The Five Best Christmas Movies to Watch on Netflix Instant

Christmas can get pretty boring after the presents are opened and the breakfast is done. In order to fill the hours, we recommend firing up Netflix Instant and extending the Christmas cheer with one of these five movies. If your family's full of misanthropes, there's always Bad Santa instead.

The Muppet Christmas Carol

You can talk about The Italian Job, Sleuth or Alfie all you want, but I'm not entirely convinced Michael Caine's ever surpassed his turn as Ebeneezer Scrooge in The Muppet Christmas Carol. Gonzo and Rizzo give him a run for his money, though.

The Nightmare Before Christmas

 
Was this part of your Halloween celebrations a few months back? Doesn't matter. Watch it again! Watch it on President's Day! Columbus Day! Arbor Day! There's never a bad time for Claymation. It is a general rule of existence.

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians

You have to see this once in your life, and surrounded by Christmas alcohol and family members for emotional support is as good a time as any. Plus, you'll be watching the first screen appearance of Mrs. Claus. It's a Christmas miracle!

Love Actually

I wasn't going to include Love Actually on this list, because I am a Scrooge who thinks there must be some sort of mind control ray or Stockholm Syndrome in play to have made so many people think this soppy rom-com deserves to be called a "Christmas classic." Every time I see it referred to as such, I die a little bit inside. That said, Love Actually is being pulled from Netflix Instant on New Year's Day, making this the last holiday season you can see it without having to shell out the extra dough it is not worth. So you might as well.

Elf Bowling: The Movie

Someone needs to watch this and report back to me on the experience. I can't do it myself. Watching the trailer alone gave me a headache.