Family-friendly movies to watch this Festive Season

Do you have old-school Christmas movies like 'Home Alone' and 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' on repeat, but want to expand your holiday movie playlist?

We have put together a list of some of the  best family-friendly Christmas movies you can add to your watchlist in 2022! 

Babes in Toyland 
Rating: G

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Snowglobe 
Rating: PG

Christina Milian plays Angela Moreno - a woman who is obsessed with Christmas. But her family is not as taken by the silly season as she is, and is equally unimpressed with her failure to find a suitable partner. A frustrated Angela longs to have the perfect Christmas with the perfect guy. She is gifted a Christmas snow globe and a magical adventure begins when she is transported inside the globe. 

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Falling For Christmas
Rating: PG, not suitable for children under 10

Lindsay Lohan's Hollywood comeback saw her making a big splash in the Christmas movie genre. The 2022 film was well received by her fans and quickly became the most watched movie on Netflix in the world. 

"After losing her memory in a skiing accident, a spoiled heiress lands in the cozy care of a down-on-his-luck widower and his daughter at Christmastime," a synopsis on the streaming platform reads.  

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Miracle on 34th Street
Rating: PG

This Christmas classic was released in 1947 and remains a favourite nearly 80 years later. Edmund Gwenn plays Kris Kringle - a man who is hired to appear as Santa in Macy's annual Thanksgiving Day Parade. He becomes a hit with customers but people start to question his sanity when he claims to be the real Santa. 

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The Nutcracker and the Four Realms
Rating: PG

Morgan Freeman and Mackenzie Foy star in this 2018 fantasy adventure movie. Keira Knightley, Richard E. Grant, and Helen Mirren also feature is the Disney film  

"All Clara (Mackenzie Foy) wants is a key – a one-of-a-kind key that will unlock a box that holds a priceless gift. A golden thread, presented to her at godfather Drosselmeyer’s (Morgan Freeman) annual holiday party, leads her to the coveted key—which promptly disappears into a strange and mysterious parallel world," a synopsis of the film reads. 

The Preacher’s Wife 
Rating: PG-13

Whitney Houston stars alongside Denzel Washington and Courtney B. Vance in this award-winning classic. Released in 1996, the film tells the story of an angel who is sent to help a pastor whose church and marriage are falling apart. 

The Kid Who Loved Christmas 
Rating: TV-PG

Jazz musician Tony Parks (played by Michael Warren) and his wife, Lynette (played by Vanessa Williams), are about to adopt an orphaned boy when tragedy strikes. Lynette passes away in a car accident. The adoption agency becomes concerned that Tony won't be able to raise the boy alone - especially because he is now a full-time musician. 

The 1990 movie also stars Cicely Tyson, Esther Rolle, Della Reese, and music icon, Sammy Davis Jr.

A Boy Called Christmas
Rating: PG

Rising star Henry Lawfull plays a young boy named Nikolas who "sets out on an extraordinary adventure into the snowy north in search of his father who is on a quest to discover the fabled village of the elves, Elfhelm". 

"Taking with him a headstrong reindeer called Blitzen and a loyal pet mouse, Nikolas soon meets his destiny in this magical, comic, and endearing story that proves nothing is impossible," according to synopsis of the 2021 film.

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Arthur Christmas (2011)
Rating: PG

Arthur Christmas, the son of Santa, takes it upon himself to right a wrong when a present is misplaced - which means one kid in the world will wake up to no presents! The 2011 movie has a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with one reviewer saying that "parents may shed a nostalgic tear or two, while their children can enjoy spotting all the witty visual details".

Read the movie's synopsis below:

How CAN Santa deliver billions of presents to the whole world in just one night? With an army of one million combat-style Field Elves and a vast, state-of-the-art control center under the ice of the North Pole! So how could this incredible operation have MISSED one child?! To Santa's young son, Arthur, it threatens to end the magic of Christmas. With retired Grandsanta, a rebellious young elf, an old sleigh and some untrained reindeer, Arthur sets out in a crazy mission to deliver the last present! Deck the halls with excitement, fun and wonder in this new Christmas classic!

A Christmas Prince
Rating: PG

This cheesy Christmas movie is everything you would expect from a romantic comedy. A magazine journalist is flown overseas to cover the story of the year - a handsome young prince named Richard is about to ascend the throne. The best part? He's looking for a queen! Will the so-called "playboy" prince win over the clumsy journalist? 

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Main image credit: iStock/Siarhei SHUNTSIKAU