Ring in the holiday season by streaming these festive films.
If if seems like the holiday season gets a little earlier every year, you may not be wrong. In 2021, the Hallmark Channel, that bastion of cheer, launched its „Countdown to Christmas“ holiday film lineup Oct.22. The channel planned to air new holiday flicks every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, all the way through the yule. All of these holiday movies have a Rotten Tomatoes score of 50% or higher. That means a handful of fan favorites didn’t make the cut. Despite being beloved among audiences, movie critics haven’t felt particularly jolly about „Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,“ „Eight Crazy Nights,“ “ Hebrew Hammer “ and „A Madea Christmas.“ So while they won’t be making an appearance on this list of the best holiday movies, they are getting an honorable mention for adding some ha (or, dare we say, ho-ho-ho?) to your holidays. Find out where festive film classics such as „Elf,“ „Home Alone“ and more rank on Santa’s cinematic „nice“ list, and we’ll even fill you in on where you can stream each movie, if it’s streaming. Note: All scores and streaming outlets were accurate as of publication. The 2006 Nancy Meyers romantic comedy stars Kate Winslet, Jack Black, Cameron Diaz and Jude Law. The Philadelphia Inquirer called the film „a fizzy champagne cocktail that provides a pleasant buzz, many smiles, and Jude Law with the role of his career.“ This title is available on Amazon Prime Video and Hulu. „Like the meal itself, the movie’s both filling and familiar,“ a review from Entertainment Weekly said of the 2000 Thanksgiving movie about four Los Angeles families. The film is streaming on Amazon Prime Video, and stars Alfre Woodard, Mercedes Ruehl, Kyra Sedgwick and Julianna Margulies. This 2005 movie about the misadventures of bringing a new romantic partner home for the holidays stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Dermot Mulroney, Diane Keaton, Luke Wilson and Claire Danes. Stream this title on Amazon Prime Video. „‚This Christmas‘ is not your typical family holiday movie, and thank goodness for that,“ San Francisco Chronicle critic G. Allen Johnson wrote. „It’s warm, witty and alive, with a fantastic cast and a belief in its characters that transcends its formulaic tendencies.“ The 2007 film stars Laz Alonso, Regina King and Chris Brown. Stream this title on Amazon Prime Video. Queen Latifah stars in this 2006 remake of the 1950 Alec Guinness film of the same name. The actress plays a saleswoman who quits her job to live her dreams after she is diagnosed with a terminal illness. The Chicago Sun-Times said the movie, which you can stream on Vudu or Amazon Prime Video, „plays like a hug.“ „Director Robert Zemeckis once again harnesses a new technology to an engaging fable in this digitally animated adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg’s holiday tale,“ the Chicago Reader wrote of this 2004 Tom Hanks-led motion-capture holiday movie. It’s streaming on HBO Max or Amazon Prime Video. John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale star in this 2001 romantic comedy set in snowy New York in the days leading up to Christmas. The Los Angeles Times called the film a „spun-sugar confection that’s so light and airy it threatens to simply float away.“ This title is available on Paramount+, Netflix or Amazon Prime Video. „The latest animated iteration of Christmas‘ most famous nemesis might not be strictly necessary, but it’s still pretty fun – and revamped just enough to feel fresh,“ Entertainment Weekly said of the 2018 movie remake of the classic Dr. Seuss Christmas tale. This title can be streamed on Vudu. Director Ike Barinholtz stars alongside comedian Tiffany Haddish in this 2018 Thanksgiving satire movie. Chicago Sun-Times film critic Richard Roeper called the movie „worth the risk-reward ratio.“ Stream it now on Amazon Prime Video. „The movie, which is about the Thanksgiving family reunion from hell, is not exactly a comedy and yet not a drama, either. Like many family reunions, it has a little of both elements, and the strong sense that madness is being held just out of sight,“ Roger Ebert wrote about this 1995 holiday movie directed by actress Jodie Foster. This title is available on Amazon Prime Video through Oct 31,2021. This 2003 rom-com has an all-star cast, including Bill Nighy, Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley, Emma Thompson, Colin Firth and Alan Rickman. An AV Club reviewer said the film, which follows various Brits during the holiday season, „provides enough happy endings to make the audience forget that romance and Christmas miracles don’t always work out.“ It’s on Amazon Prime Video. This Christmas movie stars Macaulay Culkin as a boy who must defend his family home from bandits after his parents leave him (you guessed it) home alone. The 1990 film was called „the first Christmas black comedy for children“ by the New York Times. See it on Disney+. Looking for a creepy Christmas movie? The Los Angeles Times said that this 2015 horror film „has enough personality and ambition that it could easily become an annual tradition for those who prefer ‚Silent Night, Deadly Night‘ to ‚It’s a Wonderful Life.'“ The film is available on Hulu or Amazon Prime Video. This 1989 holiday comedy about the Griswold family’s (Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Juliette Lewis, Johnny Galecki) yuletide shenanigans was called „the only modern Christmas comedy which really stands up to repeat viewings“ by Time Out. The film is available on HBO Max or Amazon Prime Video. Kurt Russell plays Santa Claus in this 2018 holiday action movie.
