Streaming
If you’re looking for some festive streaming inspo, you’ve come to the right place.
When festive cheer is in the air, many of us simply cannot resist indulging in some Christmassy flicks come the end of the year. The streaming juggernaut Netflix has of course caught onto our yuletide viewing habits, and the platform is always on hand to fulfil our insatiable appetite for Christmas movies during the most wonderful time of the year.
In 2021, Netflix has again gifted users a freshly updated library of festive content, which includes a long list of seasonal favourites, as well as some brand new streaming originals. To nudge you in the right direction of what to add to your watchlist this year, here are some of the best Christmas movies on Netflix UK in 2021.
This year, you can expect to enjoy Christmas crackers such as the cosy 2006 rom-com The Holiday, the groundbreaking Netflix original Single All the Way, 2019’s Last Christmas starring the likes of Emma Thompson and Emilia Clarke, Richard Curtis’ 2003 romantic classic Love Actually, the sweet and hilarious Nativity!, and much, much more.
So, if you’re in need of some Christmastime streaming inspo, you’ve come to the right place, and you can find the very best of Netflix UK’s 2021 yuletide offerings below.
A Castle For Christmas
Directed by Mary Lambert, and starring Brooke Shields, Cary Elwes, and Lee Ross, among others, this Netflix original Christmas rom-com follows the story of a bestselling author, Sophie Brown (Shields), who jets off to Scotland to escape a scandal surrounding her latest book.
Her getaway leads her to Dun Dunbar castle, situated close to the ancestral village of her father. After falling in love with the castle, Sophie is then forced to face off with the grumpy duke who owns it.
The Holiday
With an all-star cast made up of Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Jack Black, and Eli Wallach, this charming 2006 rom-com centres on the Surrey-based newspaper columnist Iris (Winslet), and the Californian movie trailer producer Amanda (Diaz), who both arrange a home exchange in an attempt to escape heartbreak throughout the festive season. However, both women wind up finding new love overseas in ways they never expected.
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
Satrring Forest Whitaker, Keegan-Michael Key, Hugh Bonneville, Anika Noni Rose, and Ricky Martin, among others, this 2020 musical-fantasy tells the story of a once-joyful toymaker who finds new hope when his delightful and curious young grandaughter comes into his life, decades after being betrayed by a trusted apprentice.
Last Christmas
Based on the 1984 song of the same name and directed by Paul Feig (Bridesmaids), this 2019 romantic comedy follows the story of shopworker Kate (Emilia Clarke), who doesn’t believe in the magic of Christmas, despite being made to dress up as an elf at work. However, Kate’s outlook quickly begins to change when she meets Tom, played by Henry Golding, who manages to bring a little faith back into her life.
A Christmas Prince
Starring Rose McIver and Ben Lamb, this 2017 festive flick tells the romantic tale of an aspiring young journalist named Amber Moore, who travels to Aldovia to report on the country’s future king, Prince Richard.
After managing to infiltrate the royal family of Aldovia’s palace, Amber begins to uncover some shocking truths about some of those closest to Prince Richard, and her relationship with the future king takes an unexpected turn.
Deck the Halls
Starring Danny DeVito, Matthew Broderick, Kristin Davis, and Kristin Chenoweth, this 2006 Christmas comedy follows the story of Dr. Steve Finch, who is looking forward to celebrating his favourite time of year with some impressive decorations. However, Finch is upstaged by some new neighbors who move in across the street and unveil a Christmas light display that can be detected from space.
Nativity!
Starring Martin Freeman and Ashley Jensen, this cheerful British musical-comedy centres on Paul Maddens, a teacher at St Bernadette's Catholic primary school in Coventry, who is tasked with directing the school’s Nativity play. However, Paul falsely claims that his ex-girlfriend will be turning his production into a Hollywood film.
Following the film’s 2009 release, Natiivty! went on to spawn three sequels, the second of which, Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger, is also available to stream on Netflix.
Love Actually
Written and directed by Richard Curtis, and with an all-star ensemble cast featuring Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Keira Knightly, Emma Thompson, Chiwetel Ejiofor, the late Alan Rickman, and many more, this classic 2003 rom-com explores the many different aspects of love through ten different stories in the run up to Christmas, some of which begin to intertwine.
Single All the Way
Starring Michael Urie, Luke Macfarlane, and Jennifer Coolidge, the Netflix original romantic comedy tells the story of Peter, a singleton who is dreading having to spend the holidays with his nosey family who are sure to ask about his love life. So, to avoid any judgement this year, Peter asks his best friend Nick to join him at his family’s Christmas celebrations and pretend that they’re an item.
Love Hard
Starring Nina Dobrev, Jimmy O. Yangm, and Darren Barnet, this 2021 romantic comedy follows the story of a young Los Angeles-based writer who believes she has found the perfect match on a dating app. In a bid to surprise her new love interest, she decides to travel 3,000 miles to his hometown for Christmas. However, it soon becomes clear that she has been catfished.
