Now that Halloween is over, some have already begun to welcome the holiday season with open arms. Conversely, others are begging to at least wait until Thanksgiving before breaking out the holiday spirit, but it’s never too early to start celebrating, right?
Nothing screams holiday joy like the announcement of new Christmas films that are set to be released on Netflix this month. The streaming platform has announced the release dates for new content coming soon, so mark your calendars and prepare for holiday romance and cheesiness coming your way.
1.”Love Hard”
The first film on this list is “Love Hard,” directed by Hernán Jiménez and starring Nina Dobrev, Jimmy O. Yang and Darren Barnett. The romantic comedy tells the classic tale of everyone’s worst nightmare — being catfished. When Natalie (Nina Dobrev) travels to surprise her online boyfriend for Christmas, she discovers the truth of who he is, resulting in some holiday scheming and a cheesy romance story. “Love Hard” is now streaming on Netflix
2. “Father Christmas is Back”
The holiday season is all about family and togetherness. With the upcoming film, “Father Christmas is Back,” directors Philippe Martinez and Mick Davis show viewers how a certain family celebrates the holidays. The film will follow four sisters who reunite in Yorkshire for Christmas. It seems like a feel-good premise, except the reunion is not met happily. The sisters, who have been feuding, spend their Christmas arguing and uncovering a secret that tore their family apart. The film stars Elizabeth Hurley, John Cleese, Kelsey Grammer and Nathalie Cox. “Father Christmas is Back” is now streaming on Netflix.
3. “The Princess Switch 3: Romancing the Star”
It wouldn’t be Christmas without Netflix releasing another installment of “The Princess Switch.” The franchise starring Vanessa Hudgens, Sam Palladio and Nick Sagar has become somewhat of a holiday classic that viewers hate to love. The latest film in the franchise, directed by Mike Rohl, will follow Princess Stacy Wyndham of Belgravia and Lady Margaret Delacourt, Queen of Montenegro (both played by Vanessa Hudgens), as they reunite to host a Christmas festival. As expected, something goes awry and viewers will get to see the royal pair come together to save the day. “The Princess Switch 3: Romancing the Star ” will be released on Nov. 18.
4. “A Boy Called Christmas”
Based on the Matt Haig novel of the same name, “A Boy Called Christmas” is a British fantasy film directed by Gil Kenan. The film will bring back the childhood Christmas nostalgia as it’s a reimagining of the traditional Father Christmas story. Accompanied by amazing visuals, the film follows Nikolas (Henry Lawfull) as he journeys to the fabled village of Elfhelm in search of his father. To amp up the Christmas spirit, of course, Nikolas encounters furry friends along the way who can also speak. The film additionally stars Maggie Smith as Aunt Ruth and Kristen Wiig as Aunt Carlotta. “A Boy Called Christmas” will be released on Nov. 24.
5. “Robin Robin”
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Frosty the Snowman” and “A Charlie Brown Christmas” have long shown viewers that animated Christmas movies are family favorites. This Christmas, Aardman Animation and director Dan Ojari are bringing families a new animated classic named “Robin Robin.” This sweet and heartwarming tale follows a bird named Robin (Gillian Anderson) who goes on a quest of self-discovery after being raised by mice her whole life. The stop-motion animation is the perfect family movie for this holiday season. “Robin Robin” will be released on Netflix on Nov. 24.
6. “A Castle For Christmas”
Brooke Shields stars alongside Cary Elwes in this Scottish Christmas love story. Director Mary Lambert is bringing viewers the story of Sophie Brown (Brooke Shields), a famous author who embarks on a journey to Scotland after the failure of her latest novel. Once she arrives to see the castle she has dreamed of seeing since childhood, she meets Duke Myles (Cary Elwes), the irritable owner of the castle who is set on foiling Sophie’s plans on buying it. The story follows the classic enemies-to-lovers trope with a Scottish flare that sets the mood just right for Christmastime. “A Castle for Christmas” will be released on Nov. 26
7. “Elves”
This holiday season, Netflix hasn’t limited itself to only romance films. “Elves,” created by Stefan Jaworski, is a Danish series being brought to Netflix this month. Based on the name, viewers might think this is yet another cheery story of Santa Claus and his elves. Unfortunately, “Elves” takes a darker turn. The series will follow a Danish family who travels to an island for Christmas vacation in hopes of connecting. Much to their surprise, they discover the island is run by elves. And no, not Santa’s helpers. These elves will take after their mythological origins by being evil and vicious. Christmas, in this case, isn’t always a cause for celebration. “Elves” will be streaming on Netflix on Nov. 28.