Christmas isn't quite here yet, but that doesn't have to stop you from getting into the merry mood. In addition to splurging on festive coffee drinks and shopping for worthy gifts, you can wave...
Load up on holiday titles on Max, Disney Plus and more streaming services.
Christmas isn't quite here yet, but that doesn't have to stop you from getting into the merry mood. In addition to splurging on festive coffee drinks and shopping for worthy gifts, you can wave hello to the holidays by streaming movies and TV shows.
If you're already in Christmas mode, streaming services are a place to turn. I sifted through the seasonal fare on services like Netflix, Disney Plus and Peacock and saw tons of titles that could please crowds this season. Movies are a major source of holiday cheer, but you may find a TV show or special you want to unwrap.
Where to Stream Holiday Content
Max
Max is a place to park your sleigh if you like classic Christmas movies. Elf resides here, as does National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and A Christmas Story. On top of that, it offers the films A Christmas Story Christmas -- a sequel with Peter Billingsley reprising his role as Ralphie -- and 8-Bit Christmas -- an '80s-set comedy narrated by Neil Patrick Harris.
Thanks to Max's inclusion of programming from Food Network, you can also catch seasons of shows like Holiday Baking Championship and Christmas Cookie Challenge.
Max highlights:
Elf (2003)
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
A Christmas Story (1983)
A Christmas Story Christmas (2022)
8-Bit Christmas (2021)
The Polar Express (2004)
Arthur Christmas (2011)
A Christmas Carol (1938)
Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
Santa Camp (2022)
Holiday Baking Championship (2014–)
(Coming Nov. 30) Selena + Chef: Home for the Holidays (2023)
Disney Plus
Disney Plus lands on this streaming "nice" list for hosting Home Alone, The Nightmare Before Christmas and The Santa Clause, among other seasonal favorites. On the new content front, it's releasing a comedy starring Lil Rel Howery and Ludacris called Dashing Through The Snow. That arrives in November along with the heist movie The Naughty Nine, which is first premiering on the Disney Channel and features Danny Glover as Santa Claus.
For any Star Wars or Marvel fans, Guardians of the Galaxy and Lego Star Wars holiday specials may make your season brighter.
Disney Plus highlights:
Home Alone (1990)
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022)
The Santa Clause (1994)
The Santa Clauses (2022–)
The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special (2020)
Disney's A Christmas Carol (2009)
Toy Story That Time Forgot (2014)
Jingle All the Way (1996)
Dashing Through the Snow (2023)
The Naughty Nine (2023)
(Coming Dec. 8) Diary Of A Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever (2023)
Prime Video
One of Prime Video's shiniest offerings is a new Eddie Murphy-led Christmas comedy called Candy Cane Lane, which debuts on the first day of December. The streaming service also has an assortment of movies from Christmases past, including It's a Wonderful Life, Scrooged and the R-rated action movie Violent Night.
Prime Video highlights:
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Violent Night (2022)
Your Christmas or Mine? (2022)
Scrooged (1988)
Shrek the Halls (2007)
Something From Tiffany's (2022)
Last Christmas (2019)
(Coming Dec. 1) Candy Cane Lane (2023)
(Coming Dec. 8) Your Christmas Or Mine 2 (2023)
(Coming Dec. 8) Merry Little Batman (2023)
Peacock
Peacock has at least two big things going for it this jolly season: Hallmark movies and The Grinch. If 2023 Hallmark holiday movies are what you're after, you can watch them live as they air on the East Coast with NBCUniversal's streaming service. You can also stream them during a 72-hour period that starts the day after they air.
Then there's that troublemaking green guy, the Grinch. The 1966 cartoon version and the 2018 movie from Illumination are both grumping around on the streamer.
Peacock highlights:
2023 Hallmark holiday movies
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
The Grinch (2018)
The Best Man Holiday (2013)
Almost Christmas (2016)
This Christmas (2007)
Callou's Perfect Christmas (2022)
Krampus (2015)
Genie (2023)
Netflix
Last December, rather than just binging familiar Christmas movies like Elf, Home Alone and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, I spent the season with some Netflix films I'd never seen. They included a musical starring Keegan-Michael Key, a family-friendly fantasy with Kristen Wiig and Maggie Smith, and the animated standout Klaus.
Netflix has more worthwhile titles waiting under the tree. The R-rated film Love Actually is streaming, and you shouldn't skip the classic musical White Christmas. You can also type the following into your browser, <http://www.netflix.com/browse/genre/INSERTNUMBER> and change the last part to the Netflix code 1394527 or 1474017 to see the corresponding collections Romantic Christmas Movies and Christmas Kids & Family Movies.
Netflix highlights:
Klaus (2019)
Love Actually (2003)
White Christmas (1954)
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020)
A Boy Called Christmas (2021)
Who Killed Santa? A Murderville Murder Mystery (2022)
The Noel Diary (2022)
Dash & Lily (2020)
The Christmas Chronicles (2018)
Nailed it! Holiday! (2018)
Best. Christmas. Ever! (2023)
(Coming Nov. 30) Family Switch (2023)
(Coming Nov. 30) The Bad Guys: A Very Bad Holiday (2023)
Hulu
Hulu took its festive selection up a notch on Nov. 23, when Elf, The Polar Express and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation debuted on the service. You can also celebrate the season with Die Hard, The Muppet Christmas Carol and Miracle on 34th Street.
Hulu highlights:
Elf (2003)
The Polar Express (2004)
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
Die Hard (1988)
The Family Stone (2005)
The Holiday (2006)
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
Happiest Season (2020)
Tubi
Fine with ads on your Christmas content? Tubi is among the services that offer titles for free with commercial interruptions. You can find options like Die Hard grouped together with other "Holiday Hits" here.
Tubi highlights:
Die Hard (1988)
A Christmas Carol (1984)
The Night Before (2015)
Tom and Jerry: Snowman's Land (2022)