5 Best Netflix Christmas Movies, Ranked

Celebrating Christmas often comes with tons of good food, lots of joy, and of course, presents exchanged among friends and family. But in between having fun around the table or the tree, there's also time to curl up on the couch with a cup of hot cocoa and watch some movies to get into the holiday spirit — especially if you need to decompress from a family gathering that was a little more chaotic than you planned for. Fortunately, Netflix has a strong offering of original Christmas movies.

The streamer's 2026 holiday lineup is full of heartfelt, star-studded titles. But, while you wait for those, Netflix already has plenty of great Christmas films to choose from — from magical, family-focused tales to Santa Claus origin stories and rom-coms as sweet as sugar cookies. The genre is sometimes underestimated because it leans lighthearted, but a few of these movies have been nominated for the most prestigious awards in the entertainment industry. Let's take a look at the five best original Christmas movies that Netflix has gifted audiences.

Led by Hollywood legends, real-life power couple Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn as Santa and Mrs. Claus, the first film in "The Christmas Chronicles" follows siblings Kate (Darby Camp) and Teddy Pierce (Judah Lewis) on their quest to catch Santa on camera. 

The story sounds simple enough, but they make it to his sleigh only to startle him and cause him to crash in Chicago, losing his presents, reindeer, and the hat on which all of his magic depends on. Santa has to get everything back or Christmas will be ruined for many kids. It's a wild night full of festive cheer and an edgy St. Nick who sings "Santa Claus Is Back in Town" with fellow inmates after a wild police chase. 

"The Christmas Chronicles" stands out among other holiday franchises by being an action comedy that the whole family can watch. You have to suspend disbelief and embrace magic to fully enjoy it, but Russell adds some spice to the mix. 

"Let It Snow" is a 2019 Netflix adaptation of the book of the same name featuring intertwining short stories by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle about teenagers stuck in the same town during a snowstorm. In the film, pop star Stuart Bale (Sameik Moore) has a chance encounter with Julie (Isabela Merced) and ends up spending the day with her, starting with lunch at Waffle Town. He opens up about the difficulties of fame and she tells him about a hard decision she has to make about college because her mom is sick.

The film features multiple different characters and storylines. A server, Dorrie (Liv Hewson) is juggling a lot during her shift. Her crush, a cheerleader named Kerry (Anna Akana), is ignoring her even though they've hooked up. And her friend Addie (Odeya Rush) is in the restaurant convinced that her boyfriend is going to break up with her soon. Elsewhere, Tobin (Mitchell Hope) is trying to tell his best friend Angie, known as "The Duke" (Kiernan Shipka), that he likes her. But he has competition in J.P. (Matthew Noszka), who is gorgeous and already in college.

Intertwining plot films can be a challenge to pull off, but "Let It Snow" succeeds according to critics on Rotten Tomatoes, where it has an 85% Tomatometer score. Audiences were more critical of the film, but the snowstorm makes for a moody backdrop, and each teen goes on a unique journey to learn a personal lesson.

A Netflix Christmas marathon is incomplete without a rom-com in the lineup, and "Single All the Way" starring Michael Urie and Philemon Chambers as Peter and Nick is one of the best. In this friends-to-lovers tale, Peter convinces his roommate Nick to come home with him for the holidays when he suddenly finds himself single. Nick takes the trip, but refuses to fake a relationship for the family, so Peter's mother Carole (Kathy Najimy) sets him up with her trainer James (Luke Macfarlane). 

As Nick spends a lot of time with Peter's family preparing for Christmas and watching his friend go on dates, hidden feelings rise to the surface. It's the perfect set-up for plenty of fun, holiday moments. Things eventually turn intimate, you've got your classic family meddling, and Jennifer Coolidge performs all the parts of a nativity play during a meltdown. If that's not enough to entice you, there's also a fully choreographed dance to a classic Britney Spears Christmas song. "Single All the Way" also won a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding TV Movie in 2022. It's refreshing to see a Christmas movie depict a queer romance as the main focus. 

The entertainment industry has been cooking up Christmas movies for decades, so it's hard to come up with a truly unique concept. But, in 2020, Netflix did just that, inviting audiences into the magical, musical world of "Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey." The film follows Jeronicus Jangle (Justin Cornwell), an inventor and owner of the store Jangles and Things who has found a way to bring toys to life. While celebrating the discovery that will change his family's life, his apprentice Gustafson (Miles Barrow) and the doll (Ricky Martin) conspire to steal his inventions. 

Decades pass and Jeronicus (Forest Whitaker) is now a widower estranged from his daughter Jessica (Anika Noni Rose) who is managing a failing store after Gustafson (Keegan-Michael Key) opened a rival toy store filled with ideas he stole from Jeronicus. When Jeronicus's granddaughter Journey (Madalen Mills) comes to visit his ailing store, however, she brings its magic back thanks to her intuitive spirit and huge heart. 

"Jingle Jangle" has a 91% Tomatometer score among critics, which is incredibly high praise. It was nominated for 10 NAACP Image Awards in 2021, with Phylicia Rashad taking home the movie's only win in the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture category. The film is so unique it has its own holiday spirit made out of magic, music, STEM, and a dash of merriment. But it still teaches the same lessons we all need to remember at Christmas about the power of love and family.

'Klaus' is an animated Santa Claus origin story set in the bleak town of Smeerensburg, where a lazy, entitled postal academy student named Jesper (Jason Schwartzman) has been sent by his father to build a working post office in order to receive his inheritance. Most of the residents in town come from one of two feuding families who don't exchange greetings, let alone the letters Jesper needs to start a postal delivery service. Chance encounters with the town teacher, Alva (Rashida Jones), and a reclusive carpenter named Klaus (J.K. Simmons) who makes toys, help him realize how he can get his post office running and bring joy to the children in town simultaneously. 

"Klaus" teaches kids and reminds adults about the importance of community, selflessness, serving others, and working together to achieve change. Although it's animated, the movie doesn't feel absurd or overly merry, as the Christmas traditions we know today are just getting started. The beautiful art direction and lighting inject every scene with so much atmosphere. "Klaus" is the perfect movie to enjoy at a huge holiday gathering, as its incredibly high scores on Rotten Tomatoes support. The movie was nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film in 2020, which is a truly impressive accomplishment for a holiday-themed film.