The best Christmas movies on Hulu right now (December 2023)

Jon Favreau’s Elf is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and it remains a Christmas film like no other. Will Ferrell stars as Buddy, a human who was raised among elves at the North Pole after a mishap decades earlier The problem with Buddy is that he’s too much of a human to comfortably live among the elves, and too much of an elf for humans.

Buddy’s biological father, Walter Hobbs (James Caan), has no idea that he has a son. But when Santa (Ed Asner) tells Buddy that he could potentially redeem Walter from the Naughty List, Buddy travels to New York to meet the family that he never had. Buddy also leaves chaos in his wake because of his eccentric persona, which alienates Walter and may keep him from reconciling with his son.

If you ever needed a reminder that Michael Caine is an actor’s actor, then watch The Muppet Christmas Carol. Caine gives an excellent performance in this movie as he plays Ebenezer Scrooge absolutely straight. Most of Caine’s co-stars may be famous Muppets, but Caine himself never breaks character as Scrooge or winks to the audience. Caine’s absolute commitment to the role elevates everything else about the movie.

The script is actually pretty close to the original story by Charles Dickens. On Christmas Eve, the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future visit Scrooge and warn him to change his ways before it’s too late.