The best Christmas movies and shows to watch on Netflix
Festive things to watch on Netflix this wonderful time of the year.
Morgan Truder
Netflix has a funny habit of knowing exactly when you’re about to give up on the festive season. Usually it’s sometime in early December, when the tree’s shedding needles, your work calendar is inexplicably full again, and you realise you’ve already rewatched Home Alone 2 twice. That’s when the red N swoops in, armed with a content drop so aggressively Christmassy it could qualify as décor.
Every year, Netflix turns the festive dial all the way up. We’re talking big-budget Christmas movies, low-stakes rom-coms set in improbably snowy towns, comforting series that feel like wrapping yourself in a fleece blanket, and the odd chaotic wildcard that nobody asked for but everyone ends up watching anyway. Some are instant classics, others are perfect background noise while you “just rest your eyes” on the sofa, but all of them understand one crucial thing: December viewing should be easy.
The beauty of Netflix’s Christmas output is its range. Whether you want full-fat festive cheer, something a little darker, or a special you can dip in and out of between mince pies, there’s always something ready to go. It’s the streaming equivalent of a well-stocked snack cupboard, you might not need all of it, but it’s reassuring to know it’s there.
So if you’re already bored of arguing about what to watch, or you’re simply looking to pad out those long, food-heavy evenings with something reliably festive, you’re in the right place. From cosy comfort watches to surprisingly decent originals, these are the best Christmas movies and shows on Netflix to get you through the season, no remote-control scrolling fatigue required.
10. Black Mirror: White Christmas
It’s a rare thing when the Christmas special of a beloved TV show turns out to be one of the better episodes in the entire series, but that’s precisely what White Christmas is to Black Mirror. Jon Hamm and Rafe Spall play an odd pair holed up in a remote cabin on Christmas Day. To say any more would be akin to us opening all your presents.
9. Carry-On (2024)
Looking for a Christmas film that doesn't feel too much like a Christmas film? Carry-On comes highly recommended. This thriller stars Taron Egerton as a TSA agent who is blackmailed by a terrorist into letting a dangerous package onto a plane, on a Christmas Day flight. There's more than a whiff of Die Hard to this particular Christmas film, and shades of those Liam Neeson thrillers so many folks enjoy. There's no guilt in this pleasure either, it's a solid movie.
8. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: A Very Sunny Christmas
Watching a deranged Charlie Kelly bite off Santa’s ear in an act of revenge for having sex with his mother every December 25 might not give you the warm, fuzzy feeling that It’s a Wonderful Life does, but it will give you a belly full of laughs with its look back at childhood Christmases that weren’t as special as they once thought.
7. Robin Robin (2021)
If you’re like us, the news that Robin Robin is Aardman Entertainment’s first musical production will come as a surprise. Aren’t they all this bursting with joyful musicality? Robin Robin is a delightfully delicate stop-motion yarn about a small bird raised as a mouse. What’s more, at only 30 minutes long, it doesn’t make a song and dance about its song and dance numbers.
6. The Holiday (2006)
A Christmas rom-com so cosy it should come with central heating. The Holiday is pure festive escapism: snow-dusted cottages, improbably charming strangers and enough soft-focus romance to make you consider a spontaneous house swap. Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet anchor a film that knows exactly what it is, glossy, comforting and emotionally low-risk, and executes it perfectly. It’s Christmas viewing as a warm hug: predictable, indulgent and exactly what you want when the nights are long and the Quality Street’s already open
5. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
If you’re a Jim Carrey hater, then nothing we say can make you want to watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Ron Howard’s live action take on the beloved Dr Seuss kids’ book sees the rubber faced comic in full gurning, prancing mode. To be fair, it’s the perfect casting for this misanthropic ball of energy, who sets out on a mission to prevent Christmas.
4. Peep Show: Seasonal Beatings
If your idea of Christmas cheer involves suppressed rage, social dread and roast dinner served through a shredder, Peep Show has you covered. Seasonal Beatings is Mark Corrigan’s festive nightmare in episode form, as family tension, passive aggression and one spectacular meltdown unfold over a painfully British Christmas Day. It’s bleak, brutal and painfully relatable, proving that for some of us, the most authentic Christmas stories aren’t cosy at all, just aggressively awkward and a bit naughty.
3. Love Actually (2003)
Yes, it’s divisive. Yes, some bits have aged like milk. Yet, Love Actually remains the nuclear option of Christmas films. Richard Curtis’s tangle of love stories is unapologetically sentimental, wildly uneven and utterly inescapable once December rolls around.
From airport reunions to cue cards and questionable romantic decisions, it’s packed with moments that have become festive shorthand. Love it or loathe it, Christmas on screen doesn’t really get bigger than this.
2. The Holdovers (2023)
A Christmas film for anyone who prefers their festive cheer with a side of melancholy. Set over the holidays at a deserted New England boarding school, The Holdovers pairs Paul Giamatti’s gloriously grumpy teacher with a troubled student and a grieving cook, all stuck together while everyone else heads home.
It’s funny, restrained and quietly devastating, finding warmth in awkward silences, shared meals and unexpected connection. There’s snow, there’s soul-searching, and there’s just enough festive atmosphere to make it feel like Christmas, without ever trying too hard.
1. Klaus (2019)
This is a beautiful animation about a postman who finds himself in a frosty part of the world where someone who looks remarkably like Santa Claus is hiding out. Directed by Disney veteran Sergio Pablos, and with the voice talent of JK Simmons, this is Netflix getting into the animated business, and it’s a lot of Festive fun.
Skip the search — follow Shortlist on Google News to get our best lists, news, features and reviews at the top of your feeds!
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.