Streaming > Streaming TV, Movies, & More The 16 Best Christmas Movies on Netflix (2023) Only Scrooge himself could resist these festive films By Sam Costello Sam Costello Facebook Twitter 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. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on February 7, 2023 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Streaming TV, Movies, & More Netflix Hulu Disney+ Prime Video Apple TV+ Favorite Events 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. Don't have Netflix? There are other free Christmas movies on the web, plus great Christmas movies on YouTube and Hallmark Channel Christmas movies. 01 of 16 White Christmas (1954): Best Christmas Classic Getty Images IMDb rating: 7.5/10Genre: MusicalStarring: Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Vera-EllenDirector: Michael CurtizMotion Picture Rating: NRRunning 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. Watch White Christmas 02 of 16 A Very Murray Christmas (2015): Best Christmas Variety Show Netflix IMDb rating: 5.5/10Genre: Musical comedyStarring: Bill Murray, Paul Shaffer, Miley CyrusDirector: Sofia CoppolaMotion 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. Watch A Very Murray Christmas 03 of 16 Klaus (2019): Best Alternative Santa Story Netflix IMDb rating: 8.1/10Genre: Animated comedyStarring: Jason Schwartzman, J.K. Simmons, Rashida JonesDirector: Sergio Pablos and Carlos Martínez LópezMotion 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. Watch Klaus 04 of 16 Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square (2020): Best Dolly-day Movie Netflix IMDb rating: 5.3/10Genre: MusicalStarring: Dolly Parton, Christine Baranski, Treat WilliamsDirector: Debbie AllenMotion Picture Rating: PGRunning 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. Watch Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square 05 of 16 The Christmas Chronicles (2018): Best Family Christmas Movie Netflix IMDb rating: 7.0/10Genre: Family comedyStarring: Clay KaytisDirector: Kurt Russell, Darby Camp, Judah LewisMotion 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). Watch The Christmas Chronicles 06 of 16 The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two (2020): Best Family Affair—Again Netflix IMDb rating: 6.0/10Genre: ComedyStarring: Kurt Russell, Goldie Hawn, Darby CampDirector: Chris Columbus Motion Picture Rating: PGRunning 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. Watch The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two 07 of 16 Let It Snow (2019): Best Waffle-Centric Christmas Netflix IMDb rating: 5.8/10Genre: Romantic comedyStarring: Isabela Merced, Shameik Moore, Odeya RushDirector: Luke Snellin Motion Picture Rating: PG-13Running 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). Watch Let It Snow 08 of 16 Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020): Best Inter-Generational Story Netflix IMDb rating: 6.4/10Genre: Fantasy musicalStarring: Forest Whitaker, Keegan-Michael Key, Hugh BonnevilleDirector: David E. TalbertMotion 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. Watch Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey 09 of 16 Captain Underpants Mega Blissmas (2020): Best Time Travel Story Netflix IMDb rating: 5.2/10Genre: Animated comedyStarring: Nat Faxon, Jay Gragnani, Ramone HamiltonDirector: David H. Brooks Motion Picture Rating: TV-PGRunning 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. Watch Captain Underpants Mega Blissmas 10 of 16 Single All the Way (2021): Best Making Yuletide Gay Movie Netflix IMDb rating: 6.1/10Genre: Romantic comedyStarring: Michael Urie, Philemon Chambers, Luke MacfarlaneDirector: Michael MayerMotion 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. Watch Single All the Way 11 of 16 A Boy Called Christmas (2021): Best Santa Origin Story Netflix/Studio Canal IMDb rating: 6.7/10Genre: DramaStarring: Maggie Smith, Jim Broadbent, Michael HuismanDirector: Gil KenanMotion 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. Watch A Boy Called Christmas 12 of 16 A Bad Moms Christmas (2017): Best Multi-Mom Christmas IMDb IMDb rating: 5.5/10Genre: ComedyStarring: Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Kathryn HahnDirector: 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. Watch A Bad Moms Christmas 13 of 16 The Princess Switch (2018): Best Holiday Switcheroo Netflix IMDb rating: 6.0/10Genre: ComedyStarring: Vanessa Hudgens, Sam Palladio, Nick SagarDirector: Mike RohlMotion Picture Rating: TV-PGRunning 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. Watch The Princess Switch 14 of 16 Holiday Rush (2019): Best Story About What Really Matters Netflix IMDb rating: 4.9/10Genre: ComedyStarring: Romany Malco, Sonequa Martin-Green, Darlene LoveDirector: Leslie SmallMotion 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. Watch Holiday Rush 15 of 16 Pottersville (2017): Best Bigfoot Christmas (Yes, Really) IMDb IMDb rating: 5.4/10Genre: ComedyStarring: Michael Shannon, Judy Greer, Ron PerlmanDirector: Seth HenriksonMotion 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. Watch Pottersville 16 of 16 Alien Xmas (2020): Best Extra-Terrestrial Christmas Netflix IMDb rating: 6.2/10Genre: Animated AdventureStarring: Keythe Farley, Dee Bradley Baker, Kaliayh RhamboDirector: Stephen ChiodoMotion Picture Rating: TV-YRunning 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. Watch Alien Xmas Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit