If you’re looking for newer Christmas movies to watch this year, you can pass on Candy Cane Lane, Genie, Best. Christmas. Ever! and Family Switch, and go for one of these more recent, and better, Christmas movies instead.
Here are five newer Christmas movies worth watching this year.
EXMas (2023)
No one is more surprised than us that EXMas made this list! Maybe it was because we went in with low expectations, but it was way funnier than we imagined and it’s far from being a Hallmark movie even though it looks like one on the outside. We’re not alone on this either as it has a 62% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes (but only a 43% critics score). Watch EXMas on Prime Video Canada.
A Christmas Story Christmas (2022)
The real sequel to the great 1983 film A Christmas Story, A Christmas Story Christmas brings back Peter Billingsley as a grown up Ralphie dealing with Christmas as a dad. Many actors from the original also appear and it fully gets the feeling that made the first one so special. It’s got a 79% critics score and a 75% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. A Christmas Story Christmas is streaming in Canada on Crave.
Violent Night (2022)
We didn’t say these were all wholesome Christmas movies! Violent Night gives us Stranger Things’ David Harbour as a badass Santa who helps a rich family that is being held hostage on Christmas Eve. And it lives up to its title and is completely over-the-top violent. It’s got a 74% critics score and an 88% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. John Leguizamo and Christmas Vacation‘s Beverly D’Angelo also star. Violent Night is available to watch on Crave in Canada and is also available on 4K Blu-ray.
8-Bit Christmas (2021)
In 8-Bit Christmas a dad tells his kids the story about the year in the ’80s that all he wanted was a Nintendo for Christmas. Directed by Michael Dowse (Goon, Fubar), and starring Neil Patrick Harris as the dad telling the story, this one is a real GenX pleaser. On Rotten Tomatoes it has an 84% critics score and a 74% audience score. 8-Bit Christmas is available to stream in Canada on VOD platforms only. It’s also available on DVD.
Happiest Season (2020)
Happiest Season is a romcom Christmas movie starring Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis as lesbians visiting Davis’ characters conservative parents for the holidays. It’s got a lot of heart while also being quite funny. Dan Levy, Victor Garber, Mary Steenburgen and Alison Brie also star. It has an 82% critics score and a 73% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Happiest Season is available to stream on Netflix Canada.
Do you have another newer Christmas movie recommendation for us? Tell us in the comments below or on our Facebook page.
Home with Brian has you covered for all your Christmas movie needs this year. You can find out where to stream Christmas movies, how to watch Hallmark Christmas movies, what Christmas movies you should get on 4K Blu-ray and what Christmas horror movies you should watch.
Photo credit: A scene from 8-Bit Christmas. Courtesy Warner Bros.
