when she finds love with the help of a magical countdown calendar.
Watch here.

Klaus
This Netflix original is really something special. The origins of Santa Claus are re-imagined in a colorful and charming tale that feels like The Emperor’s New Groove meets The Santa Clause. Jason Schwartzman, J.K. Simmons, Rashida Jones, and Joan Cusack lend their voices.
Watch here.

Nutcracker and the Four Realms
Inspired by Marius Petipa’s The Nutcracker Ballet, this Disney live-action adventure is seasonably suitable for kiddos wishing for action, adventure, and scads of jaw-dropping costumes. Mackenzie Foy, Matthew Macfadyen, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, Richard E. Grant, and Keira Knightley star.
Watch here.

White Christmas
Dreaming of some old school yule-tidings? Revisit this holiday classic that stars Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen. And feel free to sing along!
Watch here.

PRIME VIDEO

Holiday Inn
Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire and Marjorie Reynolds headline this beloved holiday musical-comedy from 1942. This gem contains 13 Christmas songs from legendary composer Irving Berlin. So it’s perfect for tree-trimming and cozy nights with a cup of cocoa.
Watch here.

It’s a Wonderful Life
Frank Capra’s 1946 drama stars James Stewart as George Bailey, a small-town man who feels soul-crushingly defeated come Christmas. But a look back on his life with a little help from an unwinged angel makes for an epiphany that’s had audiences heralding this film for generations.
Watch here.

Jack Frost
This Rankin & Bass stop-motion cartoon unfurls the story of the life, love, and legend of the nose-biting sprite Jack Frost. Buddy Hackett, Robert Morse, and Paul Frees lend their voices.
Watch here.

The Man Who Invented Christmas
Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol gets an inventive new adaptation with this festive feel-good film that blends biography and fantasy. Dan Stevens stars as Dickens, an author hungry for a hit and driven to write a tale of ghosts and good will like the world has never seen before. Jonathan Pryce and Christopher Plummer co-star.
Watch here.

HBO NOW

Love Actually
Rom-com king Richard Curtis offers a bevvy of star-studded love stories in this holiday hit we can’t stop watching. Hugh Grant, Martine McCutcheon, Liam Neeson, Bill Nighy, Colin Firth, Andrew Lincoln, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Martin Freeman, Keira Knightley, and Emma Thompson star.
Watch here.

DISNEY+

Frozen
We know, it’s not really a holiday movie, since Elsa freezes Arendelle during the summer. But there’s ice, rousing musical numbers, romance, and a talking snowman! So we’re counting it. You’re welcome.
Watch here.

The Muppet Christmas Carol
There are many, many adaptations of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, but this is the only one with Muppets. So it’s the best. Kermit, Fozzie, Piggy, Gonzo, and Michael Caine star.
Watch here.

The Nightmare Before Christmas
The perfect movie to bridge the gap between Halloween and Christmas is Tim Burton’s spooky and song-filled adventure. Monsters, mayhem, and musical numbers come into play when the king of Halloween decides to hijack Santa’s holday. Chris Sarandon, Catherine O’Hara, William Hickey, Paul Reubens, and Danny Elfman lend their voices.
Watch here.

The Santa Clause
Tim Allen stars as a divorced dad whose work-life balance is all out of whack. However, once he accidentally signs up to be Santa, he goes through a radical re-invention that’s both hilarious and heart-warming. Bonus: the sequels are streaming too.
Watch here.

Did we miss your favorite holiday movie? Share it and where it’s streaming in comments.



Header Image Source: Disney