Christmas movies are always a fantastic way to enjoy the holiday season with your friends and family. They are always heartwarming, comforting, and easy to watch, even when they aren’t going to win any Oscars. Between putting up your favorite LED Christmas lights and baking your holiday treats, make sure you find time to watch a new Christmas movie this season.
Classic Christmas movies are undoubtedly great, and for many people, they have become a holiday ritual. Chances are, you’ve seen it’s a Wonderful Life and a Christmas Carol more than a few times. However, if you keep watching the same old movies every year, without branching out, you might be missing out on something great that can become a new holiday classic for you and your family.
There are several Christmas movies from the past few years alone that are fantastic, and always worth a watch. Some of them use your favorite Christmas tropes while others go out of their way to break from the traditional Christmas movie formula. Either way, you’ll be sure to find more of the Christmas spirit in each of these films. Let’s count down the six best Christmas movies from the past couple of years.
<h3>#6: Noelle (2019)</h3>
Noelle follows the story of Santa Clause’s daughter Noelle, played by Anna Kendrick. Noelle’s brother Nick, who is training to become the next Santa, finds the holiday season to be stressful and uncomfortable. It’s Noelle’s job to spread the Christmas spirit for everyone in the North Pole. When Nick goes missing, Noelle must track him down so that operations on the North Pole can continue.
Noelle is a fantastic option for families with younger children and isn’t particularly long. It brings in many of the basic elements you’ll find in other Disney films, but the studio wraps them up with a charming turn from Anna Kendrick. The movie was directed by Marc Lawrence, and also stars Bill Hadar and Billy Eichner. You can find this heartwarming flick over on Disney+.
<h3>#5: The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)</h3>
The most recent on-screen iteration of the Nutcracker features creative world-building, fun performances from Kiera Knightley and Morgan Freeman, and, as is to be expected, an outstanding musical experience. While it certainly isn’t the best Christmas movie on this list, it’s still worth a watch for its inventiveness alone. Mackenzie Foy, whose claim to fame started with the 2014 film Interstellar, makes for a fun and insightful protagonist.
The movie borrows points from the recent Alice and Wonderland films and creates an imaginary world in which every traditional element from the original story, from nutcracker soldiers to sugar plum fairies, is given some new context or additional backstory. The film was directed by Lasse Hallström and Joe Johnston. You can find The Nutcracker and the Four Realms on Disney+.
<h3>#4: Once Upon a Deadpool (2018)</h3>
If you’re looking for a Christmas movie that isn’t really a Christmas movie, Once Upon a Deadpool is the movie for you. While this isn’t an entirely new movie- in fact, the majority of the film is a re-edit of Deadpool 2- there’s still plenty of Christmas-themed jokes to enjoy here. Rather than the usual R rating in the rest of the Deadpool series, Once Upon a Deadpool is rated PG-13. While this changes some of the original movie’s tone, there’s still plenty to enjoy here.
Once Upon a Deadpool (and Deadpool 2) stars Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, and Morena Baccarin. The movie was directed by David Leitch. You can find the movie streaming on Amazon, iTunes, or Google Play. Make sure to stay until the end of the credits.
<h3>#3: The Grinch (2018)</h3>
In the 2018 version of The Grinch, the straightforward story from Dr. Suess is updated with celebrity voice acting, impressive animation, and a few extensions from the original tale. While it may not quite stack up against the classic appeal of the original film, it is debatably more rewatchable. Benedict Cumberbatch takes over the role of the Grinch and gives a more in-depth look at the Grinch’s (literal) change of heart. You can definitely skip the song at the end of the credits, though.
The Grinch is available through iTunes, Amazon Prime, and Google Play. It was directed by Scott Mosier and Yarrow Cheney and features performances from Pharell Wiliams, Angela Lansbury, and Rashida Jones.
<h3>#2: Klaus (2019)</h3>
Klaus is a wonderfully charming holiday movie fit for the entire family. The film comes from Spain, but as it was released on Netflix, the entire movie is actually in English. The story follows Jesper, a postmaster who travels to a small town for his work. On the edge of town, he meets Klaus, a woodsman who spends much of his time making handcrafted toys. Jesper and Klaus work together to spread the Christmas spirit and post as many toys as they can before the 25th of December.
Klaus is directed by Sergio Pablos and stars Jason Schwartzman, J.K. Simmons, and Rashida Jones. You can watch the movie at any time over on Netflix.
<h3>#1: Anna and the Apocalypse (2017)</h3>
Anna and the Apocalypse is a unique multi-genre film that’s perfect for the holiday season. It’s a creative and outlandish blend of musical numbers, zombies, high school drama, comedy, and Christmas. The title character, played by Ella Hunt, leads a group of friends through the undead apocalypse while dispatching zombies with a giant candy cane and occasionally bursting into song. There are plenty of silly moments, some ridiculous combat, and a pitch-perfect ending that you definitely wouldn’t find in a Disney film.
You can find Anna and the Apocalypse on Hulu, Amazon Prime, or iTunes. In select countries, such as the United Kingdom and Australia, you can also find an extended cut of the film. The film is rated R, and there might be a few elements that would be scary for younger kids. If you’re looking for a modern film that will refresh your queue of Christmas movies, Anna and the Apocalypse is a great place to start.