Holiday Movies and TV Shows: The 25 Best Streaming Options

When the weather outside is frightful, why not curl up with your favorite streaming site — and find something delightful? (Or something fanciful? Thoughtful? The list goes on.) Here's what to watch if you want to...

1. Kung Fu Panda

Nothing — no really nothing — beats this vibrantly animated comedy about a goofy panda (Jack Black) who trains to become China's martial-arts master. It's pure awesomeness, especially during the madcap fight scenes you'll want to watch again and again.

Where to watch: HBO Now

2. Matilda

Bullied by her ignorant parents (Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman), a precocious genius (Mara Wilson) uses her beautiful, amazing mind to defy her tormentors and get an education. This adaptation of Roald Dahl's magical novel will foster a love of learning — and of hair ribbons — in any child.

Where to watch: Amazon

3. Adventure Time

Given the seven seasons that have aired so far, it may be hard to binge all of Finn the Human (Jeremy Shada) and Jake the Dog's (John DiMaggio) strange quests saving princesses, fighting evil, and trust-pounding around the Land of Ooo, but fear not! You'll find a surreal and fantastical viewing experience in any episode of this Emmy- and Peabody-winning cartoon.

Where to watch: Hulu

4. Veronica Mars

A long time ago... Kristen Bell played a perky, tough-talking teen sleuth who sought answers for her best friend's murder, owned her outcast status, and solved cases for her classmates. Don't be fooled by her marshmallowness or the show's sunny California setting: High school really is hell in this sharp noir.

Where to watch: Amazon

5. The Duff

A "Designated Ugly Fat Friend" (Mae Whitman, all charm and neither ugly nor fat) sets out to stop being her BFFs' DUFF in this comedy that twists teen-movie tropes (a makeover...gone wrong!) but still offers the timeless message to embrace yourself, not your labels. 

Where to watch: Showtime

6. The Intern

Robert De Niro plays a 70-year-old retiree who takes an internship at a fashion start-up and winds up playing mentor to the young staff and overworked CEO (Anne Hathaway) in Nancy Meyers' latest. There's some hemming and hawing about millennials and kids these days, but the film's soothing life lessons — and stellar style — will appeal to all ages.

Where to watch: HBO Now

7. Beginners

This heartfelt tale follows a man (Ewan McGregor) who learns to approach and appreciate relationships differently after his elderly father (Christopher Plummer, in an Oscar-winning performance) comes out and falls in love with a younger man. (And did we mention there's a really cute pooch, too?) 

Where to watch: Netflix

8. The Hundred-Foot Journey

When an Indian family uprooted from Mumbai arrives in a small French town and opens a restaurant, they initiate a culinary culture clash with the Michelin-starred spot across the street owned by a haughty restaurateur (Helen Mirren, delighting in the chance to mix ingredients and a French accent). Don't watch this one on an empty stomach: The dramedy features mouthwatering dishes aplenty.

Where to watch: Showtime

9. Zoolander

Yes, it's true! This comedy about model Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) and rival Hansel (Owen Wilson) taking down fashion mogul Mugatu (Will Ferrell) is available in the computer! Prepare for really, really good-looking models, Orange Mocha Frappuccinos, and — oh no, there's not enough space for everything! What is this? A blurb for ants?!

Where to watch: Showtime

10. Obvious Child

Jenny Slate shines as a freshly dumped comedian who decides to have an abortion after an unplanned pregnancy with a one-night stand (Jake Lacy). If this sounds more like a sobfest, don't worry: Writer-director Gillian Robespierre captures the heart and unexpected humor in a sensitive topic.

Where to watch: Amazon

11. Happy Endings

Six friends living in Chicago grapple with love, life, and one another — especially after two of them break up, making things much more awkward than a-mah-zing. But this is hardly a melodrama: David Caspe's canceled-too-soon, punny sitcom will have you itching to rewatch it right after you finish your three-season binge. After all, you can never have enough — wait for it — happy beginnings! (Sorry.)

Where to watch: Hulu

12. Cloverfield

It's producer J.J. Abrams' ultimate mystery box: a taut creature feature wrapped in a found-footage film. Open at your own risk!

Where to watch: Hulu

13. It Follows

A parable about sexual anxiety, the stylish chiller features a supernatural entity that stalks a teen (Maika Monroe) after she has sex. 

Where to watch: Showtime

14. Misery

Based on Stephen King's 1987 page-turner, this thriller pits an injured novelist (James Caan) against his psychotic fan (Kathy Bates).

Where to watch: Amazon

15. The Witch

Witchcraft and black magic drive a 17th-century New England family into madness in the slow-building horror film.

Where to watch: Amazon

16. Black Mirror, "Playtest"

A tourist (Wyatt Russell) steps into virtual reality in one of the series' scariest eps. (By the way, make sure to call Mom!)

Where to watch: Netflix

17. Top Five

A newly sober comedian (Chris Rock, who also wrote and directed) spars with a reporter (Rosario Dawson) as they wander Manhattan in this electric rom-com that not only features a litany of comic cameos — Tracy Morgan! Kevin Hart! Jerry Seinfeld?! — but also offers an honest portrait of a man searching for meaning and for love.

Where to watch: Hulu

18. An Affair to Remember

Craving a classic? (Or just really adore Sleepless in Seattle?) Fire up this 1957 love story starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr as a couple in a cross-country romance that — after plenty of near misses — culminates in a wrenching finale that'll have you reaching for tissues.

Where to watch: Netflix

19. Moonrise Kingdom

Wes Anderson's candy-colored coming-of-age confection tells the tale of an orphan (Jared Gilman) and an introvert (Kara Hayward) who fall in love as pen pals and let their imaginations run wild after escaping their guardians. Nothing says "puppy love" quite like secret plans and dancing to Françoise Hardy on a beach.

Where to watch: Netflix

20. Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries

Miss Phryne Fisher (Essie Davis) isn't just a top-notch detective; she's also a fashion-forward feminist heiress in 1920s Melbourne. Her intriguing cases and romantic tension with inspector Jack (Nathan Page) make her irresistible to watch. Your move, Sherlock.

Where to watch: Netflix

21. Hero

Zhang Yimou's beautifully haunting, elegantly choreographed, and Oscar-nominated martial-arts extravaganza centers on an assassin (Jet Li) recounting the story of his epic journey to his would-be target, the ruler of ancient China (Chen Daoming). 

Where to watch: Netflix

22. Sing Street

Head to 1980s Dublin with the sweet, buoyant Irish dramedy from Once writer-director John Carney about a dorky 15-year-old (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) who escapes his turbulent home life — and tries to impress his crush (Lucy Boynton) — by starting a band with a motley crew of friends. 

Where to watch: Netflix

23. The Night Manager

Based on John le Carré's 1993 spy thriller, this sexy, easily bingeable six-episode adaptation stars Tom Hiddleston as a British intelligence officer who penetrates the slippery operations of an arms dealer played by Hugh Laurie.

Where to watch: Amazon

24. Selfie

Don't judge this one by its unfortunate title or lackluster pilot: The charming modern-day spin on Pygmalion captured serious chemistry between stars Karen Gillan (as social-media obsessed Eliza) and John Cho (as her straitlaced boss, Henry). In 13 episodes, it offered a sharp take on internet narcissism — even if it took a little while to get going. Give it a try, and a "like," if you will.

Where to watch: Hulu

25. BrainDead

Just call it a demo-crazy. On this political satire from The Good Wife creators Robert and Michelle King, antlike aliens have infected the brains of politicians and D.C. staffers, pushing them to partisan extremes. If you missed this genre-blending gem over the summer, now's your chance to catch up with a series that seems to be getting more timely by the day.

Where to watch: Amazon