The Best Christmas Movies And Shows On Neon To Get You In The Festive Spirit (2025 Edition)
Ha-Young Kim
Contributor | Urban List NZ
The silly season’s officially upon us, and we at Urban List have been getting in the mood with glass of bubbles in hand, fairy lights twinkling and Neon queued up for a Christmas streaming marathon.
From festive chaos, holiday rom-coms to devilish Santas, here are the best Christmas movies and shows to binge in NZ in 2025.
The Heist Before Christmas
Ticking all the boxes, The Heist Before Christmas serves up a bank robbery, two Saint Nicks (Timothy Spall and James Nesbitt), and charming Northern Irish accents. Cynical 12-year-old Mikey (Bamber Todd) discovers the real meaning of the season as he teams up with Santa to rescue his younger brother from a wicked Claus impersonator. It’s the festive flick you didn’t know you needed—equal parts heartwarming and hijinks.
Bad Tidings
Got a neighbour that drives you up the wall? Bad Tidings gets it. This slapstick comedy gives off big Neighbours at War meets Home Alone energy, as two rival neighbours are forced to team up to stop a crime family planning to rob the street while everyone else’s off celebrating Christmas. Expect plenty of chaos, over-the-top antics and questionable decision-making—it’s merry madness done right.
Dear Santa
Jack Black is deep in his villain era in this delightfully unhinged Christmas flick. When a kid’s Christmas letter has one hell of a typo, he accidentally summons the devil himself. Cue total holiday havoc as Satan tries to make the boy’s Christmas wishes come true. Oh, and did we mention Post Malone pops up too? Jack Black and Post Malone in one unholy holiday fever dream? Say less.
Fred Claus
If you love your Christmas flicks with equal parts chaos and charm, Fred Claus delivers. In this 2000s comedy classic, Santa’s older brother Fred (Vince Vaughn) returns to the North Pole after years of beef to help the elves prep for Christmas—in exchange for cash, of course. But when an efficiency expert threatens to shut the whole operation down, the brothers have to put aside their differences to save Christmas. It’s festive mayhem with just enough heart to earn a spot in your annual rewatch lineup.
The Holiday
As a certified Nancy Meyers lover, I’d be remiss not to include The Holiday. Wanting to escape from their relationship issues, two women in Los Angeles and London decide to swap homes for the holidays and unexpectedly find love while doing so. If you’re daydreaming about a White Christmas while melting in the NZ sun, this is your cosy escape.
Terrifier 3
For those who like their "ho ho hos" with a generous helping of horror, look no further than Terrifier 3. Survivors of a Halloween massacre, Sienna and her brother try to move on with their lives, when Art the Clown returns to spread his own twisted version of festive cheer. A festive bloodbath that’s more red than Rudolph’s nose—definitely not for the faint of heart.
Holiday Baking Championship
I may be more of an aspirational baker (see: my saved folder on Instagram), but the pros in Holiday Baking Championship put us all to shame. Twelve bakers serve up festive flair, wild flavours and serious Christmas magic.
Christmas Carole
Meet this year’s Scrooge: Carole Mackay (Suranne Jones), a Christmas-hating boss with a blunt bob and a killer lippie. She’s about to cash in big on her company’s sale to a massive American retailer—until four ghosts drop by to sort her out. Can Carole change her tune from "bah humbug" to something more jolly?
The Polar Express
I’m not ashamed to say I love a cheesy Christmas flick, and The Polar Express absolutely scratches that festive itch. A young boy’s holiday spirit gets reignited when he hops aboard the Polar Express to the North Pole on Christmas Eve to meet Santa Claus himself. Along the way, he meets a crew of quirky kids and unforgettable characters who prove the journey matters just as much as the destination. The best part? Tom Hanks voicing half the cast—because let’s be honest, every movie’s better with a bit of Tom Hanks magic.
Christmas Cookie Challenge
Whether you’re here for inspo or just the sugar rush, Christmas Cookie Challenge is the perfect watch. Five bakers go head-to-head for $10K and bragging rights as the season’s top cookie artist.
A Christmas Story Christmas
A Christmas Mystery
Some might call this a kids’ movie, but we’ve already established we’re not too cool for that (growing up’s a scam anyway). A Christmas Mystery follows a group of kids on a mission to find Santa’s enchanted jingle bells, which have gone missing from their town. Can they crack the case and bring the magic back before Christmas? It’s pure festive fun, no age limit required.
Holiday Harmony
Brooke Shields is back in festive mode (because honestly, when isn’t she?). This time she’s taking the passenger seat as co-star in Holiday Harmony, where singer-songwriter Gail (Annelise Cepero) is en route to her big break when she hits a literal bump in the road and ends up stranded in a small town called Harmony Springs. Cue heartwarming moments, music and the kind of small-town charm that’ll make you want to move there immediately.
A Hollywood Christmas
Now here’s a meta one—a Christmas movie about making Christmas movies. Aspiring filmmaker Jessica (Jessika Van) is fighting to keep her new festive flick alive after a Scrooge-y studio exec tries to shut it down. Of course, she catches feelings for him along the way. A Hollywood Christmas is festive fluff, and we’re here for every sparkly second of it.
Keen to keep the holiday magic going? Hit play on the best Christmas playlists.
Image credit: Neon.