Happy Boxing Day! Today I want to share my guide to the best British Christmas movies with you. Since this is a popular time of year to cozy up in front of the TV, I thought I’d bring you some of my favorite films to watch during the festive season. From timeless classics to modern hits and animated movies, there’s something for everyone to watch right now.
British Christmas Movies
My list of British Christmas movies spans both time and genre. From old favorites to new releases, serious dramas to lighthearted comedies, there’s no shortage of Christmas movies set in the UK you’ll love.
These festive films will also inspire your inner traveler. From the countryside to the cities, these movies cover the UK from coast to coast. Watching them always has me itching to travel to where they’re set, and I hope the same is true for you.
The List
This isn’t meant to be an exhaustive list of every British Christmas film ever made. It’s my own list of movies I personally think are worth watching during the festive season.
If you want more ideas, you can check out my lists of films set in London, movies set in Scotland, and films set in Wales. I’ve also written about road trip movies and travel films if you’re interested.
1. A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol is one of the most popular Christmas stories ever told. It first captured people’s hearts when Charles Dickens published it as a novella in 1843, and it’s been turned into everything from theatrical productions to TV shows and films since then.
Speaking of movies, there are multiple versions to choose from. Films of A Christmas Carol have been made since the 1930s. Whether you have time to watch one or all, you’re bound to find a version you love (the 1984 one is often thought to be the best).
If you’re really into A Christmas Carol, you’ll also enjoy The Muppet Christmas Carol. This is a sweet retelling of the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge through the eyes of the famous puppets.
If you want to do a deep dive, Scrooge: A Christmas Carol and a range of other Scrooge-based movies are good ones to watch. You can also check out The Man Who Invented Christmas, a film about the journey that led Dickens to write the famous tale.
Whatever you decide, these movies will transport you back in time to the Victorian era. Scenes from various adaptations have been filmed in places like Temple, Shrewsbury, Hampstead, and Rainham Hall.
If you’re in the UK, you can get the 1984 adaptation on Amazon here. If you’re in the US, you can get it here.
2. Love Actually
One of my favorite British Christmas movies is Love Actually. Set in and around London, it’s been a classic since it hit the theaters in 2003.
If you haven’t seen it, Love Actually is the story of eight couples and their various love lives. Their stories mix and mingle throughout the film, and the result is both romantic and heartwarming.
The movie features scenes that take place all throughout the UK capital. From the banks of the Thames to St Luke’s Mews in Notting Hill, you can see a lot of famous filming locations in London as you watch.
If you’re in the UK, you can get Love Actually on Amazon here. If you’re in the US, you can get it here.
3. The Holiday
Given I was born and raised in California, I can’t help loving The Holiday. This British Christmas movie is as romantic as they get.
If you need a refresher, The Holiday is about a lovelorn woman in Los Angeles who swaps homes with a similarly unlucky-in-love woman in the English countryside. Both women end up finding romance over Christmas.
The British part of the movie was filmed in Shere in Surrey. It’s the perfect chocolate-box village, and an ideal backdrop for a romantic Christmas film.
If you’re in the UK, you can get The Holiday on Amazon here. If you’re in the US, you can get it here.
4. Bridget Jones’s Diary
Bridget Jones’s Diary is one of my favorite British Christmas comedy movies. While not ostensibly about the festive season, the film starts and ends at Christmas. In fact, the opening scenes take place at a Christmas party.
If you’re not familiar with the plot, it’s a contemporary Pride & Prejudice story. The heroine meets a man she initially can’t stand, but over the course of time things start to change.
The movie features scenes shot around Borough Market and other parts of London. Nearby places like Stoke Park and Shere feature in the film, too.
If you’re in the UK, you can get Bridget Jones’s Diary on Amazon here. If you’re in the US, you can get it here.
5. The Snowman
If you love animated films, The Snowman is one of the best British Christmas movies to watch this season. It’s one of my favorite holiday movies, and it’s fun for kids of all ages.
If you haven’t seen it, The Snowman is about the magic and wonder of Christmas as experienced by a little boy who builds a snowman that comes to life. With beautiful animation and memorable music, it’s a classic.
If you like it, you can also watch the sequel, The Snowman and The Snowdog. It was created to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the original.
The Snowman and The Snowdog is about a boy who moves into the house of the original story’s protagonist. He has adventures of his own with a snowman and a snowdog.
If you’re in the UK, you can get The Snowman on Amazon here. If you’re in the US, you can get it here.
6. About a Boy
About a Boy is another of my favorite British Christmas movies. Like Bridget Jones’s Diary, it’s not a festive film on the face of it. But there are scenes of Christmas parties and gift exchanges, and they’re integral to the plot.
If you haven’t seen it, this heartwarming tale is about a young boy who becomes friends with a man (played by Hugh Grant) who’s stuck in boyhood. Ironically, the boy teaches the man how to grow up.
About a Boy was filmed in locations as far flung as Clerkenwell, Kentish Town, Notting Hill, and Wandsworth. There’s even a scene that takes place at the zoo.
If you’re in the UK, you can get About a Boy on Amazon here. If you’re in the US, you can get it here.
7. Arthur Christmas
Arthur Christmas is another of my favorite animated British Christmas movies. This sweet story is the perfect family film to watch on Boxing Day.
If you you’re not familiar with the plot, it follows Santa’s clumsy young son Arthur as he sets out with Grandsanta to deliver a misplaced present to a girl on Christmas Day.
Produced by Sony Pictures Animation and the beloved Aardman Animations, this film features the voices of famous actors like James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, and Laura Linney.
If you’re in the UK, you can get Arthur Christmas on Amazon here. If you’re in the US, you can get it here.
8. Last Christmas
Next on my list is Last Christmas. This romantic British Christmas movie is a fun one to watch if you like something that doesn’t follow the usual plot line.
If you haven’t seen it, this film is about a frustrated aspiring singer who works as an elf in a year-round Christmas shop in London. After meeting a charming man, she starts to change her life as Christmas approaches. I won’t spoil the rest.
Scenes from Last Christmas were filmed in Covent Garden, Piccadilly Circus, the Strand, Regent Street, the Embankment, Marylebone, and other places around London.
If you’re in the UK, you can get Last Christmas on Amazon here. If you’re in the US, you can get it here.
9. A Boy Called Christmas
Next on my list is A Boy Called Christmas. This is another great feel-good British Christmas movie, and it’s a fun one for the whole family.
If you’re not familiar with the plot, A Boy Called Christmas is a fantasy film about a child who embarks on an adventure into the snowy north to search for his father, who set out to discover a fabled elf village.
Based on a book by popular author by Matt Haig, this movie features Henry Lawfull, Maggie Smith, Jim Broadbent, Kristen Wiig, and other well-known actors. Filming locations include Regent’s Park Road and Keystone Crescent in King’s Cross.
If you’re in the UK, you can get A Boy Called Christmas on Amazon here.
Best British Christmas Movies
I hope you’ve enjoyed my list of British Christmas movies and that it’s helped you find something good to watch. Whether you’re into comedies, romances, or animated films, there’s something you’ll love. Happy holidays!
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