Whether you’re after some heartwarming holiday season classics, a Christmas comedy or a brand new festive film, our guide lists some of the best Christmas films and where you can find them. So, sit down with a hot chocolate and turn on your Christmas lights as we go over how and where to watch Christmas movies online from anywhere.
There are more Christmas films around than you can wrangle with a candy cane. Finding old Christmas movies online or knowing which new ones to add to your list can be tricky. While we can’t possibly list every single Christmas movie there is, we hope we can bring you a little holiday magic right up until Christmas morning (or maybe longer).
One thing to note is that streaming services are usually geoblocked, meaning you can’t access them if you’re not in the country where they’re available. Thankfully, a top VPN can help you bypass any restrictions. If you need a quick recommendation to get you started, we suggest using NordVPN.
Where To Watch New Christmas Movies in 2024?
While you can check TV channel schedules for their festive Christmas movie lineups, Christmas films are also merrily sprinkled across different streaming services. Some can be found on multiple platforms, while for others, you’ll need a specific subscription to watch. If you’re looking for where to stream a specific movie, we recommend that you search for the title on this page.
On top of the timeless classics, many platforms release new Christmas movies each year. You can see some of those listed below.
New Christmas Movies in 2024
‘That Christmas’ – Dec. 4
A small seaside town gets hit by a terrible snowstorm, altering everyone’s plans for the festive season and even Santa makes a mistake. The townspeople’s interconnected stories share feelings of family, love and loneliness over the festive period, and how it’s ok for holiday traditions to change. You can watch this on Netflix.
‘Red One’ – Dec. 12
When winter witch Gryla kidnaps Santa from the North Pole, an E.L.F. (Extremely Large and Formidable) operative and an accomplished tracker have to find Santa in time to save Christmas. ‘Red One’ was released in theaters on Nov. 15, but it became available to stream on Amazon Prime Video on Dec. 12.
‘An Almost Christmas Story’ – Nov. 15
‘An Almost Christmas Story’ is a cute, animated short film exclusive to Disney+. It follows Moon the owl, who gets stuck in the Rockefeller Plaza-destined Christmas tree. When Moon tries to escape, he meets a little girl named Luna. Together, they go on their own adventure.
‘Meet Me Next Christmas’ – Nov. 6
On a quest to meet with the man of her dreams, Layla needs to get hold of tickets to a sold-out Pentatonix Christmas Eve concert and seeks help from a personal concierge service to get some. ‘Meet Me Next Christmas’ is available on Netflix.
‘Dear Santa’ – Nov. 25
A young boy sends a letter to Santa, but a spelling mistake means it’s sent to the wrong person. Jack Black plays Satan Claus, who’s come to wreak havoc this Christmas. You can find this movie on Paramount+.
‘The Merry Gentlemen’ – Nov. 20
‘The Merry Gentlemen’ is a romantic holiday film on Netflix. A Broadway dancer puts on an all-male show in the hope of saving her parents’ small performing venue and falls for someone in the process.
‘Our Little Secret’ – Nov. 27
Lindsay Lohan stars in this Netflix movie as Avery. She’s spending Christmas with her partner’s family, only to find out that her ex is now dating her partner’s sister. Bring on the awkwardness.
‘Nutcrackers’ – Nov. 29
Ben Stiller stars in ‘Nutcrackers’ as the Uncle who finds himself as the main caregiver to his three orphaned and boisterous nephews. Stream ‘Nutcrackers’ on Hulu.
‘Carry On’ – Dec. 13
If you’d prefer to watch a thriller/action movie this Christmas, check out ‘Carry On’ on Netflix. A passenger blackmails an airline security guard to let him smuggle a mysterious package onto the flight on Christmas Eve.
‘Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story’ – Nov. 30
In one of this year’s new Hallmark Christmas movies, we follow Alana, a Kansas City Chiefs fan who’s trying to win the Fan of the Year Award for her family, but ends up falling in love in the process.
‘Hot Frosty’ – Nov. 13
In a nod to the original ‘Frosty the Snowman’ movie, ‘Hot Frosty’ sees a widow bring a handsome snowman to life, helping her find love again. This is available on Netflix.
‘Best Christmas Pageant Ever’ – Nov. 8
Six siblings who don’t have the best reputation sneak into a Church looking for snacks but end up volunteering for the lead roles in the town’s Christmas Pageant. ‘Best Christmas Ever’ was released Nov. 8 and is still in theaters. You can, however, rent the movie on certain platforms, such as Amazon Prime Video.
Where To Watch Classic Christmas Movies?
Classic Christmas movies will always be part of people’s holiday movie marathons. The comedy from the likes of ‘National Lampoon‘ and ‘Elf’ will never get old. Here are some of the best classic Christmas movies and where to watch them.
- ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’ (1989) – Max (U.S.)
- ‘The Polar Express’ (2004) – Max (U.S.)
- ‘Miracle on 34th Street‘ (1994) – The Roku Channel (U.S., free)
- ‘Love Actually‘ (2003) – Netflix (Australia & New Zealand)
- ‘Elf’ (2003) – Max (U.S.)
- ‘A Christmas Story’ (1983) – Max (U.S.)
- ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ (2000) and ‘The Grinch‘ (2018) – Max (U.S.)
- ‘Home Alone‘ (all) – Disney+
- ‘Gremlins’ (both movies) – Max (U.S.)
- ‘The Muppets Christmas Carol’ (1992) – Disney+
- ‘The Santa Clause‘ (1994 + other movies) – Disney+
Where To Stream Hallmark Christmas Movies?
Hallmark Christmas movies are known for their romantic stories, often with a heartwarming and humorous journey. If you’re wondering where to watch Hallmark Christmas movies, you can subscribe to Hallmark itself and watch all the movies there. Alternatively, streaming services like Netflix, Max, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV have Hallmark movies.
- ‘A Biltmore Christmas’ (2023)
- ‘Three Wise Men and a Baby’ (2022)
- ‘Three Wiser Men and a Boy’ (2024)
- ‘Take Me Back for Christmas’ (2023)
- ‘The Holiday Stocking’ (2022)
- ‘The Holiday Sitter’ (2022)
- ‘Ghost of Christmas Always’ (2022)
- ‘Holiday Mismatch’ (2024)
Where To Watch Claymation Christmas Movies?
Claymation is basically clay animation. Movies like ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas‘ use this film style. Here’s a list of some of the best known Christmas claymation movies and where to stream them.
- ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ (1964) – Amazon Prime Video (buy/rent)
- ‘The Little Drummer Boy’ (1968) – Hulu (U.S.)
- ‘Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town’ (1970) – Hulu (U.S.)
- ‘The Year Without a Santa Claus’ (1974) – AMC+ (Prime U.S.)
- ‘Rudolph’s Shiny New Year’ (1976) – AMC+ (Prime U.S.)
- ‘Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey’ (1977) – AMC+ (Prime U.S.)
- ‘Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July’ (1979) – AMC+ (Prime U.S.)
- ‘Jack Frost’ (1979) – Amazon Prime Video (U.S.)
- ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ (1993) – Disney+
- ‘A Miser Brothers’ Christmas’ (2008) – Amazon Prime Video (buy/rent)
- ‘Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas’ (2021) – Netflix
- ‘Robin Robin’ (2021) – Netflix
- ‘An Almost Christmas Story’ (2024) – Disney+
Best Christmas Movies on Netflix
Netflix has some great Christmas movies available, some being Netflix originals. Here are some of the top Christmas films on Netflix U.S.
- ‘Klaus‘
- ‘Scrooge: A Christmas Carol’
- ‘A Boy Called Christmas’
- ‘Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey’
- ‘Falling for Christmas’
- ‘Best.Christmas.Ever!’
- ‘The Christmas Chronicles’
Christmas Movies on Hulu
Like Netflix, Hulu has a large number of Christmas movies available. Here are some of the best you can find on the platform.
- ‘Frosty the Snowman’ (1969)
- ‘Jack Frost’ (1998)
- ‘Elf’ (2003)
- ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ (1994)
- ‘A Christmas Carol’ (1984)
- ‘Jingle All the Way‘ (1996)
- ‘The Polar Express’ (2004)
- ‘Die Hard’ (1988)
- ‘Fred Claus’ (2007)
- ‘A Christmas Switch’ (2018)
- ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’ (1989)
- ‘Deck the Halls’ (2006)
Christmas Movies on Max
Max is known to have a large library of blockbusters, and it doesn’t disappoint on the Christmas front either. Here are some of the best Christmas movies on Max this year.
- ‘A Christmas Story‘ (1983)
- ‘A Christmas Carol’ (1938)
- ‘Krampus’ (2015)
- ‘Gremlins‘ (1984)
- ‘Prancer: A Christmas Tale’ (2022)
- ‘A Christmas Mystery’ (2022)
- ‘Last Christmas’ (2019)
- ‘8-Bit Christmas’ (2021)
Where To Watch Christmas Movies for Free?
If you’re after a bit of free festive streaming, there are plenty of movies available on legal free streaming platforms. Here are some of the best we found. If you’re not in the correct country, you can use a VPN to gain access — we show you how further down.
- ‘Nativity’ (2009) – BBC iPlayer (U.K.)
- ‘Christmas With the Kranks‘ (2004) – CTV (Canada)
- ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ (1947) – Pluto (U.S.)
- ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ (1994) – The Roku Channel (U.S.)
- ‘The Holiday‘ (2006) – CTV (Canada)
- ‘Buttons: A Christmas Tale’ (2018) – BBC iPLayer (U.K.)
- ‘The Snowman’ (1982) – My4 (U.K.)
- ‘The Snowman and the Snow Dog’ (2012) – My4 (U.K.)
- ‘Scrooged’ (1988) – My4 (U.K.)
- ‘Adam Sandler’s Eight Crazy Nights’ (2002) – CTV (Canada) — Hanukkah
- ‘Arthur Christmas’ (2011) – CTV (Canada)
- ‘Santa Claus: The Movie’ (1985) – CTV (Canada)
How to Watch Christmas Movies Free Online With a VPN
Whichever streaming service you want to access, a VPN can help you if you’re not in the correct country. In this example, we’ll show you how to watch ‘The Polar Express’ on Netflix Australia using the best streaming VPN, NordVPN.
- Sign Up for a VPN
Sign up for NordVPN. It has an affordable two-year plan and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Install the VPN
Download and install the VPN app on your device. Then, open the app and log in.
- Connect to an Australian Server
Use NordVPN’s map or server list to connect to a server in Australia.
- Go to Netflix Australia and Stream The Polar Express
Go to Netflix and sign in, search for ‘The Polar Express’ and start streaming.
The Best VPNs to Stream Christmas Movies Online
If you want to access a streaming service in another country, you need to choose a VPN with fast speeds and the ability to unblock your chosen service. All of the VPNs below are capable of this.
- NordVPN — Has some of the fastest speeds and an easy-to-use interactive map with plenty of servers. The two-year plan is affordable and there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee. Read our NordVPN review for more details.
- Surfshark — An excellent VPN with plenty of features but at an affordable price. It can access streaming services too. There’s a 30-day money-back guarantee and you can read our Surfshark review for more details.
- ExpressVPN — A premium VPN that provides a great service, but at a higher cost. It’s great for streaming, though, and you can try it with the 30-day money-back guarantee. Read our ExpressVPN review for more details.
Best Free VPN to Stream Christmas Movies: PrivadoVPN
If you want a free VPN, we recommend using PrivadoVPN. It has unlimited data, although your speeds will be capped after 10GB each month. You also get access to servers in 10 countries, including the U.S., U.K. and Canada, and it can access streaming services easily. Read more about the service in our PrivadoVPN review.
Final Thoughts
Whatever your December plans — a Christmas Eve charity ball, fancy corporate Christmas retreat or just baking Christmas cookies and gingerbread house building — now you know where to find lots of different movies to bring a little Christmas magic through December (and longer). Remember, if you’re not in the correct country for the film or platform you want to access, you can use a VPN to change your location.
NordVPN is the best option for this, and with its 30-day money-back guarantee, you can take it for a spin risk-free.
What’s your favorite Christmas movie? Do you prefer comedies or romantic films? If you need a VPN to access them, which one do you use? Let us know in the comment section. Thank you for reading, and Happy Holidays — Merry Christmas.
FAQ: Stream Christmas Movies
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There isn’t really one place to watch Christmas movies, but some good options are Netflix, Max and Hulu. Each of those has a great selection to suit all ages.
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There are a few places you can find Christmas movies, such as PlutoTV (U.S.), BBC iPlayer, ITVX and My4 (all U.K.), and CTV in Canada.
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Yes, there are plenty of Christmas movies on Netflix, including some Netflix originals. ‘Klaus,’ ‘A Boy Called Christmas’ and ‘The Christmas Chronicles’ are just some examples.
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Netflix, Hulu and Max have a large selection of Christmas films available. You can also find some on Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video.
