It’s that time of the year again everyone! The holiday season is upon us, and while you might be busy with work or finals, there’s always time for classic Christmas traditions to liven up your spirits and get you in the mood for the holidays. Whether it’s decorating your Christmas tree, wearing your favorite ugly sweater or binging the best holiday movies, this time of year is full of fun things to do by yourself or with friends.
Most people can agree that having a Christmas movie marathon is a tradition during the holidays. Whether it’s re-watching a classic like “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” or a new take on an old classic like “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” there are tons of movies to choose from if you’re looking to get into the holiday spirit. Every year, we get new Christmas movies added to the holiday canon, and 2022 is no exception. While you may already have your favorites, if you’re looking for something new for this year, VALLEY is here to help. Mark your calendars — and add to your watchlists — these six new Christmas movies of 2022 that are sure to become Christmas classics.
Falling for Christmas
This new holiday rom-com marks Lindsay Lohan’s return to the screen and is the first movie of her two-picture deal with Netflix (so if you like this one, get excited because she’ll be back!). Lohan portrays a newly engaged heiress who suffers a skiing accident in the days before Christmas. When she wakes up, she is diagnosed with amnesia and is placed in the care of the handsome lodge owner — played by Chord Overstreet — and his daughter.
Spirited
This modern take on Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol” stars Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds, which means it’s sure to bring a lot of laughs. Reynolds plays Scrooge in this musical version of the classic film, while Ferrel stars as the Ghost of Christmas present. Each Christmas Eve, the Ghost of Christmas Present chooses a dark soul to reform, but this year, it seems like he picked the wrong Scrooge. This musical twist on the classic film is sure to be a great film to watch with friends or family and to replay every year.
The Noel Diary
Former “This is Us” star Justin Hartley is the lead in this holiday film — another by Netflix — as a novelist who heads home on Christmas to deal with his estranged mother’s estate. While cleaning out his childhood home, he finds a diary that holds memories of the past and meets a woman searching for her birth mother. The two join together to see if they can uncover their past and discover a possible future together.
A Christmas Story Christmas
This sequel to the 1984 classic “A Christmas Story” is one of HBO Max’s four new holiday movies this year. The film follows a now-adult Ralphie — with Peter Billingsley stepping back into his original role — as he returns to his childhood home on Cleveland Street to give his kids the same magical Christmas experience he experienced as a child. This long-awaited follow-up re-introduces us to old friends and some of the best memories from the original.
Scrooge: A Christmas Carol
Netflix released its own take on the Charles Dickens classic “A Christmas Carol,” but they decided to do it a bit differently by making it animated! The film stars Luke Evans — who you might know from “Beauty and the Beast” or “The Alienist” — who provides the voice for Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserable old man who isn’t into the holiday season. It also includes the voices of other famous stars such as Jessie Buckley, Olivia Colman and Johnathan Pryce as some of the other beloved characters from the classic film.
Violent Night
This last movie is for horror fans out there who also want to get into the Christmas spirit. “Violent Night” is an R-rated dark comedy starring “Stranger Things” star David Harbour. He plays Santa Claus, who steps in to become a hero after a wealthy family gets kidnapped and is held hostage by a group of mercenaries. While this might not be the wholesome, family-friendly holiday movie you were looking for this season, it’s perfect for those who want to add some darkness to the holidays.
What’s your favorite movie to watch during the holidays? Tweet us @VALLEYMag and let us know what you’re binging this holiday season!
