Over the past few years, Netflix has become known for its cheesy, Hallmark-style Christmas movies. They’re fine to turn on in the background but lack original plotlines or great acting.
Netflix now has over thirty original Christmas movies, ranging from raunchy rom-coms to family musicals. Some of them are hot garbage, and others are incredible. But with so many to browse through, how do you know which ones are worth watching without spending hours researching?
That’s what we’re sharing today. We scoured the web and compared movie scores from real viewers across IMBd, Rotten Tomatoes, and Google. Between all those ratings, these ten movies scored well almost consistently across all three platforms, making them the best Netflix Christmas movies.
#10: The Noel Diary (2022)
Ratings:
IMDb- 6.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes- 63% audience score
Google- 3.5/5
What’s It About? The story of a man who returns home on Christmas to settle his estranged mother’s estate. Once there, he discovers a diary that may hold secrets to his own past and of a beautiful young woman on a mysterious journey of her own.
Cast: Justin Hartley, Barrett Doss
Why People Like It: Most reviews say it’s sappy but enjoyable. The mystery element of the plot adds enough interest to keep you watching.
#9: A Christmas Prince (2017)
Ratings:
IMBd- 5.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes- 48% audience score
Google- 4.5/5
What’s It About? When a reporter goes undercover as a tutor to get the inside scoop on a playboy prince, she gets tangled in some royal intrigue and ends up finding love – but will she be able to keep up her lie?
Cast: Rose McIver, Ben Lamb
Why People Like It: A fairly charming, easy-to-watch movie. While it includes a lot of tropes, the story is full of heart.
#8: The Princess Switch (2018)
Ratings:
IMBd- 6.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes- 51% audience score
Google- 4.5/5
What’s It About? Competing in a Christmas baking competition in Belgravia, a Chicago baker bumps into the prince’s fiancée– who looks just like her. They switch lives for two days.
Cast: Vanessa Hudgens, Sam Palladio, Nick Sagar
Why People Like It: Vanessa does a fantastic job carrying the film with her charm. It’s nothing we haven’t seen before, but it’s still a fun watch.
#7: Holidate (2020)
Ratings:
IMDb- 6.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes- 54% audience score
Google- 3.6/5
What’s It About? Fed up with being single on holidays, two strangers agree to be each other’s platonic plus-ones all year long, only to catch real feelings along the way.
Cast: Emma Roberts, Luke Bracey, Kristin Chenoweth
Why People Like It: It’s exactly the kind of movie you expect, but in a good way. The two leads have great chemistry, which makes it easier to sit through the more cliche parts.
#6: A Boy Called Christmas (2021)
Ratings:
IMDb- 6.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes- 60% audience score
Google- 4/5
What’s It About? In this origin story of Father Christmas, an ordinary boy–with a loyal pet mouse and a reindeer at his side–sets out on an extraordinary adventure to find his father, who is on a quest to discover the fabled village of Elfhelm.
Cast: Henry Lawfull, Maggie Smith, Zoe Margaret Colletti
Why People Like It: It’s a warm and charming family film capturing the magic of Christmas in a Nordic-inspired world. Viewers especially enjoyed the theme of kindness.
#5: Scrooge: A Christmas Carol (2022)
Ratings:
IMDb- 6.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes- 67% audience score
Google- 4.3/5
What It’s About? A supernatural, time-traveling, musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’s cult Christmas story.
Cast: Luke Evans, Oliva Coleman, Jessie Buckley
Why People Like It: The movie doesn’t do anything new with the classic story, but it’s worth watching for the songs. Luke Evans, especially, is a fantastic singer who steals the show.
#4: Love Hard (2021)
Ratings:
IMDb- 6.310
Rotten Tomatoes- 90% audience score
Google- 4.5/5
What’s It About? An LA girl, unlucky in love, falls for an East Coast guy on a dating app and decides to surprise him for the holidays, only to discover that she’s been catfished. This lighthearted romantic comedy chronicles her attempt to reel in love.
Cast: Nina Dobrev, Darren Barnet, Jimmy O. Yang
Why People Like It: It’s a good, classic rom-com. The premise is strange, but it has a lot of heart.
#3: Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020)
Ratings:
IMDb- 6.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes- 70% audience score
Google- 4.5/5
What’s It About? An imaginary world comes to life in a holiday tale of an eccentric toymaker, his adventurous granddaughter, and a magical invention that has the power to change their lives forever.
Cast: Forest Whitaker, Keegan-Michael Key, Anika Noni Rose
Why People Like It: It’s bright, colorful, and filled with original songs. The story is also cute and wholesome for viewers of all ages.
#2: The Christmas Chronicles (2018)
Ratings:
IMDb- 7/10
Rotten Tomatoes- 76% audience score
Google- 4.6/5
What’s It About? The story of sister and brother, Kate and Teddy Pierce, whose Christmas Eve plan to catch Santa Claus on camera turns into an unexpected journey that most kids could only dream about.
Cast: Kurt Russell, Darby Camp, Judah Lewis
Why People Like It: The plot may be somewhat lacking, but Kurt Russell as Santa Claus makes up for it. His performance is full of charm, sass, and the joy of Christmas.
#1: Klaus (2019)
Ratings:
IMDb- 8.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes- 90% audience score
Google- 4.5/5
What’s It About? A simple act of kindness always sparks another, even in a frozen, faraway place. When Smeerensburg’s new postman, Jesper, befriends toymaker Klaus, their gifts melt an age-old feud and deliver a sleigh full of holiday traditions.
Cast: Jason Schwartzman, J. K. Simmons, Rashida Jones
Why People Like It: It’s a highly original, beautifully animated, and well-written story about Christmas and Santa Claus. It was also nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars, so it’s worth a watch.
You may have a different top Netflix Christmas movie. But if you want to try a few more, these are a great place to start.
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