Our Favourite Festive Family Films To Watch This Christmas

Age: PG

It’s an unforgettable Christmas for the townsfolk of Wellington-on-Sea when the worst snowstorm in history alters everyone’s plans — including Santa’s.

Age: PG

The cranky, cantankerous Grinch plots to ruin Christmas for his happy neighbors in Whoville. But could a little girl’s kindness change his heart?

Age: PG

After accidentally crashing Santa’s sleigh, a brother and sister pull an all-nighter to save Christmas with a savvy, straight-talking St. Nick.

Age: PG

Unhappy over her mom’s new relationship, a now-teenage Kate runs away and lands at the North Pole, where a naughty elf is plotting to cancel Christmas.

Age: PG

A selfish postman and a reclusive toymaker form an unlikely friendship, delivering joy to a cold, dark town that desperately needs it.

Age: 12

A heartwarming story for the whole family! Following the death of his father, a young boy is befriended by a magical snowman who turns out to be his reincarnated father.

Age: 12+

After discovering their significant others are siblings, two resentful exes must spend Christmas under one roof — while hiding their romantic history.

Age: 12

Iris is in love with a man who is about to marry another woman. Across the globe, Amanda realises the man she lives with has been unfaithful. Two women who have never met and live 6000 miles apart, find themselves in the exact same place. They meet online at a home exchange website and impulsively switch homes for the holiday.

Age: PG

A darkly comic and surreal contemporization of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, this effects-heavy Bill Murray holiday vehicle from 1988 sees the former SNL funnyman assuming the role of television executive Frank Cross, the meanest and most depraved man on earth.

Age: TBC

Available from the 3rd of December.

Jack Whitehall is stranded in the USA with just four days to make it back to the UK for Christmas in this new comedy special from Prime Video. Part scripted comedy, part unscripted travelogue – Jack is joined by a host of famous faces, including Michael Bublé, Dave Bautista, Rebel Wilson, Jimmy Fallon, Daisy May Cooper, and Tom Davies, who help (and hinder) along the way as he navigates the chaos of Christmas to make it home. Tune in to find out if Jack will make it home in time for Christmas or if he’ll end up spending the holidays in the States, and the doghouse.

Age: U

Hundreds of years ago, an ageing peasant woodcutter and his wife kindly deliver presents to the children of their village with the help of their faithful reindeer Donner and Blitzen.

Age: 12 +

Emilia Clarke stars as a cynical Londoner whose life is turned upside down by a kind-hearted man with a mysterious past (Henry Golding) in this heartfelt romantic comedy.

Age:

Join the festive fun with another Amazon Original film, Your Christmas or Mine? This romantic comedy follows the budding holiday romance between Asa Butterfield and Cora Kirk, who can’t bear to be apart over the holiday season. After deciding to surprise each other and ending up on opposite trains, their love is put to the ultimate test – surviving the in-laws at Christmas. Filled with humour, romance, and the Christmas spirit, it’s a delightful addition to your holiday watchlist.

Age: PG

When Kevin McCallister is left behind while his family dashes off on a Christmas trip, he is left to defend his family’s home from two bumbling burglars until the relatives return.

Age: U

Six year old Susan has doubts about childhood’s most enduring miracle Santa Claus. Her mother told her the “secret” about Santa a long time ago, so Susan doesn’t expect to receive the most important gifts on her Christmas list. But after meeting a special department store Santa who’s convinced he’s the real thing, Susan is given the most precious gift of all something to believe in.

Age: PG

Why was Elsa born with magical powers? What truths about the past await Elsa as she ventures into the unknown to the enchanted forests and dark seas beyond Arendelle? The answers are calling her but also threatening her kingdom. Together with Anna, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven, she’ll face a dangerous but remarkable journey. In Frozen, Elsa feared her powers were too much for the world. In Frozen 2, she must hope they are enough.

Age: PG

After promising his young son that Santa will get him the number one item on the boy’s wish list, a well-meaning workaholic father’s Christmas Eve turns into a hilariously nightmarish, madcap scramble across the city to find the much sought-after and therefore virtually impossible-to-find toy.

Age: 9+

Enter an extraordinary world filled with magic and wonder, where every holiday has its own special land. This is the heartfelt tale of Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town and all things that go bump in the night. Bored with the same old tricks and treats, he yearns for something more, and soon stumbles upon the glorious magic of Christmas Town. When Jack decides to bring this joyful holiday back to Halloween Town, his dream to fill Santa’s shoes unravels, and it’s up to Sally, the rag doll who loves him, to stitch things together again.

Age: PG

Ebenezer Scrooge begins the Christmas holiday with his usual miserly content, but when three ghosts take him on a journey revealing ling-buried truths, he must open his heart to undo years of ill will before it’s too late.

Age: U

Kris Kringle’s daughter is full of Christmas spirit but wishes she could do something important like her little brother Nick, who will take over for their father this Christmas. When Nick is about to crumble like a gingerbread cookie from all the pressure, Noelle suggests he take a break and get away…but when he doesn’t return, Noelle must find her brother and bring him back in time to save Christmas.

Age: U

The Muppets’ rendition of Charles Dickens’ classic tale puts a unique twist on that fateful Christmas Eve, when Scrooge is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Pas, Present and Future. Together with kind, humble Bob Cratchit (Kermit the Frog) and his family, the Spirits open Scrooge’s eyes and his heart to the true meaning of Christmas

Age: U

When Father Christmas inadvertently overlooks one small child on Christmas Eve his accident-prone son Arthur must step into the breach and deliver that last present.

Age: 12 +

Chevy Chase stars as the head of the hapless Griswold family, whose Christmas plans soon descend into chaos. Classic festive comedy with Randy Quaid.

Age: 15

Follows the lives of eight very different couples in dealing with their love lives in various loosely interrelated tales all set during a frantic month before Christmas in London, England.

Age: PG

Santa’s oversized helper Will Ferrell goes to New York to find his real dad, only to discover he’s a mean old grouch.

Age: U

Thanks to the pioneering animation techniques of director Robert ‘Back To The Future’ Zemeckis, this Yuletide vehicle for Tom Hanks puffs up a visual head of steam. As the gruff conductor on the Polar Express, the digitally rendered Hanks welcomes aboard a young boy who has ceased to believe in Father Christmas… but is willing to come along for the ride.