Need help finding the best Christmas movies to stream this year

Mac
1

I’m trying to plan a cozy holiday movie night and feel overwhelmed by all the streaming options. I’d love recommendations for the best Christmas movies currently available on major platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and Prime Video, especially family-friendly classics and newer favorites. What are your must-watch holiday films to stream and where can I find them?

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Here’s a pile of Christmas movies I’ve actually curled up with, plus how I beam them from my MacBook to the TV without fighting with HDMI cables.

Steal the Naughty List

This one feels like someone mashed up a heist movie with a dollar-store Christmas card, in a good way.

You get a couple of well-meaning screwups trying to outplay a very non-traditional Christmas “villain.” Nobody’s reinventing cinema here, but if you want:

  • Zero homework
  • A plot you can follow while scrolling your phone
  • Jokes that land often enough to keep you awake

…it does the job. It’s the kind of movie you put on when you’re half buried in blankets and half buried in snacks.

Let It Snow

If you’ve ever wanted to live inside one of those cozy winter posters people hang up in office cubicles, this is that, but with dialogue.

Picture:

  • Small town
  • Heavy snow
  • A bunch of stories that crash into each other once the weather turns

It’s not deep, but it’s warm in that “everyone keeps bumping into each other at the local diner / coffee shop / random snowy street corner” way. Perfect background for wrapping gifts or scrolling for last-minute presents you swore you’d buy earlier.

A Christmas Prince

This is the cinematic equivalent of hot cocoa from a mix: you already know what it tastes like, and that’s exactly why you make it.

It hits all the expected beats:

  • Journalist meets royalty
  • Big, shiny castle dressed within an inch of its life in garlands
  • Awkward moments, sweet moments, predictable ending

If you want comfort and zero emotional risk, this is it. You already know how it ends, but that’s kind of the point.

A Very Jonas Christmas Movie

This feels like getting invited to a chaotic family Christmas where everyone knows the inside jokes except you, and somehow you’re still having fun.

What you get:

  • A lot of music
  • Festive chaos and sibling snark
  • Heartwarming stuff woven between the jokes

It doesn’t try to be serious prestige anything. You just hang out with a fictionalized version of the Jonas crew while they stumble through holiday drama and sing their way out of it.

The Knight Before Christmas

Premise is wild but it leans into it so hard that it works.

A medieval knight gets dropped into modern-day Ohio right before Christmas, and he has to figure out:

  • Cars
  • Coffee
  • Romance
  • The entire concept of the 21st century

You’re not watching this for historical accuracy. You’re watching it because watching a knight try to operate in a grocery store in December is weirdly satisfying. Light, fluffy, and very “one more cookie won’t hurt.”

The Holdovers

Okay, this is where the tone shifts a bit.

This one goes for something more grounded:

  • A strict, burnt-out teacher
  • A student stuck at school over break
  • A cook working through her own grief

All marooned on campus while everyone else has gone home. It’s set around the holidays but it’s more about people trying to figure out how to live with what they’ve lost and what they’ve done.

It’s funny in a dry, “I probably shouldn’t laugh but I am” kind of way, and then suddenly hits you with a scene that sits in your head for days. Definitely more of a “put your phone down and actually watch” movie.

The Noel Diary

This is for the people who like their Christmas movies on the quieter side.

The setup:

  • Writer comes back home
  • Old memories start kicking the door down
  • A diary helps untangle some family history
  • There’s romance, but it’s not yelling for attention

It’s slow, in a deliberate way. Soft lighting, careful pacing, holiday touches around the edges instead of shoved in your face. If loud Christmas comedies aren’t doing it for you, this is the reset button.

How I Stream These From My MacBook to the TV

If you’re like me and your TV remote has more streaming buttons than you’ll ever use, but you still somehow end up with the movie on your MacBook instead, here’s what’s been working: I use Elmedia Player.

What it’s been good for:

  • Plays random file formats without throwing a tantrum
  • Streams to the TV using AirPlay, Chromecast, or DLNA
  • No noticeable stutter once it’s going, even on longer movies

My usual setup is:

  1. Open the movie in Elmedia on the MacBook.
  2. Make sure the TV and Mac are on the same Wi‑Fi.
  3. From within Elmedia, select the TV (AirPlay / Chromecast / DLNA, whatever your TV supports).
  4. Hit play and toss the MacBook on the coffee table.

Once it’s running, it mostly behaves itself so you can focus on arguing about which Christmas movie to put on next.

2 Likes
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If you’re overwhelmed, same. The trick is to pick a vibe first, then a platform. @mikeappsreviewer already hit the lighter Netflix stuff, so I’ll throw in some other angles and a few I’d pick instead of his list for a real cozy night.

1. Core comfort rewatches

Disney+

  • Home Alone / Home Alone 2
    These still hold up. If you only pick one “classic,” I’d honestly grab this over most newer Netflix fluff.
  • The Muppet Christmas Carol
    Way better than it has any right to be. Great if you’ve got mixed ages watching.
  • The Santa Clause (1 only, tbh)
    Perfect background for snacks and gift wrapping.

Hulu / Hulu with Live TV

  • Elf (sometimes rotates, but if it’s there, watch it first)
    Ideal if your group has very different tastes. Almost nobody hates Elf.
  • The Holiday
    Cozy, slow, and very “I want to move to a small village and wear sweaters.”

2. Netflix picks that actually work for movie night

I’d skip some of the Hallmark-wannabes and go with:

  • Klaus
    Best animated Christmas movie in years. Looks gorgeous, feels classic already.
  • Jingle Jangle
    Bright, musical, over the top. Great if you want something big and festive.
  • The Christmas Chronicles
    Kurt Russell Santa is weirdly fun. Family friendly but not totally brainless.
  • The Noel Diary
    @mikeappsreviewer already mentioned this, and for once I agree completely. Quiet, emotional, and not aggressively cheesy.

Honestly, I’d pick Klaus + The Noel Diary for a perfect double feature.

3. Disney+ deep holiday mood

If you want “decorations-on, cocoa-in-hand, phone mostly down” energy:

  • Noelle
    Goofy but charming. Good middle ground between kid movie and adult watchability.
  • Godmothered
    Not strictly Christmas, but wintery and wholesome enough to scratch that itch.
  • The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
    If your crowd usually rolls their eyes at Hallmark style movies, throw this on.

4. Hulu & others for something different

Hulu’s kind of a wildcard because the catalog rotates a lot, but if they’re there:

  • Happiest Season
    Queer Christmas romcom, messy in parts but feels more real than the royal fluff stuff.
  • Love Actually
    Extremely chaotic, kind of problematic, still somehow works as a group watch.

If you have HBO Max / Max too, I’d honestly ditch half of Netflix’s catalog for:

  • A Christmas Story
  • National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
    Both are great for a louder, laugh‑heavy night.

5. Quick “programming” ideas so you don’t scroll for 45 minutes

Pick 1 from each row and call it a night:

  • Cozy animated: Klaus (Netflix) / The Muppet Christmas Carol (Disney+)
  • Classic comfort: Home Alone (Disney+) / Elf (Hulu / rotation)
  • Romcom vibe: The Holiday (Hulu/Prime) / The Noel Diary (Netflix) / Happiest Season (Hulu)
  • Offbeat: Guardians Holiday Special (Disney+) / Jingle Jangle (Netflix)

If you want ultra-simple:

  • Short night: Klaus → bed.
  • Longer night: Home Alone + Klaus + snacks you regret later.

That combo pretty much guarantees a solid cozy Christmas vibe without you getting stuck in the scroll-of-doom.

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If you’re overwhelmed, same. The trick isn’t “find the best Christmas movie,” it’s “pick a vibe and stick to it.” I’ll push back a bit on @mikeappsreviewer and @voyageurdubois: some of their Netflix picks are fun, but if you want a tight cozy night, you don’t need 20 options.

Here’s how I’d build a zero‑scroll holiday lineup across Netflix / Hulu / Disney+.

1. Warm & fuzzy comfort core

Disney+

  • Home Alone
    Still the king. Crowd‑pleaser, easy to half‑watch while refilling snacks.
  • The Muppet Christmas Carol
    Better than like 80% of “serious” Dickens adaptations. Music’s great, pacing’s tight.
  • The Santa Clause
    Just the first one. Sequel fatigue hits fast.

Hulu
Rotation is messy, but if they’re on:

  • Elf
    I’d actually start the night with this if your group’s mixed ages / tastes. Almost no one complains.
  • The Holiday
    If you want cozy-romantic, this beats a lot of the Netflix royal fluff.

2. Netflix: actually worth pressing play

I don’t totally agree with loading up on the “so bad it’s good” Netflix originals. A few are fun, but for a solid night:

  • Klaus
    Top-tier. Gorgeous animation, legit heart, funny without yelling at you. This should be mandatory at least once per December.
  • Jingle Jangle
    Big musical energy, super colorful. Awesome if you want something that feels like a Christmas decoration exploded.
  • The Noel Diary
    Slower, quieter, perfect if you want more emotional, less goofy. Put this later in the night.

If you really love the chaos stuff, then yes, layer in:

  • The Knight Before Christmas or A Christmas Prince
    They’re ridiculous, but that’s… kind of the point. One is enough, you don’t need a full royal-marathon.

3. Disney+ for “I want full holiday atmosphere”

If you’re aiming for “living inside a snow globe”:

  • Noelle
    Light, silly, but has enough charm for adults.
  • The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
    I’d pick this over a lot of standard Hallmark clones if your crowd is Marvel‑friendly. Good for people who “don’t like Christmas movies” but will watch Marvel anything.

4. Slightly less standard picks

If you want something a bit different from what @mikeappsreviewer and @voyageurdubois listed:

  • Hulu: Happiest Season
    Messy, but feels more grounded than the usual straight romcom formula. Good if your group is over the “girl meets prince from tiny fake kingdom” plot.
  • Max (if you have it): A Christmas Story / Christmas Vacation
    I’d honestly replace at least one Netflix original with one of these. They’re louder and more quotable.

5. Easy plug‑and‑play lineups so you don’t argue for an hour

Pick one row and call it a night:

Cozy + family‑friendly

  • Elf (Hulu)
  • Klaus (Netflix)

Classic + romantic

  • Home Alone (Disney+)
  • The Holiday (Hulu)
  • Optional: The Noel Diary (Netflix) if people are still awake

Goofy + offbeat

  • Guardians Holiday Special (Disney+)
  • Jingle Jangle (Netflix)
  • Then one chaos pick like The Knight Before Christmas

6. Quick tech note so the night isn’t ruined by cables

Since others already mentioned casting from Mac, I’ll just add: if you’ve got local files or random downloads, Elmedia Player on Mac is actually worth it. It eats weird file formats, and you can AirPlay / Chromecast straight to the TV without wrestling with HDMI. Open file in Elmedia Player, pick your TV, press play, done. No deep setup, no laggy nonsense.

TL;DR:

  • Decide your vibe first: classic, romcom, animated, or chaotic.
  • Limit yourself to 2 or 3 movies max.
  • Make Klaus or Elf non‑negotiable in at least one lineup.
5

Skip the endless scrolling and build a tight lineup by vibe instead of platform. I’m mostly with @voyageurdubois, @ombrasilente and @mikeappsreviewer on the “don’t overthink it” philosophy, but I’d trim a few of their picks and swap in some stronger anchors.

1. Pick Your Night’s Vibe First

Instead of “what’s on Netflix,” start with “what mood are we in?”

A. Chill Background While You Wrap Gifts

You want stuff you can miss 10 minutes of and not care.

  • Netflix

    • Let It Snow
      Light, overlapping teen-ish stories, pure wallpaper snow vibes.
    • A Christmas Prince or The Knight Before Christmas
      Choose one. They scratch the same guilty‑pleasure itch as @mikeappsreviewer described. Doubling up feels like eating two candy canes in a row.

  • Disney+

    • Noelle
      Easygoing, bright, kid‑safe, and you do not need to be fully paying attention.

B. “Everyone Shut Up And Actually Watch” Night

Here I disagree a bit with the heavy Netflix-original focus. Mix streaming platforms for quality.

  • Netflix

    • Klaus
      Non negotiable. Beautiful, clever and actually emotional. This should be the centerpiece.
    • The Noel Diary
      Slower, more adult and reflective. Great second feature once people are in a quieter mood.

  • Hulu

    • Happiest Season
      Messy characters, more grounded than the royal fluff. Use this instead of a second Netflix romcom.

  • Disney+

    • The Muppet Christmas Carol
      Still massively watchable. I’d pick this over yet another Netflix sentimental original.

C. “I Don’t Even Like Christmas Movies” Crowd

Here is where I think the others underplay the “reluctant watcher” factor.

  • Disney+
    • Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
      Short, funny, very not Hallmark.
  • Hulu
    • The Holiday when available
      Not really a Christmas movie so much as a cozy-romance that happens in December.
  • Netflix
    • Steal the Naughty List
      Heisty goofiness. Great for people who just want something mildly ridiculous in the background.

2. Readymade Double Features

If you only want 2 solid picks and you’re done:

  1. Cozy + crowd safe

    • Klaus (Netflix)
    • Home Alone or The Muppet Christmas Carol (Disney+)

  2. Romantic + mellow

    • The Holiday (Hulu)
    • The Noel Diary (Netflix)

  3. Goofy + chaotic

    • Guardians Holiday Special (Disney+)
    • Steal the Naughty List (Netflix) or The Knight Before Christmas (Netflix)

3. Streaming Setup Without Overcomplicating It

Others have already walked through how they stream from Mac to TV, so I will not repeat the same step list. Instead, here is where Elmedia Player fits into the picture and how it compares.

If you have:

  • Downloaded files
  • Mixed formats from random sources
  • A TV that supports AirPlay, Chromecast or DLNA

then Elmedia Player is a solid “hub” instead of juggling browser tabs and cables.

Pros of Elmedia Player

  • Handles lots of video formats that built in players choke on
  • Casts directly to smart TVs and streaming sticks using AirPlay, Chromecast or DLNA
  • Lets you keep the laptop off to the side while the TV does the work
  • Playback is usually smooth enough for full‑length movies so your cozy night is not ruined by stutter

Cons of Elmedia Player

  • Mac only, which is annoying if your household is half Windows
  • Advanced features may feel like overkill if you just stream from Netflix or Disney+ apps directly
  • Interface has more options than some people want for a simple “hit play” scenario

If you are just using native apps on a smart TV, you may not need it at all. But the second you bring external files into the mix or want one place to cast everything, Elmedia Player becomes very useful.

Bottom line:

  1. Decide the vibe, not the platform.
  2. Cap it at 2 or 3 titles so you actually watch something instead of arguing.
  3. Use apps like Elmedia Player only when you are dealing with downloaded files or weird formats. Otherwise, fire up Netflix / Hulu / Disney+ directly and get back under the blanket.