From Falling For Christmas To Spirited, These Christmas Movies Absolutely Sleigh
From the return of our favorite holiday classics to new takes on A Christmas Carol, here’s some Christmas movies you don’t want to miss.
A Christmas Story Christmas
A Christmas Story has been a holiday tradition for families everywhere since the film debuted in 1983. Now nearly 40 years later, Peter Billingsley returns to the iconic role of Ralphie Parker in A Christmas Story Christmas as we see a grown up Ralphie trying to give his own family a taste of the memorable Christmases his father always gave him.
While the new film starts off a little slow, it snowballs (pun intended) successfully into the nostalgia and edginess of the original classic. While they bring new traditions and mishaps into the fold, they also deliver parallels from the first film. You’ll feel the warm fuzzies as they head back to Higbee’s and honor “the Old Man,” played by the late Darren McGavin — plus the original kid cast all return for new holiday antics.
A Christmas Story Christmas hits HBO Max on November 17.
Christmas With You
If you love a romance that finds a fed up pop star escaping her daily life to grant a young fan’s wish for the holidays, then you’ll want to check out Aimee Garcia and Freddie Prince Jr.’s new film Christmas With You. With the energy of J.Lo’s recent film Marry Me, Prince Jr does a serviceable job as a widowed father who is surprised a famous musician wants to collaborate on a song with him. Maybe the singer will find both musical inspiration… and love.
The film shines when it comes to its messaging of putting yourself out there and women supporting women. Unfortunately, the original music isn’t very strong. This is also one of the first times we’ve gotten to see Prince Jr put his Latino heritage front and center in a project, which is quite exciting. While they keep it a bit generic, it is fun to see the family keeping up with cute holiday traditions like making tamales together.
Christmas With You is streaming on Netflix.
Falling for Christmas
It’s Christmas meets Overboard in Falling For Christmas! Lindsay Lohan plays a spoiled hotel heiress who suffers from amnesia after a skiing accident and finds herself in the care of a lodge owner (Chord Overstreet) and his daughter for Christmas.
This is Lohan’s first holiday rom-com — and while the film doesn’t necessarily have the same bite as Overboard, it does lean into wholesome holiday tropes like the hometown hottie who gives back to the community, a mysterious old man who is probably Santa Claus, and even a wishing tree.
George Young, who plays her vain and social media obsessed fiancé Tad, is a stand out as he brings in a lot of zany humor. There’s no real villain in the film, instead you get to watch a young women go from an empowering journey from a spoiled, rich heiress who needs everyone to do everything for her to a more independent woman who can choose her own path.
The film also connects to Netflix Holiday Cinematic Universe, with Lohan’s character turning on Netflix to see the screen showing title cards for A Castle For Christmas, Christmas Inheritance, A Christmas Prince, The Princess Switch, Operation Christmas, and The Holiday Calendar.
Heartfelt, formulaic, and over-the-top in its humor, Falling For Christmas is a festive return to the rom-com space for Lohan.
Falling For Christmas is streaming on Netflix.
Ghosts of Christmas Always
Kim Matula stars as the Ghost of Christmas Present who must help one soul (Ian Harding) rediscover his Christmas spirit in Ghosts of Christmas Always.
Similarly to AppleTV+’s Spirited, this take on A Christmas Carol centers on the experience on the Ghost of Christmas Present and their history. With lots of layers and surprising twists, the film goes deep as it explores giving back and reconnecting with loved ones.
Ghost of Christmas Always debuted on Hallmark Channel.
Lights, Camera, Christmas!
Kimberley Sustad and John Brotherton star in a Christmas movie within a Christmas movie. A local shop owner rediscovers her passion for fashion design while working as a costumer on a holiday rom-com movie set… and finds herself falling for the film’s famous leading man.
It was fun and unexpected to see this story told in flashbacks during the premiere Q&A of My Favorite Santa and the film did a great job playing up the meta vibes. The end feels a bit rushed with only two minutes left for the leads to work through their issues for a classic holiday kiss.
All in all, Lights, Camera, Christmas! is a ton of fun as it takes us behind-the-scenes of making a Christmas movie.
The film debuted on Hallmark Channel.
Spirited
With another new take on A Christmas Carol comes Spirited. When the Ghost of Christmas Present selects a dark soul to be reformed, it leads to him examining his own past, present, and future.
With big laughs and epic spectacle song-and-dance numbers, Spirited is a new holiday classic that gives a modern and surprising twist to A Christmas Carol. Ryan Reynolds, Will Ferrell, and Octavia Spencer have great chemistry — and there are fun Easter eggs too!
Spirited is streaming on on Apple TV+.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
It’s a Mantis (Pom Klementieff) and Drax (Dave Bautista) holiday team-up in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special!
Together the duo head to Earth to find the perfect Christmas gift to cheer up Peter “Star-Lord” Quill (Chris Pratt): the legendary Kevin Bacon! It’s very entertaining to see Christmas through the eyes of space heroes who know nothing about Earth or the holiday traditions — including a wacky original Christmas song with a rock n roll edge.
Full of whimsy and heartfelt holiday cheer, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special delivers a festive treat full of adventure — and even explore a deeper connection between characters that will give you all the feels.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is streaming on Disney+.
The Santa Clauses
The original The Santa Clause film turned Tim Allen into the iconic man with a bag back in 1994, leading to two spin-off films. Now 16 years since The Escape Clause comes a TV spin-off called The Santa Clauses that finds Scott Calvin on the brink of his 65th birthday as he realizes he can’t be Santa forever. Can he find a suitable replacement Santa while preparing his family for a new adventure in the real world?
The first two episodes of The Santa Clauses bring us back into the festive Christmas world, but there’s trouble ahead for the North Pole family. Santa is losing his magic due to modern children not needing him anymore, while the kids that are left are being place on misunderstood vs naughty lists. When they bring up the idea of retirement — a new clause — It’s refreshing to see the family start digging into the mystery of the Claus families before them and Mrs Claus’s lore. There are also great nostalgic Easter eggs like seeing Santa return to the house of little Sara from The Santa Clause as an adult and Scott reuniting with an all grown up Charlie (Eric Lloyd) to talk about him taking over the family business.
All in all, while there are a bit too many cheesy Christmas puns, The Santa Clauses delivers the perfect amount of nostalgia and a new mystery to explore as they search for the perfect Santa successor.
New episodes of The Santa Clauses drop Wednesdays on Disney+.
Violent Night
Violent Night, gory night!
Stranger Things’ David Harbour stars in Violent Night, about a filthy rich family who can’t stand each other who end up getting taken hostage by home invaders on Christmas Eve. And who’s there is save little Trudy and her family? Santa Claus!
David Harbour is the perfect fit as an ass-kicking Santa Claus. Each battle gets more over-the-top and violent as it goes on with some truly unforgettable kills — with a sinister holiday twist! Little Trudy also takes inspiration from Home Alone that will have you cringing in pain in the best way. For all the gore, there is sweetness as Santa works to save little Trudy and fix her parents fractured marriage in the process. Violent Night delivers Christmas magic to the EXTREME.
See the movie in theaters starting December 2.
Well Suited For Christmas
Mercedes de la Zerda and Franco Lo Presti star in Well Dressed For Christmas. Sparks fly between a fashion designer and the city’s most eligible bachelor when she competes to make the perfect tuxedo for him for a Christmas charity gala. She learns about the man behind the image and the real reason for his charity as they fall for each other.
The film is heartfelt as opposite attract and we focus on the experience of a Latino family and foster kids, bringing in both sentimental and cultural moments for the holiday season.
Well Suited For Christmas debuted on Lifetime.
See the stars of Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas share their favorite holiday traditions, below:
