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These Are the Best Christmas & Holiday Movies on Every Major Streaming Service
We’re getting into the thick of the holiday season right now, and folks around the country are likely spending some evenings trying to figure out what Christmas movie they want to sit down and watch. There are plenty of holiday-themed movies out there, with the likes of Netflix and Hallmark releasing new options every year, but the number of genuinely great Christmas movies isn’t as high as anyone wants it to be.
Trying to track down a great holiday film is tough, especially with everything spread out between different services, but we went ahead and did the hard work for you. We went through all of the major streaming services and looked into their holiday offerings, pointing out the best that each streamer has to offer.
Netflix Christmas Movies
Unlike many of the other lineups on this list, Netflix doesn’t have a bunch of popular Christmas titles sitting around on its roster. Last Christmas is an underrated movie that’s absolutely worth watching, but almost every other worthwhile holiday offering on Netflix is an original to the service.
There are a lot of those originals to sift through, but a few of them are genuinely great. Klaus, the animated film from 2019, is the best of the bunch — and it’s not all that close. Klaus was the stiffest competition for Toy Story 4 at the Oscars that year and its animation is unlike anything else.
The Christmas Chronicles is the closest Netflix has to an actual Christmas classic. The Kurt Russell vehicle is rewatched by a lot of fans every year around the holidays and it has the same adventurous feel as something like The Santa Clause or the live-action Grinch. If you’re a fan of holiday rom-coms, the best option on Netflix is Single All the Way.
Hulu & Disney+ Christmas Movies
With how connected Hulu and Disney+ have become recently, it’s difficult to really separate them, so we’re just going to bundle them together here. If you’re subscribed to one, there’s a solid chance you’re subscribed to both, and the combination of the two provides what is probably the best Christmas lineup in streaming.
The Disney streaming bundle has all of the Home Alone movies, The Santa Clause (and both its sequels), Jingle All the Way, and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Thanks to some licensing contributions at Hulu, the pair of services also offers A Christmas Story, Die Hard, The Family Stone, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, and some of the classic TV specials.
As far as original holiday films go, most of the Disney+ fare has been underwhelming. Hulu, however, has a hidden gem in the form of Happiest Season. The holiday rom-com boasts an all-star cast that includes Kristen Stewart, Mackenzie Davis, Alison Brie, Dan Levy, Aubrey Plaza, Mary Holland, Victor Garber, and Mary Steenbergen. It’s an awesome movie with an awesome cast, and definitely worth checking out if you haven’t already.
HBO Max Christmas Movies
While HBO Max doesn’t have a huge lineup of great Christmas titles, it does have many of the “modern classics” that celebrate the holidays.
HBO Max’s biggest claim to fame on the holiday front is that it is the exclusive streaming home of Elf. If you’re a fan of Will Ferrell’s beloved Christmas movie, HBO Max is currently the only place to find it streaming (without paying to purchase or rent).
The service is also home to other classics like Christmas Vacation, The Polar Express, and A Christmas Story. You’ll also find some cult favorites like Bad Santa and Gremlins.
Prime Video Christmas Movies
The Prime Video Christmas lineup is a strange one, as it doesn’t have the amount of hits that other streamers do, but it does host a bunch of forgotten and off-the-wall specials you won’t find anywhere else.
Amazon’s streaming service has the live-action How the Grinch Stole Christmas, along with classics like It’s a Wonderful Life and White Christmas. If you want to dive a little deeper, however, you’ll find that Prime’s collection of TV specials is what makes this lineup worthwhile.
Merry Little Batman, the animated special released in 2023, is a must-watch for comic book fans. The service also hosts Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas and the holiday specials for shows like The Flintstones.
Paramount+ Christmas Movies
Paramount+ might have the lightest lineup of “good” Christmas movies on its roster. There are plenty of options on the service, but the titles worth watching are few and far between. That said, those titles are hard to find elsewhere.
Directed by Seth Kearsley
shown: Davey (voice Adam Sandler)
The Paramount streamer is home to the Bill Murray-starring Scrooged, Adam Sandler’s Eight Crazy Nights, and Planes, Trains and Automobiles.
Paramount also owns the free, ad-supported service Pluto TV, and that has a bigger selection of holiday titles. In addition to Eight Crazy Nights and Planes, Trains and Automobiles, the service also offers titles like Jingle All the Way and Trading Places.
Peacock Christmas Movies
If you’re a fan of the Grinch, Peacock is the service you’ll want to have access to during the Christmas season. The original How the Grinch Stole Christmas TV special is available on Peacock, along with the live-action remake and the 2018 animated Grinch from Illumination.
Additionally, Peacock has some of the classic TV specials, like Frosty the Snowman and Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town, as well as Rise of the Guardians and Violent Night.
The post These Are the Best Christmas & Holiday Movies on Every Major Streaming Service appeared first on ComicBook.com.
