If you’re looking for new films to stream for Christmas cheer, try these new offerings: from fresh Australian features How to Make Gravy and Nugget is Dead to Lindsay Lohan’s latest Our Little Secret, Jack Black as a devilish Dear Santa and a kid’s animation from Richard Curtis.
How to Make Gravy (Binge)
How to Make Gravy is the highly anticipated first Binge original feature, based on Paul Kelly’s iconic song and adapted for the screen by Aria award-winning musician Meg Washington and Nick Waterman. The film explores the lives of Joe (Daniel Henshall) and his family as they prepare to celebrate their first Christmas without him.
A stellar line-up of Australian actors bring the characters to life, including Brenton Thwaites, Kate Mulvany, Hugo Weaving and Damon Herriman. Watch the trailer.
From ScreenHub’s four-star review of How to Make Gravy:
‘Waterman’s beautifully composed film dismantles Australian masculinity’s more toxic traits in a similar way to Weaving’s spikier role in Mark Leonard Winter’s The Rooster, or his more caring outlook as a bird of prey-handler guiding inmates towards a better life in Craig Monahan’s Healing. With a stacked cast this magnificent, led by Henshall and Weaving, you’ll feel all the feelings.’ Read more …
Nugget is Dead: A Christmas Story (Stan)
When beloved family dog, Nugget, falls sick over Christmas, Steph Stool (Vic Zerbst) must abandon her very elegant holiday plans with her boyfriend’s family, and return instead to her small coastal hometown to confront the chaos of her own complicated and much less elegant family. In the week leading up to Christmas, each member of the Stool family must grapple with the mortality of the one thing that unifies them. Watch the trailer.
Nugget Is Dead: A Christmas Story is the debut feature for writers and lead cast Vic Zerbst (The Feed) and Jenna Owen (The Feed) who star alongside Gia Carides (My Big Fat Greek Wedding), Damien Garvey (Rake), Mandy McElhinney (Love Child), and Tara Morice (Strictly Ballroom).
That Christmas (Netflix)
It’s an unforgettable Christmas for the townsfolk of Wellington-on-Sea when the worst snowstorm in history alters everyone’s plans – including Santa’s. This new animated family film is directed by Richard Curtis (Love Actually) and based on his own series of children’s books. It stars Brian Cox, Fiona Shaw, Jodie Whittaker and Lolly Adefope.
Dear Santa (Paramount+)
Dear Santa, Paramount+’s first original Christmas film, tells the story of a young boy (Robert Timothy Smith) who mails his Christmas wish list to Santa with one crucial spelling error, resulting in a devilish Jack Black’s arrival to wreak havoc on the holidays.
The film marks the return of the Farrelly Brothers, the minds behind Dumb & Dumber and Something About Mary. With their latest collaboration, Christmas is going up in flames. Watch the trailer.
Our Little Secret (Netflix)
After discovering their significant others are siblings, two resentful exes must spend Christmas under one roof – while hiding their romantic history. Out Little Secret stars Lindsay Lohan, Ian Harding, Kristin Chenoweth, Tim Meadows, Jon Rudnitsky and Henry Czerny. Watch the trailer.
Hot Frosty (Netflix)
When a young widow’s magic scarf brings a dashing snowman to life, can he help her rediscover romance, laughter and holiday cheer before he melts away? Of course he can. It’s Frosty the Snowman, but he’s a hot guy! Jerry Ciccoritti’s romantic comedy stars Lacey Chabert, Dustin Milligan and Craig Robinson.
ScreenHub: December streaming guide – new shows and films to watch
Evergreen Christmas Classics
If you’re after classic Christmas films instead, you could always try:
Love Actually (Binge)
Eight very different couples and their love lives intertwine during a hectic month before Christmas in London. Directed by Richard Curtis, this 2003 Christmas film stars Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Bill Nighy and Colin Firth.
Home Alone (Disney+, AppleTV+)
When eight-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macauley Culkin) is left behind while his family dashes off on a Christmas trip, he is left to defend his family’s home from two bumbling burglars until the relatives return. This 1990 film has numerous sequels and spinoffs but the original is the best.
It’s a Wonderful Life (Stan)
The 1946 holiday classic It’s A Wonderful Life follows George Bailey (James Stewart), a man with so many problems he is thinking about ending it all, until an angel turns up and shows him what life would have been like if he had never existed. Directed by Frank Capra and starring Donna Reed and Lionel Barrymore.
