Found: All the Best Christmas Movies to Watch With Your Fam
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How do we survive the holidays with the relatives? Screen time to the rescue! No Christmas season is complete without streaming a few (or a few dozen...) holiday movies and soaking up the season like a peppermint stick in a hot mug of cocoa. And while Bad Santa and Love Actually are a fun holiday watch, it's always nice to find a movie that, you know, doesn't scandalize your parents or scar the kids. Not all families are alike, but I'm sure you know what yours can and cannot handle. Whether you need some festive films to watch with mom and dad over Christmas break or some kid-friendly flicks for the little ones, we've got plenty of family Christmas movies that people of all ages can watch (and will actually enjoy).
Maybe you're looking for beloved classics, like Home Alone and Jingle All The Way. Maybe you're hoping to check out more recent Christmas titles, like Spirited, Noelle, and 8-Bit Christmas. Whatever you're into, we've got enough options to keep you and your fam occupied all the way through December 25. And you can stream them without even leaving your cozy home. With titles from Disney+, Amazon Prime, and Netflix, here are 69 of the best family Christmas movies worth watching with your whole squad this holiday season. Make sure you don't forget the caramel popcorn!!
Family Switch (2023)
This double-body swap family comedy is also a Christmas movie! It's nice to have something new to watch with family, isn't it? Then you don't have to worry about that cousin quoting every line before it happens.
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The Shop Around The Corner (1940)
The Hungarian play this romantic comedy is based on has been adapted over and over, including as the musical She Loves Me and the '90s classic You've Got Mail. But the classic film starring Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan is extra Christmas-y.
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Single All The Way (2021)
This PG-rated romantic comedy about a guy who asks his best friend to pose as his boyfriend over Christmas is like the warm and fuzziest fake dating fluff you ever read. Share all those tropes with your whole family.
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Happiest Season (2020)
This romantic comedy about a woman bringing her girlfriend home to her unsuspecting family is rated PG-13 for the ominous "some language" reason. So it might be best for families with no little kids, or after they go to bed. But it's otherwise pretty silly and family-friendly in my book.
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Feast of the Seven Fishes (2019)
While the episode of The Bear around this Italian Christmas Eve tradition is way too stressful for the whole family, this romantic comedy starring America's sweetheart Skyler Gisondo is another story.
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Jack Frost (1998)
The '90s really were something special. They don't make family-friendly Christmas movies like they used to. That talking snowman should be terrifying, and yet it's heart-warming! Truly impressive stuff.
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The Family Stone (2006)
Also rated PG-13, this romantic comedy is so wacky it'll breach the generational divide. Nothing brings the family together like a fictional family who's 5x as dysfunctional.
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Falling for Christmas (2022)
Lindsay Lohan is BACK, baby! Treat your family to this romantic comedy about an heiress (Lohan, obvs) who falls in love with a rugged ski chalet owner after an accident.
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Elf (2003)
Real ones probably have this classic Christmas movie on the shelf with their copy of Love Actually, which also came out in 2003. But if case you're staying with family this season who aren't as hip it's nice to know that Elf is streaming.
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The Naughty Nine (2023)
I'm sorry... a heist movie about kids on the naughty list who sneak into the North Pole? Kind of wish I could go back in time and watch that as a little kid. I would have made it my entire elementary school personality.
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The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022)
Marvel's out here making Christmas movies now? Technically *pushes glasses up nose* Iron Man 3 is a Christmas movie, so it's not the first time. But this Guardians special is jam-packed with family-friendly holiday cheer from start to finish.
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Spirited (2022)
This modern-day musical based on characters in A Christmas Carol is rated PG-13. So it's for the big kids and slightly more mature families out there. It has songs by Pasek and Paul, the composing team behind Dear Evan Hansen and The Greatest Showman, who can be a bit dark with an all-ages appeal.
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Jingle All The Way (1996)
This hijinks-heavy comedy about a father's journey to get the year's trendiest toy gets a lot crazier than you remember. It's worth showing to the younger generations in your family just to see what they think. No strings attached! No judgement! Just a wild, wild Christmas ride.
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I’ll Be Home For Christmas (1998)
On that nostalgic note, do kids these days appreciate the appeal of Jonathan Taylor Thomas? Can we get a JTT revival going? He was such a lil' cutie!
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To Grandmother’s House We Go (1992)
Speaking of '90s icons, the whole family can still enjoy the wholesome adventures of Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen. This was actually the first movie they made together and the first time they played twins, and not the same character (like on Full House). It's Christmasy and historic!
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A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
So what if this is a television special and only 30 minutes long? It absolutely counts as a Christmas movie and is required viewing for families who celebrate.
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Eloise at Christmastime (2003)
Swoon! It's a children's book adaptation and a romantic comedy and a Christmas movie rolled up into one adorable package. Eloise may be in everyone's business, but she has the best of intentions. Aren't we all a little that way, especially at Christmas?
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Prancer (1989)
I thought this Christmas movie was sooooo serious when I was a child. Like this was cinema to me. I don't know if your family will agree. But it is a lovely story about a girl who becomes convinced she's found one of Santa's reindeer. Her belief is enough to lift anybody's spirits!
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Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Since this character is about Jack Frost, it's as much of a winter movie as it is a Christmas movie. But sometimes you need to mix it up and try out new holiday lore. With additional backstory for the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny, this movie has the holidays, plural, covered.
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White Christmas (1954)
The whole family can and will enjoy this classic musical. The holiday season should feel a little old-fashioned anyway if you're doing it right. May your days be merry and bright, and may all your Christmases be full of song and dance.
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Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020)
Starring Forest Whitaker, Keegan-Michael Key, and a whole bunch of other familiar faces, this holiday musical tells the story of a toymaker who—still bitter after being betrayed by his apprentice—gets a new lease on life when his granddaughter appears on his doorstep.
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The Christmas Chronicles (2018)
This holiday caper follows brother-and-sister team Kate and Teddy Pierce as they devise a Christmas Eve plan to catch Santa Claus, and can we just say that Kurt Russell makes an A+ Santa Claus?
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The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two (2020)
Set two years after siblings Kate and Teddy attempted to catch Santa Claus, the Pierces find themselves on another adventure when a troublemaker with magical abilities threatens to destroy the North Pole and end Christmas forever. Gasp!!
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Holiday Rush (2019)
In this sweet holiday flick, a popular radio DJ unexpectedly loses his job and must move in with his aunt to get back on his feet—though his four spoiled children still expect him to fulfill all the demands on their pricey Christmas wish lists. Who's ready to learn the true meaning of Christmas?
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A Boy Called Christmas (2021)
This playful reimagining of the story of Father Christmas follows a boy named Nikolas who sets off north on a search to find his father, and you can expect to see some faces you recognize, including Kristen Wiig and Maggie Smith.
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The Princess Switch (2018)
The first in a trilogy, this movie stars Vanessa Hudgens in the dual roles of a baker and a duchess who discover their uncanny resemblance and hatch a plan to swap places. It may not be totally original, but IMO, "Bring the Snow" is a total bop.
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The Princess Switch 2: Switched Again (2020)
In this sequel to The Princess Switch, Vanessa reprises her role(s) as Duchess Margaret and Princess Stacy of Belgravia, and there's an unexpected new arrival: Margaret's troublemaking cousin Fiona, who—you guessed it—is also played by Vanessa. Her range!!
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The Princess Switch 3: Romancing the Star (2021)
The third installment in the Princess Switch franchise follows Queen Margaret, Princess Stacy, and Margaret's cousin Fiona as they work together to retrieve a priceless stolen relic, and ofc, Vanessa once again plays all three roles.
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Christmas with the Kranks (2004)
What happens when a married couple with adult children (played by Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis) decide they’re skipping Christmas for the year? Their holiday-obsessed neighbors retaliate in a majorly dramatic way, ofc.
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Holiday in the Wild (2019)
Starring Rob Lowe and Kristin Davis, this holiday rom-com tells the story of a woman who is abandoned by her husband the night before they're set to leave on an African safari and then decides to travel to Cape Town alone, where she meets a cute elephant conservationist.
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Operation Christmas Drop (2020)
Kat Graham stars in this holiday rom-com as Erica, an ambitious congressional aide who's sent to an Air Force base over the holidays, where she clashes with a cute pilot who worries that Erica will try to defund his pet project, Operation: Christmas Drop.
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Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square (2020)
Christmas queen Dolly Parton stars in this flick as an angel who attempts to stop a rich, selfish woman (played by Christine Baranski) from selling land in her hometown to a mall developer right before the holidays.
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The Polar Express (2004)
In this live-action movie, an unnamed young boy is invited on a train ride adventure to the North Pole, a trip that is specially reserved for those who haven't lost their faith in the true meaning of Christmas. Tom Hanks produced it (and also lends his voice to the train conductor), so you know it's gotta be good.
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Arthur Christmas (2011)
This one's got to be one of the most underrated family Christmas movies out there. Featuring the voices of James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, and Bill Nighy, among others, Arthur Christmas takes place on Christmas Eve and revolves around Santa's son, Arthur, who goes on a mission to deliver a present his father left behind.
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A Christmas Prince (2017)
This feel-good romance tells the story of an ambitious reporter who goes undercover to get the scoop on Aldovia's playboy prince, only to find herself falling in love instead. Predictable? Duh—but still wonderful.
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A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding (2018)
This sequel to A Christmas Prince follows Amber through her ups and downs of the days leading up to her wedding with Prince Richard, as she learns that being the future Aldovian queen is not all it's cracked up to be.
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A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby (2019)
First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes...Christmas baby! In the third Christmas Prince movie installment, Amber and Richard get ready to welcome a new addition to their family, all while trying to unravel a mystery that may determine the fate of the kingdom.
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The Holiday Calendar (2018)
This Christmas comedy stars Kat Graham as an aspiring photographer who inherits an ancient Advent calendar from her grandmother that may actually be able to tell her future—as well as guide her toward a new love interest. Okay, grandma!!
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Klaus (2019)
This cute animated film tells the story of a desperate young postman whose unlikely friendship with a reclusive toymaker leads to the invention of Santa Claus. Voice actors include Jason Schwartzman, Rashida Jones, J.K. Simmons, and Joan Cusack, so you're sure to recognize plenty of character voices.
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The Claus Family (2020)
In this cute Dutch flick (which is dubbed in English), a holiday-hating boy begins to change his tune when he learns about his ailing grandfather's true identity, as well as his familial ties to the most magical holiday of the year.
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The Claus Family 2 (2021)
The Claus Family sequel continues the story of Jules as he takes the reins from Grandpa Noël and attempts to fulfill a little girl's special holiday wish.
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David and the Elves (2021)
This Polish flick (which is also dubbed in English) follows an overworked elf who decides to flee from the North Pole in order to experience life outside of Santa's workshop...though that won't stop Santa from trying to track him down and get him back.
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Noelle (2019)
Starring Anna Kendrick and Bill Hader, this comedy revolves around Santa Claus' daughter, Noelle, who must attempt to save Christmas when her brother, Nick, disappears before the big holiday, giving her the chance to prove herself to her father.
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Godmothered (2020)
Set during Christmastime (obv), this cute comedy is about a bumbling young fairy godmother-in-training who tries to prove that godmothers are still necessary by helping out her new charge.
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8-Bit Christmas (2021)
Neil Patrick Harris stars in this one, which revolves around a father reflecting back on a previous Christmas in 1980s Chicago, when he was obsessed with obtaining a new Nintendo video game system for the holidays.
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The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017)
Set in 1843 London, this unexpectedly delightful movie follows a young Charles Dickens, retelling the story of how he created Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim, and other classic Christmas characters.
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The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)
Based on E.T.A. Hoffmann's classic story, this fantasy flick offers a ~modern twist~ on the old tale of Clara and her magic nutcracker doll, with a cast that includes Mackenzie Foy, Keira Knightley, Morgan Freeman, and Helen Mirren, among others.
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Deck the Halls (2006)
If you've always wanted to watch Danny DeVito and Matthew Broderick duke it out to see who can make the most bonkers Christmas spectacle out of their houses over the holidays, then here's your chance.
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Fred Claus (2007)
Starring Vince Vaughn, this comedy is all about Santa Claus's estranged older brother Fred, who gets himself in hot water and must retreat to the North Pole, where his brother allows him to work to pay off his debts.
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Jack Frost (1998)
Be warned: This movie is straight-up devastating. In it, a young boy loses his musician father (played by Michael Keaton) in a car accident, only for the dad to return in the form of a snowman brought to life by a magical harmonica.
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Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
This remake of the 1947 classic stars Mara Wilson as Susan, a young girl who works together with a lawyer in order to prove that the department store Santa her mother hired is actually the real Santa, as he claims to be.
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The Grinch (2018)
Though it doesn't hold a candle to the 1966 original, this 2018 remake has plenty of A-list voice actors (including Benedict Cumberbatch, Rashida Jones, Kenan Thompson, Angela Lansbury, and Pharrell Williams), so it's well worth the watch.
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How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
Speaking of the Grinch, you can say what you will about this Jim Carrey-led adaptation of the Christmas classic, but there's no denying that this movie is pretty hilarious. Starring an equally star-studded cast, this comedy boasts both incredible special-effects makeup and SO many quotable moments.
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A Christmas Carol (2009)
Need more Jim Carrey? He lends his voice to Ebenezer Scrooge in this animated flick, which tells the classic story of a miserable old businessman visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve.
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The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
Another great adaptation of The Christmas Carol is done by the Muppets, who are joined by legendary actor Michael Caine in what may be one of the greatest performances of his career, no lie.
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The Star (2017)
In this adorable Biblical comedy, a group of stable animals inadvertently become a part of the first Christmas, and you can expect to hear TONS of celebrity voices, including Steven Yeun, Gina Rodriguez, Zachary Levi, Keegan-Michael Key, Kelly Clarkson, Aidy Bryant, Kristin Chenoweth, Tracy Morgan, Tyler Perry, and Oprah Winfrey, just to name a few.
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The Santa Clause (1994)
Starring Tim Allen as Santa's reluctant replacement, this movie tells the story of what happens when Santa falls off the roof and the guy who was at the scene of the crime has to fill his giant shoes. It sounds dark, but it's actually very fun, trust.
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The Santa Clause 2 (2002)
Set eight years after the original, this Santa Clause sequel continues the story of Scott as he learns that his son has landed on the naughty list...and that, as Santa, he's contractually obligated to get married by Christmas Eve.
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The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006)
The third installment in the Santa Clause franchise follows what happens when Scott invites his in-laws to visit the North Pole—which happens to coincide with a planned takeover by Jack Frost (played by Martin Short).
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The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
The jury is still out on whether The Nightmare Before Christmas is a Halloween or Christmas movie, but there's no denying that this Tim Burton flick (which follows Jack Skellington's attempt to bring Christmas to Halloweentown) is a fun family watch any time of year...as long as you're not prone to nightmares.
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Jingle All the Way (1996)
Jingle All the Way is what happens when a dad (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger) is on a mission to secure the most in-demand toy for his son for Christmas...although waiting until Christmas Eve to do it was probably the wrong call. Three cheers for consumerism!
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Home Alone (1990)
Ya can't have a family Christmas movie roundup without including this beloved classic. And though we still don't know how the McCallister family managed to leave their kid behind over the holidays, we do know that home invaders should beware of Kevin.
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Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
This equally great Home Alone sequel follows the McCallister family on a holiday trip to New York City where—surprise, surprise—they manage to lose track of Kevin. This one totally holds up, save for that infamous cameo.
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Home Sweet Home Alone (2021)
There have been plenty of not-so-great Home Alone remakes following Macaulay Culkin's original two, but this 2021 addition to the franchise (which includes yet another child left behind and lots of SNL alums) is probs the only one worth your time.
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All I Want for Christmas (1991)
This '90s flick isn't exactly holly and jolly, but watching two kids plot to get their parents back together (and to get their mom's new fiancé shipped off to Jersey against his will for the holidays) is still pretty fun.
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Little Women (2019)
Yep, Little Women is 100 percent a Christmas movie. This Greta Gerwig adaptation has a truly stacked cast, and the antics of the March sisters are sure to get you in the holiday spirit.
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The Preacher's Wife (1996)
Starring Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston (yes, really), this little-known Christmas flick follows an angel who's sent to earth to help a pastor struggling with his faith...only for the angel to fall for the pastor's wife.
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A Christmas Story (1983)
You can't turn on the TV on Christmas without catching at least part of this one. Set in the 1940s Indiana, A Christmas Story revolves around a young boy who wants nothing more than to receive a BB gun for Christmas, and it's a total delight, promise.
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A Christmas Story Christmas (2022)
Peter Billingsley reprises his role in this long-awaited sequel, which takes place in the 1970s and follows Ralphie as he takes his family to his childhood home, hoping to give them an unforgettable Christmas. Spoiler alert: He most certainly does.
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