Not all movies can be Christmas movies! First things first, they must have a Christmas setting. But there are dozens of movies set in Christmas that are released every year in December. The ideal Christmas movie watch contains a delightful dose of laughter and a warm set of characters which stay long after the film is over. Take a look at some of our picks to watch (or rewatch!) this Christmas! (Also read: Best acting performances of 2024: From Fahadh Faasil in Aavesham to Kani Kusruti in All We Imagine As Light)
Home Alone
Cast: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, Catherine O’Hara, John Heard
Director: Chris Columbus
Where to watch: Disney+ Hotstar
Even after so many years, Home Alone never gets old! When 8-year-old Kevin McCallister acts out of line, he is made to sleep in the attic. Next day, the family forget him to take for the family trip to Paris. He also realises that two con men plan to rob the house, and now he must protect it. Who can forget this iconic line: “To wrap things up, and in the spirit of the holiday season, I just wanna say Merry Christmas ya filthy animals!”
Love Actually
Cast: Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Keira Knightley
Director: Richard Curtis
Where to watch: Prime Video
This romantic drama follows the lives of eight very different couples who are dealing with their love lives, in loosely interrelated fashion. The film takes place in the weeks leading up to Christmas in London, England.
The Holdovers
Cast: Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa, Da’Vine Joy Randolph
Director: Alexander Payne
Where to watch: JioCinema
A bond forms between a strict professor and a belligerent student he’s stuck supervising over the winter holiday at an elite boarding school. Randolph won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for this film, earlier this year.
The Holiday
Cast: Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law
Director: Nancy Meyers
Where to watch: Prime Video
Two women, one from America and the other from Britain, decide to swap homes during Christmas after bad breakups. Will they find new love?
Fans have been eagerly waiting to know if there is a sequel in the works. Kate recently spoke to Deadline about the chances and said: “Honestly, it’s never come up. Actually, I suppose, I’ve been quite surprised that it never came up, because it’s the kind of film that probably would lend itself quite well to a sequel, but it has honestly never come up.”
Bridget Jones’ Diary
Cast: Renee Zellweger, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth
Director: Sharon Maguire
Where to watch: Netflix
The romantic comedy film was based on a screenplay by Helen Fielding, Andrew Davies and Richard Curtis. Bridget Jones is 32 and determined to improve her life’s circumstances as a woman. She looks for love in a year in which she keeps a personal diary.
The film, released in 2001, was a huge box office success, which led to sequels starring the central character Bridget Jones. Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason was released in 2004, Bridget Jones’s Baby in 2016, while Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy will release next year during Valentine’s Day weekend.
