Get ready to deck the halls and jingle with the best selection of 2021 Christmas movies.
From heartwarming family tales to romantic holiday comedies, these movies will surely get you in the festive spirit.
It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for a classic or a modern take on the holidays; we’ve got you covered with the most popular and highly rated 2021 Christmas movies.
So grab some hot cocoa, snuggle up, and start streaming the holiday cheer with our top picks for the best 2021 Christmas movies.
1. The Princess Switch 3
- Starring: Vanessa Hudgens, Remy Hii, Sam Palladio, Will Kemp, Nick Sagar.
- Runtime: 1h 46m.
Fans of 2021 Christmas movies will tell you The Princess Switch is as silly as it gets, but it’s also a lot of fun.
In The Princess Switch, we meet two people who look exactly alike. Both of them are played by Vanessa Hudgens.
They meet at a royal baking competition in the cold country of Belgravia.
Lady Margaret Delacourt, Duchess of Montenaro, and Chicago baker Stacy DeNovo agree to switch places so that Lady Margaret can see Belgravia before she gets married to the city’s Crown Prince Edward (Sam Palladio).
In the second movie in the series, Ms. Hudgens played the third character, the same as the first two.
In the third and most recent movie, Australian actor Remy Hii played the same character for the third time. You’ll like it because The movie is silly and doesn’t try to be anything else.
2. 8-Bit Christmas
- Starring: Winslow Fegley, Cyrus Arnold, June Diane Raphael, Steve Zahn, Che Tafari.
- Runtime: 1h 37m.
8-Bit Christmas is a good choice on the list of 2021 Christmas movies for a movie for the whole family.
In 1980s Chicago, a boy named Jake Doyle (Winslow Fegley), who is 11 years old, wants a Nintendo game system for Christmas more than anything.
It’s hard because his parents are very against the idea. Jake and his friends even hang out with a wealthy and annoying kid to be near one.
He needs a miracle for Christmas. Jake (Neil Patrick Harris) is an adult telling this story to his young daughter, who wants a phone.
He doesn’t always tell the truth, but that’s part of the fun. You’ll like it because it makes you feel nostalgic, and Patrick Harris is great.
3. Love Hard
- Starring: Nina Dobrev, Jimmy O. Yang, Darren Barnet, Harry Shum Jr., Mikaela Hoover.
- Runtime: 1h 45m.
Dating columnist Natalie Bauer (Nina Dobrev) is paid to complain about bad dates. But when she meets “perfect” Josh on a dating app, everything seems to change.
Natalie has always talked to Josh in the lead-up to the silly season, so she decides to surprise him and his family.
She tells her boss that Josh will solve all her dating problems, and he keeps his word. Natalie soon finds out that Josh (Jimmy O. Yang), who used pictures of another man on his dating profile, used her to get money.
Josh tells Natalie that if she plays his fake girlfriend for Christmas, he will set her up with the real man in his photos, his friend Tag.
You’ll like it because Love Hard is like all other feel-good 2021 Christmas movies if you can get past the catfishing plot, which some people don’t like.
4. A Castle for Christmas
- Starring: Brooke Shields, Cary Elwes, Lee Ross, Vanessa Grasse, Stephen S. Oswald.
- Runtime: 1h 38m.
A best-selling author (Brooke Shields) travels to Scotland to get away from some negative press.
Once there, she falls in love with the castle where her father used to work. She is even considering making the purchase.
The problem is that the moody duke who owns it (played by Cary Elwes) isn’t exactly cooperative.
Why you’ll like it so much: It’s one of the feel-good 2021 Christmas movies to the fullest extent possible.
5. Christmas on the Farm
- Starring: Poppy Montgomery, Darren McMullen, Hugh Sheridan, Lynn Gilmartin, Demi Harman.
- Runtime: 1h 26m.
Emmy Jones, whose pen name is Poppy Montgomery, is an Australian author living in New York.
Her memoir, Growing Up on a Queensland Farm, was bought for a million dollars by the major publishing house London & New York.
But the book is about Emmy’s late mother, Clementine, and what she did in her life.
Emmy rushes home and plays her mother when the publishers say they are going to Australia to experience a real “Clementine” Christmas before signing the deal.
She enlists the help of her cousin David (Hugh Sheridan) and his wife Miles (Nicholas Brown) to give the impression that her family is still intact.
Before the arrival of Ellison London (Jeanette Cronin) and her son Jack (Darren McMullen), CEO of London & London, Emmy was confident that she could pull it off.
Emmy tells a story about a crazy night she and Jack had. If he remembers who Emmy is, he can see through her trick.
The fact that this one of the romantic 2021 Christmas movies that have Australian actors and actresses makes it even more fun to watch.
6. Single All the Way
- Starring: Luke Macfarlane, Philemon Chambers, Michael Urie, Kathy Najimy, Jennifer Coolidge.
- Runtime: 1h 41m.
Following the critical and commercial acclaim that Happiest Season in 2020 received, this is one of the queer and inclusive 2021 Christmas movies to look forward to.
Peter, played by Michael Urie, is distraught after learning that his boyfriend has been cheating on him and wants to end his family’s constant questioning about whether or not he has found someone to share his life with.
It is a last-ditch effort on his part to portray himself in a different light during the holiday season, so he asks his best friend, Nick, to act as if he is dating her.
But before they can make their fake relationship public, Peter is set up on a date with James. James was a stranger to Peter. Who will Peter spend the rest of his life with?
7. A Boy Called Christmas
- Starring: Henry Lawfull, Zoe Colletti, Maggie Smith, Kristen Wiig, Michiel Huisman.
- Runtime: 1h 46m.
This Christmas tale takes us on a beguiling ride to enchanted lands where we accompany a strong-willed young boy named Nikolas and his equally stubborn comrades — a reindeer and a pet mouse — on their search for Nikolas’s father.
He has disappeared to discover Elfhelm, the village of the elves. Will Nikolas find his father, and if he does, will that make him face his fate? Watch this king of enchanted 2021 Christmas movies to find out.
8. Father Christmas is Back
- Starring: Elizabeth Hurley, April Bowlby, Nathalie Cox, Kelsey Grammer, Kris Marshall.
- Runtime: 1h 45m.
At least, that’s what they hope for when they spend the holidays together as four sisters: a “perfect” Christmas.
It is anything but perfect as the four get into a flurry of fights, long-held secrets are revealed, and, to top it all off, their absent father makes an unexpected appearance after several years.
Philippe Martinez and Mick Davis have devised the perfect plan for a Christmas crisis that is just waiting to happen.
This movie is for you if you are looking for one of the perfect 2021 Christmas movies.
9. Silent Night
- Starring: Keira Knightley, Lily-Rose Depp, Roman Griffin Davis, Matthew Goode, Annabelle Wallis.
- Runtime: 1h 32m.
What would 2021 Christmas movies be without their share of spooky thrills every once in a while?
The novel Silent Night by Camille Griffin will keep your heart pounding against your chest in anticipation as a joyous and lavish Christmas dinner with close friends and family turns into a horror fest as an apocalypse approaches.
The novel follows the story of a group of people as they prepare for the end of the world.
The main characters of this tasty British black comedy, Edward Scissorhands, are Keira Knightley and Matthew Goode.
10. A Jenkins Family Christmas
- Starring: Bailey Bass, Derek Chadwick, Tammy Townsend, Kim Coles, Regina Taylor, Monti Washington.
- Runtime: 1h 34m.
The death of a much-loved family member just recently hit the Jenkins family hard, so if they want to continue with their traditional Christmas celebrations, they’ll have to call on all their Christmas cheer as a group.
The happy season is quickly derailed; however, when the family is surprised by the arrival of a half-sister, they were unaware of.
What follows is a train wreck of confusion and comedy. Grab a drink and watch one of the most family inclusive 2021 Christmas movies.
11. David and the Elves
- Starring: Cyprian Grabowski, Monika Krzywkowska, Jakub Zajac, Anna Smołowik, Michał Czernecki.
- Runtime: 1h 45m.
As you follow David and Albert the Elf as they search for David’s grandparents, you will learn about the magical realm of elves and begin to have faith in the efficacy of magic. David’s grandparents went missing when David was a child.
In this Polish comedy, David, the main character, is a young boy who is always sad because his parents are too busy to spend Christmas together.
On the other hand, the main character, Albert, has left the North Pole to see how people live.
Both of their roads converge, but what neither of them anticipated was discovering solace and love in the other person along the way. This is one of the breathtaking 2021 Christmas movies on this list.
12. Home Sweet Home Alone
- Starring: Devin Ratray, Archie Yates, Ellie Kemper, Aisling Bea, Katie Beth Hall, Rob Delaney.
- Runtime: 1h 33m.
The Home Alone series continued with Home Alone: The Holiday Heist nine years after the release of the last film, which was in 2012. A married couple tries to break into a house to get a family heirloom.
Still, Max Mercer (Archie Yates), who plays practical jokes, tricks them into thinking they are trying to take children.
Even if Dan Mazer’s comedy isn’t as good as the first several entries in this classic children’s film series, it’s sure to bring back happy childhood memories of staying up late on Christmas Eve to watch all of the Home Alone films.
This is one of the thrill-filled 2021 Christmas movies to watch.
13. The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two
Starring: Kurt Russell, Goldie Hawn, Darby Camp, Judah Lewis
Runtime: 1h 48m.
The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two is one of the most highly-anticipated 2021 Christmas movies.
The sequel to the 2018 Netflix hit follows Santa Claus (Kurt Russell) and his wife, Mrs.
Claus (Goldie Hawn), as they take Kate (Darby Camp) and Teddy (Judah Lewis) on a magical adventure to the North Pole.
The movie is filled with heartwarming moments, humor, and a touch of magic that is sure to delight audiences of all ages.
The special effects and set designs are also worth mentioning, as they are truly stunning.
This movie is perfect for watching with your family during the holiday season, as it brings warmth, joy, and laughter.
14. Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square
Starring: Dolly Parton, Christine Baranski, Jenifer Lewis, Treat Williams
Runtime: 1h 36m.
Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square is a must-watch for fans of the country music icon.
The film is directed and produced by Dolly Parton and stars her as an angel sent to help a small town during the holiday season.
Christine Baranski plays the role of a Scrooge-like character who is determined to evict the town’s residents, but Dolly Parton’s angel helps her see the true meaning of Christmas.
The movie features an original soundtrack written and performed by Dolly Parton and is filled with holiday cheer and uplifting messages.
The movie is a perfect blend of heartwarming messages and catchy music that will make you want to sing and dance along.
Conclusion
We’re sure that when you’re on Christmas break, you decorate with white and red lights, drink eggnog (or whatever holiday drink you like), and eat lots of holiday treats.
But does your tradition also consist of watching multiple episodes in a row of the newest Christmas movies, which celebrate sugar, spice, and everything excellent?
Here are some new releases that celebrate the holiday fever in a thrillingly cheerful spirit, sometimes even more so than usual.
From romances to heartwarming family dramas to laugh-out-loud comedies, here are some new releases that celebrate the holiday fever.
