From The Straits Times    |

Photo: 123rf

After all that hard work and effort put into getting advent calendars and Christmas shopping, you deserve a break. And what better way is there to unwind and usher in the season, than with some good old movies. There’s the rom coms that make us fall in love all over again and the classics that make us all the more excited for the 25th. 

So whether you’re at home in your most comfy PJs, having a date with your man, or planning a night in with your girls – it’s time to pop on some fluffy cosy socks, grab a cup of hot cocoa and catch these movies. There’s just enough for every weekend till Christmas. Our tip, watch them in listed order for the best experience.

Plus, these are all available on Netflix or for rental on Apple! 

 

 1) The Holiday

Ever been heartbroken right before the holidays? Or just heartbroken, period.

Well you’re not alone with this movie starring Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet, who play two women in that exact scenario. Desperation for a change of scenery leads to the two strangers switching homes with each other. Over time they realise they’re not really strangers in their new surroundings – in the warmest and loveliest way possible. 

Watching this gives you the ultimate Christmas feels – you’ll feel festive even if it’s not December. There’s no better way to kickoff the season than with a rom com set during the holidays, trust us. 

Available on the Apple Store for rental at $4.98, or purchase at $14.98.

 

 2) Bridget Jones’ Diary, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason & Bridget Jones’ Baby

We’re familiar with how we start the New Year with resolutions that are just waiting to be broken, and mistakes waiting to happen. Bridget Jones decides that she wants none of this, with the help of a diary – one that becomes her most provocative, erotic and hysterical bedside book through the movies. To shuffle up her life there’s the sensitive and thoughtful Mark Darcy, the charming sex-god Daniel Cleaver, and eventually there’s a baby. 

It’s all about relatability with these movies – loving parents that just want to be grandparents, never-ending clumsiness and the rollercoaster of emotions we go through even without a man. The ultimate Christmas chick-flick, if you ask us! And yes, this is definitely worth an all-day binge.

Available on the Apple Store for rental at $4.98 each, purchase at $14.98 each or $39.98 as a bundle.

 

ALSO READ: THE CURSE OF THE ETERNALLY SINGLE GIRL AND 10 WAYS TO BREAK THE CYCLE

 

 3) Elf

At one point of time we all wished we lived with Santa or his elves. This time round, Buddy, who’s lived in the North Pole since he was a baby, just wants to leave. He wrecks havoc in the elf community, and so he heads to New York to find his real father. Eventually Buddy gets what he wants – he’s reunited with his father and could possibly get the girl. But everything threatens to tumble down when his chaotic nature follows him to the Big Apple.

This Christmas classic has always been on our list so it would be impossible for it not to be up here. 

Available on Netflix here.

 

 4) Ghosts of Girlfriends Past

We can’t even stand seeing our exes in the same bus as us, what more seeing all of them. Womaniser Connor Mead is at a wedding – his ex’s sister’s wedding. As usual, he wonders how he could end up with another woman on his list. But when he’s confronted by girlfriends from his past, present and future, he realises that another woman isn’t what he needs. Maybe she’s just under his nose.

This comical movie takes us through the entire lifetime of a budding relationship – how it began, how it fell, and what it has become. We won’t spoil the ending for you, you’ve got to watch it yourself!

Available on the Apple Store for rental at $4.98, or purchase at $14.98.

 

ALSO READ: HOW CELEBRITIES LIKE JEANETTE AW AND JOANNE PEH SPEND THEIR WEEKEND

 

 5) Happy Christmas

Christmas is the time for all things lovey dovey, so being dumped right before it is the worst thing possible. This comedy/ drama follows Jenny (played by Anna Kendrick) as she brings her destructive nature into the quiet, stable home of her brother, his wife, and their two-year-old toddler. It’s all about new beginnings and how family will always be there through your second and third failures.

Unlike the other movies, Happy Christmas is the truest of all – the dialogue in the film was completely improvised. We also love that it shows how having a man isn’t everything and it reminds us that a family’s love never stops burning.

Available on Netflix here.

 

 6) The Polar Express

A little magic and belief makes Christmas all the more wondrous. It’s the story of a young boy as he journeys to the North Pole by train. Through it he discovers a little more about himself and discovers how the wonder of life never fades – as long as we always believe.

This classic gives us all the wintery emotions of warmth and happiness. On another level, it reminds us of what this season is truly about – giving and believing.

Available on Netflix here.

 

 7) Love Actually

9 different stories all connected by one universal theme – love. A British Prime Minister who falls in love with his young staff, a woman who falls in love with her fiance’s best friend, and a young boy who’s charmed by his classmate’s voice. These are just a few of the stories that carry through the magical holiday.

We love how love (sorry not sorry) is explored through different characters, with completely different personalities. It gives you different perspectives and portrays love in different manners. Watching it gives the euphoric feeling you get when you see the people around you fall in love. Just trust us, if you haven’t already watched it, you need to.

Available on Netflix from Nov 15th.

 

 8) New Year’s Eve

It’s all the emotions and thoughts we experience as the New Year looms in – forgiveness, promises, resolutions and of course, love. Set in modern day New York, we see the lives of different couples and singles unravelling over the course of New Year’s Eve. There’s a lady in her 40s who wants to check all the boxes on her bucket list before the New Year, then there’s a couple who wants to have their child at the stroke of midnight.

These stories, while seemingly unconnected, put to light the little (and the big) moments that make us smile.

Available on Netflix here.

 

ALSO READ: FESTIVITIES AT MALLS AND WAYS TO DO GOOD THIS CHRISTMAS

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