10 underrated Christmas movies to watch this year
Each Christmas season, I look forward to watching “The Santa Clause” series and “Home Alone” for the umpteenth time, and my Christmas favorites never disappoint. But as I truly settle in to the couch-potato, treat-eating, pajama-wearing self that I become every Christmas, I quickly run out of Christmas movies to watch. And while the cheesy Hallmark and Lifetime movies can fill the void for a bit, sometimes you need a movie that your Dad won’t make fun of.
Here are 10 underrated Christmas movies to watch this year.
1. ‘The Last Holiday’ (2006)
Georgia Byrd (Queen Latifah) is a single, introverted saleswoman who discovers she has a life-threatening illness with only weeks to live. Georgia has lived a cautious lifestyle and she wants to make the most of the few weeks she has left. She withdraws all her money from savings, quits her job and flies to a European hotel to live like a millionaire and accomplish as much as she can from her dream book.
Everyone Georgia meets is charmed by her passionate lifestyle, minus a group of snobbish hotel guests. The only thing missing from the her perfect holiday vacation is Sean Matthews (LL Cool J), her longtime crush.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime, Paramount+, Showtime, Hulu, BET Plus.
2. ‘12 Dates of Christmas’ (2011)
On Christmas Eve, Kate (Amy Smart) goes on a blind date set up by her step mother. She ends up ruining her chances with her date, Miles, in an attempt to rekindle her romance with her ex-boyfriend. For the next 12 days, Kate re-lives Christmas Eve and her blind date until she figures out what is most important — and to get it all done in a single day.
Where to watch: Hulu, Peacock, Amazon Prime, Disney+.
3. ‘Jingle All the Way’ (1996)
A workaholic father, Howard (Arnold Schwarzenegger), promises his wife he will get his son Jamie (Jake Lloyd) the hottest toy of the season, the Turbo Man action figure. But it’s Christmas Eve, the toy is sold out everywhere and Howard still hasn’t gotten one for Jamie, who can’t stop talking about Turbo Man. Howard runs into a mailman (Sinbad) with the same dilemma, and as they race to find the last Turbo Man, Howard pushes the bounds to deliver the coveted toy to his son in time for Christmas.
Where to watch: Starz, Hulu, Amazon Prime.
4. ‘The Family Man’ (2000)
Jack Campbell (Nicolas Cage) is a Wall Street investor who has dedicated his life to work. He lives the lavish, fast-paced lifestyle of a New York City bachelor. But Jack’s life is turned upside down when he wakes up one winter morning and finds himself immersed in a different life — one where he married his college girlfriend (Tea Leoni) and moved to the suburbs to start a family. His high-power investment job is no longer his and he drives a mini van rather than a sports car. After a bad start to his alternative life, Jack begins to realize what he was missing.
Where to watch: Peacock.
5. ‘Christmas in Connecticut’ (1945)
Her recipes column in Smart Housekeeping has made her one of the most famous food writers in the country, but Elizabeth Lane’s (Barbara Stanwyck) “perfect” life (i.e. wife, mother and excellent cook) is all a lie. She has no cooking skills, no husband and lives in New York City — not the Connecticut farm she tells her readers.
All of that is threatened when Elizabeth’s boss and a returning war hero (Sydney Greenstreet and Dennis Morgan) invite themselves to her Connecticut farm for the holidays. With the help of some friends, Elizabeth might just pull off the life she claims she’s been living.
Where to watch: HBO Max, Hulu, Amazon Prime.
6. ‘Klaus’ (2019)
A failed postman, Jesper Johansson (Jason Schwartzman), is sent to Smearinsberg, a frigid, northern town where he meets a reclusive retired toymaker, Klaus (J.K. Simmons). The pair form an unlikely friendship and work together to bring Christmas joy to one of the most miserable towns on Earth.
Where to watch: Netflix.
7. ‘Arthur Christmas’ (2011)
Delivering presents to billions of Children around the world in one night would be impossible if Santa (Bill Nighy) didn’t have help from his elves. With help from an army of elves and a sleek North Pole control center, Santa pulls it off ... almost.
Santa’s second son, Arthur (James McAvoy), noticed a hole in Santa’s route and there is one child who keeps getting missed. With the help of a rebellious elf and an untrained reindeer, Arthur attempts to bring Christmas to the one child who has been overlooked.
Where to watch: Hulu, HBO Max, Amazon Prime.
8. ‘Gremlins’ (1984)
A father (Hoyt Axton) looks for the perfect gift to give his son, Billy (Zach Galligan), at a shop in Chinatown. The shop owner reluctantly sells the man a “mogwai,” a cute creature that comes with a set of rules: never expose him to bright light, water or to feed him after midnight. When Billy inadvertently lets mogwai break one of these rule, the cute creature turns into a gremlin and a whole pack of gremlins threaten the town on Christmas Eve.
Where to watch: HBO Max, Amazon Prime.
9. ‘Fred Claus’ (2007)
There are two Claus brothers: Nicolas (Paul Giamatti), who is following in his father’s footsteps, and his older brother Fred (Vince Vaughn), a troublemaker who lives in his brother’s shadow. When Fred ends up in jail, his brother bails him out and takes him to the North Pole on one condition — he work in the toy shop to get out of debt. But Fred doesn’t have much toy-making skills and his troublemaker ways might jeopardize Christmas.
Where to watch: HBO Max, Amazon Prime.
10. ‘A California Christmas’ (2020)
Joseph’s mother promises him a big promotion at the family real estate company if he can convince the Bernet family to sell their coveted piece of farmland. When Joseph arrives to the farm, he is mistaken as the new ranch hand. He goes along with it in hopes of infiltrating the family from the inside. But when he meets Lauren, the women who works tirelessly keeping the family farm alive, his plans begin to change.
Where to watch: Netflix.
