Ah, Christmas. It’s that time of year when it’s too dark and cold outside to do anything but curl up with some hot chocolate or eggnog and settle in to watch Christmas movies and specials on the web, for free, if possible. YouTube is a great place to find free Christmas classics and newer holiday gems. Here’s a list of the best free Christmas movies on YouTube.
Don’t like any of these? Head over to the Hallmark Channel and watch one of our picks for their best Christmas movies.
Crazy for Christmas (2005)
What would you do if you had a billion dollars? How about giving away all of your money to complete strangers on Christmas?
IMDb rating: 6.2/10
A Christmas Carol (1984)
This is the entire film from 1984, originally based on the book by Charles Dickens. George C. Scott plays Ebenezer Scrooge, the Noel-hating miser who comes around thanks to the efforts of three ghosts who visit him on Christmas Eve.
IMDb rating: 7.8/10
On the 2nd Day of Christmas (1997)
Mary Stuart Masterson and Mark Ruffalo star in this Lifetime movie. Masterson plays Trish, a pickpocket who, along with her niece Patsy (Pratt), target wealthy shoppers at a department store. They get caught and, thanks to holiday closures, myst spend the weekend with security guard Bert (Ruffalo) before returning to the store to face charges.
IMDb rating: 6.1/10
The Man in the Santa Claus Suit (1979)
If you’re a fan of older classic movies, you’ll love this 1979 holiday drama. It’s about a costume shop proprietor (Astaire) who rents Santa suits to three men who need them for different purposes. One hopes to impress a woman, one’s hiding from the police, and the third is trying to connect with his son. Astaire reappears throughout the movie to help the men make their lives better.
IMDb rating: 6.5/10
A Mom for Christmas
Olivia Newton-John plays Amy Miller, a department-store mannequin with a full name who comes to life in answer to Jessica’s (Sorci) Christmas wish for a mother. She will only be human until Christmas Eve, however, so the clock is ticking to make her transformation permanent in time to save the holiday.
Miracle on 34th Street (1973)
Although it’s not the original, this movie is still as magical as ever. This is the fourth version of the 1947 classic about a kind old man who becomes a last-minute replacement for Santa in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. He does so well that he becomes the store’s official Santa, which makes sense because he’s the real guy. When doubters question him, he ends up going on trial to prove that he’s the real Father Christmas.
IMDb rating: 5.8/10
Richie Rich’s Christmas Wish (1998)
This direct-to-video, standalone sequel to the 1994 Macaulay Culkin film combines the world’s richest kid with It’s a Wonderful Life. After his attempt to deliver presents to the town ends in disaster, Richie uses a machine to wish he’d never been born.
IMDb rating: 4.0/10
Finding John Christmas (2003)
This movie is part two of a Peter Falk trilogy that’s well-loved by movie buffs. Falk plays Max, an angel who works to improve people’s lives around the holidays. In this case, his goals are to reunite a family and save an emergency room.
IMDb rating: 6.3/10
When Angels Come to Town (2004)
This film is the third centering around Peter Falk’s helpful angel, Max. The other two are Finding John Christmas and A Town Without Christmas. In this one, Max accidentally helps the wrong family and has to move quickly to get back on track.
IMDb rating: 6.7/10
The Christmas Tree (1996)
A rare TV Christmas movie from 1996 with a beautiful story that could make you tear up a bit. Sally Field directs this movie about a nun (Harris) who has been growing a tree for decades and the guy (McCarthy) in charge of finding the centerpiece of the Rockefeller Center holiday decorations.
IMDb rating: 6.9/10
Karroll’s Christmas (2004)
Allen Karroll (Scott) is a greeting-card writer who hates Christmas thanks to a previous embarrassment from an ex. Will he ever get his holiday spirit back? Find out in this 2004 comedy.
IMDb rating: 6.0/10
Christmas Caper (2006)
Christmas tends to bring out the best of people, even when they’re at their most wicked. In this comedy, Shannen Doherty plays a crook who goes home for the holidays to hide out after a job goes bad.
IMDb rating: 5.6/10
Golden Winter (2012)
Puppies make everything better, and Christmas movies are no exception. In this one, a boy makes some new friends: a litter of homeless Golden Retrievers who can talk to each other via special-effects wizardry. The new pals work together to thwart a holiday bank robbery. We’re pretty sure Shannen Doherty’s character from Christmas Caper isn’t the mastermind, but that would be an amazing crossover.
IMDb rating: 3.9/10
A Smoky Mountain Christmas (1986)
Dolly Parton charms us all in this feel-good Christmas movie. She plays country star Lorna Davis, who heads east to get away from Los Angeles. When she arrives at her friend’s cabin in Tennessee, she discovers that seven orphans are squatting there. And that’s not the only connection to Snow White, since there’s also a witch trying to kill Lorna with a poisoned apple because she caught her boyfriend’s eye. And we understand her anger, but it’s really not fair because everyone loves Dolly Parton.
The Christmas Candle (2013)
A lonely, troubled pastor moves to a small town that believes in a magical holiday candle. Will the pastor get his Christmas miracle?
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (2008)
A busy single mom gets a surprise for the holidays when her uncle introduces her to a handsome stranger.
IMDb rating: 7.2/10
Christmas Trade
In the Freaky Friday vein, a man and his 11-year-old son magically swap bodies and experience life from each other’s perspective.
IMDb rating: 4.9/10
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