The 16 Best Christmas Movies on Netflix (2023)

Only Scrooge himself could resist these festive films

By
Sam Costello
Sam Costello
Sam Costello
Writer
  • Ithaca College
Sam Costello has been writing about tech since 2000. His writing has appeared in publications such as CNN.com, PC World, InfoWord, and many others.
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Updated on February 7, 2023

Christmas cheer is needed throughout the year. As our Christmas gift to you, we've pulled together this list of the best Christmas movies on Netflix.

01
of 16

White Christmas (1954): Best Christmas Classic

Scene from White Christmas

Getty Images

IMDb rating: 7.5/10

Genre: Musical

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

Director: Michael Curtiz

Motion Picture Rating: NR

Running Time: 2 hours

This Christmas classic has it all—Bing Crosby, music by Irving Berlin, the famous title song, George Clooney's aunt Rosemary, and hijinx. In this tale, Army buddies Crosby and Kaye fall for sisters with a song and dance act and follow them to Vermont. When they find that the Vermont inn where the sisters are performing is owned by their old Army commander, the group teams up to help save his inn.

02
of 16

A Very Murray Christmas (2015): Best Christmas Variety Show

Scene from A Very Murray Christmas

Netflix

IMDb rating: 5.5/10

Genre: Musical comedy

Starring: Bill Murray, Paul Shaffer, Miley Cyrus

Director: Sofia Coppola

Motion Picture Rating: TV-MA 

Running Time: 56 minutes

This special breaks the fourth wall, with Bill Murray playing himself. His about-to-be-filmed Christmas special is disrupted by a snowstorm that prevents most of his guests from arriving. Murray ventures into the snowy night and happens upon a cast of famous people—from Chris Rock to Miley Cyrus, Jenny Lewis to George Clooney to Amy Poehler—who help him sing and dance his way to the Christmas morning.

03
of 16

Klaus (2019): Best Alternative Santa Story

Scene from Klaus

Netflix

IMDb rating: 8.1/10

Genre: Animated comedy

Starring: Jason Schwartzman, J.K. Simmons, Rashida Jones

Director: Sergio Pablos and Carlos Martínez López

Motion Picture Rating: PG 

Running Time: 1 hour, 36 minutes

This alternate take on Santa's origin story is maybe the most award-wining movie on this list. Not only was it nominated for an Oscar (the first Netflix animated movie to get that recognition), it won seven Annie awards for animation and a British Academy Film Award. In it, the spoiled son of a Norwegian postmaster and a reclusive backwoodsman named Klaus team up to deliver presents and create the figure of Santa Claus.

04
of 16

Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square (2020): Best Dolly-day Movie

Scene from Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square

Netflix

IMDb rating: 5.3/10

Genre: Musical

Starring: Dolly Parton, Christine Baranski, Treat Williams

Director: Debbie Allen

Motion Picture Rating: PG

Running Time: 1 hour, 38 minutes

This movie will bring to mind a countrified version of "A Christmas Carol," with Christine Baranski starring as a Scrooge-like villain returning to her hometown to take the land and sell it to a mall developer. An angel—played by Parton, who also wrote all the music—shows her the potential consequences of her actions, leading to a change of heart.

05
of 16

The Christmas Chronicles (2018): Best Family Christmas Movie

Scene from The Christmas Chronicles

Netflix

IMDb rating: 7.0/10

Genre: Family comedy

Starring: Clay Kaytis

Director: Kurt Russell, Darby Camp, Judah Lewis

Motion Picture Rating: PG 

Running Time: 1 hour, 44 minutes

Kurt Russell stars as the coolest Santa on this list, helping a family get back on track after the death of their husband and father—played by Russell's real-life family member Oliver Hudson. There's more car-theft here than you'd expect for a Christmas film, but it all adds up to good-hearted redemption (and a sequel).

06
of 16

The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two (2020): Best Family Affair—Again

Scene from The Christmas Chronicles 2

Netflix

IMDb rating: 6.0/10

Genre: Comedy

Starring: Kurt Russell, Goldie Hawn, Darby Camp

Director: Chris Columbus 

Motion Picture Rating: PG

Running Time: 1 hour, 52 minutes

In the first film in this series, Kurt Russell features along with Oliver Hudson, the son of Russell's long-time partner, Goldie Hawn. In this sequel, the family affair continues, this time with Hawn co-starring as Mrs. Claus (she's in the first film, too, but takes on a bigger role here). Mr. and Mrs. Claus team up with the family from the first film to repel a threat to Santa's Village and to reunite families.

07
of 16

Let It Snow (2019): Best Waffle-Centric Christmas

Scene from Let It Snow

Netflix

IMDb rating: 5.8/10

Genre: Romantic comedy

Starring: Isabela Merced, Shameik Moore, Odeya Rush

Director: Luke Snellin 

Motion Picture Rating: PG-13

Running Time: 1 hour, 32 minutes

Waffle Town—a fictional waffle-based restaurant in Illinois—is the center point for this collection of three Christmas tales. Each story intersects with Waffle Town, either because the characters work there, eat there, or want to throw a party there. Each story is heavy on pathos and character-based relationship drama that will appeal to teens (and those of us who still love a good teen drama).

08
of 16

Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020): Best Inter-Generational Story

Scene from Jingle Jangle

Netflix
  • IMDb rating: 6.4/10
  • Genre: Fantasy musical
  • Starring: Forest Whitaker, Keegan-Michael Key, Hugh Bonneville
  • Director: David E. Talbert
  • Motion Picture Rating: PG 
  • Running Time: 2 hours, 2 minutes

This tale of Christmas redemption was originally planned as a stage play, but was turned into a mega-successful Netflix movie: It was nominated for 10 NAACP Image Awards in 2021, the most of any work that year. In it, an inventor (Forest Whitaker) has his latest invention stolen, loses his business, endures the death of his wife, and becomes estranged from his daughter. When his invention-loving granddaughter comes to live with him, events that bring him justice, happiness, success, and love are put into motion.

09
of 16

Captain Underpants Mega Blissmas (2020): Best Time Travel Story

Captain Underpants Mega Blissmas

Netflix

IMDb rating: 5.2/10

Genre: Animated comedy

Starring: Nat Faxon, Jay Gragnani, Ramone Hamilton

Director: David H. Brooks 

Motion Picture Rating: TV-PG

Running Time: 45 minutes

In this installment of Netflix's ongoing series adapting Dav Pilkey's hit Captain Underpants book series, pals George Beard and Harold Hutchins—and their super-heroic creation, Captain Underpants—travel back in time to change some Christmas traditions.

10
of 16

Single All the Way (2021): Best Making Yuletide Gay Movie

Scene from Single All the Way

Netflix

IMDb rating: 6.1/10

Genre: Romantic comedy

Starring: Michael Urie, Philemon Chambers, Luke Macfarlane

Director: Michael Mayer

Motion Picture Rating: TV-PG 

Running Time: 1 hour, 39 minutes

Single All the Way takes a classic home-for-the-holidays premise and breaths new life into it by adding same-sex relationships. In it, LA hotshot Peter returns to his family home in New Hampshire for the holidays, but can't bear to be asked about his relationship status for yet another year. He convinces his friend Nick to come home with him and pretend to be his boyfriend. This gets complicated, of course, because Peter's mom has a blind date with her spinning instructor James waiting for him.

11
of 16

A Boy Called Christmas (2021): Best Santa Origin Story

Scene from A Boy Called Christmas

Netflix/Studio Canal

IMDb rating: 6.7/10

Genre: Drama

Starring: Maggie Smith, Jim Broadbent, Michael Huisman

Director: Gil Kenan

Motion Picture Rating: PG 

Running Time: 1 hour, 46 minutes

There are a few movies on this list that propose origin stories for Santa Claus. In this one, regular kid Nikolas embarks on a tremendous magical adventure as he searches for his father, who has gone in search of the mythical village of Elfhelm. Given the main character's name, you may see where this is going to end up, but the journey is quite a ride.

12
of 16

A Bad Moms Christmas (2017): Best Multi-Mom Christmas

Scene from A Bad Moms Christmas

IMDb

IMDb rating: 5.5/10

Genre: Comedy

Starring: Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn

Director: Jon Lucas, Scott Moore 

Motion Picture Rating: R 

Running Time: 1 hour, 44 minutes

In this raunchy sequel to 2016's Bad Moms, the titular mothers are forced to tangle with their biggest nemeses: their own moms. With risqué jokes and scenes (including a Sexy Santa contest featuring male strippers), intergenerational upset, and—of course—ultimate redemption, these Moms make for a lot of fun but probably are best visited after the children are tucked in their beds, visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads.

13
of 16

The Princess Switch (2018): Best Holiday Switcheroo

Scene from The Princess Switch

Netflix

IMDb rating: 6.0/10

Genre: Comedy

Starring: Vanessa Hudgens, Sam Palladio, Nick Sagar

Director: Mike Rohl

Motion Picture Rating: TV-PG

Running Time: 1 hour, 41 minutes

Who hasn't this happened to? Baker Stacy (Hudgens) goes to Europe to compete in the Royal Christmas Baking Contest and runs into someone who looks exactly like her and turns out to be the fiancee of a prince. The pair switch lives for two days, giving the princess her last chance at a "normal" life. If you guessed that Stacy and the prince fall in love, you might be familiar with this sort of story.

14
of 16

Holiday Rush (2019): Best Story About What Really Matters

Scene from Holiday Rush

Netflix

IMDb rating: 4.9/10

Genre: Comedy

Starring: Romany Malco, Sonequa Martin-Green, Darlene Love

Director: Leslie Small

Motion Picture Rating: TV-PG 

Running Time: 1 hour, 32 minutes

A hip-hop radio DJ loses his job when the station he works at is bought by a conglomerate and changes the station's focus. His slightly spoiled kids, and their Christmas wish lists, are unsettled by this change in their lifestyle. As Christmas approaches and new opportunities arise, they have to figure out what's most important in life—family, connections, and meaning.

15
of 16

Pottersville (2017): Best Bigfoot Christmas (Yes, Really)

Scene from Pottersville

IMDb

IMDb rating: 5.4/10

Genre: Comedy

Starring: Michael Shannon, Judy Greer, Ron Perlman

Director: Seth Henrikson

Motion Picture Rating: PG-13 

Running Time: 1 hour, 24 minutes

After a falling out with his wife, Maynard (Michael Shannon) gets drunk, dons a gorilla suit, and goes walking through town. Maynard's escapade leads to Bigfoot hysteria in the small, struggling town of Pottersville, bringing attention and business to the community. Doesn't sound much like a Christmas story, does it? Well, scratch the surface a little and you'll find strong echoes of It's a Wonderful Life.

16
of 16

Alien Xmas (2020): Best Extra-Terrestrial Christmas

Scene from Alien Xmas

Netflix

IMDb rating: 6.2/10

Genre: Animated Adventure

Starring: Keythe Farley, Dee Bradley Baker, Kaliayh Rhambo

Director: Stephen Chiodo

Motion Picture Rating: TV-Y

Running Time: 40 minutes

Santa isn't the only mysterious thing flying through the sky and trying to avoid detection in this animated film. That's right: aliens are among us at Christmas. These aliens are attempting to steal the Earth's gravity, and can only be stopped by an alien named X and—of course—the spirit of Christmas.

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