25 movies to watch on TV and streaming for Christmas in July

The calendar says July, the weather outside can be blazing hot but some folks have Christmas on their minds! So here's 25 movies to check out for the month!

Somehow "Christmas in July" has become a popular idea and streaming and networks have used that. Of course, Hallmark and Lifetime will have their takes with Hallmark showing some Christmas films and Lifetime airing a few too. There's also some fun ones on Netflix and other streamers, from more recent offerings to some offbeat fare amid holiday classics. So to enjoy the season, check out these 25 fun Christmas films for July!

Hallmark's Christmas in July movies

Not only does Hallmark have a few Christmas movies showing online but there are two brand-new offerings premiering in July! Here's the scoop on them!

Falling Like Snowflakes

Hallmark is unleashing a new movie for the July season in this rom-com. Teagan (Rebecca Dalton) is obsessed with capturing a photograph of a rare 12-sided snowflake in the mountains. She enlists her ex-boyfriend (Marcus Rosner) to help her, only for a snowstorm to strand them at a woodside inn where some of their old feelings come up as they hunt for that elusive snowflake. It's nothing new for Hallmark Channel, but the chemistry between Dalton and Rosner (both veterans of the channel) helps it shine and the gorgeous settings will make you feel cooler no matter how hot it gets outside. 

Three Wise Men and a Baby (July 6)

One of 2022's biggest Hallmark Channel hits is getting a special version for July. It's the same story as three very different womanizing brothers (Paul Campbell Stevens, Tyler Hynes Taylor, and Andrew Walker Luke) are forced to care for an abandoned infant over the holidays. Along the way, they manage to overcome their various issues as they also hope to find the kid's mom. This special extended version has additional scenes and interviews with the cast as well as a peek at the upcoming sequel to make it a delight for both new and old fans. It's little wonder it's one of Hallmark's biggest recent hits. 

Rescuing Christmas (July 13)

Hallmark Channel queen Rachael Leigh Cook is featured in this 2023 holiday film getting a rerun. Cook plays a driven woman who is granted three wishes by a pair of elves who want to prove that any random person can bring happiness to others. This backfires when Cook, overwhelmed by the holidays, wishes Christmas didn't exist. Now, she has to find a way to bring the holiday magic back, aided by an ex-boyfriend (Sam Page) and discovering her lost holiday spirit is what's needed to save the holiday. It's a good take on the "saving Christmas" motif and why Cook works so well in these movies. 

A Very Vermont Christmas (July 20)

Katie Leclerc stars in this new film as a champion skier who, in classic Hallmark fashion, moves back to her small Vermont town for a holiday visit. When she finds out her family's business is in trouble, she enters the local brewery contest in hopes the prize can save it. She's soon paired with a local mix master (Ryan McPartlin) to create a special microbrew that can wow the judges enough for the prize. Of course, the pair soon have some chemistry of their own with some nice mountain vistas and enough snow to make one want to book a trip right to Vermont. 

An Ice Palace Romance (July 27)

Another new movie premiering in July on Hallmark, Celeste Desjardins is a reporter who moves back to her small hometown for a story on the local Christmas ice skating event. Once an ice skater who quit after a trauma, she bonds with a young girl and her father (Marcus Rosner) with the action taking place at the titular Ice Palace skating rink, that faces being torn down by developers. The new friendship reignites the reporter's old drive and there's likely some romance amid the ice skating scenes. Leave it to Hallmark to pick July to debut what could be a new holiday mainstay this December. 

Lifetime holiday movies for July

Lifetime will have their special "Summer of Santas" movie event as through the month will replay some of last year's original holiday movies on Lifetime TV. 

Feliz Navidad

Mario Lopez plays a single dad who's long hated Christmas since his wife died several years prior during the holiday season. He's thrown himself into his work as a delivery man and tries to ignore the Christmas season as much as he can. His sister and his teenage daughter hope to respark his interest, so when a woman on his delivery lane (AnnaLynne McCord) swipes right on his dating profile, it could create a special kind of Christmas magic for the family. The Arizona setting adds a unique flair to the movie and proves you don't need typical snow-time locations for a good Christmas romance. 

A Very Vintage Christmas

Lifetime favorite Tia Mowry is back at it in this film. She plays Dodie, an antique store owner in a picture-perfect mountain town (it's even called Mountain View) that goes all out for the Christmas season. Finding an antique box packed with mementos of a long-ago romance, Dodie takes it upon herself to deliver the box to its rightful owner. The quest has her bonding with a handsome stranger (Jesse Hutch) with his own connection to the box and the romantic tale it holds. Obviously the search for this past romance could kindle a present-day one between our leads. 

Dear Christmas

For lovers of 1990s TV, here's a great star attraction. Natalie Morgan (Melissa Joan Hart) hosts a podcast where listeners share their stories of holiday romances. It also has Natalie dispensing love advice but, ironically, she has never felt true love herself. Returning to her hometown as part of a book tour, she connects with a handsome local firefighter (Jason Priestly) who may finally give Natalie her own holiday romance tale to tell. Robin Givens, Ed Begley Jr., Faith Prince and Hilarie Burton also star in a fun take on a holiday romance that can thrill '90s nostalgia lovers. 

A Sugar and Spice Holiday

Lifetime has been showcasing its variety in the last few years and here's a good example as this romance gives Asian-American audiences a fun holiday movie of their own. Jacky Lai is Suzie, a rising architect who (say it with us) visits her old hometown where her more traditional parents run a successful restaurant. They pressure Jacky to follow in the footsteps of her late grandmother and enter the local gingerbread cooking contest. She's partnered with an old high school classmate (Tony Giroux), now grown up quite handsomely and the houses are soon not the only thing they're cooking up…

A Welcome Home Christmas

This movie is a great tribute to our armed forces that even uses some real soldiers in the cast. Jana Kramer is Chloe, a woman who's long supported her town's various military organizations, including toy drives. Trying to find enough volunteers for one, she reaches out to a recently returned vet named Michael (Brandon Quinn), who refuses to seek help for his obvious issues since returning from deployment. As they recruit other soldiers for the annual Christmas ball, Chloe tries to help Michael break free of his trauma, and they may also find some romance along the way as they help the kids. Military veterans may appreciate this tale the most.

Netflix Christmas movies to stream in July

As one of the biggest streamers around, it's no surprise Netflix has more than enough original Christmas films to fill the month out. 

Falling For Christmas

The "Lohannasiance" kicked off with this 2022 movie that returns Lindsay Lohan to her terrific comedy roots. She plays a spoiled heiress whose Christmas proposal from her rich boyfriend at a mountain resort goes awry when she takes a tumble down the hill. Waking up with amnesia, she's taken in by a handsome worker (Chord Overstreet) and adjusts to a normal life. Along the way, she bonds with Overstreet's character and his daughter, learns humility, and finds romance amid the Christmas season. Lohan's comic skills are on full blast with some great turns and leads to a fun film that hopefully sparks a new run for her. 

The Noel Diary

Justin Hartley is well known to TV fans for This Is Us and Tracker so it's no surprise he shines in this 2022 film. He plays a best-selling author who returns to his home for the first time in 20 years after his estranged mother dies. He finds an old diary that leads him to a pair of connections with two local women and a strained reunion with his father, all set around Christmastime. Hartley grounds the film with its nice storylines and a surprising ending, so if you like him as either the hunk or the heartbreaker, this movie is for you. 

The Princess Switch Trilogy

Any fan of Vanessa Hudgens has to check out this film trilogy that shows her talents off nicely. The first is the obvious "Prince and the Pauper" setup of Hudgens as a baker visiting a small European country who swaps places with a lookalike Duchess who wants a break from her hectic royal life. That leads to the turn of each falling for the other's man. The sequel has Hudgens playing a third role of a conniving crook trying to steal the throne. The third film brings all three together and between Hudgens' fun performances and the Christmas setting, all three films are guilty pleasures. 

Family Switch

You can't go wrong with a Christmas-themed body swap comedy and this 2023 film provides that. Ed Helms and Jennifer Garner are parents trying to handle their distant teen kids, with Christmastime making things more hectic. A strange event causes swaps between mother and daughter (Emma Myers), father and son and, hilariously, the dog and baby. Now, they have to handle each other's lives and learn something about themselves as the holidays arrive. The film may not be that great, but the actors give it their all, replicating each other--Garner has a blast--and providing a "Freaky" take on a Christmas movie. 

Holiday in the Vineyards

This 2023 film got good reviews with a plot that may be predictable but in a good way. A wayward playboy is given an ultimatum by his rich mother to straighten up or be cut off. She wants him to buy a vineyard where the local real estate agent mistakes him for a carpenter and lets him stay with her and her sons. As he gets to know the locals and embraces a more mundane lifestyle, the playboy realizes this town deserves to be saved. The film rests on the chemistry of its leads to be a terrific addition to the Netflix holiday library. 

Offbeat Christmas movies

Sure, there's the typical Christmas stuff, but also some intriguing offbeat entries to find for July. 

Gremlins

Celebrate the 40th anniversary of Joe Dante's wicked black comedy that remains one of the best horror comedies of the 1980s. A teen gets a gift of a strange creature called Gizmo that looks adorable. However, after breaking the rules ("don't get it wet, don't expose it to light and never, ever feed it after midnight"), a batch of twisted creatures are soon rampaging around the town. The special effects still hold up and the picture-perfect town makes for a fun horror setting. From the wild antics to wicked deaths to Phoebe Cates' shocking Santa Claus story, it's an '80s classic that has more bite today. 

Gremlins is streaming on The Roku Channel and Prime Video.

It's A Wonderful Knife

It's shocking that it's taken so long for someone to make a horror movie based on Frank Capra's Christmas classic. A woman (Jane Widdop) manages to defeat a serial killer plaguing her town but has serious survivor's guilt and a year later wishes she was never born. Faster than you can say, "George Bailey," she's in a world where she doesn't exist, and the killer has continued his rampage. Now she has to stop him while finding a way back to her own world in a thriller with some wicked black comedy and a unique spin on a classic tale. 

It's a Wonderful Knife is streaming on Shudder.

Silent Night

Legendary action movie director John Woo returns to form with this unique story. When his son is killed in a drive-by shooting that also renders him mute, a man (Joel Kinnaman) vows to kill all those responsible on Christmas Eve. The setup is good before the insane action, as only Woo can direct with spectacular stunts and shootouts, and the fact it's centered around Christmas adds to the chaos. More notable is that there's almost no dialogue at all except for screams while still managing to tell the character-driven story. That unique motif equals a movie that may not be the typical Christmas favorite but uses it well. 

Silent Night is streaming on Starz.

Spirited

Teaming up Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell is a recipe for Christmas comedy gold. Make it a musical and it's even better. Ferrell is Ebenezer Scrooge, who's now the Ghost of Christmas Present, giving other misers the lesson he got with visits on Christmas Eve. Reynolds is the latest target of a selfish business only to fight back against the Ghosts and make Scrooge wonder if he can be redeemed. The music is fun, as well as a crazy take on this classic story, while Ferrell and Reynolds form a great comedy team. Put this on a list of nuttier Christmas films to enjoy.

Spirited is streaming on Apple TV+.

The Naughty Nine

Leave it to Disney to cook up a Christmas-themed kids take on Ocean's 11. A kid is upset to learn that he's left with coal in his stocking and he and his neighbor realize they're on the "naughty list." They decide to gather a pack of other naughty kids to head to the North Pole and steal the presents they think are theirs. The mix of personalities provides a lot of fun, as well as watching the heist be put together. Danny Glover is a fun Santa with some inventive sequences and a surprisingly heartfelt message on the season that steals your attention quite well.

The Naughty Nine is streaming on Disney+.

Classic holiday movies

It's A Wonderful Life

There are Christmas movies, there are classic movies, and then there's Frank Capra's 1946 masterpiece that was once played endlessly on TV. That's cut down, but you can stream it on various services and still retain its magic.

In arguably his greatest performance, Jimmy Stewart is George Bailey, a man who sacrifices his happiness to help the people of his town. When things turn against George, guardian angel Clarence shows him what the world would be like without him. The finale is one of the most tear-jerking of any Christmas film in history and no matter how many times you watch it, it never ceases to entertain.

It's a Wonderful Life is streaming on Prime Video.

White Christmas

It's the 70th anniversary of this 1954 Irving Berlin smash, so it's a great time to find it again. Danny Kaye and Bing Crosby are former soldiers turned song-and-dance stars who find a terrific romance with a pair of sisters (Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen). They travel to a snowless Vermont inn owned by Kaye and Crosby's old commander (Dean Jagger) who's facing ruin. The pair decide to help out, leading to some romance amid terrific songs. With gorgeous direction, sensational musical numbers and one of the greatest Christmas songs ever, it's the perfect holiday treat decades later.

White Christmas is available on Xfinity Stream.

Miracle on 34th Street

Edmund Gwenn won an Oscar for his turn in this 1947 masterpiece. He plays Kris Kringle, who claims to be the real deal and is hired as the Santa Claus for Macy's department store. He soon convinces a young girl (Natalie Wood) and her mother (Maureen O'Hara) to believe in the holidays again. This leads to some conflict building to a lawyer trying to prove in court that Kris is the one true Santa Claus with some stellar comedy. Gwynn's wonderful performance grounds the terrific film all the way to the perfect end scene. It's little surprise the movie is a holiday mainstay. 

Miracle on 34th Street is streaming on Disney+.

Scrooge (1951)

There have been so many takes on A Christmas Carol that narrowing it down is tough. But, to many, Alister Sim is the quintessential Ebenezer Scrooge. His take on the character makes Scrooge more human as you can understand how he turned out the way he did and the film nicely explores his past more than other versions. Sim is stunning from start to finish, especially at the end of Scrooge's changes with true joy. Of all the actors who have played the role, Sim remains the topper when it comes to great Scrooge performances. 

Scrooge is streaming on Tubi.

The Santa Clause

With its 30th anniversary upon us, it's a great time to check out the 1994 Tim Allen comedy that spawned a hit franchise. Allen is a put-upon divorced dad who accidentally knocks Santa Claus off his roof. Donning the suit, he's trapped into becoming the new Santa and, over the next year, slowly transforms into the character. Allen is fun in the role of Scott slowly accepting his new life and bringing the Christmas spirit to others. The sequels and the Disney+ series are fun watches yet the original remains one of the best Christmas movies of the '90s.

The Santa Clause is streaming on Disney+.