Tradition is part of what makes the holidays so special. There’s comfort in returning to what’s familiar and basking in the precious memories that arise as we do it all over again. Watching festive shows and movies is now a part of those modern traditions. Gathering friends and family for a watch party, quoting favorite lines, singing memorized lyrics, or crying all over again in all the same places — it’s a sacred ritual.

These are stories that capture the spirit of the season. Maybe you’ve watched them for years, or perhaps they’re about to become staples in your household. Cozy up, Christmas connoisseurs, and prepare to feel nostalgic as you stream these classic holiday movies and shows.

A Boy Called Christmas

This fantastical tale of a boy named Nikolas (Henry Lawfull) — nicknamed Christmas — provides a touching version of the origins of Santa Claus and his holiday. Nikolas’s father leaves him to search for the mythical realm of Elfhelm — where legend says the elves live — to win a prize from the King and save them both from starvation. His evil aunt, Carlotta (Kristen Wiig), comes to stay but treats him terribly. When Nikolas finds a map to Elfhelm,  he sets out with a mouse he taught to speak. They pick up a reindeer named Blitzen along the way, and the three of them find the elves, though they’re wary of humans after one of their young was taken. With an emboldened belief in magic, Nikolas and his friends set out to find the young elf and return him. Nikolas’s dedication to kindness above all else inspires an idea — to give toys to children one night each year.

A Boy Called Christmas

1h 46m   PG   2021

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Carry-On

Die Hard proved that an action flick can be a Christmas movie as long as it takes place over the holidays. It’s Christmas Eve at LAX airport, and TSA security officer Ethan Kopek (Taron Egerton) — who recently found out his girlfriend, Nora (Sofia Carson), is pregnant — asks his boss to give him more responsibility. He’s assigned to a baggage-scanning machine amid the rush but barely has time to adjust before he’s caught up in a possible terrorist plot. An unnamed operative (Jason Bateman) instructs Ethan through an earpiece to turn a blind eye when a marked piece of carry-on luggage goes through his scanner. If he doesn’t, Nora will die. In the chaos of the holiday, Ethan has to adjust to the demands of his handler while trying to find a way to protect the lives not just of Nora but also his unborn baby and, if possible, hundreds of people on a plane.

Carry-On

1h 59m   PG-13   2024

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The Christmas Chronicles

Kate and Teddy Pierce (Darby Camp and Judah Lewis) have the wildest Christmas of their lives when they catch Santa and sneak into his sleigh. Santa (Kurt Russell) is shocked to see them, and the kids spook his reindeer, causing them to run off and crash his sleigh. During a night in Chicago, Kate and Teddy try to help Santa get back to work, but when he lands in jail, they need backup and find a way to call on Santa’s elves.

The Christmas Chronicles

1h 45m   TV-PG   2018

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A Christmas Prince

It was the first of Netflix’s holiday rom-coms, and  it has since become a beloved franchise with its two sequels, A Royal Wedding and The Royal Baby. Amber (Rose McIver) is a journalist eager to prove her worth. Prince Richard (Ben Lamb) is the soon-to-be king of Aldovia. Amber travels abroad to report on the prince’s ascension but gets mistaken for the new tutor to the princess. Figuring this could be her way to get an exclusive on the prince, she plays along. As she gets to know the royal family, she realizes they’re much more normal than she expected, and Richard isn’t at all the playboy the media has made him out to be. She and Richard become friends, but with their wildly different lives, Amber is afraid to get too close to this dashing royal.

A Christmas Prince

1h 32m   TV-PG   2017

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The Great British Baking Show: Holidays

The Great British Baking Show is the warm blanket of competitive reality series, and the Holidays edition takes the coziness up a notch. In this version of the show, whose eighth season arrives on Nov. 20, special guests and returning contestants take their best shot at holiday confections under the big white tent. Judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood are on hand to try what comes out of the oven. The wholesome show may just inspire some holiday baking of your own.

The Great British Baking Show: Holidays

8 Seasons   TV-14   2018

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Klaus

Nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 2020 Academy Awards, this origin tale of Santa Claus features the voice talents of J.K. Simmons, Jason Schwartzman, and Rashida Jones. A 19th-century postman, Jesper Johansen (Schwartzman), is sent to the remote town of Smeerensburg, Norway, to establish a postal presence. He befriends Klaus (Simmons), a reclusive woodsman who crafts toys, and Jesper gets an idea: The children of the town could write letters to Klaus, and in exchange, Jesper will leave Klaus’s toys for them. Jesper even convinces the children that Klaus knows whether they’ve been good or bad, prompting them to be on their best behavior and inspiring their feuding parents to seek reconciliation. 

Klaus

1h 38m   PG   2019

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The Princess Switch

It’s a modern-day prince and pauper story — but with a princess and a baker. Stacy (Vanessa Hudgens) travels to the fictional country of Belgravia after her best friend enters her in a baking competition. There, she has a chance encounter with Lady Margaret Delacourt, Duchess of Montenaro (also played by Hudgens), and the two notice how strikingly similar they look. Thus begins an elaborate scheme to switch places and escape their lives for two days. Margaret will get a few days of normalcy before her arranged wedding to Prince Edward (Sam Palladio), and Stacy can enjoy the comforts of royalty before her competition. When the prince shows up to spend time with the duchess, it’s actually Stacy — and he’s more attracted than he ever was before. 

The Princess Switch

1h 42m   TV-G   2018

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Scrooge: A Christmas Carol

The classic story is now a vivid animated musical, perfect for sharing with the whole family. Ebenezer Scrooge (Luke Evans), a miser, rejects his nephew’s invitation to Christmas dinner, feeling no love for the holiday. But this Christmas takes a supernatural turn as the ghost of Scrooge’s deceased business partner, Jacob Marley (Jonathan Pryce), visits him, warning him that if he doesn’t change his ways, he too can look forward to an eternity in chains. Three ghosts visit Scrooge over the course of the night, showing him who he used to be, who he has become, and what lies in store for him if he doesn’t change his ways. 

Scrooge: A Christmas Carol

1h 41m   TV-Y7   2022

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A Very Murray Christmas

Bill Murray — who has also played Scrooge — stars as himself in this 2015 holiday special directed by Sofia Coppola. Murray is supposed to be hosting a Christmas broadcast at the Carlyle Hotel, but a snowstorm prevents anything from going right. Not feeling much Christmas spirit himself, Murray makes his way around the hotel, running into people who share their stories or sing holiday songs with him, including Chris Rock, Jenny Lewis, and Maya Rudolph.

A Very Murray Christmas

0h 56m   TV-14   2015

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