If you are itching to get to the UK but won’t quite make it before the holidays, then these films will be the perfect way to get that “cosy” English Christmas feeling. So grab a warm blanket and a cup of hot chocolate and snuggle in for a festive movie marathon.
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There are those Christmas movies that come and go, you know the ones… Starts with an H and ends with allmark… and then there are the ones we come back to time and time again.
These 9 Christmas films are the latter, and not only that, they are the perfect way to transport you to England this Christmas.
1. Surviving Christmas with the Relatives
(2018) Feel Good | Comedy | Quirky
Read more on Amazon HERE
This is a lesser known film that I just happened upon a few years ago. I wanted to rewatch it the next year, but couldn’t find anywhere that was streaming it.
The result? I have it on DVD now forever… but do I actually have a DVD player???
This film is splendidly English and will make you chuckly – it’s a staple in my Christmas collection.
2. The Holiday
(2006) Feel Good | Romance | Drama
Find it on Amazon HERE
Everyone can use a bit of Jude Law rom com for the holidays. Nothing better than a Anglo-American house swap that leads to Christmas romance.
Get inspired and dream of your own transatlantic romance, but for goodness’ sake, if you move abroad, make sure you do it for yourself and not for love.
3. Nativity!
(2009) Feel Good | Kids | Comedy | Feel Good
Get it on Amazon HERE
This feel good comedy follows Martin Freeman as a primary school teacher trying to put on the best Christmas nativity ever.
If you’re a fellow American, you may think that you know everything there is to know about Nativities, but trust me, you haven’t seen it how the English do it.
4. Last Christmas
(2009) Romance | Fantasy | Fun
Watch the trailor on Amazon HERE
This rom com follows an aspiring young singer who is struggling to pull her Central London life together.
Get lost in this budding Christmas romance that drags you around sparkling London streets, strolls through hidden gardens, and repeatedly pulls at the heartstrings.
5. Love Actually
(2003) Drama | Romance | Passionate
See it on Amazon HERE
How do you cram the stories of 8 couples into a single film?! Only the lead-up to Christmas would be suitable for such chaos and emotion.
There’s no denying that this classic rom com can be watched and watched again. Something about its heartwarming storylines and star-studded cast pulls millions back to watch each Christmas.
6. Click and Collect
(2003) Comedy | Fun
See the trailor on Amazon HERE
I love how splendidly normal and awkward this movie is.
Two dreadfully mismatched neighbours (who no doubt wage bin wars through the rest of the year) find themselves teaming up on Christmas Eve to retrieve a sought after Christmas toy. Together they embark on a cross country roadtrip to retrieve their click and collect purchase.
Only an English Christmas film could be this socially awkward.
7. Bridget Jones’s Diary
(2001) Drama | Romance | Charming
Rewatch the trailor on Amazon HERE
Here we see Hugh Grant and Colin Firth co-starring yet again (do you think they intended to be in 2 hit Christmas films in as many years?).
This old familiar romcom follows Bridget on her journey to find love and self-acceptance in London.
It will have you laughing, probably not crying, and possibly standing in solidarity to normalize being a woman who is single and childless in their 30s. Just a reminder of how far social norms have shifted in the last 20 years…
8. The Snowman
(1982) International | Adventure | Dreamlike
Add it to your collection on Amazon HERE
I didn’t know about this film before moving to the UK, but now I feel it’s not Christmas without The Snowman.
This animated short film is as English as A Charlie Brown Christmas is American.
Based on the beloved children’s book, it tells the sweet story of a boy’s friendship with a snowman who comes to life. It is a must-watch and a solid favorite in our house.
9. A Boy Called Christmas
(2021) Kids | Adventure | Fantasy
Get it on Amazon HERE
Okaaay, okkkaayyyyy… this one isn’t reeeeally going to transport you to England with its backdrop, but it does have Maggie Smith (Professor McGonagle for you wizards and witches out there) and that should count for something.
This fun, kid friendly, animated “Father Christmas” origin story follows a young boy called Nikolas and his mouse as they search for Elfhelm, a fabled elf village far to the North.
Enjoy indulging in your festive films and let me know if these did the trick and got you to England if only for a few hours.
If I missed out your favorite English/British Christmas film, then do please add it in the comments and it may make an appearance on my list next Christmas.
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