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One of the most popular Christmas traditions is to watch favorite holiday movies with loved ones. From classic films like It’s a Wonderful Life to new cheesy rom-coms like Falling for Christmas, there’s something for everyone. Even action movie buffs have Die Hard to satisfy their holiday needs. But sometimes, it’s challenging to access Christmas favorites. So, we’ve put together a list of five movies you can watch in 2022.

Will Ferrell, in character as Buddy in 'Elf,' one of the Christmas movies fans watch every year, wears his green elf costume while eating spaghetti.
Will Ferrell as Buddy | Warner Home Video/IMDb

Christmas just isn’t the same without watching the movie Elf.

The 2003 film stars Will Ferrell as Buddy, a human who slips into Santa Claus’s bag on one Christmas Eve night. When Santa returns to the North Pole, he realizes that Buddy, a baby at the time, has hitched a ride. One of the older elves, played by Bob Newhart, volunteers to adopt Buddy and raise him as an elf. But when he’s older, Buddy discovers he’s a human and sets out to find his birth father.

Fans can stream Elf on HBO Max this holiday season.

‘The Santa Clause’

Another iconic Christmas movie many families watch this time of year is The Santa Clause.

The film stars Tim Allen as Scott Calvin, an ordinary man who accidentally becomes Santa when the previous Kris Kringle falls off his roof on Christmas Eve. Scott, joined by his son Charlie, consequentially has to finish the job and deliver presents to children worldwide. However, the following year is met with turmoil as Scott denies his destiny as Santa, and Charlies tries to convince him to believe.

The Santa Clause, its two sequels, and the new television series, The Santa Clauses, are available to stream on Disney+.

How to watch ‘Scrooged’

Scrooged is one of the many takes on the classic story, A Christmas Carol, but with a comedic spin.

The film stars Bill Murray as Frank Cross (the modern-day Ebenezer Scrooge), an egocentric television executive who is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve. Many fans love and watch Scrooged yearly because it deviates from the typical Christmas movie.

Thankfully, there are many platforms to watch the film. Scrooged is available on Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video, and Pluto TV.

‘Love Actually’

If you’re searching for a romantic Christmas movie that isn’t cheesy to watch this season, look no further than Love Actually.

The 2003 film is based in London and focuses on several love stories between characters who are all connected in one way or another. From a widow trying to help his stepson win the heart of his school crush to the Prime Minister falling in love with a member of his household staff, there’s a tale for everyone.

Love Actually is available to stream on Peacock and AMC+.

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‘Home Alone’ — how to watch all of the movies

For us, Kevin McCallister is up there with the likes of Rudolph and the Grinch as classic, iconic holiday characters. So, a list of Christmas movies to watch in December wouldn’t be the same without Home Alone.

Home Alone, which premiered in 1990, centers around Kevin, played by Macaulay Culkin. He is accidentally left behind when his family goes to Paris for Christmas. And to make matters worse, two criminals, played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern, are looking to rob Kevin’s house while the family is away.

Home Alone and the other five films in the franchise are on Disney+.

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