9 essential Christmas movies that you need to watch this year

You know it’s almost Christmas when you don’t really mind if it’s cold outside. You might even welcome a bit of snow. After all, the holiday season is about indulging in some well-earned duvet days curled up with the TV remote and a steady stream of perfectly-themed Christmas movies.

Whether it’s a festive romantic comedy filled with kisses under the mistletoe, or a festive run around in one of the world’s most popular cities, holiday picks go down well with a mug of hot chocolate and your warmest jammies and slippers.

TELUS Pik TV™ is a great place to find many of these Christmas classics. Seriously, it’s as simple as plugging the Pik TV media box into your TV or downloading the Pik TV app to your smartphone or tablet.

To jumpstart that festive feeling, Daily Hive teamed up with TELUS to select the top nine essential Christmas movies that you need to watch this season:

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

This hilarious Christmas classic sees the Griswold family plan out a massive holiday vacation. The main man of the house, Clark Griswold, tries his best to make sure everything is in line, including a Christmas tree and home decorations. But things get a little crazy when some cousins show up in their camper and Clark’s boss holds out on the holiday bonus he needs to make things merry. Pick a good spot on your sofa, arm yourself with a bowl of popcorn and watch the fun unfold.

Miracle on 34th Street

What happens when a man fills in for an intoxicated Santa in Macy’s annual Thanksgiving Day parade? Well, the man in question, Kris Kringle, proves to be a huge hit with the public and it leads to appearances at the main store in Manhattan. After some time, you see a lawyer and a little girl trying to prove something they never thought they would be doing — that a certain red-suited man from the North Pole is a lot closer than they think. The original 1947 comedy-drama is wonderfully directed by George Seaton and you need to see it this season.

Love Actually

You never really know what’s going on in the lives of others in your city, but you can get an idea by watching Love Actually. The film follows the lives of eight very different couples in London as they each get ready for Christmas. There are love-life highs and lows, boozy Christmas parties, bad jingles and a lot of drama. We recommend you watch this feel-good romantic comedy with a glass of mulled wine.

Home Alone

It’s the film that put Macaulay Culkin’s career on the map. Kevin McCallister’s family is ready to embark on a Christmas family trip to Paris and he’s forced to sleep in the attic the night before they go. There’s just one problem: his family accidentally leaves town without him. The little boy’s subsequent adventures see him protecting the family home from a pair of bad-guy burglars – and that’s when the suspense really heightens. You’ll have to watch the movie, and even the sequel, to find out what life has in store for Kevin after he’s left Home Alone.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Not everyone likes Christmas but no one hates the holiday quite like the reclusive green Grinch, played by Jim Carey. The movie is an adaption of the much-loved children’s tale by Dr. Seuss in which the Grinch decides to come down from his mountaintop lair and destroy Christmas for the upbeat citizens of Whoville. But when he meets sweet Cindy Lou Who, he could have second thoughts. Take some quality time out with your other half and watch the film to see what happens.

The Santa Clause

Divorced dad Scott gets custody of his son on Christmas Eve. That same night, he accidentally kills a man in a Santa suit and, before long, he’s transported to the North Pole where a witty elf lets Scott know that he has to step into Santa’s shoes before the next Christmas arrives. What seems like a dream turns into hilarious reality as Scott finds himself with a lot of work to do before the big day arrives. What happens in the end? Well, you’ll need to sit down and tune in to find out.

It’s a Wonderful Life

If you’re looking for a true golden oldie Christmas movie, then watching Frank Capra’s 1946 feel-good masterpiece is certainly two hours and 15 minutes well spent. The story sees George Bailey (played to perfection by James Stewart) wishing he’d never been born. An angel pays him a visit on earth to make that wish come true. It’s not until this happens that George can see how he has impacted the lives of others. And you’ll want to find out whether he has the chance to return to real-life by checking out this one-of-a-kind seasonal flick.

The Muppet Christmas Carol

Chances are you grew up watching The Muppets on TV, but even if you didn’t, you’ll want to take some time out to watch this fantasy film with your friends. The Muppets act out their own version of Charles Dickens’ Christmas story, featuring all the favourite characters like Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear and many more. Watching this hit will bring back a lovely sense of nostalgia and get you feeling super Christmas-y.

Elf

Buddy, played by Will Ferrell, made his way to the North Pole as a baby purely by accident. There, he was raised by none other than Santa’s elves and thinks of himself as their peers. Because grows so tall, he realizes that he doesn’t fit in and leaves in search of his real father in New York City. Although his father is a business man who doesn’t want to have contact with his estranged son, Buddy persists and the results are sweetly comic as he evolves from elf to human adult.

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Protip: you can watch these shows and more of at home or on-the-go with Pik TV and it’s $0 for the first month. So what are you waiting for? Grab some popcorn and get comfy.