The Christmas break is just around the corner, and there has never been a better time to snuggle down and watch a festive film. And true to form, Netflix has you covered.
Here's our pick of some of the best films on the streamer to watch right now.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
Ron Howard’s now 23-year-old (!) adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ 1957 children’s book is still, even after the squillionth watch, a blast: Jim Carrey plays the Grinch, a cantankerous green monster-creature, who, feeling particularly malevolent one year, decides to steal all the presents, decorations and food of the Who, the townspeople of Whoville. As artists, Carrey and Seuss are individually zany, kooky - a bit mad. So it follows that seeing them converge in this film results in eccentric, noisy, silly Christmas fun. Anthony Hopkins narrates and Christine Baranski, Bill Irwin and Molly Shannon also star.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001)
Thousands of UK Harry Potter fans were thrilled last May when the whole franchise landed on Netflix, meaning subscribers could watch and rewatch the series to infinity. The films are still, happily, all there, perfectly lending themselves to a comatose boxing day spent on the sofa.
The first film is undoubtedly the most festive watch: not only are there actual scenes set during Christmas, but the 11-year-old Harry’s wonder, as he is introduced to the wizarding world, is reminiscent of all the sparkly, comforting, feel good stuff of Christmas.
The Holiday (2006)
The Holiday is one of the best festive films ever made (possibly): Nancy Meyers’s old-school rom-com about two women unlucky in love – a high-flying LA film producer (Cameron Diaz) and an English journalist (Kate Winslet) - who swap homes over Christmas is just the right amount of corny, dorky and gooey. Finding themselves refreshed by their new settings, both women immediately find extremely charming suitors. Result! Winslet’s Iris meets laid-back and gentle film composer Miles (Jack Black), while Diaz’s Amanda meets the debonair widower Graham (Jude Law).
A Very Murray Christmas (2015)
Whoever persuaded Bill Murray to make this Christmas comedy is an absolute genius. The now 73-year-old actor, who is known for his deadpan sense of humour, has played some curmudgeonly geezers over the years, including a selfish anchorman in Groundhog Day and an updated Scrooge in Scrooged. Which makes his turn in the 50-minute festive musical, co-written and directed by Murray’s longtime collaborator Sofia Coppola, a veritable treat.
In the film, Murray plays himself, and he is hosting a live TV Christmas special. After a severe snowstorm most of his guests have cancelled, but up against it financially, he and producers Liz (Amy Poehler), and Bev (Julie White) decide to press on. Screwball-esque, with a cast packed with stars including Chris Rock, George Clooney and Miley Cyrus, Murray sports a variety of festive headwear in this delightful and chaotic winter warmer.
The Princess Switch (2018)
Just try watching the trailer for The Princess Switch without a massive grin spreading across your face. A hilarious mash up between The Lizzie McGuire Movie, The Parent Trap, The Great British Bake-off and Cinderella, Vanessa Hudgens is charming as she stars as both Chicago baker Stacy De Novo and Lady Margaret Delacourt, Duchess of Montenaro.
Stacy is surprised to find out that her colleague has secretly entered her into a prestigious baking competition which is taking place over the Christmas holidays. When she heads to Europe to battle it out, she bumps into the Duchess. By the strangest twist of fate they happen to look exactly the same! They swap lives for a couple of days, and the fact that the rest of the story is utterly predictable takes away from none of the film’s easy enjoyment.
Klaus (2019)
Animator Sergio Pablos is best known as the story writer of Despicable Me, the 2010 smash comedy about tiny evil sweetcorn-shaped creatures that became one of animation’s biggest franchises. But Pablos also co-wrote and directed Klaus, a heart-warming, multi-award-winning (as well as an Oscar nom) Christmas adventure animation that has a voice cast made up of stars including Jason Schwartzman, JK Simmons and Rashida Jones.
A kind of Father Christmas origin story, Klaus is set in 19th century Norway and follows lazy young postman Jesper, who is sent to a remote northern town by his Royal Postmaster General father. There, Jesper befriends Klaus, an imposing, reclusive toymaker, and over time the duo draw out the best in each other.
Little Women (2019)
Greta Gerwig’s take on Louisa May Alcott’s much-adapted 1868 novel was always going to be a treat: before becoming the first solo female director to make a $1bn film, Gerwig spent over a decade telling stories about women; her Jo (Saoirse Ronan), Amy (Florence Pugh), Meg (Emma Watson) and Beth (Eliza Scanlen) were everything we wanted them to be - fearless and ambitious and full of life.
Nearly all the adaptations of Little Women work as a festive watch, given that Christmas features in the novel. Our second favourite version is the 1933 George Cukor adaptation, which starred Katharine Hepburn as Jo.
A Castle For Christmas (2021)
Despite its utterly ridiculous premise we couldn’t help enjoying (read: adoring) this rom-com about a best-selling author Sophie Brown (Brooke Shields) who takes a sabbatical in Scotland after her latest book causes a scandal.
She falls in love with Dun Dunbar, the castle where her grandfather used to work as a groundskeeper, and manages to strike a deal with its owner Myles (Cary Elwes), who is running out of money to keep up the mouldering pile: he agrees to let her buy the castle off him, but she needs to stay at the property for several weeks, during which he secretly plans to put her off the purchase (he’s wavering on his decision to sell) by being incredibly rude.
Convoluted? You don’t say. Nevertheless, it makes for a marvellous, perfectly brainless, festive watch.
Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas (2022)
12 long years after We Wish Ewe A Merry Christmas, Shaun the Sheep returned for another Christmas escapade in 2022, and the heart-warming animation deserves a rewatch: Shaun is on a hunt for a bigger stocking and this festive quest leads him on a larger adventure that sees The Farmer dressed as Father Christmas, Mossy Bottom Farm covered in snow, unbearably wholesome scenes that involve ice skating, pop-up Christmas trees, a sledge, and of course, loads of sheep.
Falling For Christmas (2022)
Lindsay Lohan's first major film in almost a decade dropped last year, thrilling fans the world over. Lohan plays hotel heiress Sierra Belmont, who, after becoming newly engaged to her influencer boyfriend, gets in a snow-related accident and loses her memory. Unable to remember who she is or where she ought to be, Sierra ends up being cared for by widower lodge owner Jake, his unbearably cute daughter and kindly mother-in-law. And, well guess what happens?
