The holiday season is finally here, and we couldn’t be happier. It’s time to kick back and get into the festive spirit — and that includes indulging in countless Christmas movies. The genre gets a free pass for being all kinds of corny, cheesy and terrible, because hey, it’s Christmas! Netflix famously does Christmas flicks well — but Australian streaming service Stan has a few cheesy Christmas movies of its own, but which ones are worth watching? Find out the best Christmas movies to watch on Stan in this Canstar Blue guide.
Top 10 Christmas movies on Stan
It’s been tough to narrow down, but here are the top 10 Christmas films to watch on Stan:
- Christmas Ransom
- A Sunburnt Christmas
- Surviving Christmas
- Love Actually
- Serendipity
- The Christmas Chalet
- It’s a Wonderful Life
- Get Santa
- Four Holidays
- Santa Claus: The Movie
Christmas Ransom
Adding in another Aussie flavour to this list, Christmas Ransom stars Matt Okine as Derrick, the owner of a popular, but ultimately struggling, toy store. A passion project that’s slowly draining him, Derrick soon finds himself at the wrong end of a gun as his store is held up, with his only hope of escaping coming in the form of two stowaway kids and a pregnant security guard.
A Sunburnt Christmas
If you’re sick of all the Christmas movies set in the snowy backdrops of America and the UK — then you’ll be pleased to see the arrival of the full-blown Aussie holiday comedy A Sunburnt Christmas land on Stan. The unconventional Christmas flick follows a single mother and her kids doing it tough in the Aussie outback, until a runaway criminal Daryl (played by Daniel Henshall, Snowtown) dressed up as Santa Clause crashes their farm and changes their lives. Secretly on the mission for a stash of money buried on the farm, Daryl ends up getting more than he bargained for in this hilarious and heart-warming Aussie Christmas film.
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| Brand | Subscription Type | No. of Screens/same time viewing | Advertised Cost^^/month | |
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min. cost $10 over one month |
1 | $10 |
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min. cost $19 over one month |
2 | $19 |
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min. cost $22 over one month |
4 | $22 |
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^^View important information | |||
Surviving Christmas
Ben Affleck plays a psychopath millionaire who pays money to get exactly what he wants for Christmas. No, I understand the confusion, but it’s not another Batman movie. Instead, it’s Surviving Christmas, a heart-warming tale of a soulless advertising executive who rediscovers his childhood home and holds the family living there hostage, in a bid to recover some of his young, Christmas wonder. Luckily, James Gandolfini (The Sopranos) is here to save the day and provide the perfect balance to Affleck’s kitsch. Somehow this gem also manages to squeeze in some romance, some feels and a lot of comedy – a true Christmas gift.
Love Actually
This one just goes without saying. Love Actually is arguable the greatest Christmas rom-com of all time, and it’s easy to see why. Between Hugh Grant as the lovable and dorky Prime Minister, Andrew Lincoln (pre-Rick Grimes) swooning over Kiera Knightly, the great Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman’s heartbreak marriage and Liam Neeson (still hot) and his adorable son on his quest for love — there is nothing this movie can’t do. Love Actually is an ode to every kind of love there is, and essential Christmas viewing. Sorry, we don’t make the rules.
Serendipity
This John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale classic is Christmas in New York done best. Serendipity follows Johnathon and Sara, who meet fighting over gloves whilst shopping for their respective partners in New York. After spending an evening together, they decide to part ways without disclosing any contact information (a romantic, but stupid, idea that would never happen in today’s technology-filled landscape) and leave it up to fate to decide if they are meant to be together. Years go by, and despite planning weddings with other people else, the pair set out to individually find each other before they get married and lose each other forever — just to check if that Christmas magic remains.
The Christmas Chalet
The Christmas Chalet is cheesy, sappy, and has a shocking plot — and that makes it perfect Christmas movie viewing. The movie follows Grace, a die-hard Christmas lover and recent divorcee, who books a trip to a chalet at Christmas with her mother and daughter. Also staying at the chalet is Jack, a single writer who despises Christmas. We think you can guess what happens next (yes, the two help each other to love again and learn to love the power and magic of Christmas and family). We love it anyway.
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| Brand | Subscription Type | No. of Screens/same time viewing | Advertised Cost^^/month or year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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min. cost $13.99 over one month |
4 | $13.99 |
Get Deal |
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min. cost $139.99 over one year |
4 | $139.99 |
Get Deal |
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^^View important information | |||
It’s a Wonderful Life
This 1946 Christmas movie is, as Stan puts it, “the holiday classic to define all holiday classics”. It may be as old as they come — but also as good as they come. If you’ve never heard of It’s a Wonderful Life, it’s time to give it a chance. The movie follows George Bailey (James Stewart), a deeply depressed man who is thinking about ending it all on Christmas Eve. That is, until an angel shows up and shows George what life for those he loves would be like if he never existed. You will definitely cry, so bring the tissues (and the eggnog).
Get Santa
There’s nothing much better than British comedy movies. Except maybe for British comedy Christmas movies, and Get Santa is exactly that. The movie follows Steve (Rafe Spall), a former getaway driver who has just been released from prison on Christmas Eve, and who is being watched under a microscope by his parole officers. His plans to keep good behavior are endangered when his son Tom calls him to let him know that Santa has crash-landed in their basement and has been arrested for trespassing. The father-son duo team up to help release Santa from prison and deliver his presents in time for Christmas, all while Steve tries desperately to stay out of jail. Get Santa is the British Christmas movie that you had no idea you needed.
Four Holidays
Every silly season Brad and Kate avoid their families by going on a holiday overseas, only this year, the airports have shut down, forcing them to spend time with each of their divorced parents and their extended families. What was supposed to be a relaxing time turns into a whirlwind of family drama and dirty laundry, with Brad and Kate’s relationship suffering, but it all ends with both of them learning more about each other – and themselves.
Santa Clause: The Movie
Another golden oldie Christmas movie comes in the form of Santa Clause: The Movie. The 1985 British-American movie was released in cinemas to poor reviews, but has since gone on to become a cult classic. Starring David Huddleston, the film chronicles the rise of the legend of Santa Clause. It traces his origins, from simple working man in the 14th century to his now international icon of Christmas. Throw in the mix some dramas with an elf named Patch who unintentionally might be ruining Christmas, and you’ve got yourself a bizarrely entertaining watch.
Photo Credit: Dusan Petkovic/shutterstock.com
Original Author: Maddy Morwood
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