Christmas films: Where to watch the biggest festive movies on UK streaming services - including Love Actually, Elf, and Home Alone
It’s that time of year again where hunkering down on the sofa with some snacks and a festive favourite becomes a go-to activity.
Millions across the world will take the opportunity to take in some of their favourite Christmas flicks this festive season, or take the chance of watching a classic they may have never seen before.
Whether you fall into either group - here’s where you can find some of the biggest Christmas films on UK streaming services.
Love Actually
Love Actually has become one of the UK’s most beloved Christmas films ever since its release in 2003. Following the tale of a series of interconnecting stories over the festive period in London, the festive flick has become a go-to for many fans to watch every Christmas.
You can catch it this festive period as part of your Netflix or Sky Cinema subscriptions (Sky Cinema is also available view NOW TV), or you can watch it for free right now on ITVX.
Elf
Available on: Sky Cinema & NOW TV
Elf is a classic festive family film and is as quoteable as it is re-watchable every Christmas. Starring Will Ferrell as the iconic Buddy the Elf, the film tells the story of a human who is brought up in the North Pole but goes in search of his birth father in New York after finding out he is not actually an elf.
Watch it this Christmas as part of your Sky Cinema subscription, also available via NOW TV.
Die Hard
Available on: Disney+
Whether or not Die Hard is a Christmas film comes up for debate every year but good chances are if you’re looking to watch some action this Christmas, you fall into the camp of the Bruce Willis classic definitely being a festive flick. Die Hard follows action legend John McClane as his wife is taken hostage by Hans Gruber amid a terrorist plot taking over Los Angeles at Christmas time.
Catch the action as part of your Disney+ subscription this festive period.
It’s A Wonderful Life
Available on: ITVX, PLEX
This 1946 Christmas classic is just that, harking back from the days of old Hollywood. James Stewart stars as down-on-his-luck George Bailey who contemplates taking his own life on Christmas Eve before a guardian angel named Clarence intervenes and shows him what life would look like if he had never been born.
A truly enduring and heartwarming tale, It’s A Wonderful Life has become a Christmas classic for a reason. What’s better is that you can tune into the film for free this Christmas via ITVX or free streaming service PLEX.
Home Alone
Available on: Disney+
The 1990s classic Christmas movie Home Alone is the favourite festive film of millenials across the world, with viewers growing up watching Macaulay Culkin get up to hilarious hijinks. Kevin McAllister is left home alone over the Christmas period after his bustling and chaotic family fail to realise he has joined them on a flight to France. As he settles into life by himself for the festive period, he is besieged by two hapless burglars and sets a series of traps to stop them from getting into the home.
You can watch Home Alone this Christmas as part of your Disney+ subscription.
How The Grinch Stole Christmas
Available on: Disney+
Jim Carrey brought Dr Seuss’s famous Christmas character The Grinch to life in the 2000 flick How The Grinch Stole Christmas. The film follows The Grinch, a reclusive creature who loathes Christmas and aims to sabotage celebrations in the nearby town of Whoville.
How The Grinch Stole Christmas has definitely cemented itself as a classic over the past 25 years and you can catch it this festive season on Disney+.
Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
Available on: Disney+, Channel 4 (from December 14)
1994’s Miracle On 34th Street is a remake of the 1947 original is beloved by millions across the world, and I personally think that the remake is better than the original thanks to the iconic performance from Richard Attenborough as Kris Kringle and a little bit of nostalgia from my childhood. Miracle on 34th Street tells the story of Kris Kringle, who claims to be Santa Clause and is forced to prove this in court.
Miracle on 34th Street is available to watch right now with your Disney+ subscription, but will also be broadcast on Channel 4 on Sunday, December 14 and will be added to the channel’s catch-up service thereafter.
Nativity!
Available on: BBC iPlayer, Netflix
Nativity has slowly become a tradition at Christmas for UK viewers (at least in our household!) with the British film normally shown on TV around the festive period. Starring Martin Freeman and Ashley Jensen, the film follows the story of a teacher as he sets out to stage the nativity play at his school but drops a major lie, telling everyone that Hollywood will be descending on the Coventry primary school to film the production.
Hilarious and heartwarming, Nativity can definitely be considered a modern Christmas classic and you can watch the film right now on BBC iPlayer and Netflix.
The Holiday
Available on: BBC iPlayer, Disney+, Prime Video, Netflix, Sky Cinema & NOW TV
Romantic comedy The Holiday is another Christmas modern classic that has worked its way into becoming part of people’s annual traditions around the holiday. The film follows two women, one from the UK and one from the US, who agree to a house swap over the festive period in a bid to escape their lives at home. However, their worlds are turned upside down when they meet two men during their holiday abroad.
The Holiday, starring Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, and Jack Black, is available on multiple streaming service including BBC iPLayer, Netflix, Prime Video, Sky Cinema and Disney+.