The best new Christmas movies coming to Netflix, streaming sites and theatres in 2021

I’m not going to touch on the new Christmas movies already premiered on streaming sites (Love Hard, Father’s Back for Christmas etc), you’ll find all the info in our guides to what’s new to Netflix in November and December.

However, there is so much coming to streaming sites, TV and cinemas near you this festive season, here’s a look at some of the best.

Home Sweet Home Alone
November 12 on Disney Plus

Already proving controversial for Aisling Bea’s (very good) English accent, I’m still not over the fact that she’s actually older than Katherine O’Hara in the original Home Alone. Following the same premise as the original but with a British twist and stars actor Devin D. Ratray, premising his role as Butch McAllister, who all grown up and now a cop. Rob Delaney and Ellie Kemper star as the thieves too.

The Princess Switch
November 18 on Netflix

How they’ve managed to stretch this into so many movies I have no idea but the clearly popular The Princess Switch returns from a third instalment. Vanessa Hudgens once again stars as Princess Stacy and her wild lookalike cousin Fiona, this time retrieve back a priceless relic that has been stolen from the crown. Fiona hooks up with a mysterious man from her past and it sparks all sorts, including yet another switch…

Too Close for Christmas
November 21 on Sky Cinema

A typical straight-to-TV Christmas movie starring two early 2000s heartthrobs (Chad Michael Murray from One Tree Hill and Jessica Lowndes from the 90210 reboot), you know exactly what will happen when these two very different people with a past are thrown together one Christmas.

Black Friday
November 23 in cinemas

I can’t seem to find an Irish cinema release date for this zombie apocalyptic shopping movie (yes really) but I know people have ways and means of finding movies online, so I have included it. It also looks kind of fun in a gory, festive way, as toy store’s staff must come together when their manic Black Friday shoppers become infected with some kind of shopping fervour rash and an inexplicable desire to kill.

A Castle for Christmas
November 26 on Netflix

Brooke Shields stars as famous author Sophie Brown in this seasonal romcom, travelling to Scotland in the hopes of buying a castle from its grouchy owner (Carle Elwes from The Princess Bride) who, despite putting the place on the market, appears reluctant to sell.

Again, you can probably envisage where the plot goes from that intro alone, but still, we’ll watch it.

8-Bit Christmas
November 25 on HBO Max

Again, I know we don’t have HBO Max over here but the ways and means people! Also this looks pretty good and worth seeking out if you’re skilled in the dark arts of online streaming.

Neil Patrick Harris stars as Jake, telling the story of his Christmas in 1988 when he was so desperate for a 8-Bit Nintendo for Christmas that he begins scheming. Think Jingle All the Way (the Arnold Schwarzenegger Christmas film) meets Stranger Things (but without the upsidedown world) and you have the vibe.

A Boy Called Christmas
November 26 on Sky Cinema

This has confused me because this film is pitched as a Netflix Original to the rest of the world but I think Sky bought the Uk and Irish rights to it. Starring Maggie Smith, she tells the fairytale of a young boy called Nick, who is asked by the King to go to the fabled place called Elfhelm and find a magical elf to give the community hope. Also starring Jim Broadbent, Kristen Wiig and Stephen Merchant as a talking mouse, this is a heartwarming family watch.

Elves
November 28 on Netflix

2020 really convinced filmmakers to go mega dystopian with their festive content and this not the only slightly terrifying Christmas addition new to this year. Like Black Friday, this features some potentially evil Christmas characters, only this time it’s not bargain-obsessed shoppers it’s rabid elves. A mini-series,  a family accidentally knock down something in the rural village they’re staying in a rural village for the holidays.  Abruptly chastised and shooed by the locals, they soon discover a large electric fence in the woods. But what are they keeping in and why?

A typical Scandi noir with a festive twist because, why not?

Single All The Way
December 2 on Netflix

Okay, this one I’m properly excited for. Working off the success of its same-sex holiday romance movie last year (Kristen Stewart in Happiest Season) two gay best friends and roommates head home for the holidays, only for romantic feelings to be stirred when one of them is set up on a dreamy blind date. It stars Jennifer Coolidge (YAAASS)and looks all kinds of funny heart-warming and rom-commy. I will be watching when it drops December 2.

Silent Night
December 3 in cinemas

I have a major thing for Matthew Goode so I will be seeing this even though I don’t really do thrillers. A family comes together to celebrate one last Christmas as a climate apocalypse looms (what did I tell you about the doomed Christmas genre, eh). With all the trimming of an excellent dark comedy, it includes dreamboat Goode as well as Kiera Knightley and Lily-Rose Depp, will they survive the deadly gas that’s due to arrive in their beautifully decorated home by dawn?