The Ultimate Christmas Watchlist to Get You into the Christmas Spirit
By Lily-Anne Waywell 21 December 2021
Image Courtesy of Alamy
The festive season is upon us and we’re here to get you into the Christmas spirit with the ultimate Christmas watchlist. From magical movies to cosy TV specials, we have a little something for everyone.
Starting off with our top ten Christmas movie recommendations:
Elf
Elf is a light-hearted comedy starring Will Ferrell as Buddy the Elf. A human adopted by elves from the North Pole, Buddy knows nothing of the outside world - only the life of Christmas and prepping for the big day. However, on the day Buddy learns he is not an elf, he is determined to find his real family and fit into contemporary urban life in the Big Apple.
The Santa Clause
Transport yourself back to 1994, with this family favourite. Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) is a regular human tasked with donning the clothes (and responsibilities) of the big red man. In an entertaining, comedic fashion, Scott struggles to uphold the role of Santa whilst keeping his identity secret from his family of non-believers. Nostalgic, original, and family-friendly, The Santa Clause contains all the ingredients of a Christmas classic.
Watch The Santa Clause on Disney +
The Polar Express
On Christmas Eve, several children are selected to undergo a fun, yet dangerous adventure to the North Pole via steam train. The familiar festive themes of friendship and self-discovery occupy this modern classic, but what sets it apart from its competitors is its stunning festive visuals as the first all-digital capture film. Check out our full review of this bizarre, yet entertaining Christmas addition.
Home Alone
As children, we all imagined what it would be like to be left home alone - free from rules, overbearing parents and aggravating siblings. 8-year-old Kevin is granted that wish when his preoccupied (some might say negligent) family accidentally leave him behind when they take a trip to Paris for the winter holidays. The novelty soon wears off as Kevin is tasked with protecting the family house from the opportunistic ‘Wet Bandits’ Harry Lyme (Joe Pesci) and Marv Murchins (Daniel Stern). Home Alone is an entertaining question that brings the question of what would you do if burglars arrived at your door on Christmas Eve?
Watch Home Alone on Disney +
A Christmas Carol
The options are bountiful when it comes to watching the Christmas Carol. You can go for the Muppets Christmas Carol, Mickey’s Christmas Carol, Steven Knight’s TV adaptation of a Christmas Carol, the classic 1938 version, or Disney’s Christmas Carol starring Jim Carrey – to name but a few. Regardless of which adaptation you choose each film triumphantly re-imagines Charles Dicken’s classic tale of haunting and self-reflection. Ebenezer Scrooge ventures into his past, present and future to reveal his coming fate resulting from his cruelty and misery. Will these series of events succeed in changing Scrooge in time for Christmas?
Watch Disney's A Christmas Carol (2009) on Disney +
The Holiday
This year celebrates 15 years since the release of The Holiday. Fans of writer/director Nancy Meyers (It’s Complicated and The Parent Trap) will enjoy this Christmas addition to Meyers’ filmography. Two romantically challenged women opt for a change of scenery when they agree to swap homes for the holidays. Will they find what they’re looking for far from home? Watch and find out.
Watch The Holiday on Netflix
Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas
Now, there is a bit of debate over whether The Nightmare Before Christmas is a Christmas movie or a Halloween movie. On the one hand, Tim Burton’s nightmarish animation style, coupled with Halloween imagery and Danny Elfman’s dynamic score pleads its case onto any Halloween watch list. On the other hand, the movie is undoubtedly centred around Jack Skellington’s discovery of Christmas town and this fascination with Christmas that leads him to embody Sandy Claws himself. The Nightmare Before Christmas is a great movie for Christmas Eve that deviates from the traditional light-hearted themes of family, romance, and self-discovery.
Watch Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas on Disney+
Dr Seuss’ the Grinch
Who doesn’t love Christmas? Apparently, nobody but Scrooge and the Grinch. Dr Seuss’ tale follows an orphaned Who that struggles with the idea of Christmas and its accompanying themes of family, friendship, and love. His anger and hatred continue to grow until the Grinch decides to steal Christmas. There are a few options when deciding how to watch The Grinch this Christmas: you can either watch the noughties classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas starring Jim Carrey or the 2018 animated picture The Grinch voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch. Both are equally comedic; however, the prior is certainly more ruthless than its modernized (and arguably sanitized) counterpart.
Love Actually
Love Actually is an anthological Christmas rom-com that follows the lives of eight couples as they struggle with love and relationships during the Christmas season. This Christmas film is a funny (and sometimes heart-rendering) Christmas favourite that is great to watch in the days leading to Christmas. If the plot doesn’t entice you, perhaps the largest celebrity cast of the decade might! Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Keira Knightley, Emma Thompson, Bill Nighy, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Martin Freeman, Rowan Atkinson… I challenge you to name a stronger showcase of British acting talent.
Watch Love Actually on Netflix
Gremlins
A Christmas classic straight from the imagination of director Steven Spielberg; Gremlins is a usual cautionary tale on pet ownership infused with Christmas spirit. Staggeringly, Billy’s father is undeterred by the previous owner's profuse warnings not to expose it to light, not to let it encounter water; and above all, never feed it after midnight. A testament to any parent that’s told their child they’re not responsible enough to own a pet, Billy fails to follow these rules and Christmas is quickly ruined as the Gremlins begin to invade the town. Will Billy manage to save Christmas from the Gremlins, or will they wreak havoc on the fictional town of Kingston Falls?
Christmas Specials
Image Courtesy of the BBC
If you don’t have time to watch a full movie or simply prefer TV shows, why not try some of these TV Christmas specials:
Doctor Who:
- ‘The Christmas Invasion' (S02 E00)
- ‘The Runaway Bride’ (S03 E00)
- ‘The Voyage of the Damned’ (S04 E00)
- ‘A Christmas Carol’ (S06 E00)
- ‘The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe’ (S07 E00)
- ‘The Snowmen’ (S07 E06)
- ‘Last Christmas’ (S09 E00)
The Big Bang Theory:
- ‘The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis' (S02 E11)
- ‘The Maternal Congruence’ (S03 E11)
- ‘The Santa Simulation’ (S06 E11)
- ‘The Cooper Extraction' (S07 E11)
- ‘The Holiday Summation' (S10 E12)
How I Met Your Mother:
- ‘How Lily Stole Christmas' (S02 E11)
- ‘Three Days of Snow’ (S04 E13)
Friends:
- ‘The One with the Monkey' (S01 E10)
- ‘The One with Phoebe’s Dad’ (S02 E09)
- ‘The One Where Rachel Quits’ (S03 E10)
- ‘The One with the Inappropriate Sister’ (S05 E10)
- ‘The One with the Routine’ (S06 E10)
- ‘The One with the Holiday Armadillo’ (S07 E10)
- ‘The One with Ross’s Step Forward’ (S08 E11)
- ‘The One with Christmas in Tulsa’ (S09 E10)
Full House:
- ‘Our Very First Christmas Show' (S02 E09)
- ‘A Very Tanner Christmas’ (S06 E12)
- ‘Arrest Ye Merry Gentlemen’ (S08 E11)
- ‘Last Christmas’ (S09 E00)
New Girl:
- ‘LAXmas' (S04 E11)
Modern Family:
- ‘Undeck the Halls' (S01 E10)
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air:
- 'Deck the Halls' (S01 E15)
- 'Christmas Show' (S02 E13)
- 'Twas the Night Before Christening' (S04 E13)
Black Mirror:
- ‘White Christmas' (S02 E04)
Community:
- 'Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas' (S02 E11)
- 'Regional Holiday Music' (S03 E10)
The Office (US):
- ‘Christmas Party' (S02 E10)
- ‘A Benihana Christmas’ (S03 E11)
- ‘Moroccan Christmas’ (S05 E11)
- ‘Secret Santa' (S06 E13)
- ‘Classy Christmas' (S07 E11)
- ‘Christmas Wishes’ (S08 E10)
- ‘Dwight Christmas’ (S09 E09)
Parks and Recreation:
- ‘Citizen Knope' (S04 E10)
- ‘Ron and Diane’ (S05 E09)
- ‘Christmas Scandal’ (S02 E12)
Happy Endings:
- ‘Grinches Be Crazy' (S02 E09)
- ‘No-Ho-Ho’ (S03 E07)
The Goldbergs:
- ‘A Christmas Story' (S03 E10)
- ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’ (S05 E10)
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