Watching Christmas movies as a family is a tradition most families hold. Unfortunately, I feel like every year we're searching around trying to find what's available and where it is. So for you this year I've created a list of the best family christmas movies now streaming so you can find them easily.
Some of these are Christmas movie classics and others are new movies your family will love! These Christmas movies are great for the whole family. If you're looking for Christmas movies for adults make sure you check out the Adult Christmas Movie List. And don't miss the list of New Christmas Movies Released in 2020.
Table of Contents
What I look for in a Christmas movie
A Christmas movie has to have four qualities in order for me to recommend it.
The movie has to be captivating for most the whole family. While cartoons might be exciting for the preschool set, if it isn't enjoyable for the parents I won't recommend it.
The best Christmas movies have a happy ending and a positive message. Most Christmas movies fit this criteria, thankfully.
It's important for the movie to be well made. I look for quality acting, writing, costumes, etc.
The Best Family Christmas Movies Now Streaming
Noelle (2019)
Genre: Family, Comedy
Rating: G
Cast: Anna Kendrick, Shirley MacLaine, Bill Hader, Kingsley Ben-Adir
Runtime: 100 mins
Steaming Station: Disney+
Rotten Tomatoes: 🍅 51% 🍿 57%
Noelle is the story of Santa's daughter, Noelle. Santa dies and her brother becomes Santa. He's not up for the job so he heads to Phoenix, as one does. She heads there to find him and goes on a series of comedic adventures similar to the movie Elf. It's cute and funny and the whole family will enjoy this one.
5 Star Ratings
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Originality Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Klaus (2019)
Genre: Comedy, Family, Animation
Rating: TV-PG
Cast: Jason Schwartzman, J.K. Simmons, Rashida Jones
Runtime: 98 mins
Steaming Station: Netflix
Rotten Tomatoes: 🍅 94% 🍿97%
Klaus was released last year but as you can see by the reviews it will be on everyone's list of best family Christmas movies now. It is heartwarming and funny. The whole family will enjoy this one.
5 Star Ratings
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Originality Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Elf (2003)
Genre: Comedy, Family, Adventure
Rating: TV-PG
Cast: Will Ferrell, James Caan, Bob Newhart
Runtime: 97 mins
Steaming Station: Prime Video + Hulu + YouTube Rental
Rotten Tomatoes: 🍿84%
Elf doesn't need much of an introduction! Nearly everyone has seen it and loves it. Elf is a Christmas classic for people of all ages.
5 Star Ratings
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Originality Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Christmas Story (1983)
Genre: Family, Comedy
Rating: PG
Cast: Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin
Runtime: 93 mins
Steaming Station: Prime Video
Rotten Tomatoes: 🍅 88% 🍿 89%
I looked forward to watching A Christmas Story every year when I was growing up. The tongue stuck to the light pole and the leg lamp are classic scenes but my favorite was the little brother's snow suit. It's a great one for all ages.
5 Star Ratings
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Originality Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Arthur Christmas (2011)
Genre: Comedy, Family, Animation
Rating: PG
Cast: James McAvoy, Jim Broadbent, Bill Nighy
Runtime: 97 mins
Steaming Station: Prime Video
Rotten Tomatoes: 🍅 92% 🍿76%
5 Star Ratings
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Originality Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Prancer (1989)
Genre: Comedy, Family, Animation
Rating: G
Cast: Sam Elliott, Cloris Leachman, Rutanya Alda
Runtime: 103 mins
Steaming Station: Prime Video
Rotten Tomatoes: 🍅 67% 🍿58%
This is a great movie for animal lovers. It's the story of Prancer, Santa's reindeer. It has a very 1980's feel but kids will still love this one.
5 Star Ratings
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Originality Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Midnight at the Magnolia (2020)
Genre: Romance
Rating: TV-G
Cast: Natalie Hall, Evan Williams, Alison Brooks
Runtime: 87 mins
Steaming Station: Netflix
Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer 🍅 unrated
This is a romantic (sort of comedy) Christmas movie that has nothing to do with a big city girl leaving the city to find love. It is, however, rather formulaic. This is a childhood friends to lovers story.
These friends have a morning radio show together where they talk about their lives and their dates. In order to improve their show ratings and popularity they decide to pretend to be dating.
This is a sweet, if predictable, story.
5 Star Ratings
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Originality Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020)
Genre: Family, Musical
Rating: PG
Cast: Forest Whitaker, Keegan-Michael Key, Hugh Bonneville, Anika Noni Rose, Madalen Mills, Phylicia Rashad
Runtime: 124 mins
Steaming Station: Netflix
Rotten Tomatoes: 🍅 93% 🍿 80%
Netflix's biggest holiday family release (so far) is a runaway success. The stellar cast, costumes, set design and CGI make this a fun family film. My whole family really enjoyed it.
Jingle Jangle is the story of a magical toymaker, Jeronicus, whose disgruntled assistant steals his book of inventions and becomes the number one toymaker, putting Jeronicus out of business. In a continued series of bad luck he is unable to create any more inventions and his toy shop becomes a pawn shop. Thankfully, the story doesn't end there! Our hero grows old and his granddaughter and a new assistant bring magic, invention and love back into his life.
5 Star Ratings
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Originality Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Operation Christmas Drop (2020)
Genre: Family, Romanic Comedy
Rating: TV-G
Cast: Katerina Graham, Alexander Ludwig, Virginia Madsen, Aaron Douglas, Trezzo Mahoro
Runtime: 95 mins
Steaming Station: Netflix
Rotten Tomatoes: 🍅 57%
This movie will be enjoyed by people who love military and savior type movies. It is based on Operation Christmas Drop, a joint military mission with Australia and Japan that the U.S. military has done for nearly 70 years in Micronesia. The main character is an assistant to a U.S. Congresswoman who sends her overseas to an Air Force base to write a report condemning the base and Operation Christmas Drop so she can propose closing it.
Of course when she arrives at the base she's at odds with the Captain who is giving her a tour. She is very against the base and it's humanitarian mission until she gets to know the local people and sees the magic of the islands.
This one involves a typhoon, a moral dilemma and a budding love story. It's a typical feel good, everything works out in the end, Christmas movie.
Operation Christmas Drop isn't the best Christmas movie this year but I appreciate the diversity, strong female lead and the fact that it's good for the whole family.
5 Star Ratings
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Originality Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Holiday in the Wild (2019)
Genre: Romance
Rating: PG
Cast: Rob Lowe, Kristin Davis, Fezile Mpela
Runtime: 85 mins
Steaming Station: Netflix
Rotten Tomatoes: 🍅 38%
Holiday in the Wild is about a woman (Davis) who sends her son off to college only to have her husband tell her he wants a divorce. So she goes on a two week vacation to Africa for a safari. While there she befriends a widower pilot (Lowe) and falls in love with elephants. She extends her vacation to stay and care for elephants on an elephant reserve.
This is a story of a woman who finds herself and brings joy back into her life. Of course it's a romance as well but that's a very minor element of the story.
My whole family enjoyed this one. It's quick and heartwarming.
5 Star Ratings
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Originality Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Christmas Catch (2018)
Genre:
Rating: TV-PG
Cast: Emily Alatalo, Andrew Bushell, Franco Lo Presti
Runtime: 90 mins
Steaming Station: Netflix + Prime Video
Rotten Tomatoes: 🍿67%
5 Star Ratings
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Originality Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Genre: Family, Adventure
Rating: PG
Cast: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore
Runtime: 130 mins
Steaming Station: Prime Video
Rotten Tomatoes: 🍅 94%
It's a Wonderful Life is is the ultimate Christmas classic. An angel is sent from heaven to teach Joe Bailey what a wonderful life he actually has. It's a look at the way each of our little actions effects those around us.
5 Star Ratings
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Originality Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Polar Express (2004)
Genre: Family, Adventure, Animation
Rating: G
Cast: Tom Hanks, Chris Coppola, Michael Jeter
Runtime: 104 mins
Steaming Station: Prime Video
Rotten Tomatoes: 🍅 56% 🍿 63%
Based on the classic children's book, this animated movie is a favorite of many children. A young boy goes on an adventure on Christmas Eve to the North Pole on a train. There he learns about the spirit of Christmas.
5 Star Ratings
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Originality Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
Genre: Family, Fantasy
Rating: G
Cast: Richard Attenborough, Elizabeth Perkins, Dylan McDermott
Runtime: 114 mins
Steaming Station: Prime Video
Rotten Tomatoes: 🍅 60% 🍿 62%
This remake of the classic black and white Miracle on 34th Street was a winner. Sometimes remakes aren't great but this one was great.
5 Star Ratings
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Originality Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Santa Clause (1994)
Genre: Family, Comedy
Rating: PG
Cast: Tim Allen, Judge Reinhold, Wendy Crewson
Runtime: 97mins
Steaming Station: Prime Video
Rotten Tomatoes: 🍅 71% 🍿 65%
The Santa Clause is now a classic! This is the movie of an unlikely Santa Claus bound by the Santa Clause after he accidentally kills Santa and has to take his place.
Against his will, he slowly transforms into the fat, jolly, hairy Santa over the course of a few months. It's a fun story for the whole family.
5 Star Ratings
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Originality Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Home Alone (1990)
Genre: Family, Comedy
Rating: PG
Cast: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern
Runtime: 103 mins
Steaming Station: Prime Video
Rotten Tomatoes: 🍅 65% 🍿 80%
Home Alone needs no introduction! It is now 30 years old and chances are you've seen it many times over the last three decades. Kevin McAllister and his plan to defend his home against thieves is synonymous with Christmas at this point.
5 Star Ratings
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Originality Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
Genre: Family, Comedy, Drama
Rating: G
Cast: Michael Caine, Dave Goelz, The Great Gonzo
Runtime: 85 mins
Steaming Station: Prime Video
Rotten Tomatoes: 🍅 76% 🍿 85%
This Muppet version of the Charles Dickens classic is a great introduction for children to A Christmas Carol. It must be included in any list of the best family Christmas movies best family christmas movies now.
5 Star Ratings ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Originality Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Genre: Family, Animation, Adventure
Rating: G
Cast: Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara
Runtime: 76 mins
Steaming Station: Prime Video
Rotten Tomatoes: 🍅 95% 🍿 91%
5 Star Ratings
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Originality Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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