The best festive films to watch this Christmas – from classics to comedy | TV & Radio | Showbiz & TV
It’s the most wonderful time of the movie year when we are spoiled with an abundance of seasonal flicks to warm our cockles as we spend time with loved ones. Nothing says Christmas like a seasonal movie and there is truly something for everyone’s taste. The enduring classics such as It’s a Wonderful Life and White Christmas never get old. Meanwhile, thanks to streaming services, we now have a lot of new offerings including the likes of Sky‘s Tinsel Town and Prime Video‘s Oh. What. Fun.
When a Christmas movie gets it right it can become part of a family tradition, religiously watched year after year. There are so many fabulous movies to choose from. While compiling this Christmas list there are some that we simply couldn’t fit in or just aren’t easily available to watch this festive season. But if you fancy some festive fare read on for our recommendations.
It’s a Wonderful Life (December 21, ITV, 12.45pm)
Even those who haven’t seen it know the story of George Bailey, played by James Stewart, who is visited by an angel and shown what life would be like if he had never existed. It’s a beautiful, timeless movie made even more poignant when you consider it was the first post-war movie for both the director, Frank Capra, and the star. Both had served in World War II and brought their harrowing experiences to the screen.
(Image: Getty)
Scrooge: A Christmas Carol (December 24, C5, 9.10am)
Back in 1951, Alastair Sim set the standard for all future actors playing Charles Dickens’ iconic character Ebenezer Scrooge. Everyone knows the story of the miserly businessman who is visited by a series of ghosts who convince him to mend his ways and undergo a spiritual epiphany. This version manages to retain the dark undertones of Dickens’ work while also making the titular character sympathetic.
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White Christmas (available on NOW)
The glorious technicolour brilliance of this 1954 classic musical stars Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye as entertainers who follow two singing sisters, played by Rosemary Clooney (George Clooney’s real life aunt) and Vera Ellen, to Vermont where they end up performing in a joint Christmas show to put their old commander’s failing inn back in business. And yes, it does feature that song.
(Image: Publicity Picture)
