Playwright David E Talbert enters the Christmas canon with this Netflix original starring Forest Whitaker as an aloof toymaker tasked with caring for his estranged granddaughter on Christmas. An old-school musical fantasy brought to life through new-school VFX and cutting-edge choreography, the film is extremely busy and a little unfocused – not that most viewers would notice. They’ll be too busy being dazzled by the explosive visuals and genuine heart at the core of the film. Rated PG.
Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but the glow of the television is so delightful. When the air gets crisp and the jingle bells become inescapable white noise, that means it’s Christmas movie season. And thankfully, there is a lot of content out there. Over the last few years, Netflix, in particular, has given the Hallmark Channel a run for its money, churning out a veritable blizzard of yuletide content every season.
Sifting through the avalanche can be daunting. You might think all Christmas movies are more or less the same, but the quality can vary wildly, from boring and cliche to cliche and ridiculously entertaining – and sometimes, you might even get something with a genuinely unique perspective on the holiday. To keep your likely already frostbitten fingers from endless scrolling, we’ve sorted the proverbial shiny new bikes from the lumps of coal. Here are the best Christmas movies to stream on Netflix this year.
Recommended:
🎅 The 50 best Christmas movies of all-time
🎄 The best kids Christmas movies to watch this year
🤶 The best Disney Christmas movies to stream for the holidays
😱 The 18 best scary Christmas horror movies