Yahoo Lifestyle The best Christmas movies to watch on Amazon Prime in 2024: From “The Family Stone” to “The Holiday”
It's Prime time for a Christmas movie marathon. Amazon's got you covered with everything from the classics to modern Oscar gold.
Seacia Pavao/FOCUS FEATURES; Everett; Universal Pictures
Paul Giamatti in 'The Holdovers'; Jimmy Stewart in 'It's a Wonderful Life'; Hugh Grant in 'Love Actually'Chances are, you'll already be scrolling through Amazon a lot this holiday season, so why not make the most of it? As you hunt for the best deals on headphones, air fryers, and other gift-worthy finds for friends and family, treat yourself to some festive flicks streaming on Prime Video.
Though the service is jam-packed with Yuletide classics like It's a Wonderful Life (1946) and The Bishop's Wife (1947), it also serves a good mix of contemporary favorites and unheard-of gems for a marathon as well-rounded as Frosty the Snowman himself.
Here are some top-tier Christmas movies on Amazon Prime Video, ready to deliver comfort and joy straight to your home.
12 Days of Christmas Eve (2004)
Steven Weber has played some shady characters over the years on shows like iZombie and 13 Reasons Why, so it's fun to watch him get his comeuppance in this TV movie playing a Scrooge-like man who has to live Christmas Eve over and over again until he finally gets it right. —Marcus Jones
Where to watch 12 Days of Christmas Eve: Amazon Prime Video
Director: Martha Coolidge
Cast: Steven Weber, Molly Shannon, Patricia Velasquez
The Bishop's Wife (1947)
While it doesn't have the iconic soundtrack of its 1996 remake, this classic film makes perfect use of its charming star Cary Grant, who plays a literal angel sent down from heaven to help a bishop (David Niven) fix his life and his marriage. The only problem is that the titular wife (Loretta Young) may be more interested in moving on with the angel than with her mortal spouse. —M.J.
Where to watch The Bishop's Wife: Amazon Prime Video
Director: Henry Koster
Cast: Cary Grant, Loretta Young, David Niven
Related: 13 classic Christmas films to watch with their modern counterparts
Christmas on the Bayou (2013)
In this One Tree Hill reunion, Hilarie Burton plays a successful New York woman coming home with her son (Brody Rose) to the South for the holidays and falls in love with Tyler Hilton's character. —M.J.
Where to watch Christmas on the Bayou: Amazon Prime Video
Director: Leslie Hope
Cast: Hilarie Burton, Tyler Hilton, Randy Travis, Markie Post, Brody Rose
Related: One Tree Hill cast: Where are they now?
The Family Stone (2005)
20thCentFox/ Everett
Dermot Mulroney and Sarah Jessica Parker in 'The Family Stone'When most think of Sarah Jessica Parker, they likely picture her as the fashion-forward, (arguably) progressive Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City. However, in The Family Stone, she trades her Manolo Blahniks for sensible shoes as the high-achieving businesswoman Meredith Morton. When Meredith's fiancé (Dermot Mulroney) invites her to his eccentric family's Christmas gathering in New England, her traditionalist nature struggles to mesh with their laid-back, freethinking lifestyle. Despite the many loud arguments and emotional outbursts, it still emits some of the coziest vibes you could wish for. —James Mercadante
Where to watch The Family Stone: Amazon Prime Video
EW grade: N/A (read the review)
Director: Thomas Bezucha
Cast: Claire Danes, Diane Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Dermot Mulroney, Craig T. Nelson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Luke Wilson
Related: A holiday diamond in the rough: An oral history of The Family Stone
Frosty the Snowman (1969)
Everett
The cast of 'Frosty the Snowman'One of Rankin/Bass's classic holiday productions inspired by a beloved Christmas tune, this 25-minute TV special brings to life the titular snowman (voiced by Jackie Vernon), who embarks on a journey to the North Pole to escape the warming weather and avoid turning into a puddle. This upbeat singalong features narrations from Jimmy Durante, one of the original singers of the iconic title song when it was first released. —J.M.
Where to watch Frosty the Snowman: Amazon Prime Video
Directors: Arthur Rankin Jr., Jules Bass
Cast: Jackie Vernon, Billy De Wolfe, Paul Frees, June Foray
Related: The best Rankin/Bass specials
The Holdovers (2023)
Seacia Pavao/FOCUS FEATURES
Dominic Sessa, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, and Paul Giamatti in 'The Holdovers'Barton Academy's curmudgeonly classics professor, Dr. Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti), is stuck supervising holdover Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa) on a vacant campus over Christmas break. As the days go on, Paul, Angus, and the cafeteria cook (Oscar winner Da'Vine Joy Randolph) unexpectedly find comfort in each other's presence. As the story carries a lot of emotional weight, the film's use of a 55mm lens wraps you in the warmth of its vintage aesthetics. —J.M.
Where to watch The Holdovers: Amazon Prime Video
EW grade: A– (read the review)
Director: Alexander Payne
Cast: Paul Giamatti, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Dominic Sessa
The Holiday (2006)
Columbia Pictures/Everett
Jude Law and Cameron Diaz in 'The Holiday'Two lovelorn women (Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet) from opposite sides of the pond trade homes — one an English cottage, another a Hollywood mansion — hoping a change of scenery will help them heal. Instead of forgetting their messy love lives, they both stumble upon the storybook-perfect rebounds (Jack Black, Jude Law). With solid performances, snug cottagecore vibes, and a sweet Hallmark-esque charm, this Nancy Meyers rom-com gets a pass for its slightly overstretched runtime. —J.M.
Where to watch The Holiday: Amazon Prime Video
EW grade: B (read the review)
Director: Nancy Meyers
Cast: Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jack Black, Jude Law
Related: 18 holiday rom-coms, ranked
Holiday Inn (1942)
Everett Collection
Marjorie Reynolds, Bing Crosby, and Fred Astaire in 'Holiday Inn'This classic team-up of Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire follows the pair as musical entertainers in a love triangle with the same woman (Virginia Dale), resulting in them parting ways and Crosby's character creating the titular Holiday Inn. "White Christmas," now a staple of Yuletide playlists, was written for this film. —Kevin Jacobsen
Where to watch Holiday Inn: Amazon Prime Video
Director: Mark Sandrich
Cast: Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Virginia Dale
Related: The 25 best Christmas albums of all time
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Everett
The cast of 'It's a Wonderful Life'Anytime is a good time to watch what many consider one of the quintessential classic films, Christmas or otherwise. The Frank Capra-directed tearjerker tells the story of a man (Jimmy Stewart) ready to end his life — before a higher power intervenes to show him the devastating impact his loss would have on those who love him. The movie will also have you thinking differently about any time you hear jingle bells. —M.J.
Where to watch It's a Wonderful Life: Amazon Prime Video
Director: Frank Capra
Cast: Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell, Henry Travers, Beulah Bondi
Related: How It's a Wonderful Life devised a new form of fake snow that revolutionized the medium
Jingle All the Way (1996)
20th Century Studios
Arnold Schwarzenegger in 'Jingle All the Way'Let this be a lesson not to procrastinate your holiday shopping. Howard Langston (Arnold Schwarzenegger) learns this the hard way when he tries to snag a Turbo-Man action figure — the season's hottest toy — for his son (Jake Lloyd) on Christmas Eve. What should be a simple errand spirals into an all-out battle with a fellow desperate dad (Sinbad)...and a couple of gung-ho-ho-ho mall Santas. Jingle All the Way might not be the most sophisticated film, but its over-the-top goofiness and nonstop energy make it the ideal holiday romp. —J.M.
Where to watch Jingle All the Way: Amazon Prime Video
Director: Brian Levant
Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sinbad, Jake Lloyd, Phil Hartman, Rita Wilson, Robert Conrad, Jim Belushi
Related: In defense of Arnold Schwarzenegger's Jingle All the Way
Love Actually (2003)
Universal/Everett
Andrew Lincoln and Keira Knightley in 'Love Actually'If you're in need of a good cry this holiday season, Love Actually is waiting for you at your doorstep, cue cards in hand. This classic ensemble rom-com masterfully strings together a gamut of love stories — from the fairy-tale-esque to the utterly tear-jerking — all during the cheery buildup to Christmas. With a stacked A-list cast and charm to spare, it's a start-to-finish delight sure to melt even the iciest of hearts. —J.M.
Where to watch Love Actually: Amazon Prime Video
EW grade: N/A (read the review)
Director: Richard Curtis
Cast: Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Laura Linney, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Keira Knightley, Martine McCutcheon, Bill Nighy, Rowan Atkinson
Related: Love Actually cast: Where are they now?
Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You (2017)
The queen of Christmas music lent three songs and some narration to this animated film about a young version of herself (voiced by Breanna Yde) going to great lengths to finally be gifted a puppy. When her peers invite her to walk with her dog in a charity fashion show, she accepts without owning a pet. Mariah takes a job dog-sitting for her uncle and ends up falling in love with the raucous pup. —M.J.
Where to watch Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You: Amazon Prime Video
Director: Guy Vasilovich
Cast: Mariah Carey, Henry Winkler, Lacey Chabert, Breanna Yde
Related: Mariah Carey on the 'once-in-a-lifetime,' 25-year success of 'All I Want for Christmas Is You'
One Special Night (1999)
A lesser-known project in Dame Julie Andrews' oeuvre, this TV movie still packs on the charm with her opposite James Garner as two strangers who take refuge in a cabin during bad winter weather and fall in love. —M.J.
Where to watch One Special Night: Amazon Prime Video
Director: Roger Young
Cast: Julie Andrews, James Garner, Patricia Charbonneau
Related: Julie Andrews on love scenes, learning from Hitchcock, and finding new ways to use her voice
Scrooged (1988)
The timeless story of A Christmas Carol is transported to the cynical world of 1980s New York, in which Bill Murray plays a jaded TV exec who's lost his Christmas spirit, only for him to be visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past (David Johansen), Present (Carol Kane), and Future (Robert Hammond). —K.J.
Where to watch Scrooged: Amazon Prime Video
Director: Richard Donner
Cast: Bill Murray, Karen Allen, Carol Kane, David Johansen, Robert Hammond
Related: How Karen Allen in Scrooged gave new strength to her Charles Dickens character
White Christmas (1954)
Paramount/Getty
(Back, from left to right) Rosemary Clooney, Danny Kaye, Bing Crosby, Vera-Ellen, and children (front) in 'White Christmas'The first film shot in Paramount's then-cutting-edge VistaVision, White Christmas has rightfully earned its candy-cane stripes as one of the best Christmas movies ever, thanks to its glitzy visuals and a cast full of triple threats. The story follows a male song-and-dance duo (Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye) as they link up with two singing sisters (Rosemary Clooney, Vera-Ellen) to stage a snowy Christmas spectacular to keep a struggling Vermont inn from collapsing. —J.M.
Where to watch White Christmas: Amazon Prime Video
Director: Michael Curtiz
Cast: Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Vera-Ellen, Dean Jagger
Related: The 15 best classic Christmas movies to watch this year
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
