21x the best Christmas movies for 2021

It's almost Christmas vacation again, and I thought it was high time for a list of Christmas movies. From new (weak but very entertaining) comedies to golden classics: the choice is huge on Netflix. I'm surprised at how few Christmas movies I've actually seen. But well, just a few more weeks to catch up on this backlog. Enjoy watching!

1. A Castle for Christmas (2021)
This new Christmas movie is about Sophie (Brooke Shields), an American writer who wants to buy a castle in Scotland, whose owner refuses to give his castle to an American. In search of a compromise, the two get to know each other better than they had thought beforehand. We certainly can't guess the ending.

2. Klaus (2019)
Klaus seems to be a great and underrated Christmas movie that is definitely not just for kids. I haven't seen it yet, but I'm adding it to my list. The film tells the story of a selfish postman and a lonely toymaker who form an unimaginable friendship and give toys to children.

3. Love Actually (2003)
Of course, this title cannot be missing from the top 21. The romantic comedy among Christmas movies, of which I can never get enough. I can almost dream this movie, but it remains delightful.

4. Le Père Noël est une Ordure (1982)
This French comedy is definitely worth seeing at least once. The film is based on a play of the same name written by the café-theater group Le Splendid. Most of this Christmas movie takes place in the office of SOS Détresse Amitié, a helpline for people with problems.

5. Single All The Way (2021)
How wonderful that new Christmas movies just keep coming. Single All the Way is about Peter, who asks his best friend to pretend to be a couple for a family visit at Christmas. Their plan and feelings change when the family gets involved. That sounds promising.

6. The Holiday (2006)
In the list of Love Actually, The Holiday certainly cannot be missing. Just as fun, if you ask me. Who wouldn't be happy with a young Jude Law?

7. Elf (2003)
Elf is really such a typical American comedy. The film is about a baby who accidentally ends up at the North Pole and is raised as an elf. When he grows up, he goes in search of his father.

8. The Christmas Chronicles (2018)
The story of a brother and sister who plan to wait for and film Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. From the makers of Home Alone and the first three parts of Harry Potter. Do I need to say more?

9. Love Hard (2021)
I happened to see this new film recently. I was a bit skeptical about it, but to be honest: it was really fun. I can't say too much about the content because then I would quickly reveal the plot. Just go watch it.

10. Let It Snow (2019)
A modern romantic comedy about a group of high school students living in a small village that gets snowed in on Christmas Eve. Their Christmas Eve becomes magical: a stranded pop star, a group of competitive dancers, a mysterious woman wrapped in aluminum foil, and an epic party in the local Waffle Town. Sounds fun.

11. A Boy Called Christmas (2021)
Netflix has really hit the mark when it comes to new Christmas movies. This British-French film is based on the book by Matt Haig and tells the story of an ordinary boy who embarks on an extraordinary adventure to the snowy north, searching for his father who is on a quest for the legendary elf village Elfhelm.

12. The Polar Express (2004)
The story of a boy who doubts the existence of Santa Claus and ends up on a magical train on a fantasy journey to the North Pole. There he will get to meet Santa Claus in person, along with some other children.

13. This Christmas (2007)
In the context of family disputes. The Whitfield family comes together for Christmas for the first time in a long time, in fact, they are even going on vacation together. During the Christmas vacation, the gossip and bickering need to come to an end.

14. A Naija Christmas (2021)
A mother's Christmas wish – and the grand prize that comes with it – leads to fierce competition among her sons. Well, that's convenient for that mother. Unfortunately, we have to wait a little longer for this Christmas movie, as it comes out on December 16.

15. Angela’s Christmas (2017)
An outing on Christmas Eve to church with her family provides sudden inspiration and brings young Angela to an extraordinary idea. It's just an idea that not everyone approves of.

16. Svinalängorna (2010)
The first dramatic Christmas movie on the list. This film is about Leena, 34 years old, who receives a phone call on the morning before Christmas that her mother is dying. She travels back to her birthplace for the first time since her dark childhood, where her mother is in the hospital. We see how her life has been shaped in the 1970s in a household full of alcohol and abuse. Okay, maybe not a film to watch on Christmas Eve, but definitely one for the holidays.

17. Just Another Christmas (2020)
Jorge is a family man who hates the holidays. After a nasty fall on Christmas Eve, he has a blackout and wakes up a year later, with no memory of the past year. This causes him to get stuck in a sort of time loop where it is always Christmas. That's certainly not what he wants.

18. How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
To stay in the grim Christmas movies: The Grinch. My God, I used to find this little green guy (who hates Christmas) scary. Now I understand him.

19. Grumpy Christmas (2021)
Okay, here is the last ‘unpleasant’ Christmas movie that we have to wait for until December 21. The story is about Don Servando, who travels to the beach with his extended hippie family to spend Christmas with Alma's aunt, Doña Alicia, a demanding older woman who becomes Don Servando's ultimate enemy. During the trip, Don Servando will stop at nothing to prove that Alicia is a terrible person who only cares for herself... Even if it means ruining Christmas for everyone.

20. A California Christmas (2020)
Joseph is the son of a wealthy real estate dealer, who is on the verge of losing everything due to his wild lifestyle. He gets one last chance and is sent to California to buy a ranch to make room for a new warehouse. He pretends to be a farmhand to convince the hardworking owner to sell her land before Christmas, but it gets complicated when he falls in love with her... Sounds like a delightful cheesy Christmas movie.

21. A California Christmas: City Lights (2021)
Finally, the sequel to California Christmas, which will be available on Netflix from December 16. This film again follows Callie and Joseph, but now a year after they fell in love. The two run a dairy farm and a winery together, but their romance is threatened when business and family obligations call Joseph back to the city.