Best Christmas movies on Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video for kids and adults that you probably forgot about

On By Littum

Whenever the holidays roll around, people are quick to watch Christmas movies like The Grinch, Elf, Love Actually, Home Alone and Die Hard. But as you start to find your way through collections of Christmas movies on streaming sites like Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video, you might need some inspiration on what to watch beyond the more obvious choices.

From movies you haven’t seen that are perfect for kids and the whole family, to more adult options that just touch on the Christmas genre, there’s something for everyone. Here are eight Christmas movies that might not be on your radar.

Yes, you probably know this movie exists, but it’s really on this list because it really is one of the best Christmas movies to watch every holiday season and maybe doesn’t get as much attention as it should. While Tim Allen has made many Christmas films, esp Santa Claus movie, I think Christmas with the Sick is even better.

When Luther (Allen) and Nora’s (Jamie Lee Curtis) daughter is away for the holidays, the couple decide to skip Christmas this year and go to the Caribbean instead. But they planned too early, because when their daughter decides she is actually going home for Christmas, they have to rush to get ready.

A Christmas movie with Kiernan Shipka, Liv Hewson, Joan Cusack, Spider-Man star Shameik Moore and Isabela Merced, who will play Hawkgirl in the upcoming Superman movie, how could you not want to check this movie out? Based on the novel of the same name, the holiday rom-com is about a group of high school teenagers in a small town who navigate their crushes during the holidays.

I must also say that in recent years Shipka has become one of my favorite actors (look for her when The Last Showgirl will be released in January), so I’m excited to revisit everything she’s up to over the holidays.

Every year there’s a pretty robust lineup of new Christmas movies on Netflix, but I keep coming back to them Love hardstarring Nina Dobrev, Jimmy O. Yang and Darren Barnet. Dobrev’s character Natalie has been unlucky in love since moving to Los Angeles, California, but decides to have her first in-person meeting with a guy she met on a dating app over the holidays. While she thought she was talking to someone similar to Barnet’s character Tag, Natalie has actually been talking to her friend Josh (Yang).

While I understand that the premise of this film is different than most holiday films, adding this catfishing element, the real highlight is Yang’s comedic talent that will easily keep you laughing throughout the film.

Sandra Bullock, Peter Gallagher and Bill Pullman star in the holiday rom-com While you were sleeping. Lucy (Bullock), a transit worker in Chicago, is forced to work on Christmas Day, but ends up rescuing her crush Peter (Gallagher) from an oncoming train. Things get complicated when he ends up in a coma and Lucy is mistaken for her fiancé, but then Lucy begins to have feelings for Peter’s brother, Jack (Pullman).

Overall I think Pullman is a phenomenal actor who is incredibly underrated and I will always be a fan of O.C star Gallagher. Of course, Bullock is consistently a pro when it comes to a rom-com.

If you want to see something more amazing, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journeystarring Forest Whitaker, Keegan-Michael Key, Anika Noni Rose, Hugh Bonneville, Phylicia Rashad, Ricky Martin and Madalen Mills, is just what you need. Jeronicus (Whitaker) is a toymaker betrayed by his apprentice Gustafson (Key), ruining his business. But things change when Jeronicus’ grandson comes to help.

It’s a cute movie with beautiful costumes and production design that will get you in the holiday spirit.

There is a special place in my heart for Disney Channel Original Movies (DCOMs), so I will take every opportunity to put one on. IN The ultimate Christmas gift, Allie (Hallee Hirsh) and Sam (Brenda Song) are best friends living in Los Angeles and trying to get out of an assignment due right before winter break from school. When Allie stumbles upon a weather machine that actually belongs to Santa, making snow to get a snow day from school, Santa must figure out how to get his weather machine back.

Admittedly, this isn’t my favorite DCOM of the bunch, but it’s still a sweet watch for the holidays that will make you remember playing in the snow with your friends.

One of our favorite films from last year, Holdovers starring Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa and Da’Vine Joy Randolph, should become a must-watch every holiday season. It’s about a high school student in New England who has to stay on campus for the holiday break with his humble teacher and the school cook.

Giamatti, Sessa and Randolph give beautifully affecting performances in Alexander Payne’s film that has all the wit you want with an emotionally impactful story.

If you are on Anora exercise this year, you can watch another Sean Baker movie to add a little bit of Christmas to your entertainment. MandarinBaker’s 2015 indie film, shot only with iPhones, is about two transgender sex workers, Sin-Dee Rella (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) and Alexandra (Mya Taylor). It takes place on Christmas Eve when Sin-Dee finds out her boyfriend cheated on her while she was in prison, and these friends try to track him down and the girl he cheated on with.