The holiday movie is a staple of the season, and 2022 has no shortage of new releases. From comedy to drama, horror to heartfelt, 2022 is flooded with an eclectic lineup of holiday movies. All the major streaming services — Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, BET+ — have several upcoming releases this winter that are certain to find an audience that loves them.
There is certainly something for everyone to enjoy in this set of films. There are remakes of old favorites, new and inventive stories, classic tales of love, and plenty of star-studded casts. Here’s every holiday movie coming to theaters or streaming in 2022.
Christmas Party Crashers
Christmas Party Crashers will be available to stream on BET+ on November 17. In this 2022 holiday movie directed by Sheldon Epps, two scammers (Skye Townsend and Jaime M. Callica) meet while crashing the same millionaire's Christmas party. The pair decide to continue working together to accrue wealth and achieve their dreams of success, but along the way, they find themselves falling for each other.
A Christmas Story Christmas
In A Christmas Story Christmas, former child star Peter Billingsley returns for a follow-up to the beloved holiday film A Christmas Story. The sequel follows Ralphie, now an adult with children, as he attempts to give his children a Christmas as magical as the one he had as a child. Viewers who stream the November 17 release on HBO Max will also see Ralphie revisit his old house on Cleveland Street as well as the return of many characters from the 1983 original. A Christmas Story enthusiasts should certainly find this new holiday movie for a dose of good old-fashioned nostalgia.
Christmas With You
Actor Freddie Prinze Jr. stars in the Netflix Original Christmas With You, which is not something that holiday movie lovers will want to miss. It follows a washed-up pop star, played by Aimee Garcia, as she searches for inspiration for her new song. She decides to visit a fan in Ohio whose Christmas wish was to meet her as she also looks for inspiration for her next holiday song. While there, love blooms between the pop star and the fan's father, and the two compose a Christmas song together.
A Christmas Mystery
A Christmas Mystery will arrive at HBO Max on November 24. The kid-friendly 2022 holiday movie follows two children trying to solve a mystery. After a young boy's dad is accused of stealing the town's prized jingle bells and winds up in jail, he and a friend must use their detective skills to clear the man's name before Christmas.
Spirited
Spirited is a unique, musical retelling of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol starring Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds. Following a limited theatrical release, the star-studded holiday movie arrives on Apple TV+ on November 18. The story follows the Ghost of Christmas Present (Ferrell) as he attempts to teach a lesson to Clint Briggs (Reynolds). However, Clint is not as cooperative with the spirit as Ebeneezer Scrooge was. Through bombastic musical numbers, Clint and the Ghost of Christmas Present develop a tenuous and quirky relationship that leaves both of them questioning their past and future.
The Sound of Christmas
Based on the novel The Replacement Wife, The Sound of Christmas follows a woman who is facing eviction right before Christmas. She takes a job as a nanny for a handsome billionaire and must grapple with her difficult job, her budding feelings for her new boss, and an ex-boyfriend who will not leave her alone. Starring Serayah and singer-songwriter Ne-Yo in the lead roles, The Sound of Christmas will be released on BET+ on Thanksgiving Day.
The Christmas Clapback
Another BET+ streaming release, The Christmas Clapback follows three sisters engaged in a yearly Christmas cook-off. In the comedy/drama, the sisters are ready to battle it out to win the competition, but when a social media influencer arrives on the scene and threatens all of their chances at victory, they have to band together. The trio work as a team in an attempt to defeat the vivacious newcomer in this holiday special streaming on November 24.
Holiday Harmony
When an up-and-coming musician gets a chance to open the iHeartRadio Christmas Eve concert, she embarks on a cross-country trip in Holiday Harmony. The singer, Gail, only gets as far as Harmony Springs, Oklahoma, when her car breaks down, and she is rescued by a local (played by The Middle actress Brooke Shields). With the important show quickly approaching, Gail must find a way to save money and fix her vehicle before it is too late. Jeremy, another local, advises her to teach music to kids in the town before they perform at their Christmas Gala. Gail accepts and develops feelings for Jeremy along the way, which leaves her questioning her plans. Holiday Harmony will be on HBO Max on November 24.
Holiday Hideaway
Little is known so far about Holiday Hideaway, another November 24 release for BET+. Starring Vivica A. Fox, Reginald C Hayes, and Novi Brown, the movie follows a woman named Carly, who considers herself the queen of throwing holiday parties. According to IMDb, following a “mistletoe misstep,” she runs to a hideaway where she learns “the importance of family, forgiveness, and fighting for love.” Now in post-production, Holiday Hideaway should release a trailer soon.
The Noel Diary
Arriving on Netflix on November 24, The Noel Diary follows a famous author, Jacob Turner, who returns to his hometown following the death of his mother. While there, he meets a beautiful woman looking for her birth mother who used to work for Jacob’s parents. The pair decide to embark on a journey together to find Jacob’s estranged father, who may know where the woman’s mother is. A relationship buds between them along the way, as the two find an old diary of her mother’s, revealing secrets about both of their pasts.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
Described as the epilogue for MCU Phase 4, the much-anticipated Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special will only be about 40 minutes long. It follows the Guardians of the Galaxy as they celebrate Christmas and travel to Earth to try to find Starlord/Peter Quill the best Christmas present. The special arrives on Disney+ on November 24.
Merry Kiss Cam
Merry Kiss Cam follows two very different people in Minnesota who get put on a kiss cam together at a hockey game. Of course, following this meet-cute, the two end up falling in love, eventually. Starring Katie Lowes, known for Scandal, Merry Kiss Cam will arrive on Hulu on November 24.
The Hip Hop Nutcracker
This re-imagined hip-hop version of the holiday classic The Nutcracker will arrive on Disney+ on November 25. The star-studded special will showcase a number of famous dancers, choreographers, and musicians. One of many new November releases for Disney+, The Hip-Hop Nutcracker will feature artists such as Kurtis Blow, Stephen Laurel “tWitch” Boss, Mikhail Baryshnikov, the Jabbawockeez, Run DMC’s Rev. Run, and more. The story follows Maria-Clara as she fights to bring her quarreling parents back together, meeting a toy maker and a magical nutcracker along the way. Just as in the original, mice, toy soldiers, sugarplums, and whimsy are to be expected in this take on Tchaikovsky’s ballet.
Rolling Into Christmas
This BET+ original holiday movie involves the reunion of two childhood friends — 15 years after they last saw each other — who share a love of roller skating. The two presumably develop feelings for each other as they confront mistakes they make over the years. Rolling Into Christmas stars Rhyon Nicole Brown, Donny Carrington, Brandee Evan, and Gary Dourdan, and it will arrive on BET+ on December 1.
Hotel for the Holidays
Starring Madelaine Petsch of Riverdale fame, Hotel for the Holidays follows Georgia, a hotel employee. The hotel staff is navigating a busy holiday season filled with high-profile guests, technical difficulties, and love triangles. Georgia must keep the hotel running through Christmas while dealing with her feelings for both a hotel kitchen employee and an ex-prince staying at the hotel. Hotel for the Holidays arrives on Amazon Freevee on December 2.
A Hollywood Christmas
A Hollywood Christmas follows a successful director of Christmas movies played by Jessika Van. When a network executive, played by Josh Swickard, arrives threatening to halt production on her upcoming film, she realizes she is living her own Christmas movie as she navigates feelings for the handsome executive and tons of holiday movie tropes. A Hollywood Christmas comes to HBO Max on December 1.
Scrooge: A Christmas Carol
Scrooge: A Christmas Carol is another movie based on Charles Dickens’s novel. With countless adaptations of A Christmas Carol available, this animated version from Netflix is taking a fairly classic approach to the story of a miserly man visited by ghosts on Christmas Eve. With the movie featuring Olivia Colman, Luke Evans, and Jessie Buckley, it will be exciting to see how the streaming service puts its own spin on the classic. Scrooge: A Christmas Carol arrives on Netflix on December 2.
Violent Night
Violent Night is a twisted and darkly funny holiday movie coming to theaters nationwide on December 2. It stars Stranger Things' David Harbour as a killer Santa facing off against a group of mercenaries who break onto the estate of a wealthy family right before Christmas. Santa, using his magical powers, must defeat the intruders and save the family and the holiday. It is unknown where Violent Night will be streaming following its theatrical run.
A Miracle Before Christmas
A Miracle Before Christmas follows a relationship therapist, Mercedes Wright (played by LeToya Luckett). While she has all the answers to solve other people’s marriages, she continues to have problems of her own. Fortunately, she is visited by an angel who helps her to fix her marriage just in time for Christmas. A Miracle Before Christmas will stream on BET+ starting December 8.
Something from Tiffany's
In Something from Tiffany’s, due to a mix-up, a young bakery worker (played by Zoey Deutch), accidentally gets an engagement ring from her boyfriend for Christmas that was meant for someone else — instead of the earrings he got her. Both she and the man who bought the ring and had intended to propose with it set out in search of the right owner of each piece of jewelry. However, along the way, the two discover that they may be meant to be together instead. Something from Tiffany’s will premiere on Amazon Prime Video on December 9.
The Binge 2: It's a Wonderful Binge
Perhaps the most original entry on this list, The Binge 2: It’s a Wonderful Binge is the second film in a series in which all drugs and alcohol are made legal for 24 hours once a year. In The Binge 2: It’s a Wonderful Binge, this day happens to fall on Christmas. Featuring comedy greats such as Kaitlin Olson and Danny Trejo, this sequel with the unique premise of a drug-fueled Christmas is shaping up to be as chaotic, hilarious, and delightful as its predecessor. The first movie in this parody of the Purge movies is already available on Hulu, and the second is scheduled to arrive on December 9.
A Blackjack Christmas
A Blackjack Christmas focuses on the relationship between two sisters who have grown apart over the years. Both are originally from Jamaica, but one sister has moved to the U.S. and the other stayed behind. When a struggle with addiction brings the family back together, the two sisters rebuild their bond at Christmastime. A Blackjack Christmas will stream on BET+ starting December 15.
A Christmas Gift
Little is known about A Christmas Gift, the upcoming BET+ holiday movie that begins streaming on December 22. The film will star Blue Kimble, Noree Victoria, and Javon Johnson. The official synopsis states that “in a failed attempt to cancel Christmas, the McKenzies find themselves ultimately navigating through unexpected guests, secrets, and revelations that will have a lasting effect on their families.” Hopefully, more information will become available as the December 22 release date approaches.
A Nashville Country Christmas
In Paramount+’s only original holiday movie of 2022, A Nashville Country Christmas, a country music star becomes overwhelmed with the pressures of celebrity life. Feeling stressed about an upcoming Holiday Spectacular and her over-the-top agent, the star runs away to spend Christmas with her family in Tennessee instead. The movie’s release date has not been officially announced, but it will arrive on Paramount+ sometime in December.