Best Christmas films on Netflix, Disney Plus and Amazon Prime

Little Women (2019), Netflix / Amazon

Oh, to return to those sublime, halcyon days of Christmas 2019. Greta Gerwig’s stunning adaptation of Little Women is set in the 1860s, but – in its release – reflects a nostalgic time before masks and guidelines.

Gerwig gives Louisa May Alcott's pleasantly rural and classically American tale a modern, non-linear twist. Returning to those contagiously creative March sisters Jo (Saoirse Ronan), Amy (Florence Pugh), March (Emma Watson) and Beth (Eliza Scanlen) in 19th-century Massachusetts, the film straddles different time periods. It mostly tracks Jo, an aspiring author: jumping between her adolescence and her adulthood. Also stars Timothée Chalamet as Laurie, Laura Dern as Marmee March, and Meryl Streep as Aunt March.

Single All the Way, Netflix

Being single any day of the year can be tough (as well as wonderful, let’s not forget), but it’s even tougher during the various 'big days'. Valentine’s Day, obviously; birthdays; New Year's Eve…

And for the recently single Peter (Michael Urie) in Single All the Way, it’s Christmas he dreads the most – mainly because his family is desperate for him to find someone. After a prospective relationship falls through, he decides to take his best friend Nick (Philemon Chambers) back home instead. But after Peter's mother attempts to set him up with other men, his family realise he has a deeper connection with Nick. Jennifer Coolidge stars.

Happiest Season, Amazon

Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis star as Abby and Harper, a loving couple on the road to marriage – Abby's even planning to propose on Christmas Day. But when they decide to spend Christmas at Harper’s family home, Harper drops an awkward bombshell: she hasn’t come out to her family yet. The couple have to spend the holidays pretending that, actually, they’re just friends…

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Last Christmas, Netflix / Amazon

Like Mariah Carey and The Pogues and Shakin’ Stevens, George Michael is vital for the Christmas playlists. And in the 2019 Emma Thompson-scripted film Last Christmas, Michael's songs power the soundtrack.

Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke trades her armour and dragons for a depressing Elf costume. Here she plays the 26-year-old Kate, an assistant at an all-year Christmas shop in Covent Garden. She’s fallen on hard times: couch-surfing, avoiding friends and family, never maintaining a relationship. But then she meets Tom (Henry Golding), a strapping young man who seems to suddenly appear and disappear without explanation.

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The Holiday, Netflix / Amazon

Two women are having a difficult festive season, and decide to do something about it. A tale of cross-continental heartbreak and festive happy coincidences, The Holiday is one of Nancy Meyers' (The Parent Trap, Something's Gotta Give) crowning moments. Forget the plot, and enjoy the unashamedly soft performances of Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jack Black and Jude Law for a holiday escape to remember.

The Man Who Invented Christmas, Amazon

As there are many versions of A Christmas Carol, why not brush up on the real history of Charles Dickens (Dan Stevens here), and the inspiration for Ebenezer Scrooge? Featuring Christopher Plummer and Jonathan Pryce, The Man Who Invented Christmas takes a meta-trip down memory lane.

The Muppet Christmas Carol, Disney Plus

Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge is one of the most inspired castings in film history, made all the more perfect with the presence of Muppets. Charles Dickens’ classic Christmas story has been adapted, remade, and revamped so many times that a Muppet version was inevitable and welcome. But would Kermit and Miss Piggy have predicted its success as a universal Christmas favourite? Maybe not, but the silly musical numbers and hilarious puppetry makes it a must-watch for this holiday season.

The Nightmare Before Christmas, Disney Plus

Before Tim Burton decided to specialise in unworthy Hollywood remakes, he was an amusingly dark force in cinema. He made disturbing fairytales like Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands, creating strange worlds with a loving yet spiky embrace. Although it was the stop-motion animator Henry Selick who directed The Nightmare Before Christmas, you can feel Burton’s pulsing influence in its character and décor. It's a scarier take on the hopeful holiday season.

Elf, Amazon

Of all the times Will Ferrell has made us laugh, one of the most memorable has to be with his spaghetti breakfast as Buddy Hobbs, the human who has lived his life as one of Santa's elves. Jon Favreau's comedy is endlessly quotable and Zooey Deschanel cements her likability as Jovie, an unfestive elf trapped in the all-too-familiar world of retail.

Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas, Disney Plus / Amazon

There are plenty of lessons to learn in Walt Disney's animated storytelling this festive season, but Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas perfects the triptych of tales with a magical Christmas spirit. Donald Duck, Goofy and Mickey and Minnie each live their own Christmases and learn the importance of patience, optimism and generosity with influences from age-old stories and a hopefulness that you just won't find elsewhere.

Miracle on 34th Street (1994), Amazon

A film cherished for its traditional Christmas spirit, Miracle on 34th Street actually has a sparkling history that precedes it. Based on the 1947 film of the same name (which won three Academy Awards), the 1994 story was another victory we owe to John Hughes. Beloved faces young and old come together, as Richard Attenborough and Mara Wilson (Matilda) learn the true meaning of Christmas together.

The Christmas Chronicles, Netflix

Kurt Russell gets his big black boots as Santa Claus, facing a couple of meddling kids on Christmas Eve to save the holiday season in The Christmas Chronicles. There's a familiar face from Big Little Lies, and a straight-talking Father Christmas to keep things fresh.

Klaus, Netflix

Netflix makes its foray into hand-drawn animation for the first time with a festive original feature, Klaus. An all-star voice cast (Jason Schwartzman, JK Simmons, Rashida Jones) tell the story of an unlikely postman working with Father Christmas himself, in beautifully visual detail.

The Polar Express, Amazon

Based on the 1985 book of the same name, The Polar Express hit the big screen in 2004 courtesy of Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future). Tom Hanks plays a grand total of six roles in the magical film retelling the journey of a young boy who takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole.

The Santa Clause, Disney Plus / Amazon

Who would have thought that the pair behind TV series Home Improvement could pull together a film series like the Santa Clause trilogy? Tim Allen stars as Scott Calvin, an ordinary man who ends up having to fill the biggest boots in the business. The suit fits all too well, and the North Pole truly sparkles.

Home Alone, Disney Plus / Amazon

Does it still need an introduction? It wouldn't be Christmas without it. And while other films come and go, there's always a place in our hearts for Home Alone – written and produced by The Breakfast Club director John Hughes. There's nothing quite like the moment Kevin McCallister realises the freedom he has.

Deck the Halls, Netflix / Amazon Prime

Hollywood heavyweights come together for a glittering, blinding comedy in Deck the Halls, an exceptionally good-looking Christmas film. The star of Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Matthew Broderick is joined by none other than Danny DeVito and Kristin Chenoweth as well as Charlotte York Goldenblatt herself – actor Kristin Davis from Sex and the City. The dark side of decorating comes out in a seriously silly buddy comedy.

Nativity!, Netflix / Amazon Prime

British filmmaker Debbie Isitt pioneered a directing style that favoured improvisation over rigid script work. Nativity! remains one of her most acclaimed films, starring Martin Freeman and Ashley Jensen (Extras). Freeman comfortably dusts off his festive comic chops as a heartbroken teacher who is somehow going to have to direct the Nativity play.

A Very Murray Christmas, Netflix

Bill Murray can't just play someone else in a Christmas film. He can't have a cameo in a Christmas film. Bill Murray has to have his own Christmas film. An SNL-style mishmash of everyone who's anyone, from George Clooney and Jason Schwartzman, to Miley Cyrus and Maya Rudolph, the film was directed by Sofia Coppola (The Virgin Suicides, The Beguiled) and features musical numbers (a Murray special of Jingle Bells, a Miley Cyrus cover of Silent Night) as well as Murray's trademark dry humour. It's too good to be true – but then it is the season of giving, after all.

It's A Wonderful Life, Amazon

Italian American film director Frank Capra changed the face of Hollywood in the 1930s with titles including It Happened One Night and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Today, It's A Wonderful Life remains one of our greatest Christmas classics and one of the greatest films ever made, full stop. (This runs contrary to its initial reception in 1946, which was somewhat muted.) Even Capra screened the film for his family every Christmas.

Love Actually, Netflix / Amazon

It would have been rude not to, really.