Christmas is the season of giving. Few things feel better than gifting a present to a loved one. Buy enough of them, and the money adds up, cutting into your daily expenses. Assuming you like to watch movies, streaming services are probably a priority within your budget. Like holiday presents, streaming services are rather expensive.
To save money, take advantage of a FAST service, which stands for “free ad-supported television.” These services are free at sign-up. A few ads will run during your feature presentation, but that’s not a big deal, considering the movies are free. Plus, these services have a wide variety of holiday movies. Try streaming one of these movies below.
Happiest Season (2020)
This holiday season Hulu’s serving up an original Christmas movie that’s funny, star-studded, and featuring a lot of the kinds of characters you don’t often find in holiday fare. Kristen Stewart stars as Abby, who’s so devoted to her girlfriend Harper (Mackenzie Davis) that she’s ready to pop the question. But on the way to Harper’s family home for Christmas, Harper drops a bomb — she hasn’t come out to her conservative family yet, meaning Abby’s going to have to play at being something she’s not. At the same time she bends over backward to hide the truth from Harper’s family, Abby has to struggle with her growing doubts about Harper. With a top-notch comedic cast including Dan Levy (Schitt’s Creek) as Abby’s best friend, Aubrey Plaza (Agatha All Along) as Harper’s no-nonsense ex-girlfriend, and Alison Brie (Community) as Harper’s older sister, Happiest Season is a perfect holiday rom-com sure to keep you laughing and crying in all the right places.
Stream The Polar Express on Hulu
Christmas Crush (2019)
Addie (Cindy Sampson) is all about the holidays, so much so that she concocts a plan to send off a magical Christmas wish to the Kringle powers that be. Her wish: Get her neighbor Sam (Robin Dunne) to fall in love with her. Unfortunately for Addie, her dream backfire, and her other neighbor, Pete (Chris Violette), starts falling for her instead. Recruiting Sam, it’s up to Addie and her crush to fend off Pete’s over-the-top romantic gestures.
Stream Christmas Crush on Hulu.
Christmas with the Kranks (2023)
Christmas with the Kranks should really be called Christmas with the Grinches. Luther (Tim Allen) and Nora Krank (Jamie Lee Curtis) are not in the Christmas spirit. When their daughter Blair (Julie Gonzalo) plans to spend the holiday in Peru, Luther and Nora decide to abandon Christmas in favor of a Caribbean cruise.
This decision to forgo Christmas does not sit well with their neighbors, Vic Frohmeyer (Dan Aykroyd) and Walt Scheel (M. Emmet Walsh). Fast forward to Christmas Eve: The Kranks are packing for their vacation when Blair informs them that she will return for Christmas after all. Now, Luther and Nora must somehow decorate and prepare for a holiday party one day before their daughter gets home.
Stream Christmas with the Kranks for free on Prime Video.
The Polar Express (2004)
At the time of its release, The Polar Express got a lot of flack for the uncanny valley in the faces of its leading characters. Those were the result of early CGI motion-capture performances. And yet it doesn’t matter, because two decades later, this adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg’s children’s novel has become a holiday classic.
Tom Hanks voices a lot of characters in this film, including the conductor of the Polar Express, a magical train that takes children to meet Santa Claus (Hanks). But first, a boy (Daryl Sabara) and a girl (Nona Gaye) have to help the Polar Express get past some complications along the way.
Stream The Polar Express for free on Hulu
EXmas (2023)
Nothing puts people in the Christmas spirit more than a rom-com. EXmas is like a Hallmark movie with a bigger budget, better actors, and fewer G-rated storylines. Graham Stoop (Robbie Amell) is a tech employee living in Los Angeles. For Christmas, Graham is supposed to work, but instead, he decides to fly home to Minnesota and surprise his family.
Upon arrival, Graham learns that his family invited Graham’s ex-fiancée, Ali (Leighton Meester), to their Christmas. Even though Graham is related by blood, the family still loves Ali and feels like she’s part of the family. The holiday now becomes a game of one-upmanship as Graham and Ali battle for the right to spend the holiday with Graham’s family. Despite the nonsensical premise, Amell and Meester have enough great chemistry to make EXmas an effective rom-com.
Stream EXmas for free on Prime Video.
Bad Santa (2003)
Make sure the kids go to sleep before watching Bad Santa. As the name says, this Santa is not in the Christmas spirit. Willie T. Stokes (Billy Bob Thornton) and his partner, Marcus Skidmore (Tony Cox), are professional criminals who specialize in thievery around the holidays. Every year, Willie gets a job in a mall as Santa and hires Marcus as his elf.
On Christmas Eve, the duo steals from the stores inside the mall. This year, Willie is off his game as alcoholism and a sex addiction take over his life. To make matters worse, a young boy named Thurman Merman (Brett Kelly) causes Willie to reevaluate his life. Is this bad Santa about to grow a heart, or is the alcoholic buzz starting to wear off?
Stream Bad Santa for free on Pluto TV.
