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  3. Holiday Movies and TV Shows: The 25 Best Streaming Options

Holiday Movies and TV Shows: The 25 Best Streaming Options

'Tis the season to binge! With hours of free time on the horizon, we gift you with a viewing guide for every mood
By Shirley Li Updated December 22, 2016 at 12:53 PM EST
Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.
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I'm Streaming of a White Christmas

ALL CROPS: 25 movies and tv shows to stream over the holidays Tout

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...

 

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...Spend Some Quality Time With the Family

GALLERY: Kung Fu Panda (2008) Pictured: Po (above) (voice by JACK BLACK) and Master Shifu (below) (voice by DUSTIN HOFFMAN)
Credit: DreamWorks Animation L.L

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

 

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...Spend Some Quality Time With the Family

...Spend Some Quality Time With the Family
Credit: Francois Duhamel

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

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...Spend Some Quality Time With the Family

GALLERY: Adventure Time
Credit: Cartoon Network

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

 

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...Spend Some Quality Time With the Family

GALLERY: VERONICA MARS One Angry VeronicaPictured: Veronica (Kristen Bell) talks with her father, Keith (Enrico Colantoni)
Credit: Scott Humbert

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

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GALLERY: The Duff (2015)(Left to right) Robbie Amell and Mae Whitman
Credit: Guy D'Alema

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

 

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GALLERY: The Intern (2015)Robert DeNiro and Anne Hathaway
Credit: Francois Duhamel

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

 

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...Spend Some Quality Time With the Family

GALLERY: Beginners (2011)Pictured: Ewan McGregor (left) and Melanie Laurent (right)
Credit: Andrew Tepper

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

 

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...Spend Some Quality Time With the Family

GALLERY: The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014)Pictured: Helen Mirren (as Madam Mallory) and Manish Dayal (as Hassan)
Credit: Francois Duhamel

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

 

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...Laugh Your Face Off

GALLERY: Zoolander (2001)Pictured: Ben Siller
Credit: Melinda Sue Gordon

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

 

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...Laugh Your Face Off

GALLERY: Obvious Child (2014)Pictured: Jenny Slate and Jake Lacy
Credit: Jill Greenberg

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

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...Laugh Your Face Off

GALLERY: HAPPY ENDINGS"The Ballad of Lon Sarofsky" DAMON WAYANS JR., ELIZA COUPE
Credit: Carol Kaelson/ABC

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

 

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GALLERY: Cloverfield (2008)Pictured, l-r: Michael Stahl-David and Odette Yustman
Credit: Sam Emerson

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

 

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GALLERY: It Follows (2015)Pictured: Maika Monroe
Credit: Rafy

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

 

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GALLERY: Misery (1990)Pictured: Kathy Bates and James Caan
Credit: Merrick Morton

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

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GALLERY: The Witch (2016)Picutred: Anya Taylor-Joy
Credit: Rafy

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

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GALLERY: Black Mirror Season 1, Episode 6 Wunmi Mosaku, Wyatt Russell, Ken Yamamura
Credit: Laurie Sparham/Netflix

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

 

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...Spend a Romantic Night In

GALLERY: TOP FIVE (2014)Pictured, Left to right: Rosario Dawson is Chelsea Brown and Chris Rock is Andre Allen
Credit: Ali Paige Goldstein

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

 

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GALLERY: AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER, Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, 1957,
Credit: Everett Collection

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

 

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GALLERY: MOONRISE KINGDOM (2012)Pictured, L-R: Kara Hayward and Jared Gilman

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

 

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...Escape to Another Country (For a While)

GALLERY: Miss Fisher's Murder MysteriesSeason 2 gallery artPictured: Miss Phryne Fisher (Essie Davis)
Credit: 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

 

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GALLERY: Hero (aka) Ying xiong (2002)Pictured: Jet Li and Ziyi Zhang

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

 

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GALLERY: SING STREET (2016)Pictured: FERDIA WALSH-PEELO and MARK MCKENNA
Credit: Weinstein Company

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

 

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...Speed Through a One-Season Wonder

GALLERY: The Night Manager (2016)Season 1, Episode 2Pictured: Noah Jupe as Daniel Roper; Elizabeth Debicki as Jed Marshal
Credit: Des Willie/AMC

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

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GALLERY: SELFIE Pilot air date: SEPTEMBER 30, 2014Pictured: KAREN GILLAN, JOHN CHO
Credit: Nicole Wilder/ABC

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

 

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GALLERY: BrainDead Season 1, Episode 3Air Pictured (L-R) Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Laurel Healy and Johnny Ray Gill as Gustav Triplett
Credit: Jeff Neumann /CBS

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

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    1 of 26 I'm Streaming of a White Christmas
    2 of 26 ...Spend Some Quality Time With the Family
    3 of 26 ...Spend Some Quality Time With the Family
    4 of 26 ...Spend Some Quality Time With the Family
    5 of 26 ...Spend Some Quality Time With the Family
    6 of 26 ...Spend Some Quality Time With the Family
    7 of 26 ...Spend Some Quality Time With the Family
    8 of 26 ...Spend Some Quality Time With the Family
    9 of 26 ...Spend Some Quality Time With the Family
    10 of 26 ...Laugh Your Face Off
    11 of 26 ...Laugh Your Face Off
    12 of 26 ...Laugh Your Face Off
    13 of 26 ...Have a Nightmare Before Christmas
    14 of 26 ...Have a Nightmare Before Christmas
    15 of 26 ...Have a Nightmare Before Christmas
    16 of 26 ...Have a Nightmare Before Christmas
    17 of 26 ...Have a Nightmare Before Christmas
    18 of 26 ...Spend a Romantic Night In
    19 of 26 ...Spend a Romantic Night In
    20 of 26 ...Spend a Romantic Night In
    21 of 26 ...Escape to Another Country (For a While)
    22 of 26 ...Escape to Another Country (For a While)
    23 of 26 ...Escape to Another Country (For a While)
    24 of 26 ...Speed Through a One-Season Wonder
    25 of 26 ...Speed Through a One-Season Wonder
    26 of 26 ...Speed Through a One-Season Wonder

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