15 Best Christmas Movies Streaming On Netflix

The holidays are finally here, but the age of streaming has robbbed us of that time-honored tradition of sending your most disgruntled and injury-prone family member up to the attic to assemble the Christmas movies you stashed away last winter, maybe risk slipping a disk in the process. Is that just me? Okay, nevermind.

As long as we do have these yule catalogs of content to enjoy, we might as well take advantage of the selection a streaming service like Netflix has to offer. Contrary to popular belief, the behemoth streamer has more to give this season than bad romantic comedies and that movie where Kurt Russell tries to make Old Saint Nick young and hip again — though that isn't to say subscribers shouldn't give those films a chance. From fantastical "secret" origins for Santa Claus to charming animated features the whole family can enjoy, these Christmas movies will keep your watchlist merry and bright all winter long.

Here are the best Christmas movies streaming on Netflix right now.

The canon of Christmas movies is full of secret origin stories for Santa Claus (it's certainly hard to beat the nostalgic, stop-motion charm of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town"). Even so, "A Boy Called Christmas" is a surprisingly refreshing, energetic, and fantastic reimagining of Christmas lore that offers Netflix subscribers a more thrilling adventure than its unassuming title would indicate.

Directed by Gil Kenan ("Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire") from a script he co-wrote with Ol Parker ("Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again"), "A Boy Called Christmas" takes viewers back to a version of the 18th century where the boundary between human civilization and Norse mythology is quite thin. Young Nikolas (Henry Lawfull) is a normal boy living a small, tragic life in the woods, until he decides to brave the unknown magical world of Elfhelm to aid his father (Michiel Huisman) in his search for an artifact that will restore hope to their sullen homeland. A simple but sweet slice of escapist fun that will excite younger fans of blockbuster fantasy fare, "A Boy Called Christmas" was one of the best family films released in 2021 and remains a reliable treat for the holiday season.

If you're in the mood for a slightly more traditional but just as magical Netflix Christmas adventure, "The Christmas Chronicles" is a safe bet. The 2018 streaming feature from director Clay Kaytis ("A Christmas Story Christmas") and screenwriter Matt Lieberman ("Free Guy") follows two children as they attempt to capture evidence that Santa Claus is real. But then, they have to partner with him when their meddling nearly ruins Christmas for the whole world.

Darby Camp and "The Babysitter" star Judah Lewis give fun performances as the film's young heroes, but the real selling point is Santa himself, played by a ridiculously dedicated Kurt Russell. To pull off this cool, contemporary take on the character, Russell had to wear a 50-pound leather trench coat and act around a surprisingly delicate beard. "The Christmas Chronicles" isn't a surprising or even inventive film by any means (it owes much to films like "Rise of the Guardians," "The Santa Clause," and "Elf"), but Russell's performance — in service of a genuinely sweet story — will still transport younger viewers and their families. And if they're looking to raise the stakes afterward, they can always make it a double feature with 2020's "The Christmas Chronicles 2."

If one had to pinpoint a time when Netflix began to enter the market of easily repeatable and remixable holiday movies (the likes of which you used to exclusively see on a certain channel owned by a certain greeting card company), they would likely point toward the 2017 release of "A Christmas Prince." The romantic comedy follows an American writer and journalist named Amber (Rose McIver) who is sent on assignment to the fictional European country of Aldovia, where a very British-sounding prince (Ben Lamb) is struggling to chart his own course in the wake of his father's death. Suspecting that the prince is too philanderous and reckless to find a wife and rule his country, Amber impulsively goes undercover to expose the truth about the future of the monarchy.

"A Christmas Prince" was enough of a hit for Netflix to warrant two direct sequels (not to mention an entire Christmas-themed cinematic universe) whose subtitles will "spoil" an ending that's easier to see coming than a red nose in a blizzard. Then again, that alchemy of turning predictability into warm comfort food is why rom coms and Christmas movies have always been a match made in holiday heaven.

A similar flavor of Christmas flick to "A Christmas Prince," "Christmas with You" takes another tried and true route in the holiday rom com subgenre by throwing a Grinchy girl from the big city into a small, snowy town for the season — where she may or may not fall for the first guy that manages to hold a conversation with her. In this case, "Lucifer" alum Aimee Garcia plays the mononymous popstar Angelina, whose lifetime of fame is thrown into jeopardy by changing times and nervous record execs who amusingly demand that she either find the Christmas spirit (in the form of a holiday hit, of course) or find a new label.

Thus, in an attempt to reconnect with her audience and learn what they really want from her, Angelina travels to a small town where she meets music teacher and aspiring songwriter Miguel (Freddie Prinze Jr., making a welcome return to the romantic comedy scene). Again, "Christmas with You" isn't out to tell the greatest or most challenging love story of our time. It offers an amusing, tight story with the kind of humor, charisma, and sentimentality that Christmas rom com fans adore.

The only thing better than spending "Christmas with You" is spending "Christmas with the Kranks" — that is, if you want to spend the holidays in one of the most chaotic Christmas movies ever made. Released in 2004, this Chris Columbus-written film ditches the romantic and goes full comedy as it revels in the downfall of a couple with a ludicrous plan to "skip Christmas."

Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis star as Luther and Nora Krank, a middle-aged married couple set to spend Christmas for the first time without their only child. Excited to save the money they would normally spend on gifts, lavish decorations, and a house party for an entire neighborhood of Christmas fanatics, Luther posits that they formally and principally abstain from anything having to do with the holiday (hilariously inciting the ire of their community). Though the film was critically panned when it was released, "Christmas with the Kranks" is a strangely irreplaceable part of any film fan's Christmas movie rotation, offering a rare dose of cynical and irreverent humor to a season dominated by predictable laughs.

Look, we'll be the first to admit that the idea of re-imagining "Frosty the Snowman" as a romantic comedy should be way too absurd to work. At the same time, an unabashed embrace of that absurdity is exactly what makes "Hot Frosty" the most universally enjoyable Christmas rom com on Netflix.

Directed by Jerry Ciccoritti and written by Russell Hainline, the 2024 film flawlessly walks the line between being an intentional parody of the subgenre and being an earnestly self-unaware contribution to the canon. On the one hand, you don't cast "The Office" and "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" alums Craig Robinson and Joe Lo Truglio as hapless police officers if you aren't trying to appeal to fans of mainstream comedy — on the other hand, the story of a small town widow (Lacey Chabert) finding comfort in the imminently melting arms of a kind snowman (Dustin Milligan) hits all the heartwarming beats of a rom com love story without a hint of irony. Suffice it to say, if a gathering of family and/or friends has your house split on the holiday mood, "Hot Frosty" is a crowd pleaser anyone can enjoy.

With the holidays so consistently swept in a blizzard of "Christmas Carol" reworks, Santa Claus origin stories, and by-the-numbers romantic comedies, it really feels like an event when a movie like "Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey" comes along. Yes, its title feels just as interchangeable and keyword optimized as most of the entries on this list so far, but it's one of your more unexpected options for a Christmas movie night.

Forest Whitaker stars as Jeronicus Jangle, a 19th-century English inventor who has lost much in the pursuit of creating the greatest toys ever made. When his investor (Hugh Bonneville) comes to his door during the holiday season demanding a return either in the form of his principal investment or the incredible toy he claims to be inventing, Jeronicus and his granddaughter Journey (Madalen Mills) put their faith in a mechanical marvel so fantastic it just might be magical. "Jingle Jangle" is an adventure film that combines escapist thrills with electric musical flair, and it features a villainous turn from Keegan-Michael Key to boot.

Would you look at that — it's a Santa Claus origin story! But at least this one packs in enough surprise, humor, and style to stand out from the crowd as a worthy addition to your annual Christmas rewatch list.

In the small, Norse town of Smeerensberg — the self-proclaimed unhappiest place in the world — cold, selfish, and isolated citizens make the life of aspiring postman Jesper (Jason Schwartzman) a wasteland of opportunity. If he wants to live up to his family's ambitions and establish a functional post office in the town, he needs to give the people of Smeerensberg a reason to write letters. Enter Klaus (J.K. Simmons), a woodsman who spent the lonely hours of his life making beautiful toys.

What starts as a scheme to get kids to mail letters asking for toys becomes a mission to package and deliver a sense of kindness back to Smeerensberg. A moving story, stacked voice cast (which also includes Rashida Jones, Will Sasso, Joan Cusack, and the late Norm Macdonald), and gorgeous animation make "Klaus" a gift in and of itself, and it's one you'll want to share with audiences of all ages this holiday season.

Based on the 2008 novel from authors John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle, "Let It Snow" is an ensemble coming-of-age romantic comedy that achieves a surprisingly unique vibe by combining Christmas movie tropes and aesthetics with the tone, pacing, and loose structure of a hangout film like "Clerks." The 2019 film (the directorial debut of television director Luke Snellin) seamlessly brings together three stories about a small, snowy town in Illinois populated by lovable characters who just so happen to be played by underrated actors usually relegated to the sidelines of larger projects.

"Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" star Shameik Moore steps in front of the camera to play Stuart, a famous musician passing through who has a chance encounter with a girl struggling with a decision to leave home ("Superman's" Isabela Merced); Kiernan Shipka ("Longlegs," "The Last Showgirl") and Mitchell Hope (Disney's "Descendants" series) are childhood friends who might become something more if they can get over their shared awkwardness; meanwhile, "Yellowjackets'" Liv Hewson is a quiet waiter at a diner secretly dating a star cheerleader, and whose inner turmoil is only known to her co-worker Keon (Jacob Batalon of Marvel Studios' "Spider-Man" films). Light, brightly paced, and cozy, "Let It Snow" is so delightful it deserves to be considered among the best Christmas movies of all time.

Fair warning: Though "The Noel Diary" might seem at first glance like a comforting rom com, it leans a bit heavier into psychological drama than fans of the subgenre might be prepared for. That being said, it's a narrative choice that allows "The Noel Diary" to be a seriously compelling movie, even though it still has the pleasant predictability some viewers are hoping for.

"This Is Us" alum Justin Hartley stars as Jake Turner, a successful novelist who has been estranged from his family since he was a young man. When he returns home to sort through his mother's estate after her sudden death, he encounters a woman named Rachel (Barrett Doss) who believes that her own estranged birth mother might have been Jake's nanny when he was growing up — a fact all but confirmed by a shocking diary discovered in Jake's childhood home. Moved by her kindness and her desire to find meaning in her past, Jake agrees to help Rachel find her mother, even if it means confronting his own past (in the form of his father, played by James Remar of "Dexter") in the process.

A pillar of that baffling "Christmas Prince" cinematic universe we alluded to earlier, "The Princess Switch" would be a fine follow-up for romantics craving a royal Christmas double feature. It also serves up something special for younger millennials and older zoomers who grew up watching the "High School Musical" trilogy, as it features a double leading turn from none other than Vanessa Hudgens.

The East High alum plays the film's two identical protagonists — Stacy De Novo, a successful baker from Chicago who travels to Belgravia for a culinary competition, and Lady Margaret Delacourt, a duchess who is set to marry into the Belgravian royal family. Scared of entering the rigid world of the monarchy without experiencing life as a normal woman, Margaret convinces Stacy to switch places with her for 48 hours, allowing her to live amongst common people (including Stacy's single-parent co-worker Kevin, played by Nick Sagar) while Stacy enjoys the full royal treatment, as well as the company of the dashing Prince Edward (Sam Palladio). It's an appropriately silly romp that, in addition to being an effective Christmas screen-filler, deftly captures the elusive spirit of the early-aughts rom com.

What's a Christmas watch-list without a healthy serving of stop-motion fun? On Netflix, subscribers may not have access to all those Rankin/Bass classics, but they can enjoy a breezy holiday adventure in the form of "Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas."

Spinning off from the largely silent children's animated series (itself a spin-off of the hit "Wallace and Gromit" franchise), "The Flight Before Christmas" is a shorter adventure that reunites all the usual suspects to rescue the wayward sheep Timmy, making for a goofy, mayhem-filled half-hour special. Both because of its brisk runtime, broad target audience, and emotionally simple story, "The Flight Before Christmas" is the perfect program to put on while getting ready for that last sleep before Santa comes.

There's a lamentable lack of queer Christmas movies and rom coms in general, especially ones that don't center the story around coming out to one's extended family at the holidays. That's what makes "Single All the Way" so special, even if it is ultimately another predictable, paint-by-numbers love triangle romantic comedy.

Michael Urie stars as Peter, a successful but single Angelino who convinces his best friend Nick (Philemon Chambers) to join him for Christmas in New Hampshire. Though Peter and Nick are both gay, they insist on remaining friends, much to the chagrin of Peter's extended family, who are cartoonishly desperate for him to finally find love. But when he lets them take total control of his dating life — to the point of setting him up on a blind date with fitness instructor James (Luke Macfarlane) — Peter must face the fact that the love of his life might've been in front of him the whole time. Deservedly corny, cliche, and cute, "Single All the Way" is a movie for romantic comedy fans of all stripes who enjoy the genre's greatest hits.

It's actually difficult to believe it took until 2024 for someone to cast Brian Cox as Santa Claus, but "That Christmas" is proof that a gift delivered late is better than one never sent in the first place. An animated feature directed by "How to Train Your Dragon" animator Simon Otto, it's a story that asks viewers to imagine how they might find the Christmas spirit even when everything appears to be going wrong.

When a blizzard hits the small town of Wellington, everyone's holiday plans are turned upside down — literally, in the case of a group of children, whose parents are trapped in a capsized van after a non-life-threatening but holiday-ruining car accident on the way to a Christmas Eve wedding. It's thus up to the young ones to find new ways to make Christmas special for each other, with a little help from Cox's Claus of course.

If you've made it through this list and are still hoping for something more surprising than a yuletide romantic comedy or an animated family adventure, we're happy to send you on your merry way with a real curve ball. Netflix's criminally underrated comedy series "Murderville" was hardly a flash in the pan when it debuted for its first and only season in 2022, and while we can't say for certain that you'd enjoy going through the entirety of its six-episode run this holiday season, we can safely recommend its self-contained Christmas special as a chaotic and comedic change of pace for your winter viewing.

Will Arnett returns for the special as Terry Seattle, a cartoonish and buffoonish detective who (in the series proper) partners with special celebrity guests to solve various crimes — in this case, specifically, Jason Bateman, Maya Rudolph, and a secret third investigator we won't spoil. These comedians hilariously improvise their way through the case with no script, prior context, or guidance outside of Arnett's character, improbably making one of Netflix's best mystery movies in the process.