Ahh, Netflix – the home to some of the best and worst Christmas films known to man. Some Hallmark-worthy cringefests which are so bad they’re good (we all love these, right?) and some absolute gems. To get you in the Christmas spirit, here are my five favourite Netflix Original Christmas Films.
Klaus
Klaus is, without a doubt, my favourite Christmas film from recent years.
Sulky and spoilt Jesper is a terrible postman. In an attempt to make him care more about his job, his father sends him to the most remote post office where he must post 6000 letters within a year or be disinherited. This is where the magic begins.
Klaus really did make me bawl like a child. This film perfectly encapsulates the magic of Christmas, especially for children.
Zara Larson’s original song – Invisible – whilst not a Christmas song is perfectly poignant and captures the magic of Klaus in its entirety.
“A true selfless act always sparks another”
The Christmas Chronicles
Christmas goes awry when siblings Kate and Teddy’s attempt to catch Santa on camera goes horribly wrong. And unless they want a repeat of the Dark Ages, they must save Christmas.
Santa as you’ve never seen him, Kurt Russell is genius casting as Ol’ Saint Nick. The Christmas Chronicles is a funny and light-hearted watch, chock-full of Christmas tropes we all enjoy. A film to be enjoyed by all the family.
“Christmas must endure!”
The Knight Before Christmas
Brooke (Vanessa Hudgens) has become disillusioned with love – which is often the case at the beginning of these movies. However, her luck seems to change when a medieval knight, Sir Cole is transported to the modern day by an old crone so that he can fulfil his Knight’s quest.
The Knight Before Christmas is pure cheese and I absolutely love it. I wouldn’t even consider this a guilty pleasure because I am not ashamed of how much I enjoyed this film.
A Christmas Prince
The film that began it all. A Christmas Prince not only spawned a trilogy but it was the first Netflix Original Christmas film to be released. The rest is history as they say.
Aspiring journalist Amber, eager to prove herself, goes to Aldovia over Christmas to cover a press conference given by the playboy Prince Richard. In a case of mistaken identity, Emily goes undercover as Princess Emily’s new tutor in an attempt to get an exclusive scoop guaranteed to kickstart her career. Whilst undercover as Martha, she bonds with Emily, falls for Richard and inadvertently exposes some significant secrets. A Christmas Prince is unapologetically cheesy. Will you cringe? Yes. But will you enjoy it? Also yes.
The Holiday Calendar
Our girl Bonnie Bennett has finally escaped the misery that is Mystic Falls! Kat Graham plays Abby, a struggling photographer who is gifted an antique Advent calendar by her gramps (Ron Cephas Jones) but things take a mysterious turn when the calendar begins to predict her future.
The Holiday Calendar is a heart-warming, feel-good film that the full family can enjoy.
Honourable mentions
Whilst I couldn’t say they were good with a straight face, I have to include Falling for Christmas and A Castle for Christmas in my honourable mentions. These are films that are quite literally so bad they’re good. Films that will have you creasing with laughter at how stupid they are.
Don’t call it a comeback. Lindsay Lohan plays spoilt heiress Sierra who comes down with a case of amnesia after a ski accident. This film was so camp and ham-fisted that you can’t help but love it! It’s got it all. The widowed single dad, the family business going into foreclosure and the high-maintenance woman falling in love with the flannel-wearing man. Need I say more?
Another honourable mention is A Castle for Christmas. My partner and I were in tears watching A Castle for Christmas. Not because of the moving romance but because it’s so unintentionally funny. Brooke Shields plays an author that comes to the (fictional) Dun Dunbar in Scotland to escape some of the negativity surrounding her latest book. Whilst there she locks heads with the…er Scottish… Duke that owns the castle, played by the Dread Pirate Roberts Cary Elwes. I don’t know if it’s just the fact that we’re Scottish but the horrific Scottish accents and inaccuracies had us in stitches
For more film recommendations, check out my favourite autumn films and my favourite romance films.
Until next time,
Ashleigh x
Pinterest: https://pin.it/xjzixgo3ohpr3u Twitter: http://ow.ly/JGwI30mYpST Instagram: http://ow.ly/yauZ30mYpy4