Christmas Romance Movies

Christmas love stories, from a 1954 musical where nothing goes past a kiss to grown-up romances with R ratings. They're shown gentlest first, by guide age, and each note says what the love story is, who it suits and what's on screen.

Every pick comes from our parents' guide and has a guide age between 6 and 16, but only two are under 12: White Christmas and The Princess Switch, fine from 6 and 8. Most sit at 13 to 15, mainly for implied sex, drinking and swearing, and Love Actually and Carol are R-rated, both with nudity. A few films famous for a romance aren't here because the love story isn't the center: George and Mary's courtship is a highlight of It's a Wonderful Life, and Buddy and Jovie's of Elf, but both films are about something else.

For It's a Wonderful Life and the rest of the old favorites, see Classic Christmas Movies and Specials; for Elf and other laughs, Funny Christmas Movies. Teenagers will find several of these on Christmas Movies for Tweens and Teens, and the R-rated pair are also on Christmas Movies for Grown-Ups. The Christmas movie guide sorts every Christmas title we've checked by age, and for the rest of the year there's Romantic Comedies That Actually Work.

• White Christmas

  Movie · 1954

  Two romances for the price of one, and the most chaste on this page. Phil and Judy fake an engagement to push Bob and Betty together, and a misunderstanding about Bob's TV plans sends Betty off to New York. Fine for six-year-olds, though they may drift during the love songs. There's kissing and close dancing, nothing more, cocktails at a nightclub, and a big number that salutes the old minstrel shows, a racist tradition kids may need explained.

  Where to stream →6+ Parents' guide

• The Princess Switch

  Movie · 2018

  Vanessa Hudgens plays both a Chicago baker and the look-alike duchess she swaps places with, and each falls for someone in the other's life: the baker for the duchess's prince, the duchess for the baker's best friend, a single dad. Sweet, predictable, fine from eight. Flags are tiny: one remark about sleeping with a judge to win, and a plot that runs on lies.

  Where to stream →8+ Parents' guide

• Edward Scissorhands

  Movie · 1990

  The saddest love story here: Winona Ryder's Kim, a popular girl who first fears him, slowly falls for Johnny Depp's Edward, who can't hold her without his blades hurting her. His ice sculpting, with Kim dancing in the falling snow, is the scene everyone remembers. From twelve: expect about ten swear words, insults like 'retarded,' a married neighbor's failed seduction that ends in a false assault claim, Edward getting drunk and sick, and a deadly fight.

  Where to stream →12+ Parents' guide

• Dash & Lily

  Series · 2020

  The only series here: Dash, a cynic who can't stand Christmas, and Lily, who adores it, start falling for each other through a red notebook of dares before they've ever met. From Rachel Cohn and David Levithan's novel. Best from thirteen. To know: Dash helps himself to his father's brandy and older friends pass a flask, Lily's brother is caught in bed with his boyfriend more than once, one scene implies oral sex under the covers, and Lily has a panic attack at a party.

  Where to stream →13+ Parents' guide

• The Holiday

  Movie · 2006

  Two love stories from one house swap: Cameron Diaz's Amanda falls for Jude Law as Iris's brother, Graham, while Kate Winslet's Iris gets over a man who strings her along and finds Jack Black's film composer. Best from thirteen. Amanda and Graham sleep together the night they meet, with morning-after scenes in bed but no nudity, and the heavy drinking is mostly comic. There's one f-word, and in a bleak moment heartbroken Iris breathes in gas from her oven before snapping out of it.

  Where to stream →13+ Parents' guide

• Last Christmas

  Movie · 2019

  Paul Feig's romance runs on a mystery: Henry Golding's Tom keeps turning up, telling Kate to look up, then vanishing for days. Keep the twist unspoiled if you can. Best from thirteen. Kate's one-night stands happen off screen, though she wakes in a stranger's bed, apparently naked under a blanket. Expect about ten s-words alongside slang like 'wanker' and 'shag,' and Kate keeps drinking against her doctors' advice.

  Where to stream →13+ Parents' guide

• Happiest Season

  Movie · 2020

  Clea DuVall's comedy is a love story under strain: Abby plans to propose to Harper at Christmas, then learns Harper's parents don't know they're together. Aubrey Plaza, as Harper's ex, becomes the friend Abby needs. Best from thirteen. Besides the kissing and one off-screen night together, expect a handful of s-words and a rare f-word, lots of party drinking, a slapstick brawl between sisters that topples the tree, and drag-show innuendo.

  Where to stream →13+ Parents' guide

• The Family Stone

  Movie · 2005

  The romance here is a reshuffle: Dermot Mulroney's Everett brings Sarah Jessica Parker's tightly wound Meredith home to propose, and by the end the couples have rearranged, with Luke Wilson and Claire Danes in the mix. Best from fourteen. There's on-screen pot smoking, with Dad sitting right there; a fight between brothers bloodies faces, Meredith wakes in the wrong bed after a night of drinking, and the mother's terminal cancer hangs over everything.

  Where to stream →14+ Parents' guide

• Love Actually

  Movie · 2003

  Richard Curtis's sprawl of about ten London love stories, from Colin Firth learning Portuguese for his housekeeper to Andrew Lincoln's cue-card confession on a doorstep. Rated R; save it for fifteen and up: a pair of body doubles act out movie sex scenes naked, Bill Nighy's aging rock star performs naked behind a guitar and jokes about free drugs, the f-word comes up more than once, and some jokes about weight have aged badly.

  Where to stream →15+ Parents' guide

• Carol

  Movie · 2015

  Todd Haynes's film of Patricia Highsmith's novel, and the most restrained romance here: Rooney Mara's shop girl and Cate Blanchett's married Carol say with glances what neither can say aloud. It's R, and sixteen is our age. A road trip brings one tasteful but frank bedroom scene with breast nudity; there are two f-words, a private detective secretly recording them, and Carol pointing a gun at him.

  Where to stream →16+ Parents' guide

🎄 All 55 Christmas movies and specials, sorted by age →

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Picks are editorial recommendations. Streaming availability changes by region and over time — the “where to stream” links check current availability on JustWatch.