The best free streaming services are full of great movies to keep you entertained over the festive period and beyond.
Whether you’re looking for a Christmas classic or something else entirely, I’ve picked out some big movies to enjoy over the holidays – and because I love a good scare at any time of the year, a couple of the best horror movies in here too.
Without further delay, here are five must-watches to stream absolutely free this week.
Miracle on 34th Street (Samsung TV Plus)
Release date: November 18, 1994
Length: 114 minutes
Director: Les Mayfield
Main cast: Richard Attenborough, Elizabeth Perkins, Dylan McDermott, J. T. Walsh, James Remar, Mara Wilson
Kicking things off with a festive favorite, Miracle on 34th Street is always great way to celebrate Christmas, and it’s a movie I rewatch every year. It’s great for the whole family, and amid a few familiar names and faces it stars the legendary Richard Attenborough.
Six-year-old Susan Walker (Mara Wilson) is skeptical of the existence of Santa Claus, a trait inherited from her mother, Dorey. But when Dorey is tasked with hiring the Santa for the department store where she works, she ends up choosing a man named Kris Kringle (Attenborough) who claims to be the real Santa.
A Christmas Carol (Pluto TV)
Release date: 17 December 1984
Length: 100 minutes
Director: Clive Donner
Main cast: George C. Scott, Frank Finlay, David Warner, Susannah York, Edward Woodward
There have been several movie adaptations of A Christmas Carol, but this 1984 version has always had a place in my heart – and with its 98% Rotten Tomatoes score, plenty of critics love it too.
It’s a faithful retelling of Charles Dickens’ novel, following the bah-ing and humbugging of Ebenezer Scrooge, a bad-tempered misery who’s shown the folly of his ways on Christmas Eve when he encounters three spirits representing the past, present and future.
Cabin Fever (The Roku Channel)
Release date: September 12, 2003
Length: 94 minutes
Director: Eli Roth
Main cast: Rider Strong, Jordan Ladd, James DeBello, Cerina Vincent, Joey Kern
If you’d rather watch a horror flick, I was thrilled to see this one in the listings. Eli Roth has made some brilliant movies, like Hostel and Thanksgiving (the latter is on Netflix), and Cabin Fever is another that you shouldn’t miss.
Cabin Fever marks Roth’s directorial debut, and the story was actually inspired by a real-life experience when he developed a skin infection during a trip. Here, the film follows a group of college students who rent a cabin in the woods (as in any good horror movie) and fall victim to an unknown flesh-eating disease.
Zombieland (Fubo TV)
Release date: October 2, 2009
Length: 88 minutes
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Main cast: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin
If you’re a fan of zombie movies you won’t want to miss this hilarious love letter to the genre. It’s by turns gloriously gory and hilariously tongue-in-cheek so it’s perfect if you like a healthy helping of humor with your horror.
Four survivors head out on a cross-country road trip to try and seek sanctuary from a zombie outbreak. It’s a beloved movie for a reason, and Woody Harrelson’s character Tallahassee is undoubtedly the star of the show, delivering my favorite performance of his.
Happy Gilmore (Tubi)
Release date: February 16, 1996
Length: 92 minutes
Director: Dennis Dugan
Main cast: Adam Sandler, Christopher McDonald, Julie Bowen, Carl Weathers
Finally, comedy fans will be pleased to hear that Happy Gilmore is streaming for free. This is my personal favorite Adam Sandler movie, despite me having absolutely no interest in golf, and I can highly recommend it.
Sandler’s iconic character is a failed hockey player who joins the PGA golf tour in a bid to make some money to save his grandma’s house. He and other cast members returned years later in a Netflix sequel that’s equally as good.
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