Unwrap the Magic: Top 10 Must-Watch Christmas Movies on Hulu This Holiday Season

Unlike some rivals, such as Hallmark, which focus on debuting new holiday originals, Hulu opts to largely stick with timeless classics. The “Huludays” collection features beloved films spanning generations, alongside newer additions, including a much-debated 1980s classic and a Hulu original that brought joy during the challenging COVID-19 era.

For those seeking wholesome family entertainment, there are plenty of comedies and musical specials tailored for young audiences. Hallmark enthusiasts will be pleased to discover several fan favorites on Hulu, sparing them the cost of an additional subscription and enabling them to invest more in their festive celebrations. So, grab a mug of hot cocoa, and let’s dive into the 10 Christmas movies sure to delight any Hulu viewer this season.

While holiday gatherings with family can be joyful, they can also be quite stressful. “Happiest Season” captures this duality by showcasing both the pleasant and challenging moments, resulting in a comedic narrative that encourages viewers to embrace their true selves.

As much as we love our families, holidays with them can be a lot. While many only highlight the good times, “Happiest Season” presents the good and the bad in a way that leads to a comedy of errors that feels cathartic, while reminding viewers to stay true to who they are. 

The 2020 Hulu Original movie focuses on Abby (Kristen Stewart) as she meets her girlfriend’s family. However, Harper (Mackenzie Davis) hasn’t told them that she’s gay. To make it through the holidays, Abby pretends to be Harper’s roommate who has nowhere to go for Christmas. It’s a ruse that tests their relationship as Harper’s perfect family starts to crack, forcing them to reflect upon their decisions and how they affect the trajectory of their relationships.

Harper’s insecurities expose the negative feelings Abby’s been quietly grappling with long before their ill-fated trip. Her family further intensifies Abby’s pressures by treating her as an outsider, though this ultimately helps her find the inner power that she had all along. It all leads to the most talked-about scene in “Happiest Season” that shows the great deal of character development that has occurred, concluding a satisfying journey. 

New York City is the backdrop of many holiday movies, including “Miracle on 34th Street.” While the original 1947 film and its 1994 remake contain things that only adults will notice, both versions, at their core, focus on kids who are searching for the magic that adults ignore as they face a harsh world.

Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) enters the 1947 classic when a single mother (Maureen O’Hara) hires him as a Macy’s Santa. However, his commitment goes further than she bargained for. He claims to be the real Santa, resulting in Kringle winding up in court to put his sanity into question. The beginning mainly focuses on the relationship between Kris and little Susan (Natalie Wood), which is used as a device to further have the audience believe in Kris’s true identity.

The 1994 remake takes a similar approach, but with more focus on the doubt adults have about magic. This shift allows the adults to become central to the story rather than side characters. The doubt feels heavier and helps us understand the tough fight ahead for Kris Kringle (Richard Attenborough). This underlying suspicion begins as circumstances lead Dorey Walker (Elizabeth Perkins) to question her budding relationship with her neighbor Bryan Bedford (Dylan McDermott). Bryan’s hope in miracles remains, possibly because of his friendship with Dorey’s daughter Susan (Mara Wilson). Highlighting that helps us understand why Bryan wants to help Kris and be his lawyer.

Whether or not “Die Hard” is a real Christmas movie is a debate that has been going on for decades. No matter what side you’re on, there’s certainly enough holiday cheer here to capture the attention of Scrooge himself. John McClane (Bruce Willis) is a New York City cop hoping that the holiday season will mend his relationship with his estranged wife who has taken a new job in California. Their promising reunion at the company Christmas party is interrupted by a group of terrorists led by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman).

The story includes reminders of the holiday in some awkward places, like when “Ho-ho-ho” is written in blood on a terrorist’s sweater, one of the film’s many iconic moments. What keeps such scenes from becoming cringey is that the film itself never takes things too seriously. From jokes bringing levity following big shoot outs to smaller moments like a terrorist stealing a Crunch Bar while waiting for the authorities, this movie is more fun than serious, giving audiences a chance to relax for a beat before introducing another tense sequence. 

That humor also allows Willis to show off his comedic chops, further endearing him to viewers. It’s a delicate balance that leaves you wanting more from this adrenalin-induced film. 

Romance in a holiday film is nothing new, but “Love Actually” puts its own spin on the genre by using the hustle and bustle of the season to examine how we perceive love while connecting back to the societal expectations of Christmas.

The movie is led by an ensemble of different characters facing their own struggles as Christmas approaches. Some, like the new Prime Minister, David (Hugh Grant), believe they must put love aside to focus on the greater good, despite wishing he wasn’t alone. For others, like newly married Juliet (Keira Knightley), life is finally settled just in time for the picturesque Christmas of their dreams. But the holiday spirit moves in mysterious ways, leading to revelations about lost love and making them question everything, even if only implied.

“Love Actually” examines heartbreak and the betrayals that we never see coming, resulting in plots uncommon to holiday movies. The film’s realistic take on life sees some characters take a direction that helps them see love in a different light while reconsidering how they perceive themselves. Thankfully, the script finds humor in the dark times, which is how we get iconic yet embarrassing moments like Rowan Atkinson’s exaggerated gift wrapping scene. Its commitment to exploring every nook and cranny of a character’s story is why this multi-faceted film excels. 

“Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” is the perfect crowd pleaser with one of the most believable Santas in film. While many know that Santa delivers presents to kids all over the world in one night, “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” pulls back the curtain on Kris Kringle’s (Mickey Rooney) origin story while unfolding a lesson about how kindness can transform others.

Kris is adopted by a group of toy-making elves, who can’t share their creations because evil forces block their delivery path. As an adult, Kris makes it his mission to bring toys to the children. A run-in with the evil Winter Warlock (Kennan Wynn) leads to one of the film’s best moments as Kris warms his nemesis’s heart by teaching him to walk. It’s the confidence boost Kris needs to face the grumpy ruler Burgermeister Meisterburger (Paul Frees), who outlaws and destroys any toys in his kingdom.

The dramatic portions of this story could’ve easily gotten lost within its overall cheeriness. However, a carefully colored landscape adds extra weight to the story by way of muted colors that blanket the kingdom, visually depicting the oppression they face. It further emphasizes the tall task set before Kris as he works to bring happiness to the community.

Hallmark and Lifetime holiday movies are known for doubling down on the cheesiness, but Hulu is proving a worthy competitor with the release of its new original film “Joy to the World.” Joy Edwards (Emmanuelle Chriqui) is a single woman who has spent years talking about a fake marriage and pretend kids to market her lifestyle books. However, a sudden book promotion turns her life upside down when a TV crew is invited to chronicle her family’s picturesque Christmas at home. 

The premise may sound familiar to the 1997 TV movie “Borrowed Hearts,”since Sam Field (Eric McCormack) hires Kathleen Russell (Roma Downey) and her daughter to play his family in order to close a business deal. The big difference here is that the underlying theme in “Borrowed Hearts” is more about literal Christmas magic whereas “Joy to the World” squarely focuses on the gift of family. It’s something Joy longs for, but the influence of her best friend and crush, Max (Chad Michael Murray), helps her welcome people in rather than push them away. While the story’s big twist is too quick to fully parse out, a satisfying ending awaits viewers, especially those seeking feel-good Hallmark vibes. 

Inspired by a real-life toy craze, “Jingle All the Way” sees Howard Langston (Arnold Schwarzenegger) set out on a madcap mission to get the popular Turbo Man action figure for his son Jamie (Jake Lloyd) on Christmas Eve. While many know Schwarzenegger as the Terminator, “Jingle All the Way” is a reminder of just how versatile the actor can be. The script captures his varied talent by offering heartfelt moments between Howard and Jamie before the mad dash for the action figure begins, as well as the traded punchlines with Sinbad, who plays another dad determined to get the same toy for his child. 

Schwarzenegger’s attempts at comedy are pretty flawless as he’s allowed to lean into the intimidating persona and physical strength he is known for in ways that are both commanding yet hilarious. While the physical comedy makes for a visual spectacle, it doesn’t take away from the heart of the story, which does a good job at challenging consumerism while taking the time to ask its audience where true happiness lies within the holiday season.

Food can be the secret ingredient that brings people closer together during the holiday season, and those themes shine bright in Hallmark’s “Christmas at the Golden Dragon.” Romy (Kara Wang) is a successful businesswoman living in New York when she learns that her parents are closing their Chinese restaurant in Kansas. It’s a space she long resents, feeling she never got a real Christmas because her parents would make her and her brother work at the restaurant during the holidays. So, she jumps at the chance to head to Vermont for a traditional Christmas with her boyfriend’s family, only to learn that not everyone participates in the traditions she’s seen on TV. 

As it turns out, going to her family’s restaurant on Christmas has become a custom for many. While it would be easy to make this clientele one-dimensional side characters, “Christmas at the Golden Dragon” takes the time to delve into each backstory, showing us just how nourishing tradition can be for a community. The film is just as much about family as it is about love, making it a well-rounded Hallmark film perfect for fans of “Love Actually.” 

Hallmark is known for its mystery movies just as much as its holiday lineup. But rarely do we see the two mix. “The Santa Stakeout” is a successful attempt at breaking the mold that Hallmark built within the holiday movie landscape, and it even pokes fun at naysayers.

Christmas-loving Detective Tanya Morris (Tamera Mowry-Housley) has started a new job at a police station, where she’s paired with the not-so-festive Detective Ryan Anderson (Paul Campbell). Together, they must solve a string of heists by pretending to be a married couple. While their opposites-attract dynamic is typical of many Hallmark movies, Ryan’s lines turn self aware when he makes fun of Tanya’s Christmas decorations while secretly eating her festive candy. Many are not afraid to bash Hallmark movies for their incessant cheer and formulaic plots. However, some who make fun of Hallmark secretly love their films, and Ryan’s attitude feels like a nod to such silent viewers. 

That holiday cheer carries the story, as they use traditions to cover up their work while tracking down the Santa possibly behind everything. What results are hilarious mishaps that bring these characters closer together while allowing Mowry-Housley to display some mean comedic chops. 

No one’s family is perfect, and that’s evident as soon as we enter the Stone household in “The Family Stone.” They’re a zany bunch, each going through their own life dilemmas as Everett (Dermot Mulroney) brings his uptight girlfriend, Meredith (Sarah Jessica Parker), over for a Christmas visit. She manages to offend Everett’s family from the jump, and things continue going downhill until this witty romp changes tone completely to get to the heart of the story.

The film delivers a sense of empathy and care that has been quietly creeping up as Thad (Tyrone Giordano), Ben (Luke Wilson), and Amy (Rachel McAdams) throw verbal jabs at each other while matriarch, Sybil (the late Diane Keaton), makes her own comments while trying to bring everyone down to earth. While admiring her children’s ambition, she knows when they need a voice of reason, offering a steady hand when the movie reaches its deepest emotional point. 

“The Family Stone’s” ensemble expertly work off one another, using the emotions delivered to inform their reactions. This brings extra depth to an already multi-layered story, allowing it to reach its full emotional potential and prove a point about found family.