The Best Christmas Movies to Watch This Holiday Season
Why Christmas Movies Matter This Holiday Season
As families gather around screens this December, Christmas movies have become tradition, with holiday films playing all month long whether spending time with family, friends, or enjoying solitude at home. Over 80 new Christmas movies debut this year across major streaming platforms, spanning genres from romantic comedies to family tales, crime-comedies, and animated adventures, with networks like Hallmark, Lifetime, and Netflix offering multiple original festive releases.
Classic Christmas Films That Stand the Test of Time
From ‘Home Alone’ and ‘Elf’ to holiday classics both old and new like ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ and ‘Klaus’, these films represent the ultimate nice list of great Christmas movies. Kids, teens, and adults love watching classics like ‘Elf’ and ‘Home Alone’, whilst Miracle on 34th Street, one of the highest-rated Christmas movies of all time, tells the story of a man named Kris Kringle whose sincerity as a department store Santa sparks a charming courtroom battle that puts belief itself on trial.
New Christmas Films Making Waves in 2025
Netflix’s ‘Jingle Bell Heist,’ starring Olivia Holt and Connor Swindells, makes the effort to be different and might just be the best Christmas movie on streaming so far this year. The Christmas family drama ‘Goodbye June,’ directed by Kate Winslet and starring Toni Collette, Andrea Riseborough, Timothy Spall, and Helen Mirren, streams exclusively on Netflix beginning December 12. Michelle Pfeiffer stars in a holiday film where she plays Claire Clauster, who decides to step away after one too many thankless Christmases, setting off a chain reaction that forces her family to confront their lack of appreciation.
The Enduring Appeal of Holiday Cinema
Christmas movies aren’t about spectacle or cutting-edge effects but about familiarity, tone, and hitting the right emotional notes. Most people can admit they have at least one movie they return to every December, allowing them to embrace nostalgia unapologetically and know that the most wonderful time of the year has arrived. Whether viewers prefer heartwarming family tales, romantic comedies, or even unconventional picks like action films set during the holidays, Christmas movies continue to offer comfort, hope, and the cosy feeling that everything will work out in the end.