The six best Christmas movies on Netflix

The plot: Long-time single Natalie Bauer (Nina Dobrev) has gone from one terrible date to the next, has almost completely given up on men and has made a virtue of necessity. For her job, the editor has been writing about her disastrous dates for years. But now she thinks Josh Lin (Yimmy O. Yang), whom she meets on a dating app, is going to put an end to her catastrophic love life.

After several chats on the phone, Natalie decides to visit Josh and surprise him for Christmas, but when she arrives, she finds out that he used a photo of one of his old friends to catfish Natalie. His guilty conscience prompts him to try and set her up with Tag Abbott (Darren Barnet) – aka the «real Josh» – but it definitely comes at a price...

Recommended because: It’s a funny, feel-good Christmas rom-com that proves that it’s only your heart that sees clearly and that the eyes are blind to what really matters.

The plot: Meeting your girlfriend’s family isn’t always a walk in the park. As far as Abby (Kristen Stewart) is concerned, she’s running a real gauntlet, since she’s planning to propose to her partner Harper (Mackenzie Davis) during Christmas dinner, which is also the first time she meets her parents.

On the drive to Harper’s parents, Abby learns that Harper’s so scared of how her parents will react that she hasn’t come out to them yet. She’s led them to believe that Abby’s just a roommate and that really tests their relationship. When it turns out that Harper doesn’t seem to be the only one in her family who’s keeping a secret, chaos ensues.

Recommended because: Despite the clichés typical for the genre, «Happiest Season» comes with some surprising twists and turns. It’s an appeal for tolerance dressed up as a Christmas movie – with plenty of room for engaging but also funny dialogue.

The plot: A movie’s originality isn’t just measured by the story, but also, of course, by how it’s made. It’s against this backdrop that the award-winning Christmas movie «Klaus», that tells of the origins of Santa Claus, shines bright.

«Klaus» is the story of a spoiled son with little interest in his training as a postman and whom his father transfers to a snowy, desolate island because of his poor performance. He’s instructed to arrange delivery for 6,000 letters before he’s allowed back home again. But that’s easier said than done.

When Jasper meets a stranger with a special talent for carving wooden toys, he comes up with a brilliant idea that completely turns the lives of all the islanders upside down.

Recommended because: With «Klaus», Netflix offers its subscribers a unique Christmas movie featuring a Santa Claus who’s anything but one-dimensional, and its classic-Disney animation style is also amazing.

The plot: If anyone’s an expert on Christmas movies, it’s director Chris Columbus, the brains behind «Home Alone» and «Jingle All the Way», among others. With his 2018 «The Christmas Chronicles», he created a Christmas movie for the whole family to enjoy on Netflix.

In «The Christmas Chronicles», siblings Kate and Teddy Pierce come up with a plan to film Santa Claus, but when they hide in his sleigh, they accidentally turn into stowaways. A turbulent ride in Santa’s sleigh ends with all the gifts being lost. Now it’s up to Kate and Teddy to save Christmas.

Recommended because: Kurt Russell is fantastic in the role of Santa Claus, which is why Netflix now also has a sequel to «The Christmas Chronicles».

The plot: Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny and the Sandman have the task of preserving children’s dreams, memories and belief in their existence. But one day, this motley crue is threatened by Pitch Black, the master of nightmares, who seeks to destroy the children’s belief in them and to plunge the world into fear and terror.

Invisible to humans, Jack Frost, the master of snow and ice, and who loves to play practical jokes, is asked to help thwart Pitch Black’s diabolical plans.

Recommended because: The creators of «How to Train Your Dragon» and «Rise of the Guardians» have succeeded in creating a heartwarming, colorful fantasy spectacle that stands out from so many other Christmas movies thanks to its adorable characters and a decent touch of originality.

The plot: The streaming service Netflix is offering plenty of new movies and especially rom-coms at Christmas. For example, Vanessa Hudgens in «The Knight before Christmas» (2019) or Lindsay Lohan in «Falling for Christmas» (2022) are both entangled in love’s trials and tribulations during the festive season and are available to watch among the Christmas movies on Netflix.

Anyone in the mood for a romantic must-see Christmas classic with star power and great re-watch potential, however, absolutely can’t miss out on «The Holiday».

«The Holiday» tells the story of two women who couldn’t be more different. But one thing connects them: Iris (Kate Winslet) and Amanda (Cameron Diaz) have both been disappointed by their relationships and now need some time out – far away from all the heartbreakers.

In no time, they’ve arranged a spontaneous house swap via the Internet. But as fate would have it, Iris soon gets to know a colleague of Amanda’s, and Amanda meets Iris’s brother.

Recommended because: The cast of this Christmas classic, Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law and Jack Black, is impressive and the popular rom-com hasn’t lost its brilliance – even after all these years.

Our entertainment offers at a glance