It’s the most wonderful time of the year...to watch movies. From the day after Thanksgiving through New Year's Eve, we are given the opportunity to watch some of our favorite films and TV specials that just don’t feel right to watch any other time of year: the ones that are all about the holidays. Yet, there is one thing that can truly ruin the holiday movie experience: buffering.
Buffering should be added to the list of things that ruin Christmas, right next to the Grinch, Ebenezer Scrooge, and travel delays. Luckily, though, there’s a simple way to avoid this naughty viewing frustration: downloading videos to your mobile device.
Whether you’re on a flight home for the holidays, commuting to work before your time off kicks in, or sitting at home in front of the fire, downloaded videos make sure you can watch the holiday movies you love seamlessly—even when you don’t have a strong wifi or cellular connection. Here are some of our favorite holiday videos that you can download to watch this holiday season, from some of the top streaming video providers’ mobile apps.
Scrooged (Showtime)
A PG-13 comedic take on A Christmas Carol starring Bill Murray as a depraved executive? What more do we need to say?
Serendipity (Starz)
No time of year is more romantic than December, and Serendipity is a perfect love story for the holidays. John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale play star-crossed lovers who meet on Christmas Eve.
It’s a Wonderful Life (Prime)
This isn’t just one of the best holiday movies, it’s one of the best movies of all time. The Frank Capra film is a timeless tale of hope in the face of struggle, and Jimmy Stewart’s performance is iconic.
A Bad Moms Christmas (Showtime)
The holidays can make moms feel stressed out and underappreciated (why does Santa get all the credit?). A Bad Mom’s Christmas shows a hilarious group of moms (played by Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn, and Susan Sarandon) getting into holiday hijinks.
White Christmas (Netflix)
Nothing says Christmas like the sound of Bing Crosby singing. In this classic 1950s movie musical comedy, you can watch him and a host of iconic 1950s stars sing classic Christmas songs and more.
The Cat In the Hat Knows a Lot About Christmas (Starz)
The Cat in the Hat is one of the most beloved kids’ book characters of all time. In this kid-friendly hour-long special, Martin Short voices the Cat as he, the children, and the fish work to help a lost baby reindeer find its way home.
Great British Baking Show: Holidays (Netflix)
The Great British Baking Show is the most wholesome TV contest of all time, and this holiday spin shows incredible bakers making aspirational holiday treats.
Disney’s A Christmas Carol (Starz)
This animated take on the classic Christmas book by Charles Dickens is supported by the star power of Jim Carey and is spookier than many other versions.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Netflix)
Of course, there’s more than one classic Christmas tale starring Jim Carrey. He’s perhaps even more known for his live-action version of the Grinch in How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
Happy Christmas (CBS All Access)
Anna Kendrick stars a young woman struggling with adulthood, who moves in with her brother and his family after a breakup. Lena Dunham is also featured in this 2014 drama-comedy set at Christmas time.
Nightmare Before Christmas (Disney+)
What’s this? What’s this? Just the best movie about a Pumpkin King discovering how wonderful Christmas is.
Lifetime Christmas movies (Lifetime)
If you love Lifetime movies, you probably already know there are tons of Christmas movies produced by the channel. We couldn’t pick just one, but if you download the Lifetime app, you’ll see all the Christmas content available to download.
Home Alone (Disney+)
Perhaps the most iconic Christmas movie of the 1990s, Home Alone has a funny way of showing that you don’t want to be alone during the holidays.
Happy holidays and happy downloading from Penthera!
