Adorning your home with festive decor, building delectable gingerbread houses and participating in a fun family game night are just a few highlights of the holiday season. But maybe one of the best traditions of this time of year is rewatching iconic and timeless Christmas movies.
Christmas movies not only make us feel holly and jolly during this celebratory period, but they also bring back fond memories of the past like when we were little and the holidays were filled with magic. You can reminisce about your younger years with sentimental holiday films like Miracle on 34th Street or It’s a Wonderful Life. Shared belly laughs from classics like Home Alone and Elf mirror the merriment of this festive season. And you won’t want to miss the new releases this year, like Spirited starring the star-studded duo Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell.
You’ve got the popcorn and holiday treats ready to settle in for a Christmas movie night, but now just one question remains: Where can you watch all these festive films? We won’t make you scroll through all the streaming services this year because we’ve already done it. (Consider it one of our holiday gifts to you!) Below we’ve found where to watch Christmas classics, new favorites, holiday specials, spooky holiday horror films, and non-traditional Christmas films like Die Hard.
Christmas Movie Classic
Released in the late ’80s, this Christmas comedy shows everything that can go wrong during the holiday season spent with extended family. You can now stream the film starring Chevy Chase and Juliette Lewis on HBO Max.
All Ralphie wants is a Red Ryder Range 200 Shot BB gun, will he get his Christmas wish? Watch this classic movie on HBO Max to find out.
A heartwarming story about how a single life impacts those around them for the better, It’s a Wonderful Life brings meaning to the holidays. The classic film is available on Hulu with Live TV.
Left all alone at home during the holidays, Kevin has to protect his house from burglars. You can watch this beloved movie again and again on Disney+.
What’s the true meaning of Christmas? Find out with Charlie Brown by watching the iconic Peanuts holiday movie on Apple TV+.
Before Olaf, there was Frosty, the original talking snowman. Share this children’s classic, available to rent on Apple TV+, with your little ones so they can discover the magic of the holidays.
Santa needs the help of an outcast deer in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer to give the children their Christmas presents. Watch how Rudolph saves the day by buying the film on Amazon Prime.
A little girl must prove Santa’s existent in this timeless film. The 1994 movie and the original 1947 version of Miracle on 34th Street are both available to watch on Disney+.
Thanks goodness for online shopping these days, or we all may be fighting over that one toy in the store like in Jingle All the Way. Watch Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sinbad in this hilarious holiday comedy on Starz.
Tim Allen unknowingly becomes Santa Claus when he puts on Santa’s suit on Christmas Eve. Watch what hilariousness ensues when the reluctant businessman has to take on his unwanted role as Santa Claus on Disney+ this season.
There are a lot of takes on Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol, but everything is better with Muppets so we suggest watching their take on the novel. You can watch The Muppet Christmas Carol on Disney+.
Watch the troubling antics of the Grinch as he steals Christmas away from the town of Whoville. You’ll be filled with Christmas spirit after watching this heartfelt film on Peacock.
New Holiday Movie Favorites
If you watch A Christmas Story each year without fail, you won’t want to miss this brand-new highly anticipated sequel now streaming on HBO Max. Watch the original actor, Peter Billingsley, who played Ralphie as he returns to his childhood home as an adult.
Exploring family dynamics, Happiest Season is about the complexities of a young woman coming out to her family over the holidays. The film – which you can watch on Hulu – has an impressive cast list including Kristen Stewart, Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza, Dan Levy and Victor Garber.
An odd toymaker and his granddaughter get swept up in a holiday adventure when he makes a magical invention. You can watch the vibrant musical on Netflix.
Marvel fans now have a festive movie they can watch during the holidays. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is a Disney+ original you won’t want to miss.
The Santa Clauses is technically a Christmas movie series, but it’s based on the original hit movies from the ’90s. In the Disney+ series, Tim Allen reprises his role as Santa Clause who’s now ready for retirement and looking for a replacement.
Lindsay Lohan makes her return to acting in this Netflix rom-com, Falling for Christmas. Watch as a hotel heiress loses her memory but, in turn, learns more about herself.
Holiday Specials
Mariah Carey’s 2022 Christmas special airs on CBS on December 20. The day afterward, you can watch (or rewatch) her sing her beloved Christmas hits by streaming the special on Paramount+.
Stand up comedy with a mix of holiday pop music make this holiday special from Matt Rogers stand out from the rest. You can stream this festive and funny special on Showtime.
Dolly Parton is magical herself, so you know her Mountain Magic Christmas Special will be just as marvelous. You can go on a journey with Parton into her past by watching this special on Peacock.
The Kacey Musgraves Christmas Show was released on Amazon Prime in 2019, but it’s still worth a watch if you haven’t seen it yet. Her holiday special features original songs and time-honored showstoppers.
Holiday Horror Films
If you’re getting cabin fever, go to the theater this holiday season to watch the disturbing feature film Violent Night starring David Harbour. When a group of mercenaries goes after a wealthy family, only Santa is available to stop them.
While babysitting during the holidays, a teen and the child in her care are terrorized when someone breaks in. Nothing goes as expected in this holiday horror film streaming on Peacock.
Non-Traditional Christmas Movies
Deciding if Edward Scissorhands is a holiday movie can stir up quite the debate, but if you’re someone who considers it a festive film you can now watch it on Disney+.
Taking place at Christmastime, Trading Places stars the comedy-dream team Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd. Rent the amusing story of two men – who are the complete opposite of one another – switching lives on Amazon Prime.
Is there a rom-com more iconic than You’ve Got Mail? You can watch the inspired comedy that takes place during the holidays on HBO Max.
A mix of Halloween and Christmas, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas is a cult-favorite film. You can watch the one-of-a-kind movie on Disney+.
Complicated love lives get even more complex during the holiday season in the feature film Love Actually. The movie hits differently these days, but the film is still considered a classic and is available to stream on Peacock.