Netflix has asserted its dominance in the Christmas movie genre, and this year's lineup demonstrates that the streaming giant is serious about competing against traditional cable rivals such as Hallmark.
The platform offers a surprisingly satisfying variety. Absurdly charming romantic comedies are presented alongside thrilling action films. Saccharine sweetness competes with adrenaline-fuelled tension. Whatever your holiday mood, Netflix likely has something tailored for you.
A Snowman With Abs Becomes Streaming Sensation
Hot Frosty launched on 13 November 2024 and immediately became the internet's favourite guilty pleasure. Lacey Chabert plays Kathy, a grieving widow who accidentally brings a snowman to life with a magic scarf. Dustin Milligan transforms into Jack, the impossibly handsome snowman whose abs would make Frosty rethink his life choices.
Yes, the premise is ridiculous. That's the entire point.
'It's really funny and light and lovely. But there is also a through line of a lot of heart,' Chabert told Netflix's Tudum. The film includes a cheeky Mean Girls reference when Kathy watches Lindsay Lohan's Falling for Christmas and remarks, 'That looks just like a girl I went to high school with.'
Audiences devoured it. Hot Frosty scored a 76% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with reviewers praising its 'knowingly goofy' approach to holiday rom-coms, per Rotten Tomatoes.
Christmas Eve at LAX Goes Catastrophically Wrong
Carry-On trades snowman romance for white-knuckle airport tension. Released 13 December 2024, director Jaume Collet-Serra's thriller stars Taron Egerton as Ethan Kopek, a TSA officer who gets blackmailed by a mysterious traveler played against type by Jason Bateman.
The setup is simple and terrifying: Christmas Eve. LAX. A nerve agent. 250 passengers at risk.
Collet-Serra specialises in confined thrillers, having previously directed Non-Stop and The Commuter. 'Contained environments force us to get to know the movie's characters very quickly,' he explained to Netflix.
Critics responded warmly. The Hollywood Reporter called it 'a satisfying surveillance thriller' elevated by strong performances from both leads. Variety described Bateman's villainous turn as delightfully unexpected in this 'dumb-fun Netflix potboiler'.
The numbers tell the real story. Carry-On racked up 42 million views during its opening week, making it Netflix's biggest film debut of 2024, according to Collider. The film landed in the Top 10 across 93 countries.
Kate Winslet Makes Directorial Debut With Christmas Tearjerker
Goodbye June arrives on Christmas Eve 2025, marking Kate Winslet's directorial debut. The Oscar winner also stars alongside Helen Mirren and Toni Collette in this decidedly grown-up festive offering.
The film follows four fractured siblings gathering around their mother, June (Mirren), as her health deteriorates during the lead-up to Christmas. Written by Winslet's own son Joe Anders, the drama examines family dysfunction, mortality, and final goodbyes.
Winslet insists it's not really a Christmas film. 'To me it's not a Christmas film at all,' she told Digital Spy. 'I did love the fact that our film is set at Christmas, but the universal nature of the story being told meant it wasn't defined by its setting.'
Fair warning: pack tissues. This won't be your typical Netflix holiday comfort watch.
The Award Winners Netflix Keeps in Rotation
Netflix's Christmas catalogue runs deeper than recent releases. Klaus, the 2019 hand-drawn animated film, remains the platform's most critically acclaimed festive offering. The film earned an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature at the 92nd Academy Awards, making it Netflix's first animated feature to compete for the trophy.
Esquire notes Klaus proves Netflix 'can strive for even more' beyond formulaic holiday rom-coms. Director Sergio Pablos reimagines Santa's origin story through an unlikely friendship between a lazy postman and a reclusive toymaker.
Then there's Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, which arrived in November 2020 with Forest Whitaker leading a vibrant musical about a broken inventor reconnecting with his spirited granddaughter. Keegan-Michael Key chews scenery as the villain, whilst Ricky Martin voices a sentient toy matador. It's bonkers. It works.
The Rest of the Slate
This year's other releases follow Netflix's established formula with slight variations. Jingle Bell Heist stars Olivia Holt and Connor Swindells as rival thieves targeting London's biggest department store on Christmas Eve, according to TheWrap. They team up. Romance develops. You know the drill.
My Secret Santa features Alexandra Breckenridge disguising herself as a bloke to work as Father Christmas at a posh ski resort. A Merry Little Ex-Mas reunites Alicia Silverstone and Oliver Hudson as divorced parents attempting one final family Christmas before selling their home.
Champagne Problems whisks Minka Kelly off to Paris, where a business deal predictably transforms into holiday romance. Each film follows the same blueprint: attractive leads, festive backdrops, complications resolved by the closing credits.
Netflix expanded its festive arsenal by striking a deal with Hallmark to stream the cable network's Christmas films, according to What's on Netflix. Titles like Haul Out the Holly joined Netflix's library, giving subscribers access to Hallmark's signature brand of cosy holiday comfort alongside Netflix originals.
The strategy is transparent. Flood the platform with options. Provide something for everyone. Keep viewers scrolling through tinsel-topped thumbnails until they find their perfect escape from December stress.
