Jingle All the Way! Every Christmas Movie and TV Show Hitting Netflix This December

‘Tis the season to be jolly, and Netflix is well aware of it. The streaming service has made sure to prep subscribers for the lead-up to Christmas with several original titles and Hallmark films landing on the platform. At the beginning of November, Netflix announced that 10 Hallmark holiday movies were arriving in the catalog, including flicks like A Biltmore Christmas and Hall Out the Holly. The latter stars Lacey Chabert, who has recently led a brand-new Netflix holiday production called Hot Frosty, in which she played the romantic interest of a snowman-turned-human. Chabert wasn’t the only early-aughts actor to join Netflix subscribers during the most wonderful time of the year. Lindsay Lohan, Christina Milian, and Chad Michael Murray all came out with cheery films in the past month.

Despite the amount of holiday content already available on the streaming platform, there are still a few more projects coming out, including an animation with Richard Curtis attached. To help you prepare for what to watch this December, here is a guide with some Netflix releases to keep in mind.

1 ‘That Christmas’

Richard Curtis is back at it again, with another Christmas movie for audiences to indulge in this holiday season. Two decades after directing Love, Actually, the filmmaker is backing up an animation inspired by his book trilogy, That Christmas. The Netflix film will follow a group of children and their parents who are affected by a blizzard during the holidays. Natural disasters and accidents are unpredictable, and when they happen near Christmas day it is upsetting for all hoping to celebrate with their loved ones. The residents of Wellington-on-Sea, as well as Santa (Brian Cox) himself, are forced to change their plans after the storm. With a few children having to fend for themselves after their parents are unable to make it home in time to unwrap presents, they end up experiencing the best nontraditional Christmas ever.

In an interview with Netflix’s TUDUM, Curtis shared more about what he hopes audiences take away from the film, which he co-wrote and executive produced:

“I hope it’s going to be a film that makes people happy — perhaps more than once. I hope it’ll remind people of the joy and complexity of Christmas, and some of the joys and comedy and heartbreak of childhood. And then there’s a very special thing for me, that the film takes place in a town very much like my own in Suffolk. I hope they’ll love the sense of the place — and go away with a new, delightful, simple English world in their heads.”

Watch on Netflix

2 ‘A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter‘

After an incredible year at the top of the charts and fresh off Grammy nominations, Sabrina Carpenter is heading to Netflix to host her very own holiday special. With scripted segments and musical performances, A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter will be an eventful showcase with plenty of guest appearances. The names lined up are Chappell Roan, Tyla, Shania Twain, Kali Uchis, Nico Hiraga, Quinta Brunson, Cara Delevingne, Kyle Mooney, Megan Stalter, Sean Astin, Owen Thiele, and Jillian Bell. Some of the aforementioned will duet with Carpenter, who is expected to perform famous singles like “Expresso” and covers of Christmas hits. The musician will also sing a few tracks from her Christmas EP fruitcake, which premiered last year.

There is little information available about specific segments or music featured in the holiday special, but we do know that the pop artist is also involved behind the scenes as a producer alongside representatives from OBB Pictures. Executive producer and founder/CEO of OBB Pictures Michael D. Ratner said the following about the variety show:

“Sabrina’s vision to subvert the classic holiday special has been clear since day one. At OBB, we partner with the world’s most captivating artists to reimagine the expected, and we’re proud of the work by our entire team and want to highlight Simone Spira, the Volara team, Sam Wrench, Nikki Boella and all involved that brought Sabrina’s vision to life on Netflix.”

Watch on Netflix

3 ‘Mary’

Although many people consider Christmas to be about Santa and decorated trees, others believe that the true meaning of this holiday is the birth of Jesus. Netflix’s Mary tells the nativity story through the lens of Christ’s mother (played by Noa Cohen), who was pregnant despite being a virgin. The film will follow the biblical figure from the moment she learns from an angel that she is carrying the Messiah to after conception when King Herod (Anthony Hopkins) ordered a hunt for the newborn that was destined to challenge his reign.

The Netflix original is described as a coming-of-age depiction of Mary and her relationship with Joseph (Ido Tako), who married her and helped her fulfill the divine calling. The film is also expected to take a thrilling turn when the protagonist and her family are forced to flee to keep Jesus safe.

4 ‘The Great British Baking Show: Holidays’ Season 7

Christmastime wouldn’t be the same without a sugar rush and Netflix knows it. In fact, one of the streaming service’s coziest programs for this time of the year is the holiday edition of The Great British Baking Show. Adding seasonal ingredients to the mix, the baking competition challenges four contestants who participated in previous seasons to return to the tent and put their own spin on Christmas treats. From savory fruit cakes to frosting-covered biscuits, participants do their best to craft desserts that are approved by judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith. Different from the regular rendition of The Great British Baking Show, this version is way more laid-back, with contestants rarely getting called out for their pastries.

Season 7 will arrive on the platform in early December, just in time to learn how to make some goodies for the holiday festivities. After watching all the series’ latest episodes, audiences who have Roku TV can also watch The Great American Baking Show: Celebrity Holiday for free.

Watch on Netflix

5 ‘Carry-On’

Rarely do we see thrillers that take place during the holiday season, with the exception of Die Hard. Netflix’s latest action-thriller Carry On, starring Taron Egerton, isn’t a traditional Christmas film, but it does take place on Christmas Eve. It follows Ethan Kopek, an airport security guard who is blackmailed by a mysterious traveler (Jason Bateman). The latter tries to convince the TSA agent to let a dangerous package slip onto a plane, in exchange for his pregnant girlfriend’s safety. By letting the item pass through the security monitors, Ethan might be protecting his partner, but he is also putting several passengers at risk who are on their way home for the holidays. Throughout the movie, the protagonist will try his best to ensure that both the people he cares about and those waiting for their flights at the airport aren’t in harm’s way.

This exhilarating production takes place in a single location, an aspect that director Jaume Collet-Serra believes will make audiences stay at the edge of their seats from start to finish.

“Contained environments force us to get to know the movie’s characters very quickly and personally — we’re immediately in the thick of the story with them, which creates a genuine investment in what’s happening on-screen. It’s also a very exciting visual challenge as a filmmaker to come up with creative ways to shoot every inch of a small space and try to make it look different and find new details of the world in each scene.”

Watch on Netflix