Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

The best Christmas movies available to stream, from ‘Home Alone’ to ‘Scrooged’

It’s that time of the year again! Time to snuggle up in front of the fire with some cocoa (or some king of booze) and argue with your extended family about the merits of eggnog. Once you’ve split into your competing factions, one cradling cups of the creamy goodness, and the other scratching their heads as to why anyone would enjoy such a sickly sweet concoction, you might find yourself at a loss about what to do next. We have the answer: Watch Christmas movies, of course.

Unfortunately, as you may have noticed, it’s getting harder and harder to find your favorite movies from a streaming source — without having to pay for a costly rental, anyway. Heck, Fortune even wrote a story about the problem. But never fear, there are still some great movies full of holiday cheer that are available through your favorite streaming sites, and we’ve rounded them up for you. These are the best Christmas movies you can stream for free with a subscription (eggnog optional).

Recommended Videos

It’s A Wonderful Life

It s A Wonderful Life | Official Trailer

Jimmy Stewart plays George Bailey, a down-on-his-luck real estate developer whose suicide attempt takes a strange turn when an angel named Clarence comes calling, vowing to show George just how life would have been if he’d never been born. It’s a Wonderful Life is the most classic of Christmas classics, and no holiday season is complete until Clarence has earned his wings and you’ve spent an evening bawling your eyes out.

Amazon Prime

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

How The Grinch Stole Christmas Trailer HD

The first Dr. Seuss book to be adapted into a full-length feature film, Jim Carrey’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas has become a quintessential Christmas movie. In many ways reminiscent of the 1966 animated special, the film stars Carrey as the pessimistic, Christmas-loathing creature himself. Expanding on the classic cartoon in a way only Carrey can, the film features a few additions to the original, including a larger role for Cindy Lou, but the broader story remains whimsical and heartwarming.

Netflix

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Equal parts Halloween and Christmas movie, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas is a holiday classic for everyone. The iconic stop-motion film follows the story of Jack Skellington, a resident of Halloween Town who longs for something more. When he stumbles upon a portal to the neighboring Christmas Town, hijinks ensue as Jack tries to find the true meaning of Christmas.

Hulu

Bad Santa

If you’re forced to watch a Christmas movie, but can’t take an ample helping of the warm fuzzies, Bad Santa is your answer. This hilarious black comedy challenges the giving nature of the holidays in all sorts of ways. Billy Bob Thornton stars as a lowlife who, with the help of his elf assistant, Marcus (Tony Cox), dons a Christmas disguise in order to rob the mall where he works as a Santa. It’s pretty raunchy and definitely not a kid’s movie, but it might just be the perfect antidote to those sick of traditional Christmas cheer.

Netflix

White Christmas

Along with the eponymous song, which is one of the most famous Christmas tunes ever written, White Christmas also features a score of other toe-tapping musical numbers, excellent on-screen chemistry between all the principal players, and a fun escape to the Christmas of yesteryear. The 1954 musical, starring Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney, proves the lasting quality of Christmas movies.

Netflix

A Very Murray Christmas

A Very Murray Christmas - Trailer - Netflix [HD]

While not technically a Christmas “movie,” this Netflix special has Bill Murray making the best of a canceled production by bringing together an all-star cast to celebrate the holiday. Featuring appearances by George Clooney, Amy Poehler, Michael Cera, Maya Rudolph, Chris Rock, and many more, this musical special is the perfect homage to the Christmas variety shows of old.

Netflix

Home Alone

When the 15-person McCallister family leaves on their Christmas vacation to France in a panic, they manage to leave Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) behind. While Kevin doesn’t seem to mind the time alone, a pair of cartoonish thugs threaten to interrupt his solitude, so he sets up elaborate traps all around his house. Wholesome and lighthearted (if more violent than you might remember) Home Alone is a modern classic for the whole family.

Starz

Scrooged

Scrooged - Trailer

A self-centered and misanthropic television executive just wants to get through his live production of A Christmas Carol, but three goofy ghosts decide to show him the error of his ways. Bill Murray is at his curmudgeonly best in this modern (well, okay, ’80s) adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic, which also stars Karen Allen, Carol Kane, and Robert Mitchum, and features a whole host of celebrity cameos.

Starz

Looking for additional streaming suggestions? Lucky for you, we’ve rounded up the best movies on Netflix, HuluAmazon Prime, and HBO.

Brie Barbee
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Brie is a writer from Portland, Oregon. She received a bachelor's degree from Portland State University in 2016, where she…
The best romance movies on Netflix right now
Dustin Milligan leans in for a kiss with Lacey Chabert in Hot Frosty.

Love is in the air at Netflix, but it might just be because the streamer is dropping some of its holiday rom-coms a few weeks early. One of the latest additions, Hot Frosty, has already become an unexpected hit and the No. 1 film on the list of the most popular movies on Netflix.

The other recent addition, The Lost City, is a rom-com in the vein of Romancing the Stone. Next month could be even more Christmas-centric than November, so enjoy the non-holiday romances while you can. These films and the rest of the best romance movies on Netflix can be found below.
Need more recommendations? Then check out the best new movies to stream this week, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+.

Read more
Don’t let these 3 November 2024 hidden streaming movie gems fly under your radar
Claire Danes and Kieran Culkin as Sookie and Igby sitting on a street talking in Igby Goes Down.

November is a curious month. Spooky season is over, but Christmas season hasn't started yet. It's the middle brother, often ignored entirely by people either holding on to the fall season or those who are more than ready to bring out the Santa hats. Sure, Thanksgiving is celebrated in the final week, but that's just one country in the world; everywhere else, poor November is just the in-between month.

However, it's still a full 30-day month, and what better way to wait for Christmas than by watching some movies as underrated as the month itself? From dark and seriously messed-up comedies to awkward coming-of-age dramedies, these underappreciated streaming gems will make for perfect viewing during this cold, yet not-so-snowy month. So grab a blanket and some popcorn, and get ready to watch some severely underrated movies.
The House of Yes (1997)

Read more
The best new shows to stream on Netflix, Hulu, Max (HBO), and more
A man stands in front of a caution sign.

Last weekend was disappointingly slow among streamers, with only the season premiere of Arcane breaking up the monotony. This week, the streamers are back in force with the premieres of Cross on Prime Video, The Day of the Jackal on Peacock, and Say Nothing on Hulu.

There are even new episodes of Arcane and Cobra Kai on Netflix, but don't get too comfortable with all of this new content. The onslaught of programming is bound to slow down in the waning weeks of 2024, so enjoy it while you can.

Read more