The Holidays mean different things to different people, but there are some absolute must-haves. Hopefully, there’s lots of family and friends. Yes, even that uncle that refers to your graphic design career as your ‘picture hobby’ and asks every year if you’ve “moved on to a real job yet.” Of course, there’s your holiday food of choice (mmmm….Cranberry stuffing). And then there are those Christmas tunes you love, or possibly love to hate (we’re looking at you, 563rd repetition of All I Want for Christmas is You).
One of our favorite traditions of the season, however, is getting comfy with the family or friends and watching some bonafide holiday classics. Thanks to streaming, we can pick and choose which holiday movie or holiday special to watch and when. The thing is, no streaming service has every film we’re going to want to watch this holiday season. You know where this is going – your friends at Ting have done the work for you and figured out where cord-cutters can stream some of the most popular holiday films both new and old. We’ve even noted ones that aren’t on any streaming services so you don’t spend time searching. And don’t stress if you don’t have some of the streaming services streaming your favorites. Just remind your friends that one of the best presents that won’t cost a dime is the gift of a shared password.
*Remember, even when there’s no stream on your services, you can rent or purchase titles from Amazon, Google Play and even YouTube! Speaking of, many older films (especially animated) may be streaming legally for free on YouTube.*
These are the films you grew up with as a kid and that will continue to be passed on for generations to come. Also, they’re the big guns you pull out when trying to un-Scrooge your Scroogiest of friends. Mean mug all you want, Jerry, we all saw you wipe away that tear at the end of It’s a Wonderful Life.
It’s a Wonderful Life - Amazon Prime Video
Miracle on 34th Street [1947 original] - Disney +
Miracle on 34th Street [1994 remake] - Fubo
Home Alone - Disney +
A Charlie Brown Christmas - No streams 😔
Muppet Christmas Carol - Disney +, DIRECtTV, Freeform
How the Grinch Stole Christmas [1966 original] - No streams 😔
How the Grinch Stole Christmas [2000 remake] - Netflix, Sling
Mickey’s Christmas Carol - Disney+
A Christmas Story - Fubo, Sling
Frosty the Snowman - No streams 😔
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - No streams 😔
White Christmas - Netflix, Netflix Kids, Fubo
For those of us that like some ‘haha’ with our holidays, here’s a list of films that’ll give you the type of belly laughs likely to put Santa to shame. For cord-cutters with kids, we’ve pointed out the couple very adult films on the list. Just to make sure you don’t inadvertently scar little Timmy for life during the Christmas Eve movie marathon.
Elf - DIRECTV, Fubo, Sling
Nation Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation - DIRECTV, Fubo
The Night Before [R-rated] - FXNOW, DIRECTV, Fubo
Scrooged - Starz via Amazon Prime
Trading Places - DIRECTV, Fubo
The Santa Clause - Disney+
Jingle All the Way - HBO Now, HBO Go, HBO via Amazon, DIRECTV, Cinemax via Amazon
Bad Santa [R-rated] - Amazon Prime, Hoopla
Christmas with the Cranks - Netflix, Hoopla, DIRECTV, Fubo, Sling
I didn’t know what the heck “cuffing season” was until like a year ago, but it’s certainly not news that during the holiday season, we tend to crave romance. If these movies are to be believed, both love and magic are in the air 24/7, so boost your chances of infinite bliss by streaming them with your current or hopeful beloved.
When Harry Met Sally - Showtime, Showtime via Amazon, DIRECTV, Fubo
Serendipity - Starz, Starz via Amazon, Hoopla, DIRECTV
Love Actually - HBO Now, HBO Now via Amazon, HBO GO, DIRECTV
You’ve Got Mail - Amazon Prime
Bridget Jones’ Diary - Hoopla, DIRECTV, Cinemax via Amazon, Fubo
Remember those classics that Holiday-lovers use to convert Scrooges? Well, these are the movies that those Scrooges will gleefully claim as their favorite festive films because “they’re totally set during the holidays.” I’m not going to align with one camp or the other, but I will say this. Die Hard is a Christmas movie. Deal with it.
Die Hard - DIRECTV, Sony Crackle, Sling
Die Hard 2 - No streams 😔
Lethal Weapon - No streams 😔
Gremlins - DIRECTV, Fubo, Sling
Edward Scissorhands - DIRECTV
Batman Returns - Fubo, Sling
The Nightmare Before Christmas - Disney+
Well, there you have it. Use this list to impress your friends and family with your uncanny ability to track down everyone’s favorite holiday film, or perhaps convince your partner to go in on that Disney+ subscription you’ve been eyeing up. After all, as a Ting customer, you’ve got the extra few bucks for it thanks to saving big on your monthly phone bill. If you haven’t joined our family yet, see how you can save by paying only for what you use, then check whether you can bring your phone to Ting risk-free with no plans or contracts.
Happy Holidays!