Best Christmas movies on UK Netflix, Prime, Disney+ and now

There are only a few days left before Christmas. To celebrate, we’ve rounded up the best festive movies you – and the whole family – can watch on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney Plus and Now to get you in the festive spirit. So get the mulled wine and mince pies ready and watch those brilliant Christmas movies.

If you’re unsure which is the best TV streaming service for you, we’ve compared everyone listed here (and more) so you know where to spend on your subscription.

The best Christmas movies on Netflix

We started with Netflix because it’s the biggest streamer around, but let’s be honest: its Christmas collection sucks this year, without any of the all-time classics. Still, we’ve picked out a few that we think are worth watching – and you’ll also find plenty of non-party favorites here if none of them appeal to you. You can create an account on the Netflix website, with plans starting at £4.99 per month for the new ad-supported option.

A Very Murray Christmas

This surreal Christmas special from Netflix paired Murray with Lost in Translation director Sofia Coppola for an eerie ride through a Christmas concert with an assortment of celebrity guests, musical numbers and offbeat jokes. It’s very bizarre, but the spirit of the season is still at the heart of it.

The Christmas Chronicles

This Netflix Original sees legendary action star Kurt Russell step into Santa’s boots, as he eschews his macho persona (while keeping the requisite big bushy beard) for the latest take on the classic “two kids meet Santa Claus and almost ruin Christmas, but then somehow help him save the story.

Nativity!

Okay, not Martin Freeman’s greatest work, but Nativity! is still a big festive laugh from the 2000s. Paul Maddens is an elementary school teacher (and a bit of a Scrooge) trying to put on the best nativity play he can to outdo the nearby private school. However, he quickly gets into hot water when he lies about his play being made into a Hollywood movie.

Nativity is also available on Amazon Prime and BBC iPlayer.

The best Christmas movies on Amazon Prime

Amazon Prime Video’s Christmas selection is better than usual this year, with plenty of gems to discover. To watch them you’ll need to be a Prime member, but there’s a one-month free trial to get you through January. Plus, don’t forget that you’ll also get free next-day delivery, which is great for any last-minute gift purchases. There are also other classics that you can rent at a reduced price.

Vacations

The Holiday is a classic, dreamlike festive romance. In England, Iris (Kate Winslet) is in love with a man who is about to marry another woman. Meanwhile, in America, Amanda (Cameron Diaz) breaks up with her cheating boyfriend. The two want a change of scenery, so they decide to swap houses and end up finding an unexpected romance on their travels.

love, in fact

Love, Actually is now one of the greatest British festive classics. The film follows eight couples living in London, all with differently complicated relationships. It features a star-studded cast, with Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Kiera Knightly, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman and Bill Nighy all starring.

The night before

Looking for something a little more debauched? Three best friends (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anthony Mackie and Seth Rogen, naturally) go in search of the Nutcracker Ball, the Christmas party to end all Christmas parties.

The best Christmas movies on Disney Plus

Disney Plus has a great selection for 2022. There are plenty of Christmas cartoon classics for the little ones, but there are also must-see films that everyone can enjoy. You can sign up on the website for £7.99 per month or £79.99 per year.

Alone at home

If you’ve never seen Home Alone, this is something you should definitely fix this Christmas. When eight-year-old Kevin’s family goes on vacation to Europe, he is accidentally left at home. At first it seems like a dream for the boy. However, when thieves try to break into his home, things get worse.

The Puppet Christmas Carol

In the running for best Christmas movie ever made, The Muppet Christmas Carol is by far the best adaptation of Dickens’ Christmas classic ever made. But it’s also the best Muppets movie to boot and has the advantage of not featuring any gruffer Michael Caine. It doesn’t get much better than that.

die hard

The quintessential Christmas movie that isn’t really about Christmas, Die Hard is the best action movie ever made that takes place over Christmas. But don’t think it’s not seasonal – there’s a redemptive tale of a dad reuniting with his family, festive one-liners, snow and even some great Christmas tunes are thrown into the mix too.

Best Christmas movies on Now

Now has a great collection of Christmas movies this Christmas – too many for us to even mention all the good ones here – but it costs £9.99 a month, making it a bit more expensive than its rivals. We’ve selected some of the best, but there are many more.

Elf

Will Ferrell’s 2000s Christmas hugs about an overgrown “elf” trying to make sense of life in modern New York are now much loved. His silly sense of humor is aided by a real heart and the requisite dose of Christmas magic.

Scrooged

If you’ve seen The Muppet Christmas Carol a few too many times, consider checking out Scrooged. Bill Murray stars in this ’80s take on the Dickens classic that reframes Scrooge as a bitter television director, with his classic charm carrying the film through well-worn history.

Krampus

There may be an unexpected abundance of Christmas-themed horror movies out there, but Krampus is one of the best. A great cast led by Adam Scott and Toni Collette must survive the night when a young boy’s festive disillusionment inadvertently summons St. Nick’s not-so-cheerful counterpart.

Krampus is also available on Netflix.