The majority of classic Christmas movies are American, but Britain has also produced a few holiday heartwarmers over the years. The most obvious example isLove Actually,which often features in conversations about the very best Christmas movies, but there are many more British Christmas movies, even if they don’t all have big international audiences. Many of these Christmas movies feature famous faces from Hollywood blockbusters.
Theworst Christmas moviesare often accused of cheap sentimentality, but this is something that British movies tend to avoid, simply because there isn’t the same abundance of Christmas content each year. The few that have any kind of lasting relevance tend to offer something different to American Christmas movies, either because they focus on British holiday traditions or because they have quirky British humor.
Each year brings a new batch of Christmas movies, most of which are completely forgettable, butThat Christmasis one that stands a chance of being rewatched by people in 2025 and beyond. The animated family comedy is based on a series of short stories byLove Actuallydirector Richard Curtis, and like the 2003 classic, it also features a series of loosely interconnected stories in the build-up to Christmas.
Thecast ofThat Christmasis led bySuccession’s Brian Cox as Santa Claus, but there are some other noteworthy names, like Bill Nighy and formerDoctor Whostar Jodie Whittaker. As with any movie that tries to juggle many storylines, some of the narrative threads are funnier and more interesting than others, but the overall effect is thatLast Christmasremains entertaining throughout its short runtime.
This is ChristmasstarsHarry Potter’s Alfred Enoch andThe Gentlemenstar Kaya Scodelario.
This is ChristmasstarsHarry Potter’s Alfred Enoch andThe Gentlemenstar Kaya Scodelario as two commuters who see the same people on board their train to London every day without ever exchanging words, until they decide to throw a Christmas party where they can get to know each other. There’s no shortage of similar movies, butThis is Christmasbenefits from a charming ensemble cast filled with British talent.
Nativityplays are a huge Christmas tradition in Britain, with primary schools all over the country putting on a show for the parents each December.Nativitycaptures the chaos of annually preparing a group of school children for a play when they have no interest in performing, no ability to memorize their lines and no concern for whether the play counts as a success or not.
Nativitycaptures the chaos of annually preparing a group of school children for a play when they have no interest in performing.
Martin Freeman stars as the jaded teacher given the task of running the Nativity play, but his lie about Hollywood producers coming to see the show causes even more undue havoc. The rest of the cast also has some great British comedians and actors, although not many who are recognizable to international audiences.The success ofNativitystarted a franchise with three sequels and a popular stage adaptation.
Christmas horror moviesare a peculiar festive tradition that subvert the jolly, family-friendly atmosphere of the holiday season.Anna and the Apocalypseis probably Britain’s single greatest contribution to this niche subgenre, and it has found an audience among horror aficionados across the world. The story follows a group of teenagers facing their own social problems as a zombie apocalypse erupts in the build-up to Christmas.
It’s part coming-of-age comedy, part Broadway-inspired musical and part zombie splatterfest, and it’s completely entertaining.
Anna and the Apocalypseis a British zombie comedy in the same tradition asShaun of the Dead,although the musical numbers certainly make it stand out. It’s part coming-of-age comedy, part Broadway-inspired musical and part zombie splatterfest, and it’s completely entertaining.Anna and the Apocalypseis a great low-budget feel-good Christmas movie for someone seeking an antidote to the schmaltz that the genre usually has to offer.
Good Christmas movies often have a timeless quality to them, and the nostalgia can make them even more enjoyable to watch each year.The Holly and the Ivyis a different prospect toIt’s a Wonderful Life- for example - and it isn’t in the same territory as the family-friendly hit, but it’s still uplifting and complex in all the right ways.The retro charms add a warmth to the story, especially the ending.
Although it isn’t to everyone’s tastes, it’s a brilliant portrait of a tense family Christmas.
The Holly and the Ivyis an adaptation of a stage play, and there are times when its theatrical roots become all too apparent. Still, the story and the characters speak for themselves, no matter the medium. Some Christmas movies are overly mawkish and simplistic as they race to a happy ending, butThe Holly and the Ivyis a more mature drama. Although it isn’t to everyone’s tastes, since it doesn’t adhere to the Christmas genre’s tried-and-true formula, it’s a brilliant portrait of a tense family Christmas.
5Stick Man (2015)
Julia Donaldson’s Short Film Is As Charming As Her Book
Julia Donaldson is probably most famous as the author ofThe Gruffalo,although she has written plenty of other popular children’s books, many of which have been adapted into movies and TV shows.Stick Manis the 2015 adaptation of her Christmas book, which follows the story of a stick who must find his way back home to the “family tree” in a snowbound Christmastime adventure.
Stick Manwas made by the same team who created Oscar-nominated adaptations of some of Donaldson’s other books, and it’s every bit as charming asThe GruffaloorRoom on the Broom.One important element is thatthe animation translates the simplistic beauty of Axel Scheffler’s illustrations. The short film is buoyed by a star-studded voice cast which features Martin Freeman, Hugh Bonneville and Sally Hawkins.
There have been countlessadaptations of Charles Dickens' classic storyA Chrismtas Carolover the years, including comedies, dramas, musicals, animated movies and more. It takes a lot to stand out amid this competition, but Brian Desmond Hunt’s 1951 version starring Alastair Sim as Scrooge remains one of the best, and one of the purest distillations of what has given the book such enduring appeal.
29 Best Christmas Movies Of All Time
Time to get into the Christmas spirit with a run down of the best Christmas movies of all time.
A Christmas Carolwill probably keep being remade and reinterpreted every few years for a long, long time, butthere won’t be many Scrooges as definitive as Sim’s. He brings a frantic, unhinged demeanor to the character that shows Scrooge as a miserable and timid man. There are many other adaptations which position Scrooge as a villain who needs to turn good, but this version is about a coward who needs to open himself up to the beauty and unpredictability of human nature. It makes for a movie that isn’t necessarily appealing to children, even though it’s more interesting for older audiences.
The Snowmancould be the most beloved British Christmas movie of all, and it’s become a holiday staple for millions up and down the country. It’s a short film that still gets played every year, decades after it first came out. This makes it the closest thing that Britain has to some American animated holiday classics, likeFrosty the Snowman, How the Grinch Stole ChristmasandRudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
It’s the closest thing that Britain has to some American animated holiday classics, likeFrosty the Snowman, How the Grinch Stole ChristmasandRudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
The Snowmanis based on Raymond Briggs' popular children’s book of the same name, and it translates his art style to the screen magnificently. The imagery is beautiful throughout, and it’s accompanied by gorgeous orchestral music and a rendition of “Walking in the Air” that has all the uplifting magic that a good Christmas movie should. A sequel,The Snowman and the Snowdog,was released in 2012, but it isn’t easy to replicate the success of the original.
Arthur Christmasis one of thebest animated Christmas moviesever, putting a fresh spin on some familiar Christmas tropes. It features a cast stacked with British talent, with James McAvoy in the lead role, and Hugh Laurie, Bill Nighy and Michael Palin all among the supporting actors. McAvoy plays the black sheep of the Claus family, who struggles to find his role in the family’s global gift-giving business.
Every Aardman Animation Film, Ranked From Worst To Best
Aardman Animation has a fantastic array of stop-motion films on its resume, with several having earned gold status with critics and audiences alike.
Arthur Christmasis the second computer-generated feature from Aardman Animations afterFlushed Away.The studio is most famous for claymation movies like theWallace and Gromitseries andShaun the Sheep. Arthur Christmasditches the studio’s iconic visual style in favor of something a little more generic, butthe storytelling and the humor are both of the high standard that fans have come to expect.
Love Actuallyhas been scrutinized and reassessed in recent years, and many of its myriad storylines have been flagged as potentially problematic. However, this process has done little to detract from the inherent charms of the romcom. It’s true that some of the storylines probably wouldn’t fly today, butLove Actuallystill has plenty of positives to outweigh the negatives, and it bounces from story to story at a splendid pace.
Love Actuallyisn’t just about romantic love, as it also examines friendships, family and a broader love of humanity.
Love Actuallyhas a great scriptthat delivers a laugh in pretty much every scene. It helps that the cast includes a heavy helping of comedic talent, with Hugh Grant, Bill Nighy and Colin Firth all making the most of their limited screentime.Love Actuallyisn’t just about romantic love, as it also examines friendships, family and a broader love of humanity.Amid its many comedic moments, it still finds time for some heart-shattering pathos, giving it enough balance to ensure its place as a true Christmas classic.
