Looking for the best films and TV to watch this Christmas? Whether you’re looking for festive classics such as Die Hard or family favourites like Wallace and Gromit, we’ve put together a list of the latest releases being shown over the festive season
It isn’t Christmas until you’ve snuggled into the sofa with a cosy blanket and a mug of hot chocolate to enjoy a festive film. Whether it’s an old favourite that’s become a tradition in your house or one of this year’s excellent new offerings, it signals that the holiday season is well and truly here.
This season offers a host of nostalgic treats on streaming and terrestrial platforms, many of which belong to heartwarming, family-friendly franchises that we’ve known and loved for years. But there’s also an assortment of must-see movies on big and small screen screens to keep film buffs entertained – and who knows, they may join the ranks of your festive faves and watched again and again...
Start assembling your Christmas content calendar right now with our handy guide to this season’s must-watch gems.
Don’t forget as a Boundless member you gain exclusive discounts with The Cinema Society, including up to 37% off adult and child cinema tickets at venues including VUE, ODEON, Cineworld, Showcase and Picturehouse. You’ll also get discounts on food and drink at selected venues, and benefit from up to 29% off home streaming.
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What’s more, Boundless members get exclusive discounts and benefits at many of the attractions we’ve listed below.
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Family films
That Christmas (Netflix, from 4 December)
Rom-com legend and all-round British institution Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral; Notting Hill; Bridget Jones; Love, Actually) presents his irresistible take on the Christmas story. As you might expect, it mixes the joy of Christmas with all the chaotic messiness of life and relationships in a story that’s both heart-warming and heart-breaking at times. The all-star voice cast includes Succession’s Brian Cox as Santa Claus, plus Jodie Whittaker, Bill Nighy, Lolly Adefope and Fiona Shaw.
Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (BBC, Christmas – date tbc – then Netflix from 3 January)
Prepare the cheese and crackers as Aardman’s delightful Claymation duo return for their latest adventure. Wallace & Gromit creator Nick Park is back at the helm as the dastardly penguin villain from 1995’s The Wrong Trousers, Feathers McGraw, returns to seek revenge on our heroes.
Outnumbered (BBC, Christmas Day – TBC)
Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin’s hit, semi-improvised BBC sitcom Outnumbered came to a close in 2014. It was followed by a Christmas special in 2016 and this year sees another festive treat for fans of the show, as the multi-generational Brockman family returns: older but not necessarily the wiser.
Doctor Who Christmas Special (BBC, Christmas Day)
We’ve been anticipating Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor Who debut since forever, and the Sex Education star is finally about to make the role his own. This year’s special, ‘Joy to the World’, sees Gatwa’s dapper doctor team up with Joy (Bridgerton and Derry Girls star Nicola Coughlan) for a decade-spanning adventure that runs the gamut from World War II to the present day.
The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland (Sky Cinema, from 13 December)
Everyone’s favourite Scots action hero Gerard Butler voices Santa in this animated adaptation of Carys Bexington’s successful children’s novel, which crosses the streams between festive tale and Lewis Carroll’s classic text Alice in Wonderland. It’s directed by Peter Baynton, the man behind the Oscar-winning short film The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, and also features Emilia Clarke.
Paddington in Peru (in cinemas now)
The marmalade-loving bear returns to his South American roots in the third instalment of the delightful Paddington franchise. Ben Whishaw’s endearing ursine is on the search for his Aunt Lucy and he’s brought his hapless adopted family the Browns along for the ride.
Wicked (in cinemas from 22 November)
It’s time to defy gravity in this slick, big-budget adaptation of Stephen Schwartz’s Broadway smash, the first of a two-part epic. Pop sensation Ariana Grande is good witch Glinda and Cynthia Erivo portrays the misunderstood Elphaba in this story of sisterly love gone sour. It all plays out to Schwartz’s soaring showtunes amid the emerald spires of the glittering city of Oz.
Moana 2 (in cinemas from 29 November)
Credit: Disney
Return to the high seas with plucky Disney icon Moana (remember, she’s not a princess) in this long-awaited follow-up. Now established as a hero, Moana is prompted by her young daughter to return to the ocean and save her Polynesian tribe from an ancient curse. Luckily, she’s got the irreverent demi-god Maui (Dwayne Johnson) to help her along the way.
Mufasa: The Lion King (in cinemas from 20 December)
Credit: Disney
Discover how Pride Rock step-siblings Scar and Mufasa became rivals in this prequel to Disney’s blockbusting, photo-realistic remake of The Lion King (2019). Oscar-winner Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) brings us the emotional story of orphan lion cub Mufasa (voiced by Aaron Pierre) and the royal heir Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr), later to become the infamous Scar.
Rom-com
Gavin & Stacey (BBC, Christmas Day)
Has it really been 17 years since lovestruck couple Gavin and Stacey debuted on our screens? It’s time to get your hankies out as the 2024 Christmas special, from series creators and stars Ruth Jones and James Corden, is said to be the last-ever episode. How will Gavin (Mathew Horne), Stacey (Joanna Page), Nessa (Jones) and Smithy (Corden) receive their festive send-off?
Action
Red One (in cinemas from 8 November)
Dwayne Johnson reunites with his Jumanji director Jake Kasdan to give the Christmas movie a kick in the pants. In this action-packed tale, Johnson plays Callum Drift, the head of North Pole security, who must team up with Chris Evans’ wily hacker to track down the kidnapped Santa Claus (JK Simmons), code-named ‘Red One’.
The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim (in cinemas from 13 December)
The story of the legendary Rohan ruler Helm Hammerhand took up Appendix A of JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Now we get Helm’s action-packed story rendered in vibrant anime form with Succession’s Brian Cox voicing the tenacious king.
Carry-On (Netflix, from 13 December)
Rocketman star Taron Egerton isn’t driving home for Christmas so much as fighting for his life in this thriller from Unknown and Non-Stop director Jaume Collet-Serra. Egerton plays a TSA agent who’s blackmailed into carrying a dangerous package aboard a commercial flight, so expect pyrotechnics and twists aplenty.
Christmas classics
The Snowman (air date TBC)
It simply isn’t Christmas without a re-run of this cosy yet devastating Raymond Briggs classic from 1982. Take to the skies with our unnamed hero boy and his Snowman pal in this hand drawn animated gem, set to the soaring crescendos of ‘Walking in the Air’ before it deposits us back down on Earth with an unforgettable bump.
Die Hard (air date TBC)
Let’s put aside the whole Christmas movie debate for now. Die Hard is simply one of the greatest films ever made: endlessly quotable, taut as a drum-skin and with two wonderfully contrasting central performances that tip it into classic territory. Bruce Willis is the terse New York cop John MacLane who finds himself in over his head when terrorists (or are they?) hijack his wife’s Los Angeles office Christmas party. Said enemies are embodied by the deliciously suave and charismatic Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman in a role that redefined Hollywood villainy).
Home Alone (air date TBC)
Somewhere in our memory is a time before the Christmas classic Home Alone existed. Well, the world is brighter for it, and this family blockbuster is now cemented as a festive staple on small screens.
Reunite with Macaulay Culkin’s plucky Kevin McAllister as he single-handedly fends off Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern’s bumbling robbers the Wet Bandits. John Williams’ crystalline, Oscar-nominated score is the icing on the Christmas cake.
It’s a Wonderful Life (air date TBC)
My personal recommendation for this year’s must-watch Christmas movie? It has to be It’s a Wonderful Life. What would the world be like if you had never lived? That’s the wondrous conceit of Frank Capra’s enduring Christmas masterpiece, which hails from 1946.
The legendary James Stewart delivers what may be his greatest performance as George Bailey, the suicidal Bedford Falls everyman who is reminded by his guardian angel about the rich impact he’s had on the local citizenry. If the highly emotional ending doesn’t knock you for six then nothing will.
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If you're working in or retired from the public sector or civil service, Boundless has two great membership options to choose from: Boundless and Boundless Plus.
With Boundless, you get unlimited access or discounted entry to many of the UK’s top attractions, including Kew Gardens and Wakehurst and WWT centres across the UK, as well as year-round deals on restaurants, holidays, shopping and much more. With Boundless Plus, you can enjoy additional benefits including unlimited access to Historic Royal Palaces sites, National Trust for Scotland places, access to the Ramblers' extensive walking community, and peace of mind with roadside assistance and local recovery by LV= Britannia Rescue.
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