17 Cheerful Movies to Stream This Holiday Season
21st December, 2021
Lifetime
Spice up your classic holiday movie list with some amusing and joyful movies on streaming platforms this holiday season. ‘Tis the time to binge watch!
It’s time to grab a cup of eggnog or hot chocolate and curl up in front of your tele! The holiday season is here, and what better way to celebrate it than watching Christmas-themed movies. And as much as we adore the classics, some new Christmas cheer is due! With some predictable yet cute storylines, refreshing perspectives, and heart-thawing warmth, we present to you some must-watch movies to add to your holiday movie list.
_-_Netflix_f1_1640074563.jpg)
Father Christmas Is Back (2021) – Netflix
Things get quite awkward when an estranged father of four grown-up daughters shows up for Christmas celebrations after decades. Father Christmas Is Back is a lighthearted comedy flick that uncovers the long-buried secret that broke up the family many years ago. The film became instantly popular following its release in November, thanks to the star-studded cast of Elizabeth Hurley, Kelsey Grammer, and Caroline Quentin. If you missed it then, stream it now!
_-_Netflix_f1_1640074562.jpg)
A Castle for Christmas (2021) – Netflix
If you’d like to treat yourself to a feel-good rom-com this festive season, turn on Netflix and play A Castle for Christmas. The film features actress Brooke Shields as best-selling author Sophie Brown, who travels all the way to Scotland to escape the scandal involving her last book. Love and antagonism await her there, all in the form of an ill-tempered duke.
_-_Netflix,_Amazon_Prime_Video_f1_1640074565.jpg)
Snowbound for Christmas (2019) – Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
Romance, comedy, and Christmas cheer — Snowbound for Christmas has it all and makes for a wonderful holiday flick! It tells the story of a brilliant marketing executive, Rachel, and her charming but stern boss, Adrian, both of whom get snowed in at a posh resort right before a big business meeting. Will the sparks flying be too much to handle? The answer to that question is right on Netflix!
_-_HBO_Max_f1_1640074562.jpg)
8-Bit Christmas (2021) – HBO Max
If you struggled to get your hands on a highly sought-after toy as a child, this humorous and heartfelt movie is sure to make you nostalgic. Set in the 1980s, it tells the story of a 10-year-old grappling with all kinds of situations to acquire the latest and greatest video-game system for Christmas—the Nintendo. Narrated by HIMYM star Neil Patrick Harris, 8-bit Christmas premiered on HBO Max on November 24.
Black Friday (2021) – Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video
As if Black Friday isn’t stressful enough for retail workers, this movie heightens the tension to another level by inserting zombies into the mix. Employees of a store find themselves battling against some surprisingly (and unexpectedly) aggressive hordes of zombified holiday shoppers, thanks to an alien parasite. Will all of them survive to celebrate Christmas? This horror-comedy flick is already out on streaming services for you to find out!
_-_Netflix,_Amazon_Prime_Video_f1_1640074562.jpg)
An Elf’s Story – The Elf on the Shelf (2011) – Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
Looking for a short but inspiring movie to watch with your children on Christmas night? This animated film tells the story of a young Scout Elf named Chippy, who’s been assigned a challenging task by Santa: restoring a boy’s (Taylor McTuttle) belief in the magic of Christmas. When he runs into seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Chippy needs a little bit of holiday magic himself!
_-_Netflix_f1_1640074563.jpg)
Elf Pets – Santa’s St. Bernards Save Christmas (2018) – Netflix
They say the magic of Christmas works only as long as one believes in it! Perhaps there’s no better testament to that than this short, 26-minute animated film on Netflix. When Santa learns that the town of Bellville lacks the Christmas spirit, his scout elves and St. Bernard puppies set out on a mission to change the whole community for the better. The tale is full of heartwarming messages that complement the holiday season perfectly.
_-_Netflix_f1_1640074565.jpg)
My Dad’s Christmas Date (2020) – Netflix
If there’s one thing people like to do on Christmas, it’s to make their loved ones happy! My Dad’s Christmas Date is a father-daughter dramedy, wherein a daughter tries to cheer up her father by creating an online dating profile — without his knowledge, of course. What follows is some unexpected meetings and a lot of hilarity! Watch this movie on Netflix today.
_-_Netflix_f1_1640074565.jpg)
The Claus Family (2020) – Netflix
This Dutch-Belgian movie sees a young boy named Jules find out that his grandfather, who suddenly fell ill before Christmas, is the real Santa Claus. Expected to help the elves deliver gifts all over the world, Jules has to combat his hatred for the festival, and saving the forthcoming Christmas turns out to be a handful for Santa. It’s a warm family film perfect for the holiday season.
_-_Netflix_f1_1640074562.jpg)
A Boy Called Christmas (2021) – Netflix
‘Tis name, A Boy Called Christmas, is promising enough for us to put it on our must-watch list. Nikolas (Henry Lawfull) sets foot on a journey to find his father, who is on the hunt for a forest in a mythical city. What ensues is absolute holiday magic! Also, the storyteller talks about Father Christmas, which is always an added bonus for us.
_-_Lifetime_f1_1640074564.jpg)
Holiday in Santa Fe (2021) – Lifetime
A rare gem among the streaming platform’s holiday cheers is Holiday in Santa Fe. With the passing away of his father, Tony Ortega (Mario Lopez) and his family are having a hard time emotionally. Amid that, Belinda Sawyer (Emeraude Toubia), a potential rival, makes things more complicated. But with the holiday season, sparks are flying everywhere. Could these two find love?
_-_Lifetime_f1_1640074566.jpg)
Under The Christmas Tree (2021) – Lifetime
Another entrant from Lifetime’s fresh batch of holiday movies is Under the Christmas Tree. An LGBTQA+ friendly movie is a rare find when it comes to holiday-centric movies; thankfully, that’s not the case anymore. Charlie meets Alma after finding the perfect Christmas tree. Only, the tree isn’t in a store; it is in Alma’s backyard.
_-_Netflix_f1_1640074564.jpg)
Love Hard (2021) – Netflix
Natalie Bauer (Nina Dobrev), an unlucky LA resident, is bound on an adventure to the East Coast to surprise a guy she has never met. The delightful movie has a great storyline and will definitely be a great addition to your all-time Christmas favorites! Will Natalie find love on the East Coast, or will things take a different turn? Find out on Netflix.
_-_Netflix_f1_1640074566.jpg)
The Princess Switch 3 – Romancing a Star (2021) – Netflix
Most of us remember Vanessa Hudgens as the girl next door from the High School Musical franchise. The next best image for us is her appearance in the Princess Switch movies. This time, lookalikes Margaret and Stacy turn to Fiona (who also looks exactly like them) to find a priceless relic. If you haven’t watched the movies yet, take a chance this season. We promise you’ll enjoy every bit of it!
Home Sweet Home Alone (2021) – Disney+
We have never missed the chance to rewatch any movies from the Home Alone franchise. Albeit biased, this is one of our most anticipated movies this holiday season. Like all the Home Alone movies, we’ll see a mischievous kid, Max Mercer (Archie James Yates), fighting off thieves who are looking for a precious heirloom while he is left home alone! Turn on Disney+ and binge away!
Silent Night (2021) – AMC+
If you belong to the group of people that are sick and tired of having to face another week or hour of the classic feel-good movies, you are just in luck. Thanks to movies like Silent Night, there are a handful of out-of-the-box films to keep you from overdosing on love. Nell (Keira Knightley) and Simon (Matthew Goode) organize a Christmas get-together, but everything isn’t as perfect as it seems.
A Jenkins Family Christmas (2021) – BET+
For a dose of reality, love, loss, and all things that are associated with family, A Jenkins Family Christmas is available on BET+. Families are complex, and so are the arguments and disagreements that they bring along. This winter, invite your beloved siblings who you cannot stand, reminisce about all the fights you got into, and learn a lesson or two through this movie.
