Enjoy Christmas year-round with these feel-good movies on Netflix
Christmas, as everyone in a Christmas movie tells you, is supposed to be in your heart all year around. Since COVID has rendered time meaningless, if you want to put on a Netflix Christmas movie, then put on a Netflix Christmas movie. After all, if Hallmark can do Christmas moves like six months out of the year? Then you can do Christmas movies whenever you please.
But what are some great Christmas movies on Netflix that you can dive into? From Netflix Originals to just excellent movies that are on Netflix, let Christmas live in your heart all along with these excellent movies. Dust off your Santa hat, pop some popcorn, and try to simulate the Christmas experience.
Klaus
Klaus is an alternative take on the Santa Claus story. We follow Jesper (Jason Schwartzman), a postman who is assigned to the town of Smeerensberg, which is pretty much at war with each other. He befriends a reclusive toymaker known as Klaus (J.K. Simmons) and comes up with a plan in order to use the mail system to deliver Klaus’s toys to the children of the town.
Rashida Jones, Joan Cusack, Will Sasso, Norm Macdonald, and Neda Margrethe Labba also star in Klaus. The film was widely acclaimed upon its release and was up for an Oscar last year. The animation is stunning. The story is sweet. The buddy relationship between Klaus & Jesper is really nice as well.
The Knight Before Christmas
The Knight Before Christmas probably only hits a certain type of person, but it’s great. A time travelling knight (Josh Whitehouse) sent to the future to sweep Vanessa Hudgens off her feet? Why? Because Christmas magic, that’s why. It’s on a wholly ridiculous level from A Christmas Prince or A Christmas Switch. You just have to accept a lot of things, but, when you do, the movie becomes amazing.
How is the knight so progressive? Because he’s a modern soul. Why does Vanessa Hudgens let him stay with her? Christmas in her heart, etc, etc. It’s fantastic. It’s poetic cinema. The Knight Before Christmas deserves a sequel so we can get more time travelling Christmas knights please and thanks. We want this Netflix Christmas movie franchise fleshed out.
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
Despite the title of the movie (and making of us think of Riverdale’s stupid drug every time we hear it), Jingle Jangle is a pretty sweet and moving film about the magic of Christmas and the power of family. With a lot of uplifting messages mixed with a stellar cast, we follow an old inventor (Forest Whitaker) and his granddaughter (Madalen Mills) as they bond and find the magic of Christmas within themselves.
Also Ricky Martin plays an evil sentient matador doll? And it’s literally the funniest casting decision in the world. The rest of the cast includes Anika Noni Rose, Hugh Bonneville, and Keegan Michael Key. Jingle Jangle is a fun movie with a killer soundtrack because, of course, it’s also a musical.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
The Jim Carrey starring live-action version of the classic Dr. Seuss tale has definitely divided people over the years. But for the generation that grew up with the film, there’s just something about the affair that makes you smile. Plus baby Grinch is adorable. Don’t @ us. Carrey gets the most out of his live-action make-up with a pretty interesting fleshed out story for the Grinch.
In addition, little Cindy Lou Who is trying to figure out the meaning of Christmas under the commercialism of the holiday, which is something that many people had to contend with during their lives. Good luck with that, kiddo. Wait until the existential dread of the holidays slams you like a two-by-four. Either way, it’s a sweet movie. While not as great as the 30-minute animated special, it still deserves its own mention.
