Treat yourself to a cozy night at home with these movies all available on the Cineplex Store.
Our favourite part of the holidays is snuggling up with a warm cup of hot chocolate and watching a Christmas movie with loved ones. Many people have yearly traditions of watching classic films like Home Alone, It’s a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story. While we absolutely love all those traditional holiday flicks, sometimes it’s good to mix things up a little, make new traditions, and maybe, watch a holiday film you haven’t seen before. Or at least one that you didn’t realize could be an even cozier movie to enjoy on a cold, winter’s day. Here are our hidden holiday gems, all available at the Cineplex Store.
The Night Before (2015)
Arguably, the best modern Christmas comedy must be The Night Before, starring Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Anthony Mackie. The film follows three best friends who have a yearly tradition of having a wild night every Christmas Eve, but now that the men are growing up, this Christmas Eve will be their last. Featuring hilarious performances, an impressive amount of celebrity cameos, and a scene where Seth Rogen is on mushrooms at church, The Night Before is an absolute riot.
The Family Man (2000)
An updated take on It’s a Wonderful Life, but starring none other than Nicolas Cage, The Family Man really should be considered a classic in the same way its inspiration is. Nic Cage plays a wealthy bachelor who is visited by his own “ghost of Christmas past” played by Don Cheadle. He suddenly wakes up with the life he would have had if he’d married his college girlfriend (Téa Leoni) and gone on to start a family. It’s the perfect blend of a heartwarming family affair, and a wacky Nicolas Cage performance.
Little Women (2019)
While this isn’t strictly a holiday movie, Little Women is filled with wintery moments and overall is one of the coziest films on this list. Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of this classic story is filled with giant coats, British accents, and a very dapper Timothée Chalamet. With incredible performances from stars Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Emma Watson and Eliza Scanlen, Little Women has all the right vibes for a warm cup of cocoa and a blanket by the fire.
Last Holiday (2006)
When a shy and modest retail worker named Georgia (Queen Latifah) is unexpectedly given three weeks to live, she heads straight to the Czech Republic for the wintery adventure she had always dreamed of. Here’s another film that isn’t strictly Christmas, but has all the snowy, heartwarming, holiday vibes you could ask for. It’s one of our favourite Queen Latifah performances.
Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
Stanley Kubrick’s last film is the most risqué on this list, but its Christmas backdrop makes it an excellent holiday choice for thrill seekers. Starring Tom Cruise in one of his best performances, alongside his then wife Nicole Kidman, Eyes Wide Shut is a sexy and complex portrait of a marriage and a mystery. Don’t watch this one with your family.
Happiest Season (2020)
The most recent film on this list stars Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis as a lesbian couple who are going home for the holidays. The catch is that Harper (Davis)’s family doesn’t know that she and Abby (Stewart) are in a relationship, or even that Harper is gay. Adding to the drama is Harper’s ex Riley (Aubrey Plaza) who seeks revenge by trying to woo Abby. The result is a comedy of errors, but also a heartwarming story about acceptance from family, and from oneself. Not to mention the stellar cast, which also includes Dan Levy, Alison Brie, Mary Steenburgen and Victor Garber.
Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)
While this quintessential rom-com takes place over the course of a year, it is bookended by the holidays – and that’s enough for us to call this a Christmas film. Following the misadventures of one, lonely, bachelorette Bridget Jones, caught in between two men (Hugh Grant and Colin Firth, no less) Bridget Jones’s Diary is hilarious, heartwarming, and features Firth in one of the best ugly Christmas sweaters we’ve ever seen.
About a Boy (2002)
Speaking of Hugh Grant, if you haven’t seen this film where he plays a man living off the fortune of a Christmas song his dad wrote, you’re in for a treat. Hugh plays Will, a freeloader who realizes single moms might be an easy conquest. It’s through this that he ends up meeting Marcus (a young Nicolas Hoult), who wants Will to date his depressed mother. This coming-of-age story based on the book by Nick Hornby is a lovely family film and a brilliant alternate to the regular holiday fare.
Anastasia (1997)
It might be a bit of a stretch to call Anastasia a holiday film, but the Russian winter setting and beautiful songs like “Once Upon a December” make it close enough. This gorgeous animated film tells the story of a missing Russian princess who is found by two con men, aiming to return her home for a grand reward. The film features an A-list voice cast including Meg Ryan, John Cusack, Kelsey Grammar, Angela Lansbury, Andrea Martin and Kirsten Dunst.
Carol (2015)
Todd Haynes’ romance film Carol has been revered by more than just the LGBTQ+ community since it was released in 2015. Starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara as two women who fall in love and have a secret affair in 1950s New York, this Christmas set tale of forbidden love is a modern classic, and while it’s not the most joyous of holiday films, it is one of the most beautiful.Get cozy with Cineplex over the holidays
With an astounding selection of holiday films, including everything on this list and more, we’ve got you covered for a cozy night in. You’ll be having a happy holiday with a movie from the Cineplex Store.