And here we go again, entering a new cycle of the year, indulging in colder and darker nights. Every season has its beauty and winter induces sleep, rest and slow life. During this season, many cultures are awarded with an array of celebrations. The winter solstice or Yule (for Pagan), Pancha Ganapati (for Hindu), Hanukkah (for Judaism), Christmas and New Year’s Eve (for Christian and Orthodox).  

But at the end of the day, there is one thing many of us have in common. Gathering on the sofa-or in bed- to get stuck into some much-anticipated screen time! 

Our curated list of Christmas movies 

Here, we have created a list of films to watch this holiday season, the categories of which will be able to accommodate all: those in search of festive spirit, those hiding away from it and those that have already embraced it at a full commotion. 

		1. The Holiday (2006) (Amazon Prime) - Christmas classic, love-story.  Kicking off strong and at full speed into festivities, we have a story where an English columnist falls in love with a Californian music producer and a Californian movie trailer producer in love with an English book editor… seems confusing and unrealistic? They switched homes for the holidays, in an aspiration to run away from their ordinary lives - now it all makes sense, doesn’t it? Whether you believe in finding your soulmate on the other side of the world or not, it is truly a beautiful story full of unforgettable quotes. Oh, and did we say four movie-giants are acting? Yep, Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law and Jack Black all gathered in a big bunch to lift your spirits this season (and all the seasons before, for that matter).
		2. Home Alone (1990) and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) (Amazon Prime) - childhood throwback, good laugh.  In case you haven’t watches this, like, a billion times, here is our recap for the billionth-and-one time. Kevin McCallister gets left alone amidst the large family being late for a flight and forgetting to grab their youngest child. Fear not, Kevin is small but mighty, a child from any robbers’ worst nightmare. In the first movie Kevin transforms into the ultimate home security system placing traps along the way for the “wet bandits” intruders, while in the second film Kevin has let his imagination run wild and free creating his own “playground” in an under-construction New York house. Deck the halls with Marv and Harry, make their Christmas not so merry, give them bricks and give them wrenches, one more Christmas in the trenches.
		3. Four Christmases (2008) (Amazon Prime) - dysfunctional families, children as polar opposites of their parents.  Families can be terrible, especially when you and your partner have been avoiding the divorced moms and dads for most of holiday gatherings because you just want to enjoy each other’s company away from drama. Unfortunately, this year Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn will be forced to endure not one, not two, but four Christmases in total over the span of the winter break with nightmarish divorced parents of each other. Here comes unresolved family trauma!
		4. Happiest Season (2020) (Amazon Prime) - LGBTQIA, comedy, coming out, introducing your partner to the family.  Imagine your girlfriend, whom you are planning to marry, brings you on a family-greeting trip failing to mention she hasn’t come out to her family and friends as a lesbian and never even mentioned your name? Sounds like a recipe for a disaster and an emotional break up, but perhaps Kristen Steward and Mackenzie Davis can pull it off?
		5. Roald Dahl's The Witches (2020) (Amazon prime) - novel-based, witches, fantasy, winter stay-in.  Set in 1967 Alabama, a young boy checks into a hotel with his grandmother after an unfortunate encounter with evil withes. Grandmother, played by Octavia Spencer, vouches to protect her grandson, but just in their luck, a group of glamorous and vicious witches with Anne Hathaway as their lead also checks in the same hotel. These witches hate children and wish for them to be wiped off the face of the earth, so our characters are bound to run into some troublesome adventures!
		6. The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017) (Amazon Prime) - magical winter story, the writer's creative mind.  Charles Dickens struggles to find the muse or the inspiration for his next great novel, scrambling for every little bit of information to pull into his next swirl of fantasy. Drawing the inspiration from his father, he creates Scrooge, the main character for his next Christmas story and the character we have known from our bedtime stories. Getting acquainted with the past, present and future spirits of Scrooge’s life, taking everyone in for the magical ride of rebalancing our priorities.
		7. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory (2005) (Rakuten TV) - classical childhood movie, fantasy, chocolate goodness.  Tim Burton and Johnny Depp have come together yet again to recreate, the traditional of its maker, twisted magic fantasy we all love and adore. To recap, Willy Wonka strives to find an heir to his chocolate factory, which is known for its unusual magical chocolates. He sends out boxes of chocolates to the stores across the whole world, with only five golden tickets hidden inside it. Amongst the lucky ones, we meet Charlie, a boy with big heart from a poor family, who will get to meet his oh-so-different peers when visiting the Chocolate Factory site. The story teaches kids moral values while Willy Wonka gets taught the most valuable lesson of all – how to have a family.
		8. Stardust (2007) (Amazon Prime) - magical winter story, winter stay-in, fantasy  “Make a wish on the falling star” is a saying we all know too well. What if you knew that every star is a living being and when it falls onto Earth it is in great danger? Great actors Charlie Cox, Claire Danes and Robert De Niro bring you a story of an English villager Tristan who wants to prove his love to the woman of his interest by bringing her the star they both saw fall. To his surprise, the star is a beautiful woman who looks completely lost since arriving to our planet. On the journey across the Stonewall, they are bound to run into some adventures as Yvaine, the star, is being tailed by a witch Lamia, who wishes to steal the star’s youth.
		9. Maleficent (2014) (Amazon Prime) - alternative storyline, fantasy, uncovering the truth about your family  Angelina Jolie, Sharlto Copley and Elle Fanning are bringing you an alternative perception on the beloved story of the Sleeping Beauty with a twist highlighting the power of love and the different ways to show it. With Lana Del Ray’s voice covering Once Upon a Dream in the background, you will be transported into a magical realm shining light on the story of Aurora and Maleficent, explaining the reason for the spell that was casted on little princess and the events that took place beforehand.
		10. The Polar Express (2004) (Rakuten TV) - heart-warming Christmas story, fantasy  Once upon a time, there was a young boy who did not believe in Santa Claus. He was mistaken by the news from our world of adults dressing up as Santas, so he was determined to his idea. On the Christmas Eve, he was awakened by a loud noise, like a train was passing right outside his house... it was the Polar Express! Children aboard, they were all in for an adventure of their lives, to go to the North Pole and meet the real Santa Claus! Are you coming?

Bundle up with Community Fibre TV 

Join us for this festive season, cozied up in blanket by the fire, as all the above titles are available on Community Fibre TV. You can watch 215+ live channels and 40+ apps, including Amazon Prime Video, Tik Tok, Rakuten TV, Freeview, YouTube, LaLiga TV, Viaplay and many more.  

You can even download the Community Fibre TV app and stream your favourite films and TV programmes on your phone and tablet - without paying extra. On top of that, the package includes an award-winning 4K TV box, which allows you to pause/forward/rewind and record live TV.  

Add Community Fibre TV to your broadband package from just an extra £10/month and jump into a world of entertainment.