9 of the best films to binge watch this Christmas

Christmas classics

Bring in the blankets, put on your comfiest loungewear, and stick the popcorn in the microwave because it’s time to put on the classics! These films have been personally tried and tested and we’re confident that they’ll give you all the festive feels in this last stretch before Christmas.

Home Alone

A classic for a good reason, we wouldn’t consider Christmas complete without a little havoc from Kevin, and with 6 films in the series (we didn’t know there was this many either) it can also make for a great marathon. Of course, we recommend Home Alone 1 and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York for that yearly dose of witty banter and feel-good nostalgia, but if you decide to try out the other 4 sequels, let us know your thoughts!

Miracle on 34th Street (1994)

When a Christmas Store Santa Claus is unfairly arrested and faces being institutionalised because he claims to be the real Father Christmas, a lawyer and her daughter come to his defence to prove that he is in fact the real Santa Claus, but as you can imagine, it’s not that easy. This film is simply a fun, feel good film which oozes with Christmas Spirit, without any cliches or cringe-worthy moments which is exactly why it’s made it to our yearly Christmas watch-list, and you should also add it to yours.

A Rom-Com special

Is it just us or are there just too many Christmas rom coms out there to pick the best one? Well, we couldn’t pick our favourite so instead we’ve curated a mini marathon that will have you laughing one minute and weeping the next, so have the tissues at the ready. Start by watching The Holiday, a light-hearted but incredibly enticing tribute to love, followed by Love Actually, where the matters of love become slightly more complicated but no less romantic, and for the grand finale, The Family Stone is a great lesser-known classic bound to give you a barrel of laughs.

Animated classics

Whether you’ve just branched out on your own and are living life at uni or have been out of the nest for a while and are a working professional, we believe that you can never be too old to enjoy a good animated Christmas classic and we’re here to point you to some of the best ones.

The Grinch

No matter if you relate more to Cindy Lou or The Grinch himself, The Grinch is undeniably one of the best animated Christmas films out there. A grumpy green creature walking around trying to ruin Christmas? You’ve got to see the humour in that! This film always has us rolling around laughing and even feeling sorry for The Grinch at some points, so we couldn’t recommend it enough if you’re looking for an easy watch with a few underlying life lessons sprinkled here and there.

The Nightmare Before Christmas

The Nightmare Before Christmas is like no other Christmas film which is what makes it such a good watch. This Tim Burton creation follows the journey of Jack Skellington from Halloween Town in his discovery of Christmas Town, and let’s just say his excitement gets him a little too carried away, but don’t worry we’re not here to spoil the ending. If you enjoy dark humour, quirky characters, and a little spookiness, then The Nightmare Before Christmas is a perfect combination of all of those things in a perfectly original way.

The Polar Express

If you like to keep things classic and aren’t all about the quirky characters and funny storylines then The Polar Express could be the perfect film for you. The story starts on a snowy Christmas Eve and follows a boy on his journey to the North Pole to meet Santa Claus. It’s a heart-warming watch which portrays the joy of Christmas and togetherness in a really wonderful way, so we’d recommend giving this one a watch on Christmas Eve to spark that last bit of excitement in you before the big day.

Non-traditional Christmas films

While we love the magical spirit and festive cheer of Christmas which is so well put across through traditional Christmas films, we get that sometimes you just want to branch out and watch something out of the norm. This list has some of the best non-traditional movies which cover a range of genres.

Die Hard

Although many people will argue that just because Die Hard takes place at Christmas time, it doesn’t make it a Christmas movie, we would have to disagree and here’s why: the story unfolds at a Christmas party when the hero comes home to see his wife for the holidays, the soundtrack may as well be a Christmas playlist, and the film is filled with Christmas references. So now that we’ve cleared up this age-old debate, it’s perfectly acceptable to watch Die Hard this festive season and enjoy every thrilling minute of it, after all it’s been branded one of the best action films out there.

Krampus

Who says Christmas has to be jolly? Krampus is unlike any film we’ve seen before, it's both light-hearted and funny but also surprisingly horrifying as it’s based on a popular European legend about a monster who punishes misbehaving children at Christmastime. The film focuses on a dysfunctional family who drive their son to stop believing in Christmas magic, which in turn results in the appearance of Krampus. It’s something totally different, that will have you laughing, emotional, and screaming in fear, but it’s worth the watch if you’re brave enough.

Gremlins

Although it’s popular within the Christmas movie sub-genres, Gremlins has a less than traditional storyline and we’re all here for it. The tale starts pretty inconspicuously with a man looking for the perfect Christmas gift before it takes a wild turn when he stumbles across a mogwai, next thing you know the town is being taken over by gremlins. It’s a totally unserious comedy which is what makes it such an easy watch for those times when you just want a good laugh.

We ho ho hope that we’ve given you a good range of options to watch this Christmastime, and we’d love to know what you thought of our recommendations so reach out and share your opinions. Happy binge watching and Merry Christmas!