Movie News
Our Netflix Christmas Film Advent Calendar
That’s it, the Christmas countdown is on! With the year we’ve all had, it’s hard not to want to get shoulders deep into the festivities ASAP. Whether you have your decorations up, or are yet to dig them out of the cupboard, you can still get into the mood with our Netflix Christmas film Advent Calendar Countdown.
Originally, this article was just going to be run-of-the-mill top 10. However, there’s just so much festive Christmas content on Netflix, we thought we’d do our very own version of an advent calendar, the best way we know how… with films.
After watching the majority of the Christmas films on Netflix, below are 24 films we believe will get you in the festive mood between now and the big day. There is a mix of animations, classics and Netflix’s own to get your teeth into.
So, get out the mince pies, chocolates, or both, and don your Christmas onesie as you get ready for a film marathon like no other.
Tuesday 1st December watch:
The Holiday Calendar
The first on our list is a 2018, Netflix own, romantic comedy. The Holiday Calendar is the best way to start off our countdown as it’s about an advent calendar – what a match. It is also the perfect mix of cheesy Christmas acting and feel-good outcomes, with a dash of festive fantasy. After watching this film, you’ll be looking through your grandparents’ attic for your very own magic antique holiday calendar.
Wednesday 2nd December watch:
Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch
If you feel December 2nd is still too early for you to celebrate, you will be in good company with Dr. Seuss’ the Grinch. This version of the story has to be our favourite. Okay, Jim Carrey’s ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ is great. But the 2018 film not only has Benedict Cumberbatch as the voice of The Grinch, but the talented Pharrell Williams as the narrator. This classic story is a must watch around this time of year and, just like the Grinch, Cindy-Lou Who and the villagers of Whoville will really get you in the Christmas mood.
Thursday 3rd December watch:
Let It Snow
When you think ‘teen movies’, you probably imagine coming-of-age, anxious young people trying to fit in. Lot’s of unrequited love, cliques, college worries, underage parties and unrealistic romance. Well, this movie has all this and more, including Joan Cusack, hanging around covered in tinfoil, being her perfectly quirky self… we love it. Following a Love Actually/Valentine’s Day style format, you follow several different stories about a group of teens on Christmas Eve. It’s heart-warming, funny and full of all the Christmas feels.
Friday 4th December watch:
Klaus
It’s time for another Netflix original, and this one is an animation. An imaginative story of how Santa Claus came to be. It’s centred around a postman who was made to work in a very undesirable location called Smeerensburg. The original story is written and directed by Sergio Pablos, who also wrote the original storyline for Despicable Me. So you’re in good hands and got a lot of humour coming your way.
Saturday 5th December watch:
Holiday In The Wild
Taking you out of the winter snow and off to warmer climates is this 2019 romantic comedy, starring Sex and the City’s Kristin Davis. Holiday In The Wild is a simple, heart-warming story: there’s no bells or whistles, just elephants and a good ol’ fashioned romance.
Sunday 6th December watch:
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
If you’ve missed theatre this year, and could do with a festive family musical, Jingle Jangle is for you! From the first scene, you are transported into an imaginary world of wonder. New for 2020, you’ll join Jeronicus (played by Forest Whitaker), who was an eccentric yet brilliant toymaker. He is transported back to his glory days when his granddaughter Journey (played by Madalen Mills) comes to live with him. The film is full of bright colours, catchy songs and magic. There are also appearances from Hugh Bonneville and the voice of Ricky Martin.
Monday 7th December watch:
Krampus
This one is a slightly different pace to the other films. The concept of a scary Christmas movie might sound odd, but it’s actually pretty good. It’s got everything you need in a good family scarefest. Including an unruly younger son, a creepy grandmother and a wise-cracking aunt who teaches the kids how to make cocktails (basically, who I aspire to be). Amongst the scares, the film has some comedic lines and scenes woven into the dialogue and visuals.
Beware: this one is not suitable for a younger family audience. It is a certified 15, similar to a good old 90’s Goosebumps episode in tone.
Tuesday 8th December watch:
Christmas with the Kranks
Let’s face it: at one point or another, I’m sure we’ve all wanted to skip Christmas. That’s exactly what Luther (played by Tim Allen) and Nora (played by Jamie Lee Curtis) tried to do in this 2004 festive classic. It’s hard to not get a little annoyed by their neighbours, as they try to force them to celebrate Christmas. Especially when it comes to the ‘Frosty The Snowman’ debacle (which you will understand when you watch it).
Wednesday 9th December:
The Holiday
Now, while it may not have quite achieved the popularity of Love Actually (which isn’t on Netflix). The Holiday is arguably up there as one of the best Christmas rom-coms. Again, they went all out with the casting on this one, with Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz playing the leading females, and Jude Law, Jack Black and, one of Hollywood’s greats, Eli Wallach, as their male counterparts. This 2006 film, truly is a winter warmer and should definitely be on everyone’s list.
Thursday 10th December watch:
Holiday Rush
A lot of the films on this list, and indeed on Netflix, are romantic comedies – after all, Christmas is the season for love. However, Christmas is also the season for families and for being together, and that definitely comes across in the 2019 Netflix Original, Holiday Rush. There’s a light smattering of romance, but this film is more about looking around at who you have in your life, rather than what you’ve got.
Friday 11th December watch:
Nativity
If by 11th December, you’re still not feeling the festive cheer, it’s time to get out the big guns… all three of them! Nativity 1, 2 and 3 are all on Netflix, and the perfect Christmas films to watch. They are full of quintessential British humour and cute children. It doesn’t even matter if you’ve watched them all before, as they are so rewatchable and a true Christmas classic. Plus, the first one stars Martin Freeman before he was Bilbo Baggins.
Saturday 12th December watch:
Christmas Made to Order
Who doesn’t love a bit of unrealistic romance this time of year? It’s nice to let go of our inner cynic and believe in true romance, something made much easier with this 2018 romantic comedy. Christmas Made to Order is full of comedic and sentimental moments, and it’s got a great soundtrack.
Sunday 13th December watch:
Christmas Wonderland
This film is made by Hallmark. So you should know what you’re getting yourself into when you press play. There will be a lot of cheese, romance and warm Christmas feelings, with a dash of predictability. It’s perfect for a cold Sunday afternoon.
Monday 14th December watch:
A Christmas Prince
Just like with Nativity, A Christmas Prince is the Christmas film that just keeps giving. There are now three of them. So you choose between A Christmas Prince, A Christmas Prince – The Royal Wedding and A Christmas Prince – The Royal Baby, or just binge all three! You might have seen films like this before (cough The Prince and Me cough). But these films are slowly gathering a cult following, and I’m pretty sure next year there will be A Christmas Prince 4 of some description. Maybe A Christmas Prince – The Royal Twins? You never know.
Tuesday 15th December watch:
Operation Christmas Drop
This year, another Netflix romantic Christmas movie hit the playlist: Operation Christmas Drop. It’s a bit of a change to your normal Christmas film setting as, instead of snow and hot chocolate, there’s sun, sand and helicopters. But, there is still romance and the odd Christmas hat.
Wednesday 16th December watch:
Holidate
We couldn’t have a list of Christmas films without a shout out to the singles that are fed up with being single over the Christmas period. The Netflix description of this film is: “All they want is someone to drunk-mock strangers with on the holidays. No pressure. No romance. And no chance it’ll lead to love.” You may read that and think ‘this look’s predictable’… and you would be right. But it’s still a great movie, full of laughs and it’s Christmas, so why not indulge?
Thursday 17th December watch:
El Camino Christmas
Tim Allen is back, with an action/black comedy film that will get you giggling in your eggnog and doing shocked faces to your elf on the shelf. If you’re like us, who believe Die Hard is a Christmas movie (it is!), then this one’s for you.
Friday 18th December watch:
Christmas with the Coopers
This film is set around a family Christmas the way it should be: pure chaos! It is packed full of famous faces, including Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, John Goodman, Ed Helms and Family Guy’s Lois Griffin – Alex Borstein – just to name a few. The film shows four generations of Coopers, all with their own stories, coming together for a reunion on Christmas Eve.
Saturday 19th December watch:
Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square
Come on, who doesn’t love Dolly? If you liked her Heartstrings series, you will love this! As you may have guessed, this is a musical. The film is a light take on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, starring Christine Baranski, Jenifer Lewis and, of course, Dolly Parton herself. Now, it may be a little cheesy in places, but it is very entertaining, heart-warming and full of Dolly tunes. See, what’s not to love?
Sunday 20th December watch:
Angela’s Christmas
The only film we’ve included on this list without watching, at the time of writing, Angela’s Christmas is yet to be released. However, judging by the trailer, this 40-minute short film is going to be one of this year’s must-watch Christmas animations. The film will be released on 1st December.
Monday 21st December watch:
A Bad Mom’s Christmas
2017’s A Bad Mom’s Christmas is as funny (if not more) as the original Bad Mom’s film and has such an incredible cast. Alongside our original moms, Mila Kunis, Kirsten Bell and Kathryn Hahn, are acting legends Christine Baranski, Susan Sarandon and Cheryl Hines. All 6 actresses bring a huge dose of humour, some drama, a little conflict and a stocking load of Christmas cheekiness. Just what we have come to expect from our bad mums.
Tuesday 22nd December watch:
Christmas Inheritance
Another easy Christmas romance is this Netflix Original. It’s a classic, humbling riches-to-rags story about a wild child that’s soon to inherit the title of CEO from her dad. But, after some bad behaviour, she is sent to her dad’s hometown to hopefully learn something from the locals in the lead up to Christmas.
Wednesday 23rd December watch:
Arthur Christmas
By far, one of the best Christmas animations, and one of the best underdog stories. Perfect for the whole family, Sony Pictures Animation really knocked it out of the park with this one. The animations, storyline and characterisations are top-notch. Plus, there are some amazing one-liners we’ll be repeating for Christmases to come, such as “everything’s better with a bow” and “Hey Soldier, get off your baubles”. It’s another one with a host of famous voices, including James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Bill Nighy and Ashley Jensen, among many others. If you haven’t watched it, you need to.
Thursday 24th December watch:
The Christmas Chronicles 1 and 2
We’ve saved the best until last. You can’t get to Christmas without watching this epic adventure. Even though this film was released in 2018, it’s reminiscent of the classic 90s films, such as Santa Clause: The Movie and Home Alone. Netflix has done a great job with this film, as it’s funny, heart-warming, full of adventure, and casting Kurt Russel was a good choice, as he plays the best cool Santa.
If this film leaves you wanting more, Netflix has only gone and dropped The Christmas Chronicles 2 into our stockings. And this time, we get more Goldie Hawn too. Maybe save that for the big day itself; it sounds like a perfect Christmas evening watch to me, after the Queen’s speech, of course!
Wrapping up Christmas
So, there you have it for our Christmas Countdown! I hope it gets you ready for the big day.
How did we do? If you have any other Netflix films you think should have been on this list, let us know below. Also, let us know what you thought of the films!
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”
Check out more or our Netflix articles HERE.
Read IMDB information about Christmas Chronicles 2 HERE.
There are more bands than you think that played themselves on the big screen. Here are nine bands you might’ve forgotten appeared in movies.
1. Alice Cooper – Wayne’s World (1992)
Being a teenager in the nineties was great for many reasons. Two of those being the release of the Wayne’s World movies. The genius that is Mike Myers created one of the best music-based films of all time. Plus, he convinced one of the greatest rock musicians of all time to be in it. If you’re not a geek like me, you may have forgotten that Alice Cooper was featured in the film. It had the iconic scene of Wayne and Garth meeting, Alice, backstage on bent knees. We’re not worthy, indeed. Alice himself pulls off the diva Rockstar brilliantly, even though he’s a genuine, down-to-earth guy who plays a lot of golf.
2. Primus – Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey (1991)
Let’s try and erase the recent Bill & Ted movie from our memory and head back to 1991 for their bogus journey. They come from the future to kill the non-robot versions of themselves and ruin their performance at a Battle of the Bands competition. What’s cool is the band who are playing before them. Californian alt-metal kings Primus. Although the clip is only short, they play themselves and sound as you would expect. Epic.
3. Fall Out Boy – Sex Drive (2008)
You’d be forgiven for forgetting about this one. The teen sex comedy from 2008 is forgettable and won’t really appeal to anyone apart from its teen target audience. If you can sit through all the cringe-inducing moments, you will spot pop-rockers Fall Out Boy. They are performing in a barn in front of some drunk Amish teenagers. There’s a reason for that, but I won’t bore you with it here. What is good, is the soundtrack of the film. As well as Fall Out Boy, it features Airbourne, AC/DC and weirdly, Kenny Loggins.
4. Twisted Sister – Pee Wee’s Big Adventure (1985)
Paul Reuben’s character Pee Wee Herman made his big-screen outing in 1985. The children’s show star had a scene where he is being chased through a studio parking lot. Unbeknown to him, glam rockers Twisted Sister are recording a music video on a car. Lead singer Dee Snider is always up for a laugh, so it’s no surprise they’re featured. The clip is brilliant. Pee Wee’s prop-laden bike is just about to crash into Twisted Sister and the look on Dee’s face is genius. Go check out the clip.
5. David Bowie – Zoolander (2001)
Who can forget the brilliant Zoolander? Starring Ben Stiller as the dippy model, it’s one of the funniest comedies ever made. One of the best scenes of the film is the walk-off. This involved Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson’s characters doing a catwalk-off. Of sorts. Can you remember who refereed it? The legend himself, David Bowie. It’s not the first time Bowie was in a movie – remember Labyrinth? But this time, he plays himself. And does it with all the cool swagger you would expect.
6. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones – Clueless (1995)
I can’t say that I was a massive fan of this teen comedy at the time. The plot revolves around Alicia Silverstone’s character giving her friend a makeover. The premise doesn’t sound like it lends itself to a cool band cameo. You’d be wrong, though. There’s a scene where the lead characters go watch a gig. The band that are playing are The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. The Boston ska-punk legends are only on stage for a moment, but it’s a slick clip. It certainly brings the film up a level on the cool stakes.
7. Daft Punk – Tron: Legacy (2010)
This sequel to the original sci-fi classic is a cracking movie. The visuals and effects are stunning, as is the atmosphere of the film. The music to the film is also rather special. A futuristic and dystopian movie could only have one act doing the score, and that’s Daft Punk. It works a treat. The music is intertwined into the movie and becomes a part of it. The delicious electronica is the perfect complement to the visuals. The French electronic masters also have a cameo at the end of the movie. They’re spinning the decks in a blink-and-you-miss-it scene.
8. Aerosmith – Wayne’s World (1993)
We’ve already had an appearance from the first film further up our list, and the second doesn’t disappoint either. The plot revolves around Wayne and Garth putting on their own music festival. Book them and they will come, is the advice given. And they certainly did. The headline band for the festival were none other than Aerosmith themselves. They do a sterling effort on stage as performers. And Steven Tyler also shows that he can handle his own on the acting front too.
9. Reel Big Fish – BASEketball (1998)
Trey Parker and Matt Stone star in this bizarre and hilarious sports comedy. Written by the king of spoof David Zucker, it’s become a cult classic. The soundtrack heavily features ska-punkers Reel Big Fish. They do a brilliant rendition of A-HA’s Take on Me, which they also perform in the movie. The band are the entertainment at the stadium where Parker and Stone are competing. You can tell by the footage that the band are clearly enjoying themselves. They add a touch more fun to an already hugely funny film.
That’s our list of nine bands who played themselves in movies. Did we miss any of your favourites? Let us know in the comments below.
Check out our list of actors in bands HERE.
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