The Best Sci-Fi & Fantasy Holiday Movies to Watch on Peacock This Season
Dig into our genre gems to celebrate the season with a good ol' couch binge.
We can all get swept up in the rush of the holiday season: shopping, decorating, baking, etc. But it's important to carve out some "me" time too. If you are reading this on SYFY WIRE, then you're likely one of our sci-fi/fantasy/horror tribe, which means you've got some eclectic taste when it comes to the holidays, and we're going to assume your viewing choices follow suit.
As such, we've compiled some of the best sci-fi, fantasy and horror holiday movies that Peacock has to offer this December. We've split our tally into the Nice List, which are traditional films that celebrate the warmth of the holiday with a genre slant; and the Naughty List, which offers a fine selection of black comedy and straight up horror takes on the season.
Choose wisely!
The Best Holiday Movies Streaming on Peacock
The Nice List
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Tim Burton's goth fairytale about a mad scientist's creation trying to fit into the garish ways of small town suburban life is surreal, funny, and extremely heartfelt. Arguably, it's Johnny Depp's sweetest role, and he's supported by an ethereal Winona Rider. Not exactly a Christmas movie, but the wintry feel of Burton's aesthetic and Edward's ice sculpture skills make this one feel like a holiday treat.
Watch it on Peacock here!
Paddington (2014)
Christmas isn't celebrated in writer/director Paul King's first Paddington film, but the whole package is so great and spreads so much cheer that it's the very definition of a gift to us all. Ben Whishaw voices the sweet and goofy version of the talking bear from Peru, while Hugh Bonneville gives one of his best comedic performances as the grump Henry Brown, who is thoroughly transformed by the antics of Paddington. If you're not feeling the season yet, just press play on this one.
Watch it on Peacock here!
The Family Man (2000)
Twenty-four years ago, Nicolas Cage made The Family Man, an unabashed three-hankie holiday movie with Téa Leoni, Don Cheadle, and of all people, director Brett Ratner. A contemporary loose rift on A Christmas Carol, Cage works his magic playing Jack Campbell, who goes from soulless business man to a more appreciative and heart-forward man.
Watch it on Peacock here!
Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
Several of the Harry Potter films have portions that take place during the winter, with a few directly showing scenes set during Christmas. The one that really sinks itself into the Christmas spirit is Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone, because it captures Harry's very first Christmas celebration. Usually ignored by his Dursley relatives during the season, Harry's first year at Hogwarts means that he gets to stay at the castle during winter break with Ron. Together with Hagrid, they celebrate a warm and wonderful Christmas morning together and a feast in the Grand Hall. Coupled with composer John Williams' festive holiday score cues, we dare your heart not to grow three sizes during your viewing.
Watch it on Peacock here!
It’s A Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002)
Did you know that there was another Muppets Christmas movie besides 1992's The Muppet Christmas Carol? In 2002, NBC and the Muppets united to make a feature length celebration of the season, It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie. A loose parody of It's a Wonderful Life, How The Grinch Stole Christmas!, Moulin Rouge, and even featuring a sly Star Wars cameo, It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie is centered on the troupe possibly getting evicted from their beloved Muppet Theater, and Kermit's despondence at failing his friends. Wild and wacky, SYFY WIRE recently spoke with director Kirk R. Thatcher (Muppet Treasure Island) all about its making and legacy.
Watch it on Peacock here!
The Naughty List
Krampus (2015)
Director Michael Dougherty turned the ancient European folk monster Krampus into one of our favorite holiday horror watches. Starring Toni Collette and Adam Scott as the harried Engel parents, they're over the holidays and all the stress it brings. However, their sweet son Max (Emjay Anthony) just wants to enjoy the season with his parents, sister Beth (Stefania LaVie Owen), and Santa. Unfortunately, other visiting relatives ruin his holiday, which makes Max inadvertently summon the monster who celebrates the season in a much darker way. Great scares and a cautionary reminder to elevate the kindness in your holiday.
Watch it on Peacock here!
Black Christmas (1974)
Director Bob Clark may hold the honor of having the most diametrically different holiday films on his resume... ever. Today, Clark is most remembered for directing what's become the perennial favorite about a boy and his BB-gun, A Christmas Story (1983). But back in 1974, Clark directed one of the very first slasher films with Black Christmas. Starring huge talents of the time, Olivia Hussey, Keir Dullea, and Margot Kidder, Black Christmas finds a bunch of sorority sisters getting harassing phone calls that then bloom into murders. Outrageous, bloody, and scary, it still ranks as one of the best slasher films in horror history.
Watch it on Peacock here!
Jack Frost (2022)
There have been a lot of different approaches to telling the story of Jack Frost, the winter spirit who ushers in the coldest season. From sweet to mischievous to, in the cast of this 2022 film, downright terrifying. A straight-up horror take on the creature and the season, Jack Frost is for those looking for pure scares.
Watch it on Peacock here!
Check out the whole Peacock holiday library for December!
