Take joy in discovering new holiday classics between HBO Max, Hulu, and Netflix with Anthony Stoeckert’s latest movie picks.

Season’s Streaming: The New Christmas Classics

By: Anthony Stoeckert

As tried-and-true Christmas movies entertain audiences for generations, writer Anthony Stoeckert shares some of his latest picks for finding new Christmas classics to easily stream and enjoy for the holiday season.

No one needs to be reminded of the tried-and-true Christmas movies that have been entertaining audiences for generations. I absolutely love It’s a Wonderful Life and get teary every time Harry says his brother George is the richest man in town, and I’m always up for a debate about the best Christmas Carol adaptations (actually, there’s no debate: Mr. Magoo, George C. Scott, and the Muppets).

21st-century audiences live in the Hallmark and streaming era, which each year provides hours and hours of holiday movies, most of which are predictable and boilerplate. Not that I’m complaining—give me a mug of tea and an overworked single parent who’s too busy to enjoy the good things in life and a child whining, But it’s Christmas!, and I’m in tinsel heaven, but there have also been some genuinely good, even some great, holiday films that have been released in recent years, and now is the time to catch up on some of these new Christmas classics.

The Happiest Season stars Kristen Stewart as Abby and Mackenzie Davis

The Happiest Season. This 2020 gem directed by Clea DuVall stars Kristen Stewart as Abby and Mackenzie Davis, as her girlfriend, Harper. Harper hasn’t told her conservative parents (Mary Steenburgen and Victor Garber) that she’s a lesbian, never mind that she’s in a relationship. The couple spends the holidays with Harper’s family, posing as just friends, and if that premise isn’t original, the movie is. That’s because of its LGBTQ-plus themes and because of the stellar writing and acting. These characters are types we’ve seen before—the status-driven parents, the jealous sister (Alison Brie), the awkward sister (Mary Holland, who’s just wonderful and also co-wrote the screenplay with Duvall), and the funny friend (Dan Levy), but they all have depth. The ending is touching in so many ways, and it’s sure to make you laugh and warm your heart. Available on Hulu.

Klaus the 2019 hand-drawn animated movie earned an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature

Klaus. Maybe the best movie on the list, this 2019 hand-drawn animated movie earned an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature. Sergio Pablos wrote and directed this story about Jesper, the spoiled son of the Royal Postmaster General in 19th-century Norway. Jesper’s fed-up father sends him to the remote—and cold—island of Smeerensburg, whose population consists mainly of two feuding families. There he meets a recluse named Klaus, who has a talent for making toys, and Alva, who used to be the town’s teacher and now spends her time cutting up fish. The movie is smart, funny, and charming. It’s great choice for family movie night, but watch it even if you don’t have kids. Klause is Available on Netflix.

Jingle Jangle stars a terrific cast that includes Forest Whitaker, Phylicia Rashad, Anika Noni Rose, Ricky Martin, and Hugh Bonneville

Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey. This movie is a rarity these days, a genuinely good original movie musical. The story is a bit involved but it focuses on Jeronicus Jangle (Forest Whitaker), a toymaker who’s latest invention is certain to make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But his apprentice, Gustafso (Keegan-Michael Key), is tempted to steal the idea (to say who tempts him would spoil the fun) and becomes rich, while Jeronicus’ store becomes old and forgotten. But there just may be some magic left, in more ways the one. This 2020 delight was directed by David E. Talbert, and John Debney wrote the music. It has a terrific cast that also includes Phylicia Rashad, Anika Noni Rose, Ricky Martin, and Hugh Bonneville. Jingle Jangle can be found on Netflix.

Love Hard, a 2021 rom-com stars Nina Dobrev as Natalie who makes a living in L.A. writing about her failed dates with men she meets on dating apps.

Love Hard.  When my daughter recommended this movie and told me the premise—that it’s about a woman who gets catfished and ends up falling for the guy who did the catfishing, I thought, “What’s next, a movie about a woman who falls for the handsy boss who calls her Toots?” But Love Hard

works. Directed by Hernán Jiménez and written by Danny Mackey and Rebecca Ewing, this 2021 rom-com stars Nina Dobrev as Natalie, who makes a living in L.A. writing about her failed dates with men she meets on dating apps. She falls for a handsome guy in Lake Placid, New York, and decides on a whim to surprise him with a Christmastime visit That’s when she finds out the guy she’s been texting, talking with, and falling for, Josh, (played by Jimmy O. Yang), doesn’t look like his pictures. Josh agrees to set Natalie up with the guy in the photos (Darren Barnet) if she pretends to be his girlfriend for the holidays. It’s far-fetched, but charming and funny, with heartfelt performances from the leads and  James Tomio Saito, who plays Josh’s father, and Althea Kaye who plays his grandmother. Love Hard is currently Available on Netflix.

8-Bit Christmas is a comedy was written by Kevin Jakubowski from his novel and is directed by Michael Dowse.

8-Bit Christmas. This 2021 comedy was written by Kevin Jakubowski from his novel and directed by Michael Dowse. Neil Patrick Harris plays Jake, who tells his daughter, Annie, about his life growing up in the late 1980s, and his desperate desire for a Nintendo Entertainment System (as someone who coveted an Atari 2600 in the early ’80s, I totally get it). It’s a fun, nostalgic look back at the era of Cabbage Patch Dolls and when Christmas shopping meant going to the mall. It also has heart, and only the Scrooges of the world won’t be touched by the ending. 

8-Bit Christmas is now on HBO Max.