Christmas movies are about shameless joy, uninhibited sweetness, and guaranteed happy endings. We don’t always have to be challenged. We don’t always have to learn more about the human condition. Sometimes we just want to be happy, and this list of yuletide films, from the classics to the unconventional, are sure to spark that cozy feeling of twinkling lights and sugar plum dreams in your tired, old candy cane bones.
The best part? They're all streaming on Hulu, so you can watch 'em ASAP, from the comfort of your very own Grinch cave, er, couch.
1. Elf (2003)
Will Ferrell’s Buddy will stand for no man sitting upon a throne of lies and pretending to be his beloved Santa, and he will launch into a full-on brawl in front of children to prove it. Ferrell playing a full-grown adult man who’s spent his life believing he was an actual elf in the North Pole in Jon Favreau’s Elf is, undoubtedly, peak Christmas comedy. When Buddy finally learns he’s a human who was an orphan, he sets out to find his real father in New York City — and it turns out he's a workaholic publishing exec played by James Caan. There’s epic snowball fights, a romance with Zooey Deschanel, and every kid’s dream: spaghetti candy breakfast. With any other actor in the lead, Elf could have easily been an obnoxious, forgettable family comedy, but it’s Ferrell’s goofball antics and total commitment to the bit that make the film funny as heck, even 20 years later. — Oliver Whitney, Freelance Contributor
How to watch: Elf is streaming on Hulu.
2. Die Hard (1988)
Forget fresh baked cookies and decorating the tree. The one true way to tap into the Christmas spirit each year is watching Bruce Willis climb elevator shafts and run barefoot through broken glass.
It’s December 24, 1988, and NYPD detective John McClane (Willis) has just arrived at the Nakatomi Corporation Christmas party to reconnect with his estranged wife (Bonnie Bedelia) — ya know, to come out to the coast and have a few laughs. Unfortunately (or rather, fortunately for our viewing pleasure) Alan Rickman’s Hans Gruber has decided to crash the party with his long-haired German henchmen to steal some bearer bonds. “It’s Christmas, Theo,” Hans tells his safecracker. “A time for miracles!” Too bad for him this Christmas miracle arrives in a bloody tank top and sporting a cranky disposition; McClane won’t let these thieves get away easily. — OW
How to watch: Die Hard is streaming on Hulu.
3. A Christmas Story (1983)
Every kid remembers that one toy they desperately wanted more than anything else for Christmas. It dominates every moment of your young life as you plead for it and shake presents to guess at what's inside. For the nine-year-old Ralphie (Peter Billingsley), that Christmas gift fixation is a BB gun. Unfortunately, everyone from his mom to the local department store's grumpy Santa rejects his wish by looking out for his safety. “You'll shoot your eye out!” they shout.
A Christmas Story is in many ways the perfect movie to watch on Christmas Day. It's warm and nostalgic, wacky and playful, and accurately captures a child's view of Christmas. Plus, it's one of a kind — no other holiday movie features a leg lamp, tongues stuck on a frozen pole, and elves shoving screaming children down a giant slide. — OW
How to watch: A Christmas Story is streaming on Hulu.
4. The Preacher's Wife (1996)
In Penny Marshall’s The Preacher’s Wife, Courtney B. Vance’s Reverend Henry Biggs is having a rough time. He’s spread himself so thin helping out his parishioner community, struggling with dwindling membership, and battling a real estate mogul trying to buy up his church that he’s hardly present for his family. It’s almost Christmas and he can’t make time for his wife, a singer named Julia (Whitney Houston), or take his son shopping. He prays for help, and suddenly, God delivers the greatest gift of all: a wide-eyed, buoyant angel in the form of Denzel Washington. Washington’s Dudley tries his hardest to provide guidance to the stubborn reverend, but he soon finds himself also growing quite fond of Julia, because you simply can’t put Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston in a movie together and not have romantic chemistry.
The Preacher’s Wife is a touching Christmas story that celebrates the importance of family over all else, but the real standouts are, of course, every time we get to hear Houston sing, and a delightful series of moments where a goofy Washington loses his mind when eating New York pizza and halal. — OW
How to watch: The Preacher’s Wife is streaming on Hulu Live TV.
5. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
For many, Christmas is a time of joy, loving connection, and families happily embracing beside a Christmas tree. In Stanley Kubrick's world, it's none of those things. Jealousy, secrecy, temptation, and infidelity haunt the main couple at the center of Eyes Wide Shut in the days leading up to the jovial holiday.
Alice and Bill Harford (Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise, who were married at the time of filming) are a picturesque wealthy, white American couple. They live in a stunning Upper East Side apartment, attend a lavish Christmas party, and take their kid holiday shopping at FAO Schwarz. But one night, after a very stoned Alice tells her husband about a sexual fantasy she once had about another man, his jealousy leads him on a journey to a secretive Satanic-esque orgy. While the plot of Kubrick's final film has nothing to do with Christmas directly, there's an undeniable unease to watching a marriage fall apart and a sinister mystery unfold against the backdrop of the holiday season, all as Christmas lights twinkle in the background. — OW
How to watch: Eyes Wide Shut is streaming on Hulu with the Paramount+ add-on.
6. Jingle All the Way (1996)
If anyone is going to successfully get their kid the hottest toy of the year that's completely sold out, it's Arnold, baby. In the '90s holiday classic Jingle All the Way, Arnold Schwarzenegger's Howard is a pretty crummy dad who spends more time at work than with his son Jamie (Jake Lloyd). To make it up to him, Howard decides to get Jamie the one thing he wants for Christmas — a Turbo Man action figure. When the toy store shelves are empty on Christmas Eve, Howard goes on a mission to find a Turbo Man at any cost, from a black market salesman to a radio station giveaway and plenty more shenanigans, like running from the cops and even a fake bomb threat. It's outrageously silly in the best way. — OW
How to watch: Jingle All the Way is streaming on Hulu.
7. Tangerine (2015)
It’s Christmas eve in a Hollywood donut shop and Sin-Dee Rella (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) has just gotten out of jail, unfortunately a normal occurrence for trans sex workers like her. Now her best friend Alexandra (Mya Taylor) is telling Sin-Dee that her boyfriend and pimp Chester (James Ransone) has been cheating on her the whole time, and with a cis woman. She sets out on a mission to track him and his other girlfriend down.
Sean Baker’s ultra-low budget Tangerine, which he famously shot entirely on iPhones, captures a gritty reality that’s rarely seen in traditional holiday movies, which usually center well-off families with stable incomes and cozy romances. Here, Sin-Dee’s family is Alexandra and other trans sisters along the stroll, and the men they interact with are sneaking away from their wives and children at home for sex. But don’t mistake Tangerine for a gloomy downer. Baker’s film is bursting with comedy, energy, and heart, all thanks to Rodriguez and Taylor’s radiant performances. Ultimately, Tangerine is a moving story about surviving with chosen family, something queer and trans audiences could surely use more of. — OW
How to watch: Tangerine is streaming on Hulu.
8. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
The third installment in the National Lampoon’s Vacation series opens with the only Griswold family vacation in the film: a trip to a forest where Clark (Chevy Chase) gleefully drags his family out into the snow to cut down their own Christmas tree. From there, many classic Griswold hijinks ensue as Clark goes out of his way to plan the most over-the-top Christmas of all time. That includes decking out his roof in hundreds of string lights to the point of knocking out the entire city’s power grid, the unexpected arrival of his wife’s cousin and her cigar-smoking husband (Randy Quaid), an indoor squirrel attack, a cat wrapped inside a gift box, a very pissed-off Julia Louis-Dreyfus as his snooty neighbor, a SWAT team storming the house, and so much more. It's total Christmas chaos, Griswold style. — OW
How to watch: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is streaming on Hulu.
10. Spencer (2021)
If you dread spending the holidays with your in-laws, Spencer is here to give you some modicum of relief — at least you're not Princess Diana, forced to make merry with the Royal Family just as your turbulent marriage has begun to disintegrate! Pablo Larraín’s Spencer offers a fantastical and haunting look into the mind of Diana over the course of three days during the holiday season in 1991.
It all starts off on a sour note when Diana (played exquisitely by Kristen Stewart in her best performance yet) arrives late to the Queen’s estate on Christmas Eve day after getting lost. From there, her mental health splinters as anxiety and depression take over. Prince Charles (Jack Farthing), who Diana knows is having an affair (the affair with Camilla Parker Bowles), is cruel and harsh towards her, her only companion among the staff (Sally Hawkins) is sent away, and Diana begins having ghostly visions of Anne Boleyn throughout the estate. It’s an eerie gothic Christmas tale with loads of excellent Kristen Stewart brooding and all the jaw-dropping hats and '90s suits you could dream of. — OW
How to watch: Spencer is streaming on Hulu.
11. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Tim Burton and director Henry Selick’s stop-motion masterwork isn’t a Halloween or a Christmas movie: It’s a spectacular fusion of both in the best of ways. The Nightmare Before Christmas is the perfect film for those who prefer their yuletide delights to come with a side dish of spookiness — and songs. Sick of movies where kids greedily open presents? Great, please enjoy a giant black and orange snake gobbling up gifts whole, along with the entire dang Christmas tree. Family comedies where a jolly old Santa rides his magical sleigh — yawn! How about one where Santa gets kidnapped and a kid gets a shrunken head for a gift? That’s exactly what happens when Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, loses his, well, joie de mort. Wandering sadly through the woods, Jack stumbles into a series of parallel worlds, each dedicated to a different holiday. When he lands in Christmas Town, his bony little mind is blown, and he dedicates himself to learning everything he can about this warm and magical place, and its strange leader named Sandy Claws. There's mischief and romance, a mad scientist and a singing boogeyman, not to mention a voice cast that includes Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara, and the late, great Paul Reubens.
Brilliant in everything from its stunning animation and clever story to its detailed world-building and endlessly catchy music, there’s nothing quite like the haunting magic and whimsy of The Nightmare Before Christmas. — OW
How to watch: The Nightmare Before Christmas is streaming on Hulu Live TV.
12. It's A Wonderful Life (1946)
In It’s A Wonderful Life, Jimmy Stewart’s George Bailey is the type of man who always puts his community first, even using his honeymoon savings to keep his father’s local bank afloat so residents can finance their homes. But on Christmas Eve, the menacing board member Mr. Potter (Lionel Barrymore) intends to shut the bank down. When the money to keep it running gets misplaced at the last minute, a completely devastated George steps onto a bridge and prepares to jump. But suddenly, an angel named Clarence (Henry Travers) appears to show George what his beloved town would be like had he never been born, and it’s not a jolly picture.
Frank Capra’s holiday staple may be a saccharine Christmas tale, but it tells a bigger story beyond its holiday framing. It’s not only about the importance of gratitude and family during the Christmas season, but more broadly, it’s a story about the power of community and everyday people supporting one another across shared struggles. It’s a reminder of the significant impact every person has on those around them, and while that may be cheesy, it’s a poignant and forever-relevant thing to be reminded of, even beyond Christmas. — OW
How to watch: It’s A Wonderful Life is streaming on Hulu Live TV.
13. The Family Stone (2005)
The Family Stone is a crucial holiday movie for one very important reason: Afterwards, you will forever be haunted by the fear of dropping the casserole all over the kitchen floor on Christmas morning. Personally, I think of Diane Keaton, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Rachel McAdams every time I bake a casserole, and thankfully, I’ve yet to drop one. But that’s just one of the many devastating moments in this dramedy about a dysfunctional family reuniting for the holidays. Parker plays Meredith, who’s visiting her boyfriend Everett’s (Dermot Mulroney) family for Christmas, which of course means chaos. There’s arguments at dinner with Everett’s gay brother who announces plans to adopt a child, there’s a car crash, more arguments, and a developing love triangle. It’s the perfect taste of comedic familial mayhem to distract you from your own dysfunctional family this holiday season (and, of course, to remind you to save your precious casseroles). — OW
How to watch: The Family Stone is streaming on Hulu.
14. Every Day Is Christmas (2018)
In this Lifetime take on Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Toni Braxton is a modern-day Scrooge. The R&B legend plays Alexis Taylor, a work-obsessed money manager who runs her own financial firm and hates the holidays.
On Christmas Eve, when Alexis realizes the firm hasn't hit their annual goals, she does what any terrible boss would do — she cancels Christmas bonuses and threatens to fire anyone who doesn't show up for work the next morning (yes, on Christmas Day). She's a jerk, but we, of course, learn there's a tragic reason behind her curmudgeonliness. In Dickensian fashion, the ghost of Alexis' mother arrives late into the night to usher her into the past, help her better understand the present, and see what her future may hold. Every Day Is Christmas is definitely a Lifetime movie full of sappy dialogue, some cringe acting, and an obvious storyline, but it's a pleasantly enjoyable one thanks to Braxton's charisma and all the flashy dresses she gets to wear.
How to watch: Every Day Is Christmas is streaming on Hulu Live TV.
15. The French Connection (1971)
If you're in the mood for a top-tier action thriller with some light Christmas-y vibes, The French Connection has you covered. The William Friedkin classic starts off with Gene Hackman donning a Santa Claus suit as he chases a guy across town. This isn't your jolly neighborhood Santa; Hackman's Popeye is a hot-headed NYPD detective who will stop at nothing to crack a case, and he won't hesitate to beat up a lead for answers.
In Friedkin's film, part of which is set during the holidays in a seedy 1970s New York City, Popeye and his partner Cloudy (Roy Scheider) are dead set on stopping a major heroin dealer from importing $32 million worth of drugs into the States. There's foot chases, shootouts, and most notably, one of the best and most intense car chases in the history of cinema.
How to watch: The French Connection is streaming on Hulu with the Max add-on.
16. Batman Returns (1992)
Leave it up to Tim Burton to inject a brooding darkness into the holiday season. After Edward Scissorhands but before The Nightmare Before Christmas, Burton gave us Batman Returns. And yes, it is indeed a Christmas movie.
First of all, it's a Batman film where Gotham City actually looks and feels festive and colorful for the first time. Burton's extravagant sets are filled with towering Christmas trees blanketed in string lights and ornaments, there's the tree-lighting ceremony where the Red Triangle Circus Gang jump out of a massive gift box, there's the penguin army strapped with candy cane-striped rockets, and, of course, the fact that mistletoe plays an important role in the plot.
How to watch: Batman Returns is streaming on Hulu.
17. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005)
What’s more magical than playing hide and seek with your siblings, only to stumble upon an old wardrobe that transports you to a wondrous new world full of talking animals? The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the first film in the big-screen adaption series of The Chronicles of Narnia books, taps into that childhood fantasy of escaping the tragedies of reality to experience the magic of a winter wonderland. In the book and film’s fictional world, the kids are living through WWII, but Narnia isn’t entirely joyful either. Lucy (Georgie Henley) and her siblings soon discover that the snowy land of Narnia has been cursed by the evil White Witch (Tilda Swinton) to be forever winter but never Christmas. Thankfully, the kids do get some holiday cheer in the form of an encounter with Father Christmas himself. — OW
How to watch: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is streaming on Hulu.
18. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Most people may not think of Edward Scissorhands as a Christmas movie, but I’d argue it still counts. One of the most visceral and memorable moments from the beloved Tim Burton film is Winona Ryder’s Kim twirling in the ice falling from Edward’s (Johnny Depp) angel sculpture as Danny Elfman’s ethereal score plays. It’s that beautiful, magical, heart-swelling moment that sticks in Kim’s memory, and is what frames the opening and closing of Burton’s tale. That snowy moment is also the beginning of the end of joy for Edward.
In Burton’s film, Christmas isn’t a time of warmth, acceptance, or kindness, but it's marked by cruelty and isolation. It’s when Frankenstein’s monster with blades for hands is cast out from the normalcy of a pastel suburb and driven into the dark mansion above. It’s lonely, sad, and heartbreaking, and there’s something incredibly relatable about that for anyone who’s never had an easy relationship with or a comfortable home during the holidays. Who needs Santa when we can tell bedtime stories about Edward, up in his castle creating snow flurries and sculpting away. — OW
How to watch: Edward Scissorhands is streaming on Hulu.
20. The Santa Clause (1994)
Ah yes, the classic '90s movie where Tim Allen accidentally kills Santa. In The Santa Clause, the first of what would soon become a trilogy, Allen’s Scott is a divorced marketing exec who doesn’t believe in Santa. After Scott spooks the old guy mid-present delivery, Santa tumbles off the roof to his death. Dark! When Scott puts on the magical suit to please his young son Charlie (Eric Lloyd), he becomes bound by the holy North Pole contract stipulating that he now must carry the mantle as the new Saint Nick. He isn’t exactly up for the job and ends up being a pretty grouchy Santa, not to mention a lactose-intolerant one, much to the disappointment of one little girl expecting him to drink his customary glass of milk. Despite some icky fatphobic jokes over Scott’s Santa weight gain, The Santa Clause is a delightfully strange and charming family movie with a clever story and some signature sardonic Tim Allen humor. — OW
How to watch: The Santa Clause is streaming on Hulu Live TV.
21. The Nutcracker (1993)
For those who can't make it to the theater to watch The Nutcracker live, this film adaptation brings the magic of the ballet to the screen. Filmed like a live stage production, 1993's The Nutcracker puts you right in the audience. In this classic Tchaikovsky story, a young girl wakes up in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve to a series of magical happenings — the decorated tree grows enormously tall, and her new Nutcracker toy is now life-size. The film features a young Macaulay Culkin as the Nutcracker himself, as well as plenty of dancing by the New York City ballet doing George Balanchine's iconic choreography. — OW
How to watch: The Nutcracker is streaming on Hulu.
22. Eastern Promises (2007)
Nothing says holiday cheer like Viggo Mortensen as a Russian gangster casually blow-drying a frozen corpse in front of a strand of Christmas lights. Eastern Promises doesn’t have anything to do with the holidays directly, but it is set during Christmas in London, where the atmosphere of hope and celebration is juxtaposed with violence and deceit.
David Cronenberg’s violent crime drama — perfect for those looking for something intense and dark in place of the usual light holiday entertainment — follows Naomi Watts as a midwife who discovers the diary of a young Russian girl who died in childbirth. That diary leads her to the local headquarters of the Russian mafia, and a dark scheme led by top boss Semyon (Armin Mueller-Stahl), his loose-cannon son (Vincent Cassel), and their newest recruit and fixer Nikolai (an excellent Mortensen covered in tattoos). A suspenseful and gory mystery unfolds as Watts's Anna gets closer to the truth, and Nikolai balances carrying out his boss's orders with helping her. Morality and corruption constantly bleed into one another in Cronenberg’s fantastic crime fable, which features an all-timer nude fight sequence in a bath house. — OW
How to watch: Eastern Promises is streaming on Hulu.
23. The Polar Express (2004)
Leave it to filmmaker Robert Zemeckis to bring the wonder of a children’s book to vivid life on screen. The Polar Express expands Chris Van Allsburg’s beloved Christmas story into a film about a young boy who boards a magical train on its way to the North Pole. Tom Hanks plays and voices a handful of roles, including the train's conductor, a Scrooge puppet, and Santa Claus himself. What’s most notable about The Polar Express is the visual world it creates, converting the quiet classicism and awe of the book’s illustrations into a CG world. Back in 2004, it was the first feature-length film to be shot entirely using motion-capture, and the first big studio IMAX 3D movie to ever hit screens. While those visuals have certainly not aged well with time, The Polar Express still manages to capture the magical spirit of Christmas viewed through the eyes of a child. — OW
How to watch: The Polar Express is streaming on Hulu.
24. Babe (1995)
Before Babe follows one little piglet's journey of becoming a sheepherder, that titular pig must escape the clutches of death as Christmas dinner approaches. Mrs. Hoggett (Magda Szubanski) is set on having roast pork for the family holiday meal, but James Cromwell's farmer Arthur tries to get his wife to consider sparing the lil pig this year. He's hoping that Babe will win them a prize ham at the county fair (which is, when you think of it, still pretty messed up!). There's suspense all across the farm as Christmas approaches and Mr. Hoggett sets up decorations, and there's even some carol singing, courtesy of the one and only Babe. Remember, when you sit down for Christmas dinner this year, Christmas doesn't have to mean carnage. — OW
How to watch: Babe is streaming on Hulu with the Max add-on.
25. The Happiest Season (2020)
The perfect Christmas rom-com for the 2020s, The Happiest Season follows young couple Harper (Mackenzie Davis) and Abby (Kristen Stewart) as they head to Harper’s family’s home for Christmas. The only issue is that Harper has yet to come out to her family, which leaves Abby in the uncomfortable position of having to lie about herself for the holidays. The cast here is top notch. Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis shine in their lead roles, and the internet had a complete breakdown about how magnetic Aubrey Plaza is as Harper’s ex-girlfriend, Riley. Alison Brie, Dan Levy, Mary Holland, Victor Garber, and Mary Steenburgen round out the sparkling cast in this film co-written and directed by Clea DuVall.
It’s a much-needed and utterly modern take on the holiday romance. And what’s more, it feels believable, which is almost unheard of for a Christmas movie! Don’t waste another second waiting to watch this intelligent, funny, and cheerily sincere film. — Kristina Grosspietsch, Freelance Contributor
How to Watch: The Happiest Season is streaming on Hulu.
26. Little Women (2019)
The most comforting Christmas movies don't always need to be about Christmas. In Greta Gerwig's adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's classic novel, the warmth and coziness of the holiday season is blanketed everywhere across the screen in Little Women. As we follow the lives of the March sisters in the years after the Civil War, not only does Christmas weave in and out of the plot, but Gerwig captures an icy, wintry atmosphere that makes you feel smack in the middle of the holidays. The sisters are always bundled up in their layers of 19th-century winter gear, and the orange glow of the fireplace, draped with stockings and garlands, fills the March home with an inviting coziness. Little Women also embraces the spirit of Christmas, from its message of generosity as Marmee (Laura Dern) encourages her daughters to give their Christmas breakfast to those without food, to the importance of the family being together. — OW
How to watch: Little Women is streaming on Hulu.
27. The Mistle-Tones (2012)
Tia Mowry is Holly, a bubbly woman whose greatest dream in life is to join the local Christmas cover group, the Snow Belles, and spend every Christmas Eve… checks notes … singing at the mall. But when Holly is denied a spot in the group by Snow Belle queen and diva Marci, played by none other than Tori Spelling, she starts her own singing group and competes with the Snow Belles for the coveted mall gig.
The Mistle-Tones is fun and fluffy, and it stays engaging thanks to its multiple Christmas medley performances. There is romance here for Holly — her boss is a standoffish workaholic? I bet that’s about to change!!! — but Mowry and Spelling are both so accustomed to the camera, their casual self-assurance tends to steal most of their scenes. – KG
How to Watch: The Mistle-Tones is streaming on Hulu.
28. Last Christmas (2019)
Emilia Clarke swaps her Daenerys garb for an elf costume in this Christmas rom-com from director Paul Feig (Bridesmaids). Clarke's Kate is an out-of-work singer whose life is in total shambles. She couch surfs from one annoyed friend's flat to the next, drinks and hooks up with random guys to drown her sorrows, and continues to disappoint her overbearing mother (a Russian-accented Emma Thompson, who also co-wrote the screenplay). Then one day outside of her day job at a year-round Christmas shop (owned by Michelle Yeoh), Kate meets the charming and kind Tom (Henry Golding). The two share a sweet connection walking through the decorated streets of London, skating on an ice rink, and getting to know each other, all soundtracked to the music of George Michael. — OW
How to watch: Last Christmas is streaming on Hulu with the Max add-on.
29. Almost Christmas (2016)
In Almost Christmas, it's the Meyers' family's first time getting together for the holidays without their beloved matriarch. Danny Glover's Walter lost his wife Grace 10 months ago, and he's struggling as the family begins to arrive for Christmas.
The holiday dramedy from playwright and filmmaker David E. Talbert (Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey), is full of dysfunctional family drama and playful hijinks. The eldest son Christian (Romany Malco) is running for Congress and won't step away from his work to be with family. Gabrielle Union's single mother Rachel is being courted by a friendly neighbor (Omar Epps), but she's too independent-minded to flirt back. J.B. Smoove's Lonnie attempts to fix the broken animatronic Santa, even though he doesn't know a thing about electronics. The entire family hates Aunt May's (Mo'Nique) cooking. And worst of all, no one can find Grace's special box of recipes in time for Christmas dinner.
How to watch: Almost Christmas is streaming on Hulu.
30. Krampus (2015)
After you overdose on saccharine holiday movies, sit the family down for some Christmas horror with Krampus. In this inventive horror-comedy, the Engel family is having a bad start to the holidays. Max (Emjay Anthony) gets in a fight at the school play, then later gets teased by his cousins for writing a letter to Santa. Sarah's (Toni Collette) sister Linda (Allison Tolman) arrives with her family and the annoying kooky aunt (Conchata Ferrell). Within all the chaos, Max starts to lose his faith in Christmas, which has a ripple effect. Suddenly a storm arrives, blanketing the whole town in ice, and Max's sister goes missing. A giant creature is galloping along the rooftops and dragging bodies into the snow. Krampus has arrived to punish the bad kids and let chaos reign this Christmas! While full of spooky fun and plenty of suspense, Krampus isn't too scary for those who can't handle horror. — OW
How to watch: Krampus is streaming on Hulu with the Max add-on.
31. Scrooged (1988)
Take the selfishness and obsessive ambition of Ebenezer Scrooge and make him a ruthless TV exec, and you get Bill Murray's Frank Cross — perfect casting. He's a cold-hearted jerk of a boss and a miserable guy with no love life. As Christmas approaches, the ghost of his old boss arrives to nearly toss him out of his high-rise penthouse window and warn him that three more ghosts will soon pay Frank a visit.
First, a wacky cabbie played by David Johansen appears to show Frank his past and troubled childhood. Carol Kane dressed up as a shimmering fairy makes an appearance as the Ghost of Christmas Present, and a third ghost arrives to show his dreadful future. Easily one of the funniest iterations of the Dickens classic, largely thanks to Murray's wry humor, Scrooged is perfect when you're looking for a more modern take on a traditional Christmas story.
How to watch: Scrooged is streaming on Hulu with the Paramount+ add-on.
32. Merry Liddle Christmas (2019)
In the Lifetime movie Merry Liddle Christmas, Kelly Rowland plays an entrepreneur named Jacquie Liddle who lives in a luxury home full of high-tech bells and whistles. This year, she's decided to host the family for Christmas at her house. The only thing is, it has to look absolutely perfect, since a camera crew is coming to film her home. That means swapping a colorful tree for a fake white one with gold tinsel, getting rid of some family-favorite decorations, and doing away with other traditions, which her mother is definitely not happy about.
There's no real crisis or major drama (it is a Lifetime movie, after all), but the main points of contention are how freaked out Jacquie's parents are by her fancy gadgets (like a Roomba and Alexa-esque device that orders her groceries). Jacquie also doesn't get along with her sister, but soon she gets distracted by a single neighbor who catches her eye. If you're itching for more, check out not one but two Merry Liddle Christmas sequels in this Christmas movie trilogy.
How to watch: Merry Liddle Christmas is streaming on Hulu Live TV.
UPDATE: Nov. 22, 2024, 2:15 p.m. EST This list has been updated to include the latest Hulu offerings.
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