Netflix has continued to count down the days to Christmas with the release of yet another holiday feature: "That Christmas".
Now that we're into December, clearly, plenty of families are getting into the spirit of the season, as this new release has shot straight to the No. 2 spot on Netflix just days after it's December 4 release. The problem? I just don't think it's destined to become a Christmas classic.
"That Christmas", for those who've yet to check it out, is an animated Christmas comedy caper that's based on a collection of stories penned by Richard Curtis (yes, the same Richard Curtis behind "Love Actually" and "About Time").
To put it bluntly, "That Christmas" is sort of... fine, as festive entertainment goes. It's a collection of entwined small-town Christmas tales about family and friendship and hits all the expected emotional beats.
Even though it boasts a starry voice cast containing the likes of Brian Cox, Fiona Shaw, and Jodie Whittaker and is serviceable for some family viewing, I found it to be a fairly bland watch, and don't think it's got much to offer beyond being disposable holiday fodder. That's not just my opinion, either: the movie's split critics, and currently holds a less-than-stellar 57% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes.
With that in mind, if you were planning to stream "That Christmas" but are now in need of some fresh festive inspiration, I've put together a small list of great Christmas movies that you can stream on Netflix and listed them below.
'A Boy Called Christmas'
Before helming "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire", director Gil Kenan brought us a solid dose of holiday cheer with his 2021 live-action festive adventure, "A Boy Called Christmas.
The movie follows an ordinary young lad, Nikolas (Henry Lawfull) as he sets out to find his father, Joel (Michiel Huisman), who's embarked on a quest to find Elfhelm, the village of the elves. No prizes for guessing that this Nikolas will eventually become the Saint Nick.
Accompanied by a talking mouse and, later, a reindeer, the 13-year-old sets off on his search and soon ends up on a much grander adventure. Framed as a bedtime tale told to three kids, it's a cozy, comforting watch, one which stand above many other holiday movies you'll find on Netflix at this time of year.
Watch 'A Boy Called Christmas' on Netflix now
'Klaus'
"Klaus" hit Netflix way back in 2019 and, in my humble opinion, this Oscar-nominated animated feature is still one of the streamer's best-ever holiday releases.
It might be another Santa origin story, but it's a very different affair to my first recommendation. "Klaus" revolves around the unlikely partnership that forms between Jesper, a selfish, 19th-Century Norweigan postman (voiced by Jason Schwartzman), and Klaus, a reclusive woodsman and toymaker (JK Simmons). Together, the pair transform Smeerensburg from a town dominated by feuds and establish the age-old tradition of sending letters to Santa Claus in exchange for toys.
Beautifully animated and full of charm, "Klaus" is one of my go-to Christmas movies, and is absolutely worth seeking out if you've not experienced it before.
Watch 'Klaus' on Netflix now
'The Christmas Chronicles'
"The Christmas Chronicles" is a predictable holiday watch, and sure isn't award-worthy fare (few holiday movies are), but it has one big selling point: Kurt Russell's enthusiastic performance as Santa Claus.
In Clay Kaytis' festive flick, we meet Kate and Teddy Pierce, two children who hatch a plan to capture Santa Claus while he's busy delivering presents on Christmas Eve.
When their scheme goes wrong, the kids end up causing Santa's sleigh to crash, and they're forced to work with the big man in red and his helpful elves to save Christmas before it's too late. Yes, "Chronicles" has its low points, but I really do think this is a movie Santa worth seeing in action.
Watch 'The Christmas Chronicles' on Netflix now
If you've already seen all three Christmas movies on this list, or you're not sure they're right for you, fear not; we've got tons more holiday recommendations on-site. For more inspiration, check out our guides to the five classic Christmas movies you need to watch this year, or the five best Christmas flicks that are totally underrated.
