Secret Netflix codes 'unlock' hundreds of hidden Christmas films
Finding the best Christmas films on Netflix has never been so easy...
Netflix has some of the best Christmas movies ever made – but you may not be able to find them.
Have you ever tried to find something to watch on Netflix, only to keep seeing the same dozen-or-so films over and over again on each carousel?
Streaming services operate on algorithms that are desperate to feed you whatever content they best see fit. For example, if you’ve watched any festive family movie, you’ll be pushed to watch the likes of Klaus and The Christmas Chronicles.
What if there was a way to cut through the streamer’s entire library to find the right stuff? With these codes, you can.
Netflix codes reveal hidden Christmas movie categories
If you type 81622297 into Netflix’s search bar, you’ll be taken to a page exclusively made up of Christmas family movies.
We should note, it works better if you’re on a browser: all you need to do is add the code to the end of your URL, which should look like this: https://www.netflix.com/browse/genre/[insert number].
Netflix has 16 separate Christmas sub-categories. Yes, there may be some overlap, but this will allow you to peruse the platform’s larger library without sifting through other irrelevant sections.
You find the full list of codes below:
- Festive Family Fun: 81351538
- Romantic Christmas Comedy Movies: 1475072
- Start Your Holidays Here: 81946034
- Christmas Family Movies: 81622297
- Feel-Good Christmas Films: 1418977
- Festive Fun: 393181
- In The Mood For Holiday Romance: 81946036
- Christmas Comedy Movies: 1474015
- Festive Season: 2300352
- Christmas Children & Family Films: 1474017
- Romantic Christmas Films: 1394527
- In The Mood for a Festive Soundtrack: 81946029
- Christmas Movies: 1393372
- Festive Favourites: 107985
- Feel-good Romantic Christmas Movies: 1415060
- Christmas Family Comedy Movies: 1393373
There are codes for other genres, too. For example, if you’re a true crime documentary addict, you should check out the 9875 code. If you’re looking for the best horror movies on Netflix, 8711 will help you out.
Best Christmas movies on Netflix right now
If you’re looking for some quick recommendations, these are the four best Christmas films you can stream on Netflix UK right now.
Klaus
- Genre: Animation, Fantasy
- Year: 2019
- Director: Sergio Pablos
- Cast: Jason Schwartzman, J.K. Simmons, Rashida Jones
- Runtime: 1 hour 37 minutes
- Where to stream in the UK: Netflix
What it’s about: Jesper, a young postman stationed in an island town in the Far North, befriends a reclusive toymaker. Together, they deliver joy to a cold, dark town that desperately needs it.
Why to watch: While Netflix’s The Christmas Chronicles was a contender for this list, Klaus trumps it with beautiful animation, delightful voice performances, and a vital message rooted in real-world woes.
Unlike Disney’s death clause, Sergio Pablos sketches a much different origin for Father Christmas, originally a reclusive woodsman with a penchant for toys. There’s never a bad time to be reminded that goodwill breeds goodwill.
It may not be a year-round go-to movie, but it’s one of the best Netflix films ever.
Love Actually
- Genre: Comedy, Romance
- Year: 2003
- Director: Richard Curtis
- Cast: Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley
- Runtime: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Where to stream in the UK: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
What it’s about: Couples, families, and friends collide as they try to navigate love, loss, and heartbreak in the lead-up to Christmas.
Why to watch: Love Actually is the quintessential British film at Christmas time. Right from the opening splurge of sentiment in Heathrow Airport through umpteen mushy subplots, it appeals to your schmaltziest sensibilities – and it works every time.
Yes, it’s unrealistic, and it’s stuffed with awful people (Alan Rickman’s betrayal never fails to boil one’s blood). Yet, regardless of how clearly you’re being played like a fiddle, it prevails. It’s almost like “love, actually, is all around.”
The Holdovers
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
- Year: 2023
- Director: Alexander Payne
- Cast: Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Dominic Sessa
- Runtime: 2 hours 13 minutes
- Where to stream in the UK: Netflix
What it’s about: Paul Hunham, a cranky professor at a New England prep school, is tasked with staying on campus over the Christmas break to look after the students with nowhere to go.
Why to watch: The Holdovers is a contender for the greatest Christmas film released this side of the millennium. The moment the credits roll, it’ll enter your festive film canon forever. Everyone is fantastic (especially Paul Giamatti in snappy, knee-slapping form), it looks beautiful, and despite its festive setting, it’s seasonless – a year-round, fool-proof banger.
The Family Stone
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
- Year: 2005
- Director: Thomas Bezucha
- Cast: Diane Keaton, Sarah Jessica Parker, Dermot Mulroney
- Runtime: 1 hour 43 minutes
- Where to stream in the UK: Netflix, Disney Plus
What it’s about: Everett, the eldest son in the Stone family, returns home for Christmas with Meredith, his uptight girlfriend. Chaos quickly ensues.
Why to watch: Christmas is a time for family to come together, for better or worse. For just a week, our universes revolve around one big house.
No other film better illustrates all of its contradictions (gregarious yet harsh, tight-knit but endlessly open) than The Family Stone.
How much it resonates with you will depend on your upbringing; some will think it’s preposterous, others will find its blood-in-the-water affection comforting. It’s an unsung, wonderful film – give it a chance.
Read more: The 25 best Christmas TV specials of all time
