Without a doubt, one of my favorite things about the holidays is Christmas movies. While I wonโt start to put up any decorations until at least the beginning of December after my birthday, itโs never really TOO EARLY for Christmas movies. So when November rolls around, and the cheesy Hallmark movies are available, they are on my TV.
As with anything in life, there are binge-worthy Christmas movies, and there are bad ones. So here is a rundown of just some of my top picks for great Christmas movies to binge-watch. Snuggle up indoors with blankets, hot cocoa, and treats, and enjoy!
The Snowman
One of my earliest childhood memories is of my mom playing the music from The Snowman by Raymond Briggs to help me sleep when I was really little. I’m pretty sure that my first ever Christmas stocking was The Snowman with a miniature stuffed toy snowman. I also had mugs, and Christmas ornaments and I just LOVED that snowman.
My birthday is exactly a month before Christmas so my mom even made me a snowman birthday cake one year. It’s been part of my Christmas traditions my entire life and in fact, I still have some of my snowman collection including a musical ornament. If I am ever lucky enough and blessed to have a child of my own this is a tradition that I will pass down to them.
If you have never seen it, I encourage you to watch this beautiful short animation.
Santa Claus The Movie
This is the other great Christmas movie to binge-watch that I have grown up watching every year. I was 4 years old when it was released so I’ve watched it every year since I was tiny. I won’t say how many years that is…
As far as I am concerned David Huddleston is THE movie Santa Claus of all time. He is just exactly how I would envisage Claus to be.
If you have never seen this movie, the basic storyline revolves around an elf called Patch played by Dudley Moore. In ancient times, a man called Claus delivered toys to the children in his small village and became Santa Claus in the North Pole. Fast forward to the present day and poor Santa is overworked, and Patch flees the workshop and unknowingly threatens the fate of Christmas by taking a job at a toy company run by a scheming businessman.
Rent or buy Santa Claus: The Movie 25th Anniversary Edition
Love Actually
“If you look for it, I’ve got a sneaky feeling you’ll find that love actually is all around.”
One of the quintessentially British Christmas classics has to be Love Actually. Since its release in 2003, I have watched this movie at least once or twice every Christmas, and it always made me feel all the feels. So I had to include it in my list of great movies to binge watch. Get tissues at the ready!
The characters, the music, the script, I just love this movie. 100% I am Natalie.
And although I have watched it countless times, I always cry with Emma Thompson. I think every woman has had practice at crying privately in their bedrooms and then putting on a fake smile to go out. We get skilled at gathering up the broken pieces of our hearts and hiding them away in a drawer.
…and just once can a handsome man turn up at my door with a sign saying ‘To Me, You Are Perfect’ sigh.
The Holiday
I love this movie. Whenever I watch it, it just sparks my wanderlust.
There is just something charming about this festive rom-com. It tells the story of two women who fed up with their lives decide to trade places for Christmas. On paper, this movie probably shouldn’t work but I think it’s the way that the storyline of Jude Law and Cameron Diaz in a cute English country cottage is interwoven with Kate Winslet’s experiences in LA that makes it so enjoyable.
As someone who usually spends Christmas completely alone, I just love the idea of disappearing for a month somewhere entirely different. So it’s something I ponder each year as December starts to roll around, and then remember how expensive it is to travel at Christmastime,
Bridget Jones’s Diary
Although Bridget Jones isn’t necessarily an obvious British Christmas movie, it has to be included in my Christmas movies to binge watch list. Firstly, in many ways, I am a brunette Bridget Jones. Secondly, I am confident that women around the world can relate to her. Thirdly it is set over Christmas and New Year after all.
This romantic comedy-drama about twenty-first-century dating is a classic chic flick for the holidays. Will it be the wonderfully stuffy, uptight, and oh-so-serious English gentleman Mark Darcy or the dashingly charming total player Daniel Cleaver?
..and this film (and book) is just so well written that I could do an entire blog post just on the best quotes from Bridget Jones.
“December 25, weight 140 pounds plus 42 mince pies. Alcohol units, oh, thousands.”
Rent or buy Bridget Jones’s Diary
The Family Stone
This all-American comedy-drama features an ensemble of familiar faces including Diane Keaton, Luke Wilson, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Dermot Mulroney.
It’s an entertaining Christmas movie about an annual holiday gathering of an unconventional New England family. A story of the relationships, secrets, and love of the Stone family.
Die Hard
This is sometimes controversial but I am definitely in the camp that thinks it is not Christmas unless Die Hard has been watched.
For me, it’s a nice break from all the typical sappy Christmas movies, and I do love a good action movie. I know that many think it isn’t a Christmas movie but it does literally start at a Christmas party. You’ve got festive music, unwanted visitors, snow falling, a custom Christmas sweater, and family bickering…all standard ingredients of the festive holidays.
Has anyone not seen this movie at least once? This is Bruce Willis at his best for sure.
Elf
This had to make my list of best Christmas movies because it is one of my go-to’s over the festive period if I’m feeling sad. It’s just such a happy and silly film that you can’t help but be cheered up by it.
Buddy the Elf is human, he’s just been raised amongst the elves at the North Pole, so he goes to New York to try and find his dad,
If you struggle with the festive season, and just need something lighthearted, it’s a great Christmas movie to binge-watch with festive treats.
The Nightmare Before Christmas
“What’s This? What’s This? There’s Color Everywhere! What’s This? There’s White Things In The Air! What’s This?”
Thereโs just something really special about beautifully done animations. This dark-fantasy musical about a messed up Halloween and Christmas merger tells the story of Jack Skellington from Halloween Town who becomes obsessed with Christmas and kidnaps Santa Claus.
Rent or Buy The Nightmare Before Christmas
Home Alone
โGuys, Iโm eating junk and watching rubbish! You better come out and stop me!โ
Another highly entertaining must-watch Christmas classic. It is pretty heavy on the slapstick comedy, but there is a sentimental Christmas message about family in there too.
A Bad Mom’s Christmas
This is a great highly entertaining Christmas movie. It’s the sequel to the 2016 movie Bad Moms
One for the ladies, it’s about 3 underappreciated and overburdened moms rebelling against the challenges and expectations of Christmas while hosting their respective mothers when they come to visit.
Really fun movie that will give you a laugh. If the festive season is a struggle, or you’re a mom yourself, I’d recommend adding this to your list of Christmas movies to binge-watch.
Rent or buy A Bad Mom’s Christmas
All Hallmark Christmas Movies…Ever!
Is it even Christmas without watching at least one or two cheesy, sickly sweet, and completely unrealistic romantic Hallmark Christmas movies!?!
Although they all remind me of my singledom and give me unrealistic expectations about men, I just find these happy-ever-after Christmas movies with familiar faces strangely comforting – and so easy to binge-watch.
Anyone else been guilty of spending an entire day or two watching nothing but Hallmark Christmas Movies!?!
I hope this list has given you some great ideas for movies to keep yourself entertained! Have I missed any Christmas movies that you love? Let me know in the comments!
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I love watching cheesy, unrealistic Hallmark romances during winter :-). It’s not the holidays without them… โค๏ธ๏ธโค๏ธ๏ธโค๏ธ๏ธ
Even though I know all the dialogue of home alone I still watch it!
Me too! There are so many movies I know off by heart but just always enjoy watching ๐
The Snowman was my fav growing up!!