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The best NOW Christmas movies to stream today

Cosy up, because it's time for the best Christmas movies on NOW.

The best NOW Christmas movies to stream today
Becca Caddy
08 December 2023

There's nothing quite like a Christmas movie to get you in the spirit.

NOW has a whole slew of them, and a category dedicated to festive delights. But, as you probably know, Christmas movies are a hit and miss affair. Some right old rubbish is trotted out each year, because a Christmas theming seems to guarantee you a good collection of willing eyeballs.

Today we're only interested in the good stuff, the best Christmas movies currently available on NOW. There are some real classics on here too.

Whichever you choose, they're pretty much guaranteed to get you into the festive mood. What's more, you don't have to worry about checking the TV guide or perfect timing over Christmas anymore – streaming services make everything so much easier.

So whether you're preparing for Christmas with a mince pie and want a dose of festive fun or it's that boring time between Christmas and New Year's Eve and you need something to watch as you eat your ninth turkey sandwich, we've got you covered.

  • In the wrong place? If you're a Netflix subscriber, head to our pick of the best Netflix Christmas movies instead.
  • Sick of Christmas movies already? Then check out our list of the best Now TV Shows for a change of pace.
  • The best Christmas movies on NOW

    You will have to wait until 8th December but the good news is that Elf is coming to NOW TV. The movie has become, quite rightly, a Christmas classic and follows the adventures of a grown-up 'Elf (Will Ferrell) as he heads to New York in search of his real father.

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    The best Christmas movies on NOW

    2. Gremlins

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    Gremlins is a fantastic movie to watch at Christmas. No, it won't get you in the festive spirit but it is full of comedy and horror that it will bring a sense of menace to the season. Plus, it has one of the darkest stories about 'Father Christmas' to ever be told on film.

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    The best Christmas movies on NOW

    3. Bad Santa

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    If you like a little comedy and irreverence with your festivities, then Bad Santa is for you. It's about a sweary guy (played by Billy Bob Thornton) who dresses up as Santa in his local department store. To say he's not thrilled about being Santa is an understatement, which is one of the many reasons he makes a living from robbing the places he works, along with his elf assistant.

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    4. Arthur Christmas

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    If you’re not crying by the end of this then your heart is cold and black. Who hurt you so much that you wouldn’t tear up at this Aardman Animation (the minds behind Wallace & Grommit) classic about a young lad who travels around the world to make sure a little girl, who’s been missed off the list by a now distant Santa Claus, gets her present on Christmas morning?

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    The best Christmas movies on NOW

    5. Krampus

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    Krampus is an alpine folklore monster who punishes naughty children at Christmas. This horror film turned him from a regional figure to a global icon among horror fans. It's a cracker of a film, with some real scares and a good few laughs. It's not one for the young kids, though, as it's no lightweight.

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    The best Christmas movies on NOW

    6. The Holiday

    Watch on NOW

    Forget Love Actually, The Holiday is the Christmas romcom we keep coming back to. It stars Cameron Diaz and Jude Law, Jack Black and Kate Winslet as genuinely likeable characters you grow to know over the two hours and change of this charming film.

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    The best Christmas movies on NOW

    7. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

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    All Clark Griswold wants is to have a nice Christmas. But nothing ever seems to work out. This time his family are coming around, and that's fuel for some classic 1980s Chevy Chase hijinks. Christmas Vacation dukes it out with National Lampoon's Vacation and Caddyshack as Chase's best movie. Definitely worth a rewatch if you have some nostalgia for this era, and aren't turned off by the stories that suggest Chevy Chase really isn't the nicest chap.

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    The best Christmas movies on NOW

    8. Violent Night

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    David Harbour has a particularly tired and fed-up take on Santa in Violent Night, in which he gets caught up in a home invasion. Santa's norse warrior origins come out as he cleans up house with a hammer in hand. It's gory, it's funny and it's fun. This is anything but a family watch, though. Not unless the kids are grown-up.

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    The best Christmas movies on NOW

    9. A Boy Called Christmas

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    A boy heads to a faraway land to search for his father in this festive adventure. Written by Matt Haig it's a sentimental movie, like all the best Christmas films are, which blends real life with some more fantastical elements. It's by no means perfect but it's got a lot of heart.

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