Jasmine Birtles
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How to watch Christmas films for free!
Isobel Lawrance
11th Dec 2022
You may not have streaming services like Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime. Perhaps you’ve unsubscribed this year to save some money. In either case, don’t worry! We have been dutifully looking for some free Christmas films for anyone to watch. You don’t need to pay anything as these are free services (although you may be required to log in to some of them).
YOUTUBE
Rooting around YouTube will give you a ton of ideas as to what movies are out there: you may find something unexpected. In 1971, the not-quite-yet ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ animator Richard Williams created a wonderful version of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.
It is animated in the style of 1800s engravings and features the voices of Alistair Sim, Michael Redgrave, and even Michael Hordern, reprising his 1951 performance as Marley’s Ghost. There are a few adaptations of this festive morality tale of course, and this is one of the best.
While the Hallmark Channel isn’t available in the UK, you can watch loads of their Christmas films for free on the official Hallmark Youtube Channel if you sign up for the YouTube Premium Free Trial – just remember to CANCEL IT before the trial finishes to avoid being charged!
Watch Christmas films on YouTube here.
TPTV
If you prefer a live action version of A Christmas Carol, there is an excellent version of Scrooge from 1935 over on this great oldies website. The site also has reams of TV and film titles. Whether you fancy a comedy, drama, war film or western, there are many exclusive titles you can’t find anywhere else.
You know the story by now: Ebenezer Scrooge (Seymour Hicks) is persuaded to change his ways at Christmas through visitations from the ghosts of Christmas past, present and yet-to-come.
Watch here.
CHANNEL 4
Channel 4 is available on Freeview and on-demand via the All4 service. It is free and requires quick registration so that you can watch it on smartphones, tablets, computers or your TV. You have to sit through ad breaks but that’s a small price to pay to get so much content for free. If you don’t have a TV licence, you can’t watch the live TV stream – but you can watch the On Demand or Catch Up programmes.
We’re going with the best Christmas film of all time (except for that one with Bruce Willis) – It’s A Wonderful Life. Originally a post-war flop in 1946, none other than Humphrey Bogart was partly responsible for creating the buzz around Frank Capra’s magnum opus by screening it to his family every year.
You really can’t get better than James Stewart’s heartbreaking performance as George Bailey, and the film has been an influence on everything from Gremlins to Back to the Future.
Watch here.
ITVX
Like Channel 4, ITV has its own online presence with ITVX. You can’t watch the live broadcasts without a TV licence, but you can watch the on demand content. There is an ENTIRE Christmas section available with some classics and modern must-watches. From Home Alone to Uncle Buck, or even festive episodes of your favourites like Midsummer Murders, there’s something for everyone.
You can sign up for premium if you want to skip the adverts – but otherwise, it’s free to watch. Check out the Christmas section here.
THE INTERNET ARCHIVE
We didn’t say these would all be good Christmas films, did we? A case in point is Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964). If you are a bit tipsy or up for a laugh with some eggnog, this film may be for you. This is pure schlock (in our opinion!) from director Nicholas Webster.
Mr Webster was definitely channeling Ed Wood with this kitsch nonsense. John Call is Santa and an eleven-year-old Pia Zadora is Girmar, one of the Martian children. Trust us: once you’ve experienced this, you won’t ever have quite the same Christmas again.
Watch here.
FILMZIE
Filmzie boasts films and TV shows, with the unique selling point of indie films from lesser-known filmmakers. Said filmmakers will benefit when you watch something they have created, usually outside of the film industry system.
They also offer an app for smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung TVs and more.
Our final free recommendation is Shelby, The Dog Who Saved Christmas (2014) which has the benefit of a wisecracking Chevy Chase and a cute orphaned dog (voiced by Rob Schneider) who is taken in by a kind family on Christmas Eve. He has to hide from a dog catcher and a nasty great dane. One for all the family.
Watch here.
Free Trial Amazon Prime
There are loads of Christmas films on Amazon Prime – and if you haven’t had an account before, you can get a 30-day free trial! This is plenty of time to see you through the Christmas period with lots of festive films. Remember to cancel your trial before it ends, otherwise you’ll pay a minimum of £9.99 a month for Prime.
Always check what you’re clicking on though: Prime is a bit sneaky because it puts paid-for channels and shows in with the free ones. Thankfully, there is a safety net in that it will ask you if you want to purchase before you accidentally buy something!
So, there you have it, a wide range of Christmas films to enjoy, and new platforms to explore – all for free!. There are many more great watches on these sites, so have a root around. We hope you enjoy this cross-section of truly great Christmas movies that won’t cost you anything to watch.
Happy festive season!
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