• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

SEENIT

TV, Film, Broadband, Pay-TV, Games, Computing and Tech | News, Comment & Reviews

  • NEWS
  • FEATURES
  • ADVERTISE
  • Twitter

Is Netflix the saviour of the feel-good Christmas movie?

December 11, 2019 - Staff@seenituk

Netflix is making up for Hollywood’s lack of festive output with films such as The Knight Before Christmas. Image: Netflix

Hollywood’s focus on big budget franchises has led to a dearth of good recent Christmas movies, leaving audiences returning to a diet of past hits such as Love Actually (2003), The Santa Clause (1994), Home Alone (1990) and The Polar Express (2004).

Research carried out by Betway reveals that the ten highest earning festive movies includes just one recent entry – 2018’s The Grinch – while IMDB’s list of the highest rated Christmas movies doesn’t contain a single film released after 2005.

Those which do make the grade include the original Miracle on 34th Street, It’s A Wonderful Life, and Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas. 

While Paul Feig’s George Michael-inspired Last Christmas – released last month – did well at the box office despite a mauling by critics, the film feels very much like an anomaly in a year where December’s most anticipated film is Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

Film critic Nicholas Barber has told Betway that the absence of recent Xmas hits is down to cinema’s relentless pursuit of superhero franchises and a decline in the number of “low- or mid-budget British films”.

However he adds that fans of romantic and feel-good Christmas movies shouldn’t despair yet as Netflix seems on a mission to keep the genre alive having released a whopping seven Christmas films this November and December, including The Knight Before Christmas and A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby.

While these films are unlikely to top any critic’s top films list, Barber suggests they draw enough subscribers to allow the streaming service pay for more acclaimed additions to their library, such as Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman.

Here’s Betway’s full list of the highest earning Christmas films and the most critically acclaimed: 

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Related

Tagged With: Netflix

Blu-ray and Gaming Top Buys

David Attenborough’s A Perfect Planet is getting a 4K Blu-ray release

Doctor Who: Sylvester McCoy and Bonnie Langford reunite in trailer for Season 24 Blu-ray release

Batman: Soul Of The Dragon comes to DVD and Blu-ray next month

RECENT

BT Sport to show 26 Premier League games this month

Godzilla vs. Kong: Watch the brand-new trailer

Robert Kirkman’s Invincible is coming to Amazon Prime Video

Watch Danielle Macdonald, Hugh Skinner and Joanna Lumley in Falling for Figaro trailer

Popular

Sky bags first run rights to Entertainment One catalogue

Freesat adds BBC Sounds to app line-up

Coming To America sequel to get global release on Amazon Prime Video

Hitman developers announce new James Bond game

Featured

Ofcom calls for greater social and geographic diversity in TV and radio

BT Sport app now available on Now TV devices

StarzPlay is now available from Rakuten TV

Britbox – What does the new UK-centric streaming service offer?

Popular Topics

  • Amazon Prime Video
  • BritBox
  • Freeview Play
  • Set Top Box Reviews

ADVERTISE ON SEENIT

We’re pleased to offer a number of advertising opportunities to high quality brands including sponsored content, competitions and advertising placements.

Please contact us for details.

MORE FROM US

Copyright © 2021 · All Rights Reserved · Contact Us · Copyright · Terms of Use · Privacy Policy
MayorWatch Publications Limited · 20-22 Wenlock Road · London N1 7GU · Company Number 6291816