Welcome to our ultimate guide to a season of festive sipping and cinematic delight. While we can't reveal the delightful wines tucked behind the doors of our exclusive 2023 Wine Advent Calendar, we can certainly enhance your December evenings with our list of holiday classics. These movies will perfectly complement your wine-tasting journey, adding an extra layer of relaxation and nostalgic charm to your Advent evenings. And as an added bonus, we've gone thought the trouble of hunting down where these movies are hosted on various platforms. So, let's raise a glass to the perfect blend of fine wine, holiday spirit, and movie magic.
1. Office Christmas Party
Let's kick Advent season off with a bang. This raucous comedy follows the employees of an office branch as they throw an over-the-top Christmas party in an attempt to impress a potential client and save their jobs, resulting in a night of hilarious and outrageous antics.
Watch on Apple TV, Vudu, or Amazon.
2. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
Keeping with the humorous theme, next up is a cult classic: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Hilarious chaos ensues as the Griswold family attempts to create a perfect Christmas, resulting in a series of outrageous and relatable mishaps.
Watch on Max.
3. Elf
To round off our chaotic-Christmas-comedy series we have Elf. It tells the story of Buddy, a human raised as an elf, as he embarks on a journey to New York City to find his biological father and spread holiday cheer.
Watch on Max, and Prime Video.
4. Love Actually
The next few movies are for the hopeless romantics. Starting with a global favorite: Love Actually. Set in London, this romantic comedy-drama interweaves multiple love stories, demonstrating the power of love and connection during the festive season.
Watch on Netflix.
5. The Holiday
At the top of the leaderboard for Christmas love stories, "The Holiday" follows two women from different countries who swap homes for the holidays. In an attempt to escape their respective romantic troubles they end up finding love in unexpected places.
Watch on Hulu.
6. Four Christmases
The last of the holiday rom coms stars Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon. Four Christmases follows a couple forced to visit all four of their divorced parents' homes on Christmas Day, leading to a series of comedic and poignant encounters.
Watch on Amazon.
7. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
As adults, I feel like we can all relate to the line: "If I can't find something nice to wear I'm not going." Based on Dr. Seuss's beloved book, this heartwarming tale follows the Grinch's journey to discover the true meaning of Christmas and the spirit of giving.
Watch on Amazon.
8. Gremlins
The next two movies fall under the category of unconventional Christmas thrillers. Starting with the 1980's dark comedy, Gremlins, that follows a young man who receives a mysterious creature called a Mogwai as a pet... only to accidentally unleash a horde of mischievous and destructive creatures on his town during Christmas.
Watch on AppleTV.
9. Die Hard
A controversial pick amongst Christmas movie buffs. Die Hard, set during Christmas Eve, is an action-packed thriller featuring John McClane, a NYPD officer who battles with terrorists who have taken over a Los Angeles skyscraper during a holiday party.
Watch on Hulu.
10. A Christmas Story
Next up are our nostalgic-picks. Movies that transform you back in time, like "A Christmas Story". Set in the 1940s, this classic comedy follows a young boy named Ralphie's comedic and nostalgic quest to receive a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas.
Watch on Max.
11. It's a Wonderful Life
Along the same theme of Christmas classics, this heartwarming film portrays the life of George Bailey, a man on the brink of despair, who learns the value of his existence with the help of an angel on Christmas Eve.
Watch on The Roku Channel.
12. White Christmas
If you love nostalgia, Christmas, and musicals, we have just the movie for you! White Christmas follows a successful song-and-dance duo as they team up with a sister act to save a failing Vermont inn during the holiday season.
Watch on Netflix.
13. Bad Santa
Next up are a few dysfunctional holiday comedies that feature trickery and deceit. Bad Santa features a con man who poses as a department store Santa Claus in order to rob the mall after hours, only to be confronted by a naive and optimistic young boy who brings unexpected changes to his life during the holiday season.
Watch on PlutoTV.
14. Christmas with the Kranks
Christmas with the Kranks is a comedy film that follows a couple who decide to skip Christmas and go on a vacation instead. The fun twist happens when they get caught up in a whirlwind of comedic chaos as their neighbors expect them to participate in their annual holiday celebrations.
Watch on Amazon.
15. Fred Klaus
Last but not least in this stretch of holiday satire is Fred Klaus. Santa Claus's bitter older brother, Fred, visits the North Pole and gets wrapped up in a series of misadventures, ultimately learning the true meaning of family and the spirit of Christmas.
Watch on Max.
16. The Home Alone Movies
With Christmas less than 10 days away, we're moving into a stretch of 90's holiday throwbacks. The Home Alone films follow the adventures of young Kevin McCallister, who cleverly defends his home from burglars in the absence of his family during the holiday season. And it's Saturday so you can binge-watch them all.
Watch on Disney+.
17. The Santa Claus Movies
Don't mind us, we're hitting you with back-to-back 90's movie binge watches. Starring Tim Allen, the Santa Claus series follows the adventures of Scott Calvin, an ordinary man who unknowingly becomes Santa Claus and navigates the challenges of his new role.
Watch on Disney+.
18. Jack Frost
To round out the 90's holiday favorites we give you "Jack Frost". In this heartwarming fantasy film, a father who passed away returns to life as a snowman to spend time with his son and mend their relationship before he melts away.
Watch on Max.
19. Jingle Jangle
With Christmas just around the corner, we're asking you to embrace your inner child with some youthful picks. During the musical magic of "Jingle Jangle" a toymaker and his granddaughter work together to rediscover the magic of his greatest invention, leading to a whimsical and enchanting Christmas adventure.
Watch on Netflix.
20. Klaus
Another night marches on and we're queuing up an animated film for all ages. This heartwarming origin story of Santa Claus follows a postman who befriends a reclusive toymaker and helps bring joy and kindness back to a town that has forgotten the true spirit of Christmas.
Watch on Netflix.
21. The Polar Express
Who says animation is just for kids? This animated film is as beautiful as it is meaningful, telling the story of a young boy's magical journey on a train to the North Pole, where he learns the importance of belief and the spirit of Christmas.
Watch on Max.
22. A Muppet Christmas Carol
This might be one of our more unexpected picks, but don't knock it. A Muppet Christmas Carol is a delightful adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic tale. This film features the Muppets as they reenact the timeless story of Ebenezer Scrooge's redemption on Christmas Eve.
Watch on Disney+.
23. Nightmare Before Christmas
While some may say this is a Halloween movie, it makes our list with pride! Directed by Tim Burton, this dark yet whimsical stop-motion film tells the story of Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King, as he discovers and attempts to understand the joy of Christmas.
Watch on Disney+.
24. The Harry Potter Movies
Although not strictly Christmas movies, the Harry Potter series features memorable holiday scenes, including the iconic Yule Ball and festive moments at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Choose your own adventure.
Just like the Wine Advent Calendar, it's up to you whether you want to enjoy these movies in the order we have picked for you. Jump around and watch whatever movies you'd like, with whatever wine you like best. The most important thing is that you have a safe and cozy holiday season. Cheers to you!