Movies

Elf

Looking for cosy vibes? Elf is the cinematic comfort blanket for you. Buddy (Will Ferrell), raised among Santa’s elves, discovers he’s actually human and heads to the ‘magical’ land of New York City to find his biological father. Mistaken for a department-store elf thanks to his outfit, Buddy spreads chaotic cheer everywhere he goes. Ferrell’s boundless, childlike joy makes this film the warm hug you didn’t know you needed.

A Christmas Carol (2009)

Directed by Robert Zemeckis, this dark, animated adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic novel follows stingy miser Ebenezer Scrooge, who works as a moneylender in Victorian London. He hates Christmas and all its merriment, and only barely agrees to let his employee spend Christmas with his family. Haunted by his business partner that Christmas Eve night, he gets visits from three spirits who bring him on a journey through his life. Jim Carrey goes full chameleon in this movie, playing not only Scrooge but all three Ghosts of Christmas. 
 
Moody, atmospheric, and surprisingly emotional, this version of A Christmas Carol gives the old tale a fresh, spectral shimmer.

The Holdovers

What’s worse than working during Christmas? Being stuck at a boarding school with the students and staff who didn’t get to go home. That’s the fate of Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti), a grumpy classics teacher marooned on campus with a grieving teen, Angus (Dominic Sessa), and the school’s lonely head cook, Mary (Da’Vine Joy Randolph). Over awkward meals and long winter days, the trio forges a connection and forms an unexpected makeshift family. Tender, funny, and quietly moving, The Holdovers has quickly earned its place as a modern holiday favourite.

Miracle on 34th Street (1994)

A man is arrested for insisting he’s the real Santa Claus — which feels very festive, depending on how you look at it. In this beloved remake of the 1947 classic film, Richard Attenborough plays Kris Kringle, a department-store Santa who believes he’s the genuine article. When he meets Susan (Mara Wilson), a no-nonsense little girl who doesn’t believe in Santa, her Christmas wish list changes everything. Part courtroom drama, part magical fable, this heartwarming Christmas movie might just make you believe in miracles again.

Die Hard

Is Die Hard a Christmas movie? Absolutely — if your holiday traditions include barefoot heroics, explosions, and iconic one-liners. Set during an office Christmas party gone wrong, the film follows NYPD cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) as he single-handedly rescues hostages (including his estranged wife) from suave villain — and possibly the coolest one in action-movie history — Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman). It’s loud, clever, endlessly quotable and, yes, watching it in December is practically a festive rite. 

Hi Noel

Singapore’s first Christmas movie delivers heartfelt (and local) holiday charm. Young Leon escapes his parents’ collapsing marriage and broken family by confiding in his imaginary friend Noel, who always seems impossibly cheerful — and Leon wants to know why. Along the way, Leon navigates family fractures and learns forgiveness. Hi Noel blends family drama and holiday warmth in a way that feels unmistakably Singaporean.

Last Christmas

Inspired by the eponymous Wham! hit song (you know, the one that plays every Christmas), this romantic drama follows Kate (Emilia Clarke), a self-doubting aspiring singer who works as an elf in a year-round Christmas shop. Her life takes a turn when she meets Tom (Henry Golding), a charming stranger who nudges her toward self-acceptance and joy — though his mysterious absence from everyone else’s radar raises questions. With a soundtrack packed with Wham! hits and rare George Michael tracks, Last Christmas is equal parts sweet, swoony, and sing-along-ready. 

The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland

Can Santa save Christmas in Wonderland of all places? This animated musical mashes up Alice in Wonderland with Clement Clarke Moore’s poem, “’Twas the Night Before Christmas”, in delightfully whimsical fashion. When St Nick (Gerard Butler) receives a very overdue letter from the Princess of Hearts, he heads to Wonderland — only to find Christmas outlawed by the Queen of Hearts (Emilia Clarke). With Alice (Simone Ashley) by his side, it’s a race against time to restore holiday cheer.

TV

MasterChef Junior: Home for the Holidays

Holiday cooking shows don’t get more delightful — or more chaotic — than this. In this four-part special of MasterChef Junior, nine young chefs vie for a US$25,000 prize by whipping up festive dishes for celebrations ranging from Christmas and Kwanzaa to the Lunar New Year and Hanukkah. With Gordon Ramsay, his daughter Matilda ‘Tilly’ Ramsay, Aarón Sánchez, and Daphne Oz cheering (and taste-testing) on the sidelines, this wholesome cooking special serves up gastronomic inspiration with a dash of holiday cheer. 

The Great Christmas Bake Off 2024

It’s a soap-star showdown with this festive edition of The Great Christmas Bake Off. Cast members from EastEnders, Coronation Street, and other beloved UK soaps trade scripts for spatulas as they roll up their sleeves to make Christmas-themed bakes. They’ll have to tackle three yuletide challenges in the iconic white tent: baking a yule log, mini meringue Christmas trees and, for the Showstopper challenge, a biscuit scene depicting their favourite festive moment. Light, silly, and sugary-sweet, it’s exactly the kind of TV treat the holidays were made for.