[Back to blog](https://swooni.io/blog) # 6 Christmas Movies for Couples: Choose Your Kind of Evening Choose a Christmas film together with six options by mood, useful content notes and a simple way to end the scrolling. Swooni Team · 6 min read · October 2, 2026 The editorial and research team at Swooni ![A couple relaxing on a sofa and watching television](https://images.pexels.com/photos/27175973/pexels-photo-27175973.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&w=1600) Christmas FilmsDate NightShared Time ## In this post 1. [Choose the mood before choosing the title](#choose-the-mood-before-choosing-the-title) 2. [Elf (2003): when you want broad, playful comedy](#elf-2003-when-you-want-broad-playful-comedy) 3. [The Holiday (2006): when you want a home-swap romance](#the-holiday-2006-when-you-want-a-home-swap-romance) 4. [Happiest Season (2020): when you want romance and family tension](#happiest-season-2020-when-you-want-romance-and-family-tension) 5. [Klaus (2019): when you want an animated Christmas story](#klaus-2019-when-you-want-an-animated-christmas-story) 6. [Last Christmas (2019): when you want romance and a fresh start](#last-christmas-2019-when-you-want-romance-and-a-fresh-start) 7. [The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992): when you want a familiar tale](#the-muppet-christmas-carol-1992-when-you-want-a-familiar-tale) 8. [Let watching together be enough](#let-watching-together-be-enough) ## Worth keeping in mind - Choose a shared mood and any unwanted themes before scrolling. - Check official content advice and current access for your location. - Keep conversation optional and allow either person to change the plan. > The snacks are ready. The blanket has been negotiated. Forty minutes later, you are still scrolling past films while saying, “I honestly don’t mind.” Both of you mind enough to reject the next suggestion. Choosing Christmas movies for couples is easier when you decide what kind of evening you want first. These six films offer different kinds of humour, romance and reflection. ## Choose the mood before choosing the title Each name one preference and one thing you would rather avoid: “Something funny, without a big family argument”, or “A romance, but nothing too sad tonight”. Shortlist two titles that fit, then take turns making the final choice on different evenings. Check the version, running time, subtitles or audio description and current legal viewing options in your country. Streaming access changes; a film being listed here does not mean it is included in a subscription. The linked BBFC pages provide fuller content information and may contain spoilers. ## Elf (2003): when you want broad, playful comedy A human raised by Santa’s elves travels to New York to find his father. That unlikely meeting makes Elf an option for an evening built around absurdity rather than a complicated romance. Choose it if both of you enjoy larger-than-life comic behaviour; a familiar favourite can still be too loud for someone’s mood. The BBFC notes mild language and sexual references. If children join the evening, check its fuller advice rather than assuming a Christmas title is suitable for every age. Afterwards, you might ask which completely ordinary thing you would explain to someone arriving from the North Pole. Source:[BBFC: Elf, synopsis and content advice](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/elf-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc00otg1nzk) ## The Holiday (2006): when you want a home-swap romance A British woman and an American woman exchange homes for a holiday. Choose this if you want a romantic comedy with room to settle into a longer evening, rather than squeezing a film between errands. Check your version’s running time before pressing play. Alongside strong language and sexual references, BBFC advice identifies a brief scene involving suicidal thoughts. Read the details if that affects your choice. A lighter conversation afterwards could be: “What would you want from a week somewhere completely different?” Source:[BBFC: The Holiday, synopsis and content advice](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/the-holiday-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc00mtuzntc) ## Happiest Season (2020): when you want romance and family tension A woman brings her girlfriend home for Christmas, but her family does not know they are a couple. This makes the film a possible choice for viewers interested in the gap between a relationship’s private reality and what a family is told. It is less suited to an evening when either of you wants to avoid secrecy or coming-out pressure. The BBFC notes strong language, sexual references and references to homophobic behaviour. If you discuss the story, ask what respectful support could look like. Do not use the film to demand that your partner disclose their identity or relationship before they feel ready and safe. Source:[BBFC: Happiest Season, synopsis and content advice](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/happiest-season-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc01mdk2nzi) ## Klaus (2019): when you want an animated Christmas story A new postman and a toymaker become friends on an island divided by a long-running feud. Klaus offers a different choice if neither person wants a conventional romantic comedy. Its story gives you something to talk about beyond whether the central characters should get together. The BBFC flags mild threat and violence, including frightening imagery, so animation does not automatically mean an entirely gentle watch. If you feel like talking afterwards, ask: “Which small act changed the atmosphere?” Keep the discussion about the story rather than turning it into a lesson your partner has to accept. Source:[BBFC: Klaus, synopsis and content advice](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/klaus-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc00otywmzk) ## Last Christmas (2019): when you want romance and a fresh start A shop assistant forms a friendship with a customer who encourages her to confront difficulties in her life. Choose Last Christmas if you are interested in a romantic comedy about someone finding a different direction, rather than a film selected only for festive scenery. Its BBFC advice includes sexual references, language and a scene of xenophobic abuse. Check the fuller notes if these themes would make the evening uncomfortable. Afterwards, try a question with room for an ordinary answer: “What is one thing you would like more time for after the holidays?” Source:[BBFC: Last Christmas, synopsis and content advice](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/last-christmas-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc00otg2ota) ## The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992): when you want a familiar tale Scrooge meets the ghosts who ask him to reconsider how he lives, in the Muppets’ version of Dickens’ story. This is an option when you want a shared classic rather than a new romantic plot. You can enjoy the characters without agreeing on which adaptation is the definitive one. The BBFC identifies mildly frightening scenes and sad moments involving death. Check its notes if grief or a younger viewer’s sensitivity makes that relevant. A simple conversation afterwards could be about one small kindness you remember from a past Christmas, without requiring a moral inventory of the whole year. Source:[BBFC: The Muppet Christmas Carol, content advice](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/the-muppet-christmas-carol-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zmjc5mdu) ## Let watching together be enough Agree whether you enjoy chatting during a film or prefer to save comments for afterwards. Sort a pause point if one of you needs a break. If the choice turns out to feel wrong, changing it is allowed; finishing the film is not a test of commitment. You can ask one question, laugh about a scene or say nothing more than “Shall we make tea?” The useful part of choosing together is making space for both people’s evening. The remote can finally rest. Quick answers ## Frequently asked questions Which Christmas movie should we choose if we have different tastes? Name the kind of evening you each want, then choose two options that respect both preferences. Alternate the final choice next time. Do not make one person watch a theme they have said they want to avoid. Are these films suitable for children? Suitability varies by film, version, age and individual sensitivity. Use the linked BBFC content advice and your local classification before including children; a festive setting is not an age rating. Where can we watch these Christmas films? Check licensed services, rental stores, cinemas or libraries available in your country. Availability and subscription terms change. Confirm access before planning the evening rather than relying on an old streaming list. Evidence and further reading ## Sources behind this post Open the original research and expert resources referenced above. - [BBFC: Elf, synopsis and content advicebbfc.co.uk](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/elf-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc00otg1nzk) - [BBFC: The Holiday, synopsis and content advicebbfc.co.uk](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/the-holiday-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc00mtuzntc) - [BBFC: Happiest Season, synopsis and content advicebbfc.co.uk](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/happiest-season-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc01mdk2nzi) - [BBFC: Klaus, synopsis and content advicebbfc.co.uk](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/klaus-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc00otywmzk) - [BBFC: Last Christmas, synopsis and content advicebbfc.co.uk](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/last-christmas-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc00otg2ota) - [BBFC: The Muppet Christmas Carol, content advicebbfc.co.uk](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/the-muppet-christmas-carol-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zmjc5mdu) ## Find the evening you both feel like Use Swooni's thoughtful questions to share preferences and choose time together that fits your day. [![Download on the App Store](https://swooni.io/images/logos/apple-download.svg)](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/swooni-relationship-tracker/id6557063166)[![Get it on Google Play](https://swooni.io/images/logos/google-download.svg)](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=io.honeyroots.app) Written by Swooni Team The editorial and research team at Swooni Keep reading ### Related posts [8 Christmas Date Ideas That Leave Room for YouPlan a Christmas date that fits your budget and energy, with eight festive ideas, indoor alternatives and practical ways to share the preparation.](https://swooni.io/blog/christmas-date-ideas)[12 At-Home Date Night Ideas You Can Actually EnjoyAt-home date night ideas for tired evenings, rainy days and small budgets, with twelve practical plans and a fair way to share the preparation.](https://swooni.io/blog/at-home-date-night-ideas)[Long-Distance Holidays: 8 Ways to Celebrate TogetherMake Christmas and other holidays feel shared across distance. Eight practical ideas, with time-zone plans, low-cost options and room for family, work and rest.](https://swooni.io/blog/long-distance-holidays)