If you belong to the group of people who prefer staying in during this festive season, this is just what you need – UNRESERVED’s veritable guide to all the binge-worthy shows and movies for Christmas.
From romantic comedies to heartfelt tales, there’s bound to be something for everyone:
Die Hard
Cast: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia and Alexander Godunov
Even though it’s filled with explosions, terrorism and violence, Die Hard is a go-to Christmas film for so many out there. Catch the action and watch Bruce Willis traversing through a building single-handedly while trying to take down Alan Rickman and save his wife.
Love Actually
Cast: Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Laura Linney, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Keira Knightley, Martine McCutcheon, Bill Nighy and Rowan Atkinson
The holy grail of Christmas movies, this classic is filled with love, drama and a fantastic cast. It may be cheesy but it’s a good kind of cheesy for a night in with the family. Find out how seemingly random people’s lives intersect and collide during the merry season.
The Holiday
Cast: Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Jack Black, Eli Wallach, Edward Burns and Rufus Sewell
Iris Simpkins and Amanda Woods are both cheated on by their partners and subsequently seek comfort in a faraway holiday. Switching homes brings them a change of luck, some unsuspecting men, and a lot of merriment. A movie filled with warmth to be enjoyed with a partner or a glass of wine.
The Last Holiday
Cast: Queen Latifah, LL Cool J, Timothy Hutton, Gérard Depardieu, Alicia Witt and Giancarlo Esposito
Shy is not a word used to describe Queen Latifah but she comes into character well as Georgia Byrd, a store clerk who doesn’t seem to have an exciting life. Finding out she only has weeks to live propels her into spending all her savings on an adventure that will change her life.
Last Christmas
Cast: Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh and Emma Thompson
Director Paul Feig and Emma Thompson hope to worm their way into your heart with this new hopeful addition to the Christmas feel-good movies with a touch of angst. Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) leaves her dragons behind and leaps into the role of a troubled woman, Kate, who navigates her way through family, work and mental illness.
Elf
Cast: Will Ferrell, James Caan, Zooey Deschanel, Mary Steenburgen, Daniel Tay, Bob Newhart and Edward Asner
A baby is unwittingly transported to the North Pole with Santa and instead of raising it himself, the elves adopt the baby and raise him as an elf, that is, until he becomes literally too big to handle. Will Ferrell in a giant elf outfit is what truly sells this movie, there is no need for further explanation.
Home Alone
Cast: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Heard and Catherine O’Hara
A child left home alone can mean coming back to a ruined house and in the case of the McCallister family, it was much more than that. Watch Macaulay Culkin and a pair of bumbling burglars trying to terrorise each other in this Christmas classic.
Gremlins
Cast: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, Polly Holliday and Frances Lee McCain
A mogwai looks cute, fuzzy and may seem like the best toy ever, but don’t expose it to sunlight, drop water on it or feed it after midnight, otherwise, you find yourself stuck with an infestation of the ugliest looking Gremlins, like miniature creatures from the black lagoon.More of a laugh than something creepy, this one is a real classic.
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