If the first round of holiday movies wasn’t enough, it’s time for more cozy nights and comfort viewing. This second list brings even more seasonal favorites, hidden gems, and feel-good films that are perfect for unwinding, rewatching, or discovering for the first time. Grab a blanket, make something warm, and let the holiday movie marathon continue.
The Holdovers
The Holdovers (2023): This Oscar-winning film is already becoming a Christmas staple. Paul Giamatti plays a curmudgeonly instructor at a New England prep school, remaining on campus during Christmas break to babysit a handful of students with nowhere to go. He soon forms an unlikely bond with a brainy but damaged troublemaker, and with the school’s head cook, a woman who just lost a son in the Vietnam War. Da’Vine Joy Randolph won Best Supporting Actress for her role. Now streaming on Starz.
That Christmas
That Christmas (2024): Prolific British screenwriter Richard Curtis (Love Actually, Notting Hill) returns to the holidays with last year’s animated That Christmas, an adaptation of his own children’s book. A blizzard hits a seaside town, setting off entwined tales of family, friends, love and loneliness — and Santa making a big mistake. Now streaming on Netflix.
Klaus
Klaus (2019):Jason Schwartzman stars in this Netflix film: After proving himself to be the worst student at the academy, a postman is sent to a frozen town in the north, where he discovers a reclusive toy maker named Klaus. The unique animation stands out, and the characters and story are also a lot of fun. Now streaming on Netflix.
8-Bit Christmas
8-Bit Christmas (2021): If you’re nostalgic for the ’80s, you’ll love this straight-to-streaming flick with Neil Patrick Harris and Steve Zahn. A 10-year-old child living in 1980s Chicago dreams of owning a Nintendo. He decides to get it on his own after his parents refuse to buy the expensive gadget. Now streaming on HBO Max.
Arthur Christmas
Arthur Christmas: This one came out nearly 15 years ago, but it still holds up. The animated film follows Santa Claus’s youngest son, Arthur, as he works to deliver a bicycle to a little girl in Trelew, England, before Christmas morning. The stellar voice cast includes James McAvoy, Bill Nighy, Hugh Laurie and Jim Broadbent. Now streaming on Prime Video.
Better Watch Out
Better Watch Out (2016): On a quiet suburban street, a babysitter must defend a 12-year-old boy from intruders, only to discover it’s far from a normal home invasion. Don’t watch if you’re squeamish — things get bloody. Now streaming on Prime Video and Peacock.
Christmas Bloody Christmas
Christmas Bloody Christmas (2022): This movie has such a killer look and fun premise that I’m almost willing to forgive the awful dialogue and annoying characters. Party girl Tori must take action when a robotic Santa Claus at a local toy store starts killing people. Now streaming on Shudder.
Black Christmas
Black Christmas (1974) and Black Christmas (2006): The legendary Black Christmas has been often imitated but never bested, though the 2006 version is incredibly underrated. (The less said about the 2019 version, the better.) During their Christmas break, a group of sorority girls is stalked by a stranger. The original is genuinely scary and tense and unsettling, whereas the 2006 has completely insane over-the-top gore. The 1974 is now available to stream on Peacock, Prime Video and various free-with-ad sites. The 2006 is now streaming on Kanopy and various free-with-ad sites.
Carry-On
Carry-On (2024): If you missed this when it hit Netflix last year, it’s worth catching up this holiday season. Taron Egerton stars as a TSA agent in this cat-and-mouse thriller, where Jason Bateman plays against type as an evil terrorist with plans of sneaking a dangerous package onto a plane, with the agent’s help. It’s a hoot! Now streaming on Netflix.
Violent Night
Violent Night (2022): When a well-off family is taken hostage on Christmas Eve, mercenaries must face an unlikely adversary: Santa himself. David Harbour stars as the he’s-no-saint St. Nick, and there are some fun R-rated Home Alone-inspired gags in here. Now streaming on Peacock.
Fatman
Fatman (2020): Mel Gibson plays a gritty, world-weary Santa Claus who has to fight off a deadly assassin hired by a spoiled kid after getting a lump of coal. It’s incredibly violent! Now streaming on Netflix, Prime Video and Paramount+.
The Night Before
The Night Before (2015): Seth Rogen, Anthony Mackie and Joseph Gordon-Levitt star in this raunchy holiday season comedy as three lifelong friends spending Christmas Eve in New York City looking for the Holy Grail of Christmas parties. Drugs and a guardian angel, played by Michael Shannon, are involved. Now streaming on Peacock and Starz.
Anna and the Apocalypse
Anna and the Apocalypse (2017): In this hard-to-define horror Christmas musical, Anna and her friends find themselves in a zombie apocalypse as the undead take over their small town. They’ve got to fight back — and break into song — to survive. It’s an absolute blast! Now streaming on Prime Video.
White Reindeer
White Reindeer (2013): In this offbeat, dark indie comedy, a woman must find a way to put her life back together during the Christmas season after she is struck with an unexpected tragedy. It’s as raw and uncomfortable as it is dryly funny and quirky. Not for everyone, but those who like it will love it. Now streaming on Philo and Kanopy.
