As I begin writing this (mid-November) I have COVID … again … my third dose. Thankfully, gratefully, I’m up to date with my jabs so this time around it’s just like an awful cold with extra fatigue, lung tightness, and a brain fog I can’t write through. And the best bit? This time around I haven’t had to log in to work when I’ve been sick. Instead I’ve spent my time wisely and wallowed in Christmas movies … although I couldn’t find A Very Corgi Christmas on my streaming services (I kid you not!).
Anyways, my Christmas movie season begins on 1 November each year and now (ahem) (flicks hair dramatically) I consider myself a bit of an expert in them. So here it is, the essential guide to Christmas movies – from one who loves them in all their cheesy, magical glory. I’ve done the hard yards so you don’t have to. You’re welcome.
The Re-watchables…
Last Christmas 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄
London, a George Michael soundtrack, Emma Thompson, Henry Golding, London, Covent Garden, Henry Golding, London, and Greg Wise and Andrew Ridgely cameos. One of my top 5 Christmas movies, this movie has kicked off my Christmas movie-watching extravaganza for the last few years – and will probably get watched again on Christmas Eve. (Binge)
The Man Who Invented Christmas 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄
The story of how Charles Dickens wrote and self-published A Christmas Carol in 1843. the acting is fabulous (Christopher Plummer as Scrooge is fabulous), and this movie is now an annual must-watch. As an aside, I also listen to A Christmas Carol (as read by Hugh Grant on Audible) each year as I do my baking. (Prime)
The Holiday 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄
I’m not a massive Jack Black fan so avoided watching this one for way too long. Now it’s a Christmas classic. I want to live in Kate Winslet’s cottage. (Binge/Foxtel)
Love Actually 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄
Inevitably the first opinion pieces calling for this one to be “cancelled” have already begun to appear in the newspapers I read. Twenty years on though this remains a Christmas Eve special with way too many favourite scenes to choose from. I. Just. Love. It. (Netflix … and pretty much every free to air channel in the lead up to Christmas).
Polar Express 🎄🎅🏻🎁🦌❄️
Sarah’s favourite, I first took her to see this at the old IMax theatre in Darling Harbour when she was about 6. Sure, the characters are slightly creepy in an uncanny valley sort of way, but Tom Hanks is fantastic and this one is an annual watch in our house. (Binge/Foxtel)
Elf ⛄🎅🏻❄🦌
Another of Sarah’s faves, this one ranks highly on the cringe factor, but it’s a classic for a reason. (Binge/Foxtel)
Father Christmas Is Back 🎄🎄🎄🎄
This was easily the best of last year’s batch and one Sarah and I have decided is worthy of multiple rewatches.
Twenty-seven years ago James Christmas (Kelsey Grammar) walked out on his wife and four daughters (Joanna, Caroline, Paulina and Vicky) on Christmas Day and didn’t come back. This year the (dysfunctional) family is gathering at Caroline and her husband Peter’s Yorkshire mansion. Caroline is obsessed that everything be perfect -which is when we know they won’t be … especially when James turns up – with Jackie, his American girlfriend. Naturally much mayhem ensues and a family secret exposed. The cast is brilliant – including Caroline Quentin, John Cleese, Elizabeth Hurley and Kris Marshall – and there are heaps of laugh-out-loud moments. (Netflix)
The 2023 edition … so far …
Christmas on Mistletoe Farm 🎅🧑🎄🤶🦌
An English one for the kids. Cute animals, cute single dad doing the best he can story, cute village with plenty of knitted garments, Ashley Jenson (Agatha Raisin) as a mean boss, and a hoedown version of “YMCA”. Sure the romance part of this is wooden and awkward, but even though I’m almost 50 years older than the target audience for this one I loved it. (Netflix)
The Jones Family Christmas 🎄🎄🎄🎄🔥
The Guardian’s critic gave this one 2.5 stars, but critics and I rarely see eye-to-eye. I loved this Aussie Christmas movie with a difference. (Stan)
A Castle For Christmas 🎄🎄🎄🎄
There’s a castle in Scotland, a romance writer, a knitting group at the local village pub, and while some of her expressions seem pained, Brooke Shield’s tartan evening gown deserves a star all of its own. (Netflix)
Single All The Way 🎁🎁🎁🎁
My first LGBTQI Christmas movie and it’s a real treat. The romance is lovely, the family is lovely, but the highlight for me was the dance number to Britney Spears’ “My Only Wish (This Year)”. (Don’t tell anyone, but I found myself trying to replicate it when I was making my Christmas cake the other day). (Netflix)
Two Turtle Doves 🎄🎄🎄🎄
A big call, but (so far) this is one of the best of this year’s batch. The romance is nicely balanced, the Christmas spirit is dialled up, the story is lovely and the cheese is non-cringe. Well worth a watch (and a little happy cry).
The Fabric of Christmas 🎁🎁🎁🎁
Another winner-winner chicken dinner. A fibre artist (which I’ve learnt is someone who makes art out of fabric and fibre) and a fireman. An extra 🎁 for the wardrobe – I adore everything she wears. (Stan)
Ex-Mas 🎄🎄🎄⛄
T’was the fight before Christmas … just how good is that tag? Can I just say I enjoyed this one? Plus, it was great to see a cookie-making scene that wasn’t some cheesy romantic scene where the lead characters fall for each other over cookie dough. As an aside, what is with that? The hero sees a domestic goddess in the independent woman he’s been fighting with for the rest of the movie? Don’t get me started. Anyways, this cookie-making scene isn’t one of those ones. (Prime)
Christmas on the Farm 🎄🎄🎄
Yay an Aussie one (which gives it an extra star)! Set in Queensland! With Hugh Sheridan and Darren McMullen earning it an extra half star! (Repeated use of ! is deliberate). This one has just the right amount of cringe and some gorgeous Queensland country. (Stan)
Christmas at Pemberley Manor
Even though it’s a tad “meh” this one deserves 🎄🎄🎄 simply for the most number of references to Pride and Prejudice ever in a Christmas movie.
Set in the small town of Lambton ✅ in a part of the US where it snows a lot, the male protagonist is a billionaire named William Darcy ✅ who is spending Christmas at his country home (wait for it) Pemberley ✅ Manor. In case you’re wondering the female protagonist is Elizabeth Bennett ✅ and the mean-girl boss is Caroline Bingley ✅. The rival love interest is George ✅ and the assistant is Jane ✅ Lucas ✅ So much Austen, and so much cheese in one little movie. (Prime)
Christmas Time Is Here 🎄🎄
I loved the premise of this one – a magical Christmas watch that doesn’t work until the love of your life arrives – but the most animated the male protagonist got was in the promo pics. Don’t waste your time (see what I did there?).
A Christmas in Switzerland ⛄⛄
Full marks to this one for trying to look at though it was set in Switzerland, but that’s pretty much where it stops. The acting (especially from the male lead) is as wooden as the fake chalets and even the kids look creepily airbrushed. (Stan)
A Very English Christmas 🎄🎄🎄
I love an English Christmas market as much as the next person – those little wooden chalets selling all sorts of Christmas. There’s nothing quite like wandering around them with a mulled wine. This movie is set in one of these in a lovely village (which earnt it an extra 🎄) so I really wanted to love it. Sadly, I didn’t. I blame the mother. 2.5 stars from me (Stan)
Baking All The Way
I liked the idea of this one because it had baking in the title, was about two bakers and the search for an old recipe, and it starred the dude from Murdoch Mysteries whose name I can never remember. And it was ok. A solid 🍪🍪🍪 (Prime)
Best Christmas Ever 🎄🎄
After last year’s releases from Netflix – Lovehard and Falling For Christmas (both 🎄🎄🎄🎄) I was really looking forward to this. Really. But yeah and nah … I’ve given it 🎄🎄 for effort, but the cringe factor was too high for me to watch through to the end. A rare did not finish. (Netflix)
Christmas in Paradise
A sequel to Father Christmas is Back, this one is too new to rate (ie I’m watching it now). My only concern so far is it stars (and features songs by) Billy Ray Cyrus … watch this space for the verdict.
From the I watched so you don’t have to files…
Over the years I’ve devoured a heap of these Netflix/Hallmark romcom Christmas movies. Below are some of them.
What about you? Are you a fan of the Christmas movie? And what about Die Hard? Is that a Christmas movie?
And Anyways... 
well I think you can certainly claim the crown for Christmas Movie Queen!. I enjoy the more mainstream movie classics – The Holiday, Love Actually, Last Christmas etc but not a fan of the very cheesy ‘Hallmark’ type Christmas movies. You don’t seem to have any of the home Alone movies on your list???
I haven’t watched the original in recent years and (don’t tell anyone) while I watched the sequel, didn’t go further than that and really don’t like them. And yes, I know that’s controversial …
I think the first two are fun if you are watching with kids (I wouldn’t chose to watch them on my own) but the rest of the sequels were really poor
Hi, Jo – I am so sorry to hear that you’ve gotten COVID again. That’s so unfair. For the silverlining, I am delighted that you were able to wallow in Christmas movies without needing to worry about your day job. Although I am far from a Christmas film expert (or a film expert of any kind), I have seen a few movies that are on your list. I watch The Holiday every single year and somehow it never gets old for me. This past month, I have done some Christmas read-watch pairings. I read the novella Miracle on 34th Street and watched 1947 movie with Natalie Wood. This is one rare instance where I would say the movie (which came first) was definitely better than the book. I also read the short story ‘The Greatest Gift’ by Phillip Van Doren Stern and watched the 1946 film with Jimmy Stewart. Both were awesome, but the story about how the short story, and then the 1946 film came about, was even better!
Although I haven’t watched them yet this year, some of my other absolute favourite Christmas stories include: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (any version), Christmas with the Kranks (but I didn’t love that book either), The Muppet Christmas Carol, Scrooged, National Lampoom’s Christmas Vacation, A Charlie Brown Christmas, The Nightmare Before Christmas (this is my son’s absolute favourite Christmas movie – although his girlfriend argues that it is actually a Hallowe’en movie…whatever) and Die Hard – 1988 (yes, this seriously qualities as a Christmas film, at least to me). 😀
Would you believe I’ve never seen Miracle on 34th street? I really must rectify that. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation always reminds me of my brother – he lights a good light situation too. And, as an aside, Grant is firmly on the Die Hard is a Christmas film team too.
Die Hard? Wait, how did that get on the list? It’s definitely not a Christmas movie, IMO. The actor’s name is Yannick Bisson. Didn’t realize Murdock Mysteries was seen anywhere other than Canada. My other half loves Christmas movies, so I see or hear a few of them each year, but I’ve never seen Love Actually. Weird, hey. But also weird that you haven’t seen Miracle on 34th Street.
Sorry about the bloody Covid thing… it just keeps on giving, hey? Hope you feel better soon.
Thanks Bernie. I have to google Yannick’s name every time I see him in something so he’s always “that dude in Murdoch Mysteries” lol. Die hard is def not on my list – although my hubby believes it’s the only true Christmas movie.
Hi Jo, I’m sorry to hear you got COVID again. I hope you’re feeling better. I watched some of the Christmas movies on your list. I’m with the team who thinks Die Hard is a Christmas movie. I’ll refer to your list for movies to watch this Christmas. #WWWhimsy
Thanks Natalie, this brush with covid was the easiest yet.
Hi, I watch Xmas movies from November onwards and read books with Christmas stories. And I’m a Christmas in July movie person as well. House is decorated ,so I can enjoy all my Christmas items for the month till the big day. Have the best Christmas everyone !
Sorry to hear you got Covid again.
We’re obviously kindred spirits.
WOW. You are the fan for sure. I am writing this with my endless Christmas songs in my ears. My fave movies way back were White Christmas when I was a kid and Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer as a cartoon I remember watching with our kids. I have a Christmas tradition of watching A Wonderful Life and this reminds me it’s time to get started. Denyse x
I’ve never watched A Wonderful Life either!
It’s something I felt I need to do…like to remember all I have etc and so I now own the DVD because that is how I still watch Downton on repeat. Secret’s out now.
O.M.G!!!!!! Jo you have taken this whole Christmas movie ‘thing’ to a new level! I’ve not watched many of these you’ve mentioned apart from Love Actually which is my all time favourite move, whether it’s Christmas or not! You are the QUEEN!!
What Covid again since we last talked?
No, I had it when I first drafted this – in mid November, ie a couple of weeks ago. And yes, you can bow before my queenliness…
OMG you made me laugh! BUT first – Oh no – not Covid for the 3rd time! You poor thing but yes so nice you don’t have to worry about work. Covid might have been lighter for you this time but it still takes the shine off your wellness and the fatigue lingers so be kind to yourself and wallow around watching Christmas movies for longer yet! OMG the hair flicking and so on had me laughing out loud. I too LOVE daggy Christmas movies and your list has me so excited because I can see some I haven’t watched. Guess what I might do this afternoon. I am so exhausted though (life has been very hectic) that I might fall asleep. Oh well I can always watch again! Thanks so much for linking up with #WWWhimsy I hope you’re feeling better soon! xo
Thanks Min … and I’m glad I gave you a giggle – it was meant to be tongue in cheek 🙂
So sorry to hear you have Covid again – hope you get well soon. I can’t say we have a Christmas movie film, but we usually go to the cinema on Boxing Day – a ‘tradition’ we started in Copenhagen I think. However we always watch Sagan om Karl-Bertil Jonssons julafton you can read about it hear https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagan_om_Karl-Bertil_Jonssons_julafton
I have to say I’m not a big Christmas movie person (Die hard aside) but i did like that Jimmy O’Yang one which is quite weird because it is a little creepy and ‘wrong’. However, I still liked it. I hope you are feeling better. Or the moives are keeping you merry while feeling terrible otherwise.
oh no sorry to hear you have covid for a third time. that really sucks 🙂 all the best and yay for christmas movies! #WWWhimsy
Oh yes, but we start watching our Christmas movies Thanksgiving night. So far I’ve watched Elf, The Holiday, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Fred Clause, and have plans to watch Love Actually today while wrapping gifts. Hope you’re feeling better!!
Hi Jo,
We started watching the Hallmark Christmas Channel on Thanksgiving day, so I’m sure I’ll be seeing lots of not-so-great ones! Love Actually is a definite ever year watch for me & hubby – often on Christmas day afternoon. As I was looking at all the references recently to “best Christmas movies” I realized…. don’t think badly of me… I’ve never seen Elf! Will try and rectify that this year. Never seen The Man who Invented Christmas either… so will put that on list as well. Sounds interesting.
Here in the States, Miracle on 34th Street, It’s a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story are always on the top of lists and on TV many times over the holiday season. It took me years to see both It’s A Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story…neither are on my must-see every year list. But still, wondered why none of these found their way to you. Is Australia different?
Hoping you’re feeling better soon. Three times!?! Ouch. I friend just cancelled on an activity tonight… I think her and her husband have COVID again too. A gift that seems to keep on giving, hmm?
I’m so sorry to hear that you have COVID again, Joanne, but I am glad you are spending your down time wisely. I am indeed impressed by the sheer number of Christmas movies you have watched. My favorite Christmas movie tradition is to watch It’s a Wonderful Life on Christmas Eve after all the Christmas prep is done. Happy holidays!
You are definitely the Queen of Xmas movies Jo. I have only seen two of all these movies. The Holiday which I enjoyed and of course Love Actually, which is probably my all time favourite movie, for any of time of the year. We will be watching it before Christmas. I saw today that Eddie Murphy has a new Xmas movie out, Candy Cane Lane which sounds fun. Yes, I would say Die Hard is a Xmas movie for sure. We always watch this at Christmas time also.