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Looking for five Christmas classics you can stream right now but not sure where to start? Our list features some funny and family-friendly options that will get you in the holiday spirit and keep you entertained.
These movies span across several decades, but they all have:
- A satisfying story with a Christmas theme and other motifs
- Quality acting from well-known actors that help to make them timeless
- Funny, touching, holiday-themed moments that are family-friendly
You’ll also find several options for where you can stream these movies as part of our list of suggested videos.
It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)
When George Bailey laments having ever been born and contemplates ending his life, a guardian angel descends to earth to raise his spirits. This angel decides to make some of George’s wishes come true and show him how the lives of people around him would be different if he were never alive.
It’s a Wonderful Life is directed by Frank Capra and features performances by James Stewart, Lionel Barrymore, and Donna Reed. It’s a family-friendly option with a PG rating, and a run time just over two hours.
Where to Stream This Film: YouTube, Google Play Movies & TV, Vudu, Amazon Prime Video, and iTunes.
Elf (2003)
Elf is a movie about a human child named Buddy who got accidentally transported to the North Pole and now absolutely loves everything about Christmas. Will Farrell does an excellent job of playing this fun and spunky character, and the story is full of laughs and touching moments without being too sappy.
Buddy grows up as an elf at the North Pole but can never shake the feeling that he doesn’t belong there and that he is somehow different. When he becomes an adult, he decides to travel to New York and find his birth father who happens to be Walter Hobbs, a grumpy and somewhat unhappy businessman.
As the two men come to terms with their situation, a DNA test proves Buddy is Walter’s son, and the two try to start a relationship. This process gets somewhat complicated as the immature Buddy sets several chaotic chains of events into motion, and Walter suffers the consequences.
If you are looking for an upbeat film that is hilarious and has all the elements of Christmas, this family-friendly option is an excellent choice. This film is directed by Jon Favreau, and it’s worth noting that it does not debate the existence of Santa, which many viewers find fascinating.
Where to Stream This Film: Vudu, Google Play Movies & TV, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, iTunes, and Netflix.
The Santa Clause (1994)
The Santa Clause is about a divorced dad, Scott, working on co-parenting with his ex-wife and her new significant other. When Scott gets custody of his son for Christmas Eve, the night spirals out of control and ends with him accidentally killing a man wearing a Santa suit.
In the light of this unfortunate event, Scott and his son get taken to the North Pole where the head elf explains that Scott is now Santa, and he has until next Christmas to fill the big man’s shoes.
Learning to be Santa proves to be a difficult feat for Scott, who has a lot of issues to sort through before getting into the holiday spirit. His son is there to help, and there are many hilarious moments, as you would expect from a movie starring Tim Allen.
This movie was a hit at the box office when it came out, and it continues to persevere as a Christmas classic thanks to the timeless story and quality acting involved. There are also some impressive costumes and make up worn as Scott transforms into Santa.
Where to Stream This Film: Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, iTunes, Vudu, and Google Play Movies & TV.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
How The Grinch Stole Christmas is one of our five Christmas classics you can stream right now because it’s an adaptation based on a traditional Christmas story but comes with updates, impressive costumes and makeup, and the hilarious Jim Carrey.
The story here is the same as the traditional Grinch story that was initially a cartoon, but some updates to include more modern elements make this story more relatable without sacrificing how family-friendly it is overall.
This film is rated PG and directed by Ron Howard. The story is a live-action adaptation of the Dr. Seuss tale and revolves around the grumpy Grinch who wants to ruin Christmas for everyone in Whoville because of his own bad experiences as a child.
Jim Carrey’s performance is what makes this film worth watching, and his dynamic acting abilities are often over the top in the best possible way.
Where to Stream This Film: iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Vudu, YouTube, and Google Play Movies & TV.
Home Alone (1990)
Home Alone is another of our five Christmas classics you can stream right now because it features a legendary performance by Macaulay Culkin as a young child in a movie directed by Chris Columbus.
The story is about a bratty 8-year-old child named Kevin McCallister who decides to act out the night before the family leaves for a trip to Paris. Kevin is part of a large family, and the lack of attention he receives leads him to his mother telling him to sleep in the attic.
The next morning the McCallister family leaves bright and early for the airport, but Kevin is mistakenly left behind and wakes up in an empty house. He assumes that the wish he made the night before to have no family has now come true, but his excitement is short-lived.
Where to Stream This Film: YouTube, Google Play Movies & TV, and Amazon Prime Video.
Final Thoughts
All of the movies on our list are family-friendly and feature excellent acting performances from people that are known. The stories are also instant classics as they embrace the holiday spirit, but are also entertaining and light enough to watch with friends and family.
If you are looking for more content, we suggest you check out the holiday offerings on your favorite streaming website.
