Best Christmas Movies on Netflix in 2026: Family, Classic, Rom-Com & More
By Arlo Bennett
Looking for the best Christmas movies on Netflix this year? I've rounded up the top picks to stream right now, including new releases, classic favorites, family and kids' movies, cozy rom-coms, and a few scary ones for the brave. Every title was checked against Netflix US in November 2026, so you can skip the endless scrolling and start your holiday movie marathon.
- Best Overall Christmas Movie: Klaus (2019). An Oscar-nominated animated masterpiece with an 8.2 IMDb score that works for every age group.
- Best New Releases to Watch: A Dog's Perfect Christmas (2026) and The Christmas Switch (2026). Two fresh November 2026 drops offering family drama and body-swap romance.
- Best for Families: The Christmas Chronicles (2018) and Family Switch (2023). Fast-paced holiday adventure with a rockstar Santa, plus a silly teen-parent body-swap comedy.
- Best for Kids & Toddlers: Robin Robin (2021). A gentle, G-rated stop-motion special with a toddler-friendly 32-minute runtime.
- Best Rom-Coms: Love Hard (2021) and Love Actually (2003). A sharp modern dating-app comedy paired with the ultimate multi-story holiday romance classic.
- Best Classics: That Christmas (2024) and Scrooge: A Christmas Carol (2022). A cozy British ensemble tale alongside a vibrant musical retelling of Dickens' classic.
- Best Horror & Action: Violent Night (2022). A brutal, R-rated mashup of Die Hard and Home Alone starring David Harbour as a battle-hardened Santa.
Found your favorite pick? Save it before it's gone. Netflix rotates its holiday catalog every month as licensing deals expire. If a Christmas movie is on your must-watch list, VidiFab Streaming Video Downloader lets you save it as a local 1080p MP4 or MKV file on your Windows PC or Mac, so you can watch offline anytime without worrying about removals or Wi-Fi limits.
Part 1. How I Picked These Netflix Christmas Movies
Netflix adds and removes holiday titles every month, so I wanted to make sure every recommendation here is worth your time and actually playable. To build this list, I relied on a mix of personal watch experience and strict quality checks:
- Personal watch experience: Some picks are movies I've seen myself (labeled as Editor's Review). For the ones I haven't watched yet, I rely on audience feedback and highlight the general consensus under Viewer Reaction.
- Ratings: I looked at IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes scores, and I skipped titles with consistently low ratings unless they're popular for being fun or cozy.
- Audience reviews: I read viewer comments to see whether people actually enjoyed the movie, not just whether critics did.
- Age rating: Every movie is marked with its rating (G, PG, TV-14, etc.), so you can quickly tell what's right for kids, families or adults.
- Availability on Netflix: I checked that each movie is streaming on Netflix US, and I confirmed this on November 13, 2026. Netflix's library changes often and varies by country, so a title may be missing or leave early in your region.
Part 2. New Netflix Christmas Movies to Watch in 2026
Most of Netflix's Christmas originals for 2026 will be out in November and December, and there are still a few that haven't been released. That's why they aren't included in the best list.
But they're definitely worth checking out, so here's what's coming and when.
- A Dog's Perfect Christmas (November 4): Juliana Goss falls into a coma before Christmas, and her family falls apart. Winstead, the family's basset hound, narrates as he and a corgi puppy try to bring the family back together by Christmas Eve. Based on the novel by W. Bruce Cameron.
- Tyler Perry's The Gospel of Christmas (November 11): Isaac inherits his late father's church in a struggling New York neighborhood and moves there with his family. He faces doubt and temptation while trying to save the church by Christmas.
- The Christmas Switch (November 12): Two sisters with opposite lifestyles swap lives before Christmas. They try to switch back before Christmas morning.
- Guarding Stars (November 18): Bodyguard Hannah is hired to protect action star Jack from a stalker over the holidays. They pretend to be a couple at his family's ranch, and the pretense turns real. Based on The Bodyguard by Katherine Center.
- In a Holidaze (December 2): Mae wishes to find out what will make her happy and ends up reliving the same Christmas at her family's cabin. She has to sort out her feelings to end the loop. Based on the novel by Christina Lauren.
- Gabby's Dollhouse: Makers and Bakers Holiday (December 9, US): A family competition series with four holiday episodes. Young baker-and-maker teams complete baking and crafting challenges, hosted by Laila Lockhart Kraner as Gabby.
Part 3. Best Christmas Movies on Netflix at a Glance
Short on time? Use the quick comparison table below to compare all 17 verified Netflix holiday picks by category, age rating, runtime, and IMDb score before diving into the full reviews.
| Movie Title | Category / Vibe | Age Rating | Runtime | IMDb & Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Klaus (2019) | Family / Animated | PG | 1h 36m | 8.2/10 — Best Overall Holiday Movie |
| The Christmas Chronicles (2018) | Family / Adventure | PG | 1h 43m | 7.0/10 — Best Fast-Paced Family Fun |
| Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020) | Family / Musical | PG | 2h 2m | 6.4/10 — Best Visuals & Original Songs |
| Family Switch (2023) | Family / Comedy | PG | 1h 45m | 5.7/10 — Best for Teens & Preteens |
| The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (2024) | Family / Comedy-Drama | PG | 1h 39m | 6.8/10 — Best Heartfelt Group Watch |
| Robin Robin (2021) | Kids & Toddlers | G | 32m | 7.0/10 — Best G-Rated Pick for Toddlers |
| A Trash Truck Christmas (2020) | Kids & Toddlers | TV-Y | 28m | 5.7/10 — Best Calm Bedtime Special |
| Alien Xmas (2020) | Kids & Toddlers | TV-G | 42m | 6.2/10 — Best Stop-Motion Sci-Fi for Kids |
| Single All the Way (2021) | Rom-Com | TV-PG | 1h 39m | 6.2/10 — Best Feel-Good Fake-Dating Rom-Com |
| Love Hard (2021) | Rom-Com | TV-MA | 1h 45m | 6.3/10 — Funniest Modern Dating Comedy |
| Champagne Problems (2025) | Rom-Com / Hallmark-Style | NR | 1h 39m | 6.0/10 — Best Cozy European Escape |
| My Secret Santa (2025) | Rom-Com / Hallmark-Style | TV-PG | 1h 33m | 5.7/10 — Best Campy Disguise Comedy |
| The Knight Before Christmas (2019) | Modern Classic / Fantasy | TV-PG | 1h 33m | 5.6/10 — Best Fairy-Tale Time-Travel Romance |
| Scrooge: A Christmas Carol (2022) | Classic Story / Animated | PG | 1h 36m | 6.2/10 — Best Traditional Dickens Adaptation |
| That Christmas (2024) | Modern Classic / Animated | PG | 1h 31m | 6.9/10 — Best Instant-Classic Ensemble Story |
| Christmas Bloody Christmas (2022) | Scary / Slasher | NR | 1h 27m | 5.1/10 — Best Campy 80s-Style Slasher |
| Violent Night (2022) | Scary / Action-Comedy | R | 1h 52m | 6.7/10 — Best R-Rated Action-Horror Mix |
Part 4. Best Family & Kids Christmas Movies on Netflix
Planning a Christmas movie night with the kids? These picks are easy to start and safe to watch together.
Good Christmas Movies for the Whole Family on Netflix
1. Klaus (2019)
- IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes: 8.2/10 | 95% critics
- Runtime & Rating: 1h 36m | PG
- Quick Summary: A postman sent to a frozen, feuding town teams up with a reclusive toymaker. Their gifts to the local kids start an unexpected holiday tradition.
- Editor's Review: If you only pick one movie from this list, make it this one. The hand-drawn animation looks different from most Netflix holiday films, and the story builds to a real emotional payoff. Kids follow the jokes, and adults get the heart.
- Best For: Families who want a Christmas movie everyone, including grown-ups, will enjoy.
2. The Christmas Chronicles (2018)
- IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes: 7.0/10 | 68% critics
- Runtime & Rating: 1h 43m | PG
- Quick Summary: Two siblings try to catch Santa on camera on Christmas Eve, crash his sleigh, and end up helping him save Christmas.
- Editor's Review: Kurt Russell makes this Santa fun to watch, and the night-long adventure keeps the pace moving. The plot is simple, but it's an easy pick when the family can't agree on what to watch.
- Best For: Kids around 7 and up, and families who like a funny Santa.
3. Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020)
- IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes: 6.4/10 | 90% critics
- Runtime & Rating: 2h 2m | PG
- Quick Summary: A once-celebrated toymaker has lost his spark after a painful setback, until his inventive granddaughter arrives.
- Editor's Review: This is the most colorful and musical pick here. The sets, costumes, and songs are the main draw. It runs just over two hours, so save it for a night when the kids can sit through a longer movie.
- Best For: Families who enjoy musicals and fantasy.
4. Family Switch (2023)
- IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes: 5.7/10 | 41% critics
- Runtime & Rating: 1h 45m | PG
- Quick Summary: After a chance encounter with an astrology reader, the Walker family swaps bodies right before the biggest day of their lives.
- Editor's Review: The body-swap idea is nothing new, and critics were not kind to it. It works best as a light, silly watch with teens and parents, not as a Christmas classic. Expect some teen-party humor, so it suits older kids better than young ones.
- Best For: Families with tweens and teens, and fans of Jennifer Garner and Ed Helms.
5. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (2024)
- IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes: 6.8/10 | 92% critics
- Runtime & Rating: 1h 39m | PG
- Quick Summary: Six unruly siblings take over their town's church Christmas pageant, and teach everyone what the story is really about.
- Editor's Review: A warm, funny pick based on the classic book. It has a faith-based message, which some families will love and others may not want. Critics liked it much more than the other titles on this list.
- Best For: Families who like feel-good stories with a faith theme.
Christmas Movies for Kids and Toddlers on Netflix
1. Robin Robin (2021)
- IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes: 7.0/10 | 100% critics
- Runtime & Rating: 32m | G
- Quick Summary: A bird raised by a family of mice sets out on a Christmas heist to prove she can be a good mouse, and finds out who she is.
- Editor's Review: This Aardman stop-motion short has a soft, felt-like look and a few catchy songs. It's gentle, short, and easy for small children to finish in one sitting.
- Best For: Ages 3 and up, and families who want a short, gentle watch.
2. A Trash Truck Christmas (2020)
- IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes: 5.7/10 | N/A
- Runtime & Rating: 28m | TV-Y
- Quick Summary: Santa crash-lands in the junkyard on Christmas Eve, and Hank, Trash Truck, and their animal friends help save Christmas.
- Editor's Review: The pace is slow and the story is simple, with nothing scary in it. That makes it a good fit for the youngest viewers. Older kids and adults may find it too basic.
- Best For: Toddlers and preschoolers, especially fans of the Trash Truck series.
3. Alien Xmas (2020)
- IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes: 6.2/10 | 100% critics
- Runtime & Rating: 42m | TV-Y7 / NR
- Quick Summary: A young elf mistakes a tiny alien for a Christmas gift, not knowing it plans to steal Earth's gravity and all the presents.
- Editor's Review: This stop-motion special is quirky and a little odd, in a good way. It's short enough to finish in one go, and it works as a funny alternative to the usual Santa story.
- Best For: Kids around 5 and up who like silly sci-fi and stop-motion.
Part 5. Best Christmas Rom-Coms & "Hallmark-Style" Movies
If you're looking for a cozy, feel-good holiday romance, Netflix has a ton of great options. While classics like *Love Actually* are well-known, Netflix has quietly created its own collection of festive rom-coms that capture the same charm as Hallmark movies, but often with a little more humor and a modern twist.
1. Single All the Way (2021)
- IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes: 6.2/10 | 68% critics
- Runtime & Rating: 1h 39m | TV-PG
- Quick Summary: Peter brings his best friend Nick home for Christmas to dodge his family's questions about his love life. His mother then sets him up with a handsome trainer, and the plan goes sideways.
- Viewer Reaction: Most viewers call it a sweet, predictable, feel-good rom-com that is carried by its cast, including Jennifer Coolidge and Kathy Najimy. It was Netflix's first gay holiday rom-com. Some say it takes too long for Peter to see what's in front of him, and a few found the product placement distracting.
- Best For: Fans of cozy, family-filled holiday rom-coms and friends-to-lovers stories.
2. Love Hard (2021)
- IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes: 6.3/10 | about 55% critics, 96% audience
- Runtime & Rating: 1h 45m | TV-MA
- Quick Summary:An unlucky-in-love L.A. writer flies 3,000 miles to surprise a guy she met on a dating app for Christmas, only to discover she has been catfished by his nerdy childhood friend.
- Editor's Review: This is easily one of the funniest holiday rom-coms Netflix has produced. Instead of feeling like a stiff, formulaic TV movie, it plays like a sharp modern dating comedy. Nina Dobrev and Jimmy O. Yang have great comedic timing, and their duet of "Baby, It's Cold Outside" with rewritten, awkward lyrics is a standout moment.
- Best For: Fans of modern, slightly edgy rom-coms who want actual laughs alongside the romance.
3. Champagne Problems (2025)
- IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes: 6.0/10 | 71% critics
- Runtime & Rating: 1h 39m | NR
- Quick Summary: A driven American executive goes to Paris to acquire a champagne brand by Christmas, and ends up falling for the founder's son.
- Viewer Reaction: It became Netflix's top movie worldwide soon after release. Many viewers call it a warm, Hallmark-style watch, and some compare the mood to Love Actually. Critics found the story thin, but the Paris setting and light tone win over audiences who just want a cozy rom-com.
- Best For: Viewers who like Paris settings, workplace romance, and the Hallmark formula.
4. My Secret Santa (2025)
- IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes: 5.7/10 | 73% critics, 41% audience
- Runtime & Rating: 1h 33m | TV-PG
- Quick Summary: A single mom who needs work disguises herself as a man to get hired as the seasonal Santa at a luxury ski resort, then falls for the hotel manager.
- Viewer Reaction: Opinions are split. Some viewers enjoy the silly premise and the lead's performance, and call it one of the better Hallmark-style movies of the year. Others say it's too predictable and the humor is weak. Critics describe it as inoffensive and forgettable, but fine for a casual watch.
- Best For: Fans of Mrs. Doubtfire-style comedy and Hallmark movies who don't mind a silly plot.
Part 6. Best Classic Christmas Movies on Netflix
If you are hunting for traditional holiday staples, you might notice that most of the biggest classics live on other streaming platforms. Home Alone, Home Alone 2, and The Muppet Christmas Carol are all over on Disney+, while A Charlie Brown Christmas belongs to Apple TV+. Because of licensing splits, Netflix has fewer vintage theatrical classics in its catalog, though if you want movies with that timeless, nostalgic holiday spirit, these three streaming picks deliver:
1. The Knight Before Christmas (2019)
- IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes: 5.6/10 | 71% critics, 42% audience
- Runtime & Rating: 1h 33m | TV-PG
- Quick Summary: A medieval knight is magically transported to the present day, where he falls for a high school science teacher who has given up on love.
- Viewer Reaction: Critics call the plot absurd but charming, and that is how most viewers describe it too. It follows the usual holiday rom-com pattern, with Vanessa Hudgens leading the cast. Audience scores are lower than critic scores, and some viewers found the dialogue weak, so keep expectations light.
- Best For: Fans of Vanessa Hudgens and light, fairy-tale-style holiday romances.
2. Scrooge: A Christmas Carol (2022)
- IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes: 6.2/10 | 40% critics
- Runtime & Rating: 1h 36m | TV-Y7
- Quick Summary: On a cold Christmas Eve, the miser Ebenezer Scrooge has one night to face his past and change his future. This animated musical is based on the 1970 film musical, with Luke Evans as the voice of Scrooge.
- Viewer Reaction: Critics were mostly unimpressed and called it unnecessary after so many versions of the story. Some viewers still find it a fun, family-friendly retelling with good songs. If you want the real classic feel, the Muppets version on Disney+ is the better pick, but this is the easiest way to get Dickens on Netflix.
- Best For: Families with kids who are old enough for a few ghost scenes, and fans of Christmas musicals.
3. That Christmas (2024)
- IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes: 6.9/10 | about 67% critics
- Runtime & Rating: 1h 31m | PG
- Quick Summary: Several linked stories unfold in a seaside English town during the worst snowstorm in history, which also upsets Santa's plans. Based on the children's books by Richard Curtis, the writer of Love Actually.
- Viewer Reaction: The mix of linked stories feels a lot like Love Actually, with a mix of funny and sad moments. Critics were split, and some thought it tried to fit too much into 91 minutes. Reviewers say younger viewers will enjoy it most, and few expect it to become a yearly tradition like Love Actually.
- Best For: Families, and Love Actually fans who want a gentler animated version.
Part 7. Best Scary & Unconventional Christmas Movies on Netflix
None of these two is pure horror, the kind that gives you nightmares or keeps you up all night. They lean dark, twisted, and over the top instead. If you're tired of cozy romances and want something edgier, bloodier, or just weirder, these are worth a look. Just skip them with young kids.
1. Christmas Bloody Christmas (2022)
- IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes: 5.1/10 | 78% critics
- Runtime & Rating: 1h 27m | NR (graphic violence)
- Quick Summary: On Christmas Eve in a small town, a malfunctioning Santa robot goes on a killing spree, and a record-store owner and her friend have to survive the night.
- Viewer Reaction: Viewers describe it as a campy, gory slasher that doesn't take itself seriously. The killer robot Santa and the practical effects get the most praise. The opening is slow and the script is uneven, and the audience score is much lower than the critic score. It's more silly and bloody than scary.
- Best For: Horror fans who like campy, gory slashers. Not for anyone sensitive to gore.
2. Violent Night (2022)
- IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes: 6.7/10 | 73% critics, 88% audience
- Runtime & Rating: 1h 52m | R
- Quick Summary: A team of mercenaries breaks into a wealthy family's mansion on Christmas Eve, but they aren't ready for a surprise opponent: Santa Claus, played by David Harbour.
- Viewer Reaction: Most viewers treat it as a fun action comedy, often described as Die Hard with Santa. Audiences like it much more than critics do. Critics say the idea is better than the execution, and the R rating comes from strong bloody violence and language, so it's not a family movie despite the Santa.
- Best For: Adults who want a violent, funny Christmas action movie.
Bonus: Keep Netflix Christmas Movies for Flights, Road Trips & Family Visits
Christmas movies are best watched with the whole family, and the TV is the natural place to do it. But not every TV has a Netflix app, and that's often the case at a relative's house, a holiday rental, or an older smart TV. Wi-Fi can also be slow or missing when you travel. The easy fix is to download your favorite Netflix Christmas movies ahead of time and play them from a file instead.
Watch Netflix Christmas Movies on Any Device
With VidiFab Streaming Video Downloader, you can download the Christmas movies you want to watch and save them as MP4 or MKV files. Copy the files to a USB drive or keep them on your computer, then play them with a media player. That means a TV or a playback device without the Netflix app can still play your movies.
- No Netflix app needed: Play the files on any TV or device that has a media player, using a USB drive or your computer.
- No buffering, no ads: The movie plays from a local file, so there's no loading wheel and no ads to interrupt the moment.
- Ready for travel: Download before your flight, road trip, or visit, and watch without Wi-Fi.
- Common formats: Save Netflix videos as MP4 or MKV so the files work with most media players.
Free Download
Secure Download
Free Download
Secure Download
Save and Play a Netflix Christmas Movie in 3 Simple Steps
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01
Download: Open Vidifab, find Preferences, and set MP4 or MKV as the output format. Click the Netflix tab and find the Christmas movie you want to download. Choose the video quality, subtitles, and audio track language. Click Download to start.
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02
Transfer: Copy the file to a USB drive, or keep it on your computer.
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03
Play: Plug the USB drive into your TV, or connect your computer, and play the movie with a media player.
Note: Downloaded videos are for personal offline viewing only. Please respect Netflix's terms of use and copyright.
How to Find Christmas Movies on Netflix Yourself
Want to explore more holiday titles on your own? Check out the resource below to browse the entire Netflix Christmas library:
On the Netflix Mobile App
Open the Netflix app and search for "Christmas" or "holiday". You should see a "Holiday Wonderland" row, which collects Netflix's picks of movies and shows for the holiday season.
On a Computer
Two pages are useful when you're on a computer:
- Netflix's holiday category: netflix.com/browse/genre/107093. Sign in to your account to see the Christmas titles available in your region.
- What's on Netflix: What's on Netflix's list of Christmas movies. A comprehensive page that tracks all current Christmas movies on Netflix and highlights new holiday additions. In addition to films, it also features festive TV series, and offers handy filter options so you can easily sort by genre, rating, or release date to pick exactly what you want to watch.
Final Thoughts
Now, I hope you've found something to watch this Christmas! With an active Netflix subscription, you can enjoy these holiday films as long as they're available in your region. If your subscription expires, you can also check out our list of free streaming sites to explore other ways to watch movies online.
I write about must-watch movies and TV shows, plus detailed reviews of video downloaders and media tools. I help you discover what to watch next and pick the right tools to save and manage your favorite content. My goal is to give you clear, honest insights so you can enjoy streaming and offline viewing without the hassle.
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