When you're home from college for the holidays, you want to make the most of it. You want to go to coffee shops with your best friends, hang out with your siblings, and spend lots of time with your day one — your mom. Those hangs may include making some popcorn and tuning into the holiday movies to watch with Mom.
These are the films you might stream every December since you were a kid, or quote in casual conversation. They may take place in a quaint town in Connecticut, or in a snowy, romantic city. Either way, when you hit the "play" button, your stomach likely fills up with butterflies because you know what love story or magical scenes are about to go down. Kate Winslet is about to find her gumption, or Elsa is about to break out in the iconic song, "Let It Go."
The best part? Your mom is right there with you, equally as excited. In fact, the week before you came home, she was probably sending you all kinds of memes from Elf and baking snowman-shaped cookies. So, put these eight holiday movies in your queue now so you're prepared for a very festive visit back home.
The first of these movies is A Christmas Prince. It came out in 2017 and tells the story of a journalist who's sent to another country to get the details on a prince. She finds herself in the palace, grabbing pics and — spoiler alert — falling in love quite unexpectedly. You can watch it on Netflix and see for yourself how it the whole situation plays out.
The holidays can be pretty stressful at times. You may have to find the perfect gift for everyone on your list, or cook a gigantic meal. A Bad Moms Christmas — starring Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, and Kathryn Hahn, among others — tackles that firsthand. Three moms decide they're #overit when their own mothers show up, and so they take the holiday back.
If you're a huge fan of Queen Latifah, then you're going to love Last Holiday. According to IMDB.com, this film is about a woman who finds out she has a terminal illness, and decides to go on a totally luxurious vacation to Europe with all of her money. She enjoys lavish meals and treats herself to the amenities of a beautiful hotel. Along the way — spoiler alert — she finds love and pretty surprising news.
Growing up, you may have watched The Polar Express on the regular over the holidays. You may have watched a little boy hop on a train with a bunch of other kids and learn about the magic of the holiday. To be honest, it still gives me the best chills, and that's why I think it's the perfect movie to watch with your mom when you come home. (Hot chocolate? Required.)
When it comes to the holidays, relationship problems don't take a day off. That's why two women decide to swap homes and travel to different countries during the most magical time of the year. What do they hope to find? Space. What do they end up finding? Love, family, a little "gumption," and lots of adventure in between. Tune into The Holiday with your mom as soon as possible.
Some holiday movies are total classics, and It's a Wonderful Life is one of them. It's the kind of movie that makes you want to hug the ones you love a little tighter, and feel so grateful for what you have. Turn it on to follow a businessman as he finds out what the world would be like without him, and is granted the best gift ever from his guardian angel.
If you and your mom secretly love spooky season more than the holiday season, then you'll want to turn on The Nightmare Before Christmas. According to IMDB.com, this film follows Jack Skellington, the king of Halloween Town, and his journey to bring the holiday spirit back home. It's filled with lots of good music and colorful animation, too.
Last but not least, you can't go wrong with watching a Disney movie like Frozen around the holidays. This film brings the whole season to life and inspires you to get outside when it's super chilly and snowing, and "build a snowman" no matter what age you are. If you put it in your queue, you're bound to have a dance party with your mom in the kitchen. What more could you ask for from a visit home?
This article was originally published on
