Holidays
Movies On HBO Max To Watch On Thanksgiving
11 Movies On HBO Max To Watch On Thanksgiving With The Whole Fam

Grab some pie and settle in.

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The holidays are the time to take that extra helping of pie, snuggle up with your loved ones, and soak up the magic of the season in your comfiest clothes. If you find yourself too stuffed to play football or hit up the Black Friday sales after your turkey dinner, there's a good chance you'll end up in the fetal position on the couch, rubbing your belly. Luckily, if you're looking for something to watch on Thanksgiving with the fam, these movies on HBO Max will leave everyone feeling thankful.

While selecting the perfect Thanksgiving flick might seem tricky — you want something fun, but not too raunchy to make you get up to "get some water" every five minutes to escape the awkwardness — there are a lot of great options you can stream with your HBO membership. If you don't currently get HBO (and can't remember your ex's mom's login), you can add HBO Max onto your Hulu subscription, or sign up for a free trial (just remember to cancel it if you don't want to pay the fee).

Whether you jump straight into a holiday film like A Christmas Carol or New Year's Eve, or you'd rather go with something that makes you nostalgic like Harry Potter or Willy Wonka, any of these movies will make the start of your holiday season even more entertaining.

01
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Is there anything cozier than the Harry Potter movies? Every meal in the Great Hall of Hogwarts is basically a big Thanksgiving feast anyway… just with a chosen magical family instead of a biological one. Honestly, the entire Harry Potter series makes for perfect Thanksgiving family viewing, but it makes sense to start at the very beginning of Harry’s journey with the first movie.

02
A Christmas Carol

One of the most iconic holiday films ever made, the 1938 adaption of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol teaches lessons everyone needs to be reminded of once a year. Let the nostalgia wash over you as you view the well-loved, black and white story of Ebenezer Scrooge and his ghostly visitors.

03
Crazy Rich Asians

Elaborate meals? Nosy relatives? Plenty of family drama? Check, check, check. Crazy Rich Asians covers it all (and has one of the most stunning wedding scenes ever) as Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) and her boyfriend Nick Young (Henry Golding) head to Singapore where jealous socialites and strained relationships await the happy couple. While it doesn't take place during the holidays, it will give you strength to face any emotional family hurdles you might encounter throughout the season.

04
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

Willy Wonka has been a classic for decades and it totally deserves a place on every family’s watchlist. Gene Wilder gives an iconic performance as Willy Wonka himself as he guides you through “a world of pure imagination.” Come for the nostalgia, stay for the extravagant candy displays… as long as your stomach can handle it after Thanksgiving dinner.

05
Happy Feet

Animated movies always make for great family viewing, and Happy Feet is an oft-forgotten gem that is sure to put a smile on everyone’s face. If the adorable penguins don’t do it for you, then the uplifting soundtrack probably will. Plus, the snowy setting will get you ready for the winter ahead.

06
Elf

Speaking of winter, you can kick off the holiday season right away with a viewing of Elf. What can be said about this nearly perfect movie that hasn’t been said before? Will Ferrell makes the perfect adult elf who’ll make you both laugh and cry as he finds his home just in time for Christmas.

07
You’ve Got Mail

If you’re still in more of a fall, pumpkin spice-y mood, then look no further than the autumn-hued world of You’ve Got Mail. This movie is basically one giant ad for the cozy bookstore aesthetic. It doesn’t hurt that Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan also make an absolutely adorable rom-com couple.

08
Spirited Away

The entire Hayao Miyazaki library is available on HBO Max, but Spirited Away is a standout hit. This gorgeously animated Academy Award-winning film follows a young girl as she fights to rescue her family from the spirit world. It’s the perfect movie to help you remember how much you love the important people in your life, making it just right for Thanksgiving.

09
My Big Fat Greek Wedding

Family drama is bound to be part of any big gathering, but at least you can relax knowing your family isn’t as wacky as the one in My Big Fat Greek Wedding — probably. This movie is so relatable because, the truth is, every family has its own brand of wackiness. In this movie, that wackiness just means that Windex gets sprayed on everything.

10
Singin’ in the Rain

Sometimes you just gotta sing, and those are the times when you should turn on a musical fit for the whole family. Let the musical stylings of Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, and Donald O’Connor transport you to the era of classic Hollywood movie magic with Singin’ in the Rain.

11
New Year's Eve

Take a peek at what you have to look forward to at the end of the holiday season with New Year's Eve, a 2011 film starring, well, pretty much everyone who was relevant in 2011. Full of intertwining stories, the movie has something everyone can relate to and will help you feel ready for whatever the next year brings after the pumpkin pie is eaten and the ugly sweaters are packed away.

With a movie list like this, you and your family can get ready for a full-on movie marathon. Good thing you probably have lots of Thanksgiving leftovers to sustain you.

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