Fancy a fresh festive film? Here are all the new Christmas movies of 2023

Virgin Radio

22 Dec 2023, 14:59

Credit: Prime Video / Sky / Netflix

If you’ve watched Home Alone, Elf and every other Christmas classic going, then this list of new festive movies is for you!

There’s only so many times you can hunker down with Love Actually or The Muppets Christmas Carol, and sometimes you just want something new to enjoy.

With that in mind, the elves here at virginradio.co.uk have put together a rundown of the new festive films to tuck into!

Candy Cane Lane

Eddie Murphy stars in this holiday comedy adventure about a man on a mission to win his neighbourhood’s annual Christmas home decoration contest.

After his character inadvertently makes a deal with a mischievous elf named Pepper to better his chances of winning, she casts a magic spell that brings the 12 Days of Christmas to life and wreaks havoc on the whole town.

Tracee Ellis Ross, Jillian Bell and Parks & Recreation’s Nick Offerman also star in this feel-good comedy.

Candy Cane Lane is available to watch on Prime Video now.

Genie

A little bit of fantasy now, and Melissa McCarthy teams up with Paapa Essiedu for Richard Curtis’ latest festive epic, Genie.

Tammy star Melissa plays a magical genie who helps a workaholic man to help win his family back before Christmas.

Richard recently stopped by The Chris Evans Breakfast Show with cinch to chat about the heartwarming flick, explaining: “It's, I hope, a very funny and joyful film. It's based on a film I originally made with Alan Cumming, Lenny Henry and Rowan Atkinson. Alan Cumming has aged. He was, like, 25 then. He's now 55. And he is playing the villain.

“He is playing Rowan's part in it. But the genie is now played by Melissa McCarthy. She is fabulous. I mean, she's such a sweet woman and a funny woman.”

Genie is available to watch on Sky Cinema now.

Dashing Through the Snow

Fast and Furious star Ludacris and Get Out’s Lil Rel Howery are at the heart of a touching new story about a Christmas Eve journey to remember in Dashing Through The Snow.

Social worker Eddie (Ludacris) turned his back on Christmas after a traumatic childhood experience, and persuades his daughter, Charlotte (Madison Skye Validum) to go to work with him on Christmas Eve.

Their lives change forever when they meet a mysterious man in a red suit (Lil Rel Howery) who evokes the wrath of a local politician (Oscar Nunez), so it’s up to Eddie and Charlotte to restore his faith in Christmas.

Dashing Through The Snow is available to watch on Disney+

Family Switch

Ed Helms and Jennifer Garner are in a Freaky Friday situation in this body-swap festive comedy.

Just days before Christmas, a family descends into chaos when a rare planetary alignment causes parents Bill and Jess Walker (Helms and Garner) and their two kids Wyatt (Brady Noon) and CeeCee (Emma Myers) to switch bodies.

Will they make it back into their real bodies in time for Christmas?

Family Switch is available to watch on Netflix.

The Bad Guys: A Very Bad Holiday

Following on from the success of their 2022 animated adventure, Mr Wolf and the gang are back for The Bad Guys: A Very Bad Holiday.

In a prequel to the original film, the Bad Guys decide Christmas morning is the perfect time to execute their city-wide holiday heist. But when Christmas is cancelled, the Bad Guys have to come together in order to save the city’s Christmas spirit.

The Bad Guys: A Very Bad Holiday is out on Netflix now.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever

Speaking of animated features, Diary of a Wimpy Kid is back with the very first adaptation of festive adventure Cabin Fever.

Disaster-prone middle school student Greg Heffley is struggling to rake in the good points in order to get the video game console of his dream, but things go from bad to worse when he’s snowed in with his family, including grumpy older brother Rodrick and annoying younger brother Manny.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever stars The Mandalorian star Wesley Kimmel as Greg, Power Rangers actress Erica Cerra as Susan Heffley and Deadpool 2 star Hunter Dillon as Rodrick.