Your guide to the top holiday movies and TV series to watch this season
It's officially acceptable to put up your Christmas tree, blast holiday tunes 24/7, and figure out your holiday movie viewing schedule. We're here to help! Movie critic Richard Crouse shares his ultimate list, which includes Christmas classics like Elf, plus newer favourites like Klaus. There's a movie or television series here that'll help get you in the spirit.
Four Christmases on Crave
Photo Courtesy: Crave or New Line Cinema
Christmas has a way of bringing everyone together—even when you least expect it! In this modern Christmas tale, Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn play an unhappily married couple whose tropical holiday plans get derailed and have to do a grand tour of all four of their divorced parents' homes.
Miracle on 34th Street on Crave (both the 1947 and 1994 versions)
Settle in with an all-time classic! Miracle on 34th Street is an award-winning Christmas movie, where Kris Kringle, an old man assigned to play Santa in a department store. When he greatly increases sales, a rumour that he's actually Santa begins circulating, soon turning into a legal case that questions his sanity. You can stream both the 1947 and 1994 versions on Crave this holiday season!
Elf
Photo Courtesy: Starz or New Line Cinema
This hilarious heartwarming movie was released 20 years ago and has quickly become a holiday classic. Will Ferrell is a clownish orphan raised by Santa and his elves in the North Pole who journeys to New York City to locate his biological father–a cynical book publisher played by James Caan–in this absurd (and surprisingly sweet) fish-out-of-water fantasy. So if you don't think Elf is one of the greatest Christmas movies ever made, you're a cotton-headed ninny muggins.
Home Sweet Home Alone
Photo Courtesy: Disney+ or 20th Century Studios
Not exactly a remake of the 1990 Home Alone classic, but it does feature a young boy (Archie Yates) accidentally left behind when his family goes on vacation over Christmas and leaves him to fend off a pair of criminals trying to break into the house.
It’s a Wonderful Life on Crave
Photo Courtesy: Crave/Liberty Films
After George Bailey (James Stewart) wishes he had never been born, an angel (Henry Travers) is sent to earth to make George's wish come true. George starts to realize how many lives he has changed and impacted, and how they would be different if he was never there. This is a true holiday classic, and one that is a can't miss this season!
Klaus
Photo Courtesy: Netflix
This Netflix original tells the story of a postman Jesper (Jason Schwartzman) who befriends a reclusive toymaker Klaus (J.K. Simmons) to bring Christmas cheer to their desolate town. This heartwarming story and beautiful animation you want from a beautifully animated Santa origin tale will leave you really feeling the holiday magic!
Father Christmas is Back
Photo Courtesy: Netflix
Centring around four sisters (played by Elizabeth Hurley, Nathalie Cox, Caroline Quentin, and Talulah Riley) who have reunited for the Christmas holiday in a Yorkshire mansion. Misunderstandings uncover the long-buried secret that tore their family apart, so many years ago. The star-studded cast also includes Kelsey Grammer and John Cleese and will delight the whole family!
Jingle All the Way on Crave
Photo Courtesy: Crave/Twentieth Century Fox
In 1996, action star Arnold Schwarzenegger teamed up with comedian Sinbad for the holiday comedy 'Jingle All the Way,' in which two rival fathers scramble to desperately procure a Turbo Man action figure for their sons on Christmas Eve -- the only problem is that it just so happens to be the hottest toy on the market. Inspired by the real-life horrors of holiday toy sell-outs and the parents who go to great (and traumatic) lengths to get their kids what their little hearts desire, this fun holiday film is filled with laughs and family fun!
Hawkeye
Photo Courtesy: Disney+ or Marvel Studios
Set in post-Blip New York at Christmas time, Hawkeye has a seemingly simple mission: get back to his family for Christmas. The series features retired Avenger Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) but when a threat from his past shows up, he reluctantly teams with an amateur archer (Hailee Steinfeld) future Young Avenger Kate Bishop, a 22-year-old skilled archer and his biggest fan who is aiming to be the next eagle-eyed Hawkeye, to unravel a criminal conspiracy. Perfect to watch with the Avenger fan in your house for the holiday season!
Eight Crazy Nights on Crave
Photo Courtesy: Crave/Happy Madison Productions
Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights is a hilarious animated holiday fable that's also a musical, featuring star voices from Jon Lovitz and Rob Schneider. When extremely disgruntled small-town guy Davey Stone (voiced by Sandler) faces another holiday season in his New England hometown, he does what he always has—he screws up big and lands in jail. Davey's old basketball referee, Whitey, bails him out with the bright idea of putting Davey to work doing community service. But Davey turns his sentence into a daily disaster for Whitey and the whole town! After a few surprises—including the mysterious reason for Davey's bad attitude and the reappearance of a childhood sweetheart—Davey might find a reason or two to change his ways. Get ready to laugh, sing and dance in this epic animated movie!
The Harry Potter collection on Crave
Photo Courtesy: Crave/Warner Bros.
OK so hear us out, the Harry Potter franchise isn't exactly a holiday classic, but it's a great movie series to turn on and curl up on the couch to watch during the season. All eight of the main Harry Potter films are streaming on Crave, which coincides with the 20th anniversary of the film series. Grab your wand and get ready to feel the magic this holiday season!
