Grab your Starbucks Peppermint Mocha and turn on “Jingle Bells,” because — you guessed it — the holiday season is already upon us. And if you’re not the type to brave the cold for ice skating or snowball fights, you’re in luck because the slate of new Christmas movies on Netflix provides the perfect indoor activity.
I know we’re all waiting for Lindsay Lohan’s Netflix holiday flick. Unfortunately, she won’t be gracing our screens until 2022, but there’s plenty to look forward to in 2021— from the third Princess Switch movie to a Nina Dobrev rom-com, the streaming giant has you covered with everything you could want in a Christmas film. (And yes, many of these are available now; never let anyone tell you it’s too soon to start celebrating Christmas!) So curl up with your hot cocoa and a cozy blanket, and read on for a list of the best and latest Christmas movie releases on Netflix.
Rom-Coms
Love Hard (Nov. 5)
Vampire Diaries fans, this one’s for you: Nina Dobrev is back in fine form as Natalie, a “disaster date” writer who realizes she’s been catfished by dating app match Josh (Jimmy O. Yang) when she flies out to surprise him for the holidays.
The Princess Switch 3: Romancing The Star (Nov. 18)
Sorry HSM fans, but The Princess Switch might be Vanessa Hudgens’ greatest trilogy yet. The highly anticipated third movie in this fan-favorite series involves a princess heist, perhaps the wackiest plot yet (you know you love it, though).
A Castle For Christmas (Nov. 26)
Enemies to lovers? Say less. Brooke Shields stars as Sophie Brown, an author who travels to Scotland looking to buy a castle, but its owner (Cary Elwes) is a tough nut to crack.
Single All The Way (Dec. 2)
In Netflix’s first gay holiday rom-com, Peter (Michael Urie) and Nick (Philemon Chambers) put a holiday spin on the fake dating trope, but as you can imagine, things soon go awry. Icon Jennifer Coolidge is also here, so it’s bound to be a good time.
A California Christmas: City Lights (Dec. 16)
This sequel to 2020’s A California Christmas reunites audiences with Callie (Lauren Swickard) and Joseph (Josh Swickard) a year after their happy ending. But when Joseph must leave their winery for the city due to business and family matters, their whirlwind romance may be put in danger.
1000 Miles From Christmas (Dec. 24)
This Spanish rom-com’s story is familiar, but still heartwarming: you have a small town, a Scrooge-like auditor who hates Christmas, and a woman who might just change his mind. Classic!
Comedy
Father Christmas Is Back (Nov. 7)
This British comedy stars Elizabeth Hurley, John Cleese, Kelsey Grammer, and more in a story about four sisters who don’t get along — until their estranged father crashes their Christmas get-together and forces them to confront the past.
Grumpy Christmas (Dec. 22)
You may remember the 2016 film The Patriarch for its wacky family dynamics, and this Christmas-themed sequel delivers just as much, if not more — it follows the family’s Christmas get-together, riddled with hijinks as Don Servando tries to assert his status as, well, the patriarch.
A Naija Christmas (TBA)
Three brothers try to find wives to bring home for Christmas to fulfill their mother’s wish in this Nigerian comedy.
Family
The Claus Family (Nov. 1)
This Dutch-Belgian Netflix original, originally released last year, follows a young boy named Jules as he discovers that his grandfather is the real Santa Claus.
Waffles + Mochi’s Holiday Feast (Nov. 23)
You may know Waffles and Mochi as creations of former First Lady Michelle Obama, but this time, the puppets are in Frozen Food Land, learning about holiday traditions and starting mischief with the creation of fake holiday “Freezie Day.”
A Boy Called Christmas (Nov. 24)
Based on the children’s book of the same name, this story sees Nikolas (Henry Lawfull) setting out to find his father in the village of Elfhelm. The movie also stars Dame Maggie Smith, Kristen Wiig, and Sally Hawkins.
Robin Robin (Nov. 24)
Brought to you by the same studio behind Wallace and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep, this short film is about a little bird raised by mice who tries to find her birth parents. Gillian Anderson and Richard E. Grant star as voice actors.
Shaun The Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas (Dec. 3)
This half-hour Christmas special of the stopmotion classic follows Shaun as he tries to find fellow sheep Timmy, who’s gone missing during a farmhouse raid.
David And The Elves (Dec. 6)
In this Polish film, a young boy David befriends Albert the Elf, who takes him on a holiday adventure into the Tatra mountains, away from his workaholic parents.
TV
Christmas Flow (Nov. 17)
If you prefer TV to movies, this French series (Netflix’s first) is perfect for you — Christmas Flow explores the ups and downs of a romance between a rapper (Tayc) and a journalist (Shirine Boutella). Despite the title, it doesn’t appear to be too Christmassy, in case you want something more low-key about its holiday cheer.
Blown Away: Christmas (Nov. 19)
A holiday spinoff of glass blowing competition reality show Blown Away, Blown Away: Christmas features holiday-themed challenges for some extra fun.
Elves (Nov. 28)
Even Christmas can’t rain on horror fans’ parade. This supernatural Danish series centers on a family of four who travel to a remote island, and digs into the horrifying original myths about elves (hint: they didn’t always happily make toys in Santa’s workshop).
The Great British Baking Show: Holidays, Season 4 (Dec. 3)
Everyone’s favorite baking show is back with two special holiday episodes, featuring bakers from past seasons. The first is all about Christmas, with the second ringing in the New Year.
How To Ruin Christmas, Season 2 (TBA)
South African comedy How To Ruin Christmas: The Wedding debuted on Netflix with three episodes in 2020, and now the second season promises even more laughter and romance. It will pick up with lovebirds Khaya and Tumi, after the titular wedding of the first season.
With options from horror to romance to comedy, there’s something for everyone on Netflix this holiday season. Now don’t mind me — I’ll just be making my way through this list until Lindsay’s movie arrives next year.