The Christmas holidays are the perfect time for settling down on the sofa and getting stuck into a good festive film - and Amazon Prime Video has a packed line-up of seasonal favourites.

From classics like Love Actually and The Holiday to hilarious comedies like Elf, and family-friendly animations like Arthur Christmas, the streamer has got all of your festive viewing needs covered.

If you’re looking for something to get you into the yuletide spirit, RadioTimes.com has rounded up the best Christmas films to keep you entertained throughout the festive break.

Read on for our pick of Prime Video’s top Christmas offerings - and if you’re still on the hunt for something to watch, check out the best Christmas films on Netflix, too.

Best Christmas movies on Amazon Prime Video UK in 2022

Showing 1 to 12 of 12 results

  • Four Christmases

    • Comedy
    • Drama
    • 2008
    • Seth Gordon
    • 84 mins
    • 12A

    Summary:

    Seasonal comedy starring Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn. The potent mix of Christmas and relations presents a special challenge for Kate and Brad, who are forced to visit all of their four divorced parents on Christmas Day. Along the way they discover things about themselves and each other.

    Why watch Four Christmases? :

    Christmas with the in-laws can be awkward, but Four Christmases takes that premise and then doubles it. Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon star as Brad and Kate who both have divorced parents, meaning that come Christmas time, they’re faced with double the family obligations.

    When their December holiday plans go awry, they’re forced to do the festive rounds and make four Christmas stop-offs in one stressful day, visiting each side of their respective families. There are plenty of laughs as they do so, from Kate getting stuck in an inflatable Christmas castle to the pair being drafted into a Christmas pageant at the last minute. But can their relationship survive this major dose of family drama?

    Yes, it’s a little on the formulaic side, but Witherspoon has enough star quality to boost this yuletide romcom, and there are appearances from the likes of Jon Favreau and Mary Steenburgen, too.

    How to watch
  • Love Actually

    • Comedy
    • Romance
    • 2003
    • Richard Curtis
    • 129 mins
    • 15

    Summary:

    Ensemble romantic comedy featuring Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Keira Knightley and Bill Nighy. In London, during the weeks leading up to Christmas, people from various walks of life - among them adult film performers, a washed-up rock star and the British Prime Minister - suffer the emotional highs and lows of being in love.

    Why watch Love Actually?:

    When Last Christmas was released back in 2019, there was some chatter that Love Actually might finally be usurped as the number one London-set Christmas romcom – but it seems unlikely that day will come any time soon.

    Richard Curtis’s festive tale, which follows numerous interconnected couples, remains an enduring staple of many a Christmas watchlist, in no small part due to its exceptional cast – which reads as a who’s who of some of the nation’s finest acting talent.

    How to watch
  • The Holiday

    • Comedy
    • Romance
    • 2006
    • Nancy Meyers
    • 130 mins
    • 12A

    Summary:

    Romantic comedy starring Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law and Jack Black. After breaking up with her boyfriend, Los Angeles workaholic Amanda is in need of a holiday. An online search persuades her to exchange her California home over Christmas for the remote Surrey cottage of journalist Iris, who has just found out her ex is getting married. But the transatlantic swap soon leads to more romantic entanglements for the two women.

    Why watch The Holiday?:

    When it comes to the best Christmas movies, few can compete with 2006’s romcom The Holiday – Nancy Meyers’s iconic house-swap romance.

    Featuring a star-studded cast including Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law and Jack Black, the movie is equal parts funny, charming, tear-jerking and heart-warming – and has become a Christmas TV staple for a reason.

    It might teeter on the cheesy side – and lack any good lines or convincing characterisation – but if you’re in need of a dose of something entertaining and packed with warmth, then this could be the movie for you.

    How to watch
  • Nativity!

    • Comedy
    • Family
    • 2009
    • Debbie Isitt
    • 101 mins
    • U

    Summary:

    Comedy starring Martin Freeman. Despite being traumatised by a bad review years earlier, primary school teacher Paul Maddens is tasked with directing the annual Nativity play. Taunted by a teacher from a rival school, Paul foolishly promises that an old flame, now a Hollywood producer, is coming to see his production.

    Why watch Nativity!?:

    It’s been over a decade since this family comedy was first released and its success is best proven by the three sequels which have hit cinemas in the intervening 10 years – the first two of which are also available on Prime Video.

    With cheery Christmas music galore and a Grinch-esque primary school teacher, this improvised comedy starring Martin Freeman, Ashley Jensen, Jason Watkins and Marc Wootton is a Christmas must-watch (with or without the exclamation mark).

    How to watch
  • The Night Before

    • Comedy
    • Fantasy
    • 2015
    • Jonathan Levine
    • 97 mins
    • 15

    Summary:

    Christmas comedy starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen and Anthony Mackie. Three best friends decide they've grown out of wild partying on Christmas Eve and decide to bring the ten year tradition to an end. But not before one last night of debauchery at the party to end them all.

    Why watch The Night Before?:

    The Seth Rogen gang bring their stoner humour to the festive period in this Christmas comedy – which concerns a group of friends (Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Anthony Mackie) and their search for the Christmas party to end all Christmas parties.

    The movie’s humour might sometimes fall a bit flat, but if you have a sweet spot for rap-karaoke scenes, this well-intentioned comedy might be one for you.

    How to watch
  • Office Christmas Party

    • Comedy
    • Drama
    • 2016
    • Josh Gordon
    • 100 mins
    • 15

    Summary:

    Festive comedy starring Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman. When CEO Carol Vanstone threatens drastic action to get the Chicago branch of the company back in the black, the staff and her branch manager brother decide to host a Christmas party memorable enough to impress a potential client and close a sale that will save their jobs.

    Why watch Office Christmas Party?:

    With lots of office Christmas parties having been cancelled for the past two years, this raucous comedy might make you think that isn’t such a bad thing – as the festivities quickly spiral out of control. The impressive cast list of popular comic actors includes Jason Bateman, Olivia Munn, TJ Miller, Kate McKinnon and Jennifer Aniston.

    Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, TJ Miller and Kate McKinnon deliver a number of hilarious lines. The movie’s plot might be at times a bit predictable, but there are enough good gags and laugh-out-loud moments to make this film a Christmas must-watch – just don’t take it too seriously!

    How to watch
  • Deck the Halls

    • Comedy
    • Drama
    • 2005
    • George Mendeluk
    • 89 mins
    • PG

    Summary:

    Seasonal comedy starring Danny DeVito and Matthew Broderick. When Buddy Hall puts enough Christmas lights on his house to ensure it can be seen from space, his uptight neighbour Steve Finch decides to fight back, prompting a game of one-upmanship that quickly gets out of control.

    Why watch Deck the Halls?:

    Danny DeVito and Matthew Broderick face off in this raucous comedy, as the former aims to usurp the latter as the go-to Christmas expert in the fictional Massachusetts town of Cloverdale. In the melee that follows, each tries to outdo the other with increasingly ostentatious Christmas light displays – leading to some messy consequences.

    DeVito and Broderick make a great comedic duo and provide us with many heart-warming moments. The movie might suffer from a slightly clichéd story, but this light-hearted family comedy is bound to bring you some festive joy.

    How to watch
  • Christmas with the Coopers

    • Comedy
    • Drama
    • 2015
    • Jessie Nelson
    • 102 mins
    • 12A

    Summary:

    Four generations of a family meet up to spend Christmas together - and all bring their own problems to the gathering, with a fake boyfriend, an arrest for shoplifting and the demands of single parenthood putting the festive season in jeopardy. Comedy, starring Diane Keaton, John Goodman, Ed Helms and Amanda Seyfried, narrated by Steve Martin as the family dog

    Why watch Christmas with the Coopers?:

    A fairly recent addition to the Christmas film canon, this 2015 comedy features four generations of an extended family who come together on Christmas Eve. A fairly enviable cast was assembled for the film, including Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Diane Keaton, Amanda Seyfried, Marisa Tomei, Ed Helms and Anthony Mackie.

    With Christmas tunes aplenty and plot lines galore, there’s something for everyone in this stuffed Christmas turkey of a movie.

    How to watch
  • Elf

    • Comedy
    • Fantasy
    • 2003
    • Jon Favreau
    • 92 mins
    • PG

    Summary:

    Seasonal comedy fantasy starring Will Ferrell and James Caan. Raised by Santa's helpers at the North Pole, human infant Buddy matures into a strapping adult and outgrows his cramped surroundings. His resultant determination to find his real father, Walter, sends Buddy on an exciting trip to New York.

    Why watch Elf?:

    Will Ferrell’s timeless comedy is a classic for a reason – it’s just a really, really fun film. Buddy the Elf (played by Ferrell) believes with all his heart that he’s one of the gang that belongs in Santa’s Workshop. While he’s accepted by the Elf community, he’s undeniably… different.

    His real family live in New York. Although sadly his mum died, he soon discovers all about his father, who’s firmly on the naughty list. Santa tasks Buddy with attempting to turn that around, make Walter a better man, and hopefully reunite the family.

    The family-friendly caper (suitable for older children), is funny, charming, and packed to the brim with iconic one-liners. And really, if you haven’t seen Elf by now, where have you been?

    How to watch
  • Dr Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas

    • Comedy
    • Family
    • 2000
    • Ron Howard
    • 100 mins
    • PG

    Summary:

    Comedy fantasy starring Jim Carrey. It's Christmas in Whoville and preparations are well under way. Meanwhile, up in his mountain lair, cold-hearted hermit the Grinch sits alone resenting the Whovians' happiness. But then he's befriended by a little girl.

    Why watch The Grinch?:

    Dr Seuss classic The Grinch Who Stole Christmas is available to rent now on Amazon Prime Video – and it’s essential that you do. Jim Carrey plays the iconic green character who simply hates the season. He happens to live near Whoville, surrounded by Whos who can’t get enough festivity – much to his dismay.

    Cindy Lou Who, who thinks Christmas should be about family, not present-buying, has a run-in with the Grinch, and after becoming interested in him, discovers a tragic past filled with heartbreak. The little girl makes it her personal mission to make him fall in love with the season once more, but can she change his mind?

    Character actor Carrey is at his very best in this iconic and colourful Christmas film, which leaves a lasting impression on anyone who watches it.

    How to watch
  • Arthur Christmas

    • Comedy
    • Family
    • 2011
    • Sarah Smith (2)
    • 93 mins
    • U

    Summary:

    Animated adventure featuring the voice of James McAvoy. Santa's job of getting presents to all the children in just one night is an operation that requires military precision. But when a glitch in the system means that a little girl is not going to get her new bike, it falls to Santa's clumsy son Arthur to make sure she isn't disappointed.

    Why watch Arthur Christmas?:

    This sweet animated offering tells the story of Arthur Claus, the clumsy youngest son of Santa Claus. When he learns that his father’s hi-tech Christmas ship has forgotten to deliver a present to a young girl, he sets off on a mission to unite her with her gift, joined by his grandfather, an elf and his reindeer.

    Produced by Aardman, the animation studio behind classics like Wallace and Gromit and Chicken Run, Arthur Christmas is a charming addition to the festive canon, featuring a best of British voice cast that includes the likes of James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Bill Nighy, Jim Broadbent and Imelda Staunton.

    How to watch
  • The Grinch

    • Drama
    • Animation
    • 2018
    • Yarrow Cheney
    • 89 mins
    • U

    Summary:

    Animated fantasy based on the book by Dr Seuss, featuring the voice of Benedict Cumberbatch. The embittered, mountain-dwelling Grinch plots to ruin the festive season for the cheery citizens of Whoville. That is until he finds his spirits unexpectedly lifted by a young girl and her family.

    Why watch The Grinch?:

    If you’re a fan of the classic Jim Carrey live action movie, why not try this animated edition, which offers a different spin on the classic Dr Seuss tale? From Illumination, the studio behind hits like Despicable Me, Sing and the Secret Life of Pets, it features Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role as the Grinch, the misanthropic outcast who seriously hates Christmas.

    Illumination’s animation style gives the story a fresh look, and the supporting voice cast is seriously impressive too, featuring the likes of Pharrell Williams, Rashida Jones and Angela Lansbury.

    How to watch
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