OK, here’s the deal ― we all know that a Netflix Christmas film is unlikely be racking up award nominations any time soon, although let’s be honest, we’re not here for cinematic credentials.
But if you’re fan of a festive romcom, a good helping of cheese and having your heart warmed over the holidays, then there is absolutely an argument to be made for adding some of the streamer’s offerings into your regular Christmas film schedule.
Luckily, we have worked our way through Netflix’s “Festive Favourites” category so you don’t have to, and separated the bad from the so-bad-it’s-good.
Here, are five Christmas films actually worth watching:
Christmas with You
While there is nothing ground-breaking about the plot, Christmas with You is sprinkled with just enough festive wholesomeness to make it worthy of its spot in Netflix’s “charming” category.
The film is centred around middle-aged pop star Angelina, who is asked to write a Christmas song to give her career a boost. Lacking in inspiration and running out of time, she logs on to TikTok where she sees young fan Cristina’s plea to meet her, so she heads off to the suburbs with her manager in tow, just as a huge snow storm hits.
That’s how she meets Miguel, Cristina’s widowed father and the local music teacher, who helps her write her Christmas song and whose humble family life offers her some welcome respite from the bright lights of the city.
Cue a wholly predictable, but nevertheless enjoyable love story that will have you rooting for the inevitable happy ending.
Love Hard
OK, so the acting verges on cringeworthy at times, and the "I’ve been cat fished but am finally realising what’s been right in front of me all along" storyline has been done to death, but Love Hard earns a place in this list thanks to some key moments ― like when the two lead characters, played by Nina Dobrev and Jimmy O Yang, update the lyrics to controversial Christmas song Baby, It’s Cold Outside for a charming duet ― that add up to make a heart-warming watch.
The story follows unlucky-in-love Natalie (Dobrev) as she flies halfway across the country to surprise Josh (Yang), a stranger, she has be speaking to on a dating app, only to discover he’s not quite who she thought he was. However, when she learns the man of her dreams really does live in the small town, she agrees to stay and allow Josh to help set them up.
Naturally, it’s not plain sailing, and as everyone’s lies unravel, a few home truths are realised.
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
I’ll be honest, I assumed this one was purely for children, but this joyful, fun-filled musical is just as magical for adults. Jingle Jangle falls somewhere between The Greatest Showman and A Christmas Carol, and follows the story of a once joyful toymaker, deceived by his apprentice, who finds new hope when his bright young granddaughter appears on his doorstep.
With a cast featuring Forest Whitaker, Hugh Bonneville, Keegan-Michael Key and an adorable debut from Madalen Mills, who steals the show as Journey, it’s an impressive ensemble.
With catchy songs, colourful visuals and likeable characters, viewers watch as Journey manages to thaw the heart of her estranged grandfather, and help him recover some of the magic he had long lost, leading to the kind of heart-warming Christmas miracle every good festive film should end on.
The Christmas Chronicles
After its release in 2018, The Christmas Chronicles was deemed an instant classic, and in true Netflix style, spurred a sequel, which fails to live up to the magic of the first.
The film follows the story of siblings Kate (Darby Camp) and Teddy (Judah Lewis) Pierce, whose Christmas Eve plan to catch Santa Claus (Kurt Russell) on camera turns into an unexpected journey that most kids could only dream about.
Russell’s joyous portrayal of Santa is one of the best in recent memory, and this heart-warming festive tale is enough to thaw even Scrooge’s heart.
Holidate
This is definitely one that falls into the ‘so-bad-it’s-good’ category. But if you are looking for an easy watch and few festive laughs, it ticks the boxes.
Sloane (Emma Roberts) is tired of being the only single person at family Christmas gatherings, while Jackson (Luke Bracey) is tired of women he is dating expecting too much from him over the holidays. When the pair meet in the queue to return unwanted Christmas gifts after another disastrous year, they hatch a plan to be each other’s "holidate" – a completely platonic +1 to all holiday-themed events for the year, without any expectation or communication for the rest of the year.
We can all see where this goes, but that doesn’t mean there’s not fun to be had along the way.
