5 of the best and 5 of the worst Christmas movies on Netflix, according to critics
Ayomikun Adekaiyero
- The holiday season is incomplete for many people without holiday movies.
- This year, Netflix is streaming a wide range of Christmas classics, and its own original movies.
It is the time of year when many turn to Christmas and holiday movies to get them through the winter.
Netflix has several films available, many of which are originals.
Here are five movies to watch this holiday season — and five movies to consider skipping.
"Klaus" is one of the most recently made movies to be considered a Christmas classic.
Summary: As the worst postal student in Norway, Jesper (Jason Schwartzman) is exiled to Smeerensburg and instructed to deliver 6,000 letters within a year. Through befriending a carpenter called Klaus (J.K. Simmons) and a teacher called Alva (Rashida Jones), Jesper is able to bring joy back to the town.
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%
Why you should watch it: Critics praised the beautiful animation and hopeful narrative.
"Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey" is fun for the whole family.
Summary: In this magical musical, toymaker Jeronicus Jangle (Forest Whitaker) teams up with his granddaughter Journey (Madalen Mills) to recover an invention stolen from him long ago and restore his legacy.
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%
Why you should watch it: Critics said the film is creative and fun for adults and kids alike. If you love musicals and the magic of Christmas, "Jingle Jangle" is fun to watch.
The likable cast of "Let It Snow" elevates a cliched story.
Summary: "Let It Snow" is a holiday rom-com that follows a group of young people in a small town in Illinois who are forced together due to a snowstorm.
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81%
Why you should watch it: "Let It Snow" is more diverse than the typical Christmas rom-com, and critics praised the charming young cast.
"White Christmas" is a fun Christmas musical.
Summary: The 1954 musical follows two former soldiers-turned-performers as they meet a beautiful sister singing duo. The two groups must work together to save the lodge owned by the soldiers' former commander.
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 77%
Why you should watch it: Critics said "White Christmas" is warm and cozy. Perfect for a winter afternoon.
"Love Actually" is a rom-com classic.
Summary: Starring some of the biggest stars in Britain, "Love Actually" follows eight romances that are loosely related in the lead-up to Christmas in London.
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 64%
Why you should watch it: For all its flaws, the film does successfully display several facets of what love means, with several emotional stories and a star-studded cast. It's a tear-jerker but also lots of fun.
The sequels to "The Princess Switch" are not as good as the original.
Summary: In the "Princess Switch" franchise, Vanessa Hudgens plays numerous lookalikes who bump into each other during the Christmas season in the kingdom of Belgravia. Chaos ensues.
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 53% - 56%
Why you should skip it: While the first "Princess Switch" was received reasonably well, the sequels — "The Princess Switch: Switched Again" and "The Princess Switch 3: Romancing the Star" — overdid it with the switching.
The sequels to "A Christmas Prince" are also disappointing.
Summary: This franchise stars Rose McIver as a magazine journalist who falls for a prince while trying to write an exposé about him.
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 36% - 50%
Why you should skip it: "A Christmas Prince" was fun, but sequels "A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding" and "A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby" made this royal love story outstay its welcome.
Critics slammed the "Holidate" for being bland.
Summary: Sloane (Emma Roberts) and Jackson (Luke Bracey) are sick of bad dates and meddling family members. When they have a chance encounter, they decide to pretend to be a couple for the holidays. The arrangement works until they start to grow feelings for each other.
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 45%
Why you should skip it: Roberts and Bracey have great chemistry, but critics thought the film was mediocre.
Critics found "Christmas Inheritance" unoriginal.
Summary: In "Christmas Inheritance," a spoilt New York City girl (Eliza Taylor), the heir to her father's gift shop business, is sent on a mission to a small New England town before she can claim her position as CEO. However, she gets stranded there and forced to work, causing her to have a new outlook on life.
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 43%
Why you should skip it: Critics said that the film did not stray enough from the Christmas rom-com formula.
Critics found "El Camino Christmas" more depressing than funny.
Summary: In the fictional town of El Camino, Eric (Luke Grimes) is looking for his father, whom he has never met. However, on Christmas Eve, he ends up stuck inside a liquor store in a hostage situation.
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 40%
Why you should skip it: Like "Die Hard," it is slightly more violent than your typical holiday movie. Decider's Jade Budowski said the film's tone "gets muddled up with its inconsistent pacing and aimless storyline."
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