The holiday season is here, and if you’re looking for new or old favorite Christmas movies to watch, this list of some of the best Black Christmas movies should be on your list of movies to watch this year.
Black Christmas Movies To Watch This Year
If you’re looking for Black Christmas movies to watch this holiday season, you’re in luck. Thankfully, the world finally realized that Black people also enjoy romantic Christmas movies. In 2018, Salon reported that Hallmark would make an effort to add Christmas movies featuring Black artists and performers to its yearly Countdown to Christmas programming. While we still have a long way to go in terms of diversity and inclusion, at least we’ve got a few Christmas movies to watch featuring people who look like us.
Many of these holiday movies featuring Black actors and performers are available to stream on Amazon Prime, Hulu, or Netflix. Of course, if you’re more traditional, consider adding them to your home movie library to enjoy for years to come in any season. To follow are some popular Black Christmas movies to watch with your family this holiday season.
Black Christmas Movies to Watch About Starting Over
The Perfect Holiday
A divorced mom is the focus of a holiday plan devised by her young daughter to help bring some Christmas joy to her life. Gabrielle Union, Queen Latifah, Terrence Howard, and Morris Chestnut star in this classic holiday tale. Watch, rent, or purchase The Perfect Holiday on Amazon Prime Video.
The Last Holiday
A woman learns to love life when she finds out she won’t be around long in this comedy. Georgia Byrd (Queen Latifah) lives in New Orleans, where she works in the cookware department of an upscale gourmet supply shop. While Georgia carries a torch for Sean (LL Cool J), one of her co-workers, she doesn’t have the nerve to tell him, and despite her estimable skills in the kitchen, she lives frugally and doesn’t put her talent to use. Georgia’s good friend Rochelle (Jane Adams) often tells her that life is short and she needs to live a little. Still, she doesn’t pay her much mind until a visit to the doctor reveals that Georgia has a very rare medical condition and only has three weeks to live. Throwing caution to the wind, Georgia cashes out her life savings and heads to Europe for a last bit of revelry.
Holiday Rush
Now streaming on Netflix, Holiday Rush tells the tale of a widowed DJ played by Romany Malco who is struggling to keep his family and their finances afloat during the holidays. Sonequa Martin-Green of AMC’s The Walking Dead fame co-stars in this family holiday movie.
Lighthearted and Fun Black Christmas Movies You’ll Want To Watch Again.
Fans of Ashanti will enjoy Christmas in the City on Amazon Prime Video. The multiple Grammy and Billboard award singer also stars as Clio in A Christmas Winter Song, which can be also be found on Amazon Prime Video.
Marry Me for Christmas
Marry Me for Christmas is a comedy of errors. This is a fun Black Christmas movie to watch if you’re seeking a classic romantic comedy storyline. Malinda Williams and Brad James star in this holiday tale.
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey seems to be the Black Christmas movie to watch this year. The reviews for this new Netflix movie have been positive. Our family enjoyed Jingle Jangle, and the soundtrack is on heavy rotation. See more top movies to watch this holiday season on Netflix.
A Majestic Christmas
Jerrika Hinton stars in A Majestic Christmas as an architect who goes home for Christmas on an assignment to demolish the town’s quaint, well-loved theater and replace it with a megaplex, state-of-the-art theater.
Friday After Next
If you love the movie Friday, then this holiday-themed film, Friday After Next, should be on your holiday bucket list. This is not one for little kids to watch, but it’s a classic to watch around this time of year. Two cousins work nights at a local mall as security guards. When their house is robbed on Christmas Eve, they team up to track the robber down. Starring Ice Cube, Mike Epps, and the late John Witherspoon, you’ll laugh until you cry!
Black Nativity
A street-wise teen from Baltimore who has been raised by a single mother travels to New York City to spend the Christmas holiday with his estranged relatives, where he embarks on a surprising and inspirational journey. If you love musicals, this is a Black Christmas movie you want to put on your list. Starring Forest Whitaker, Angela Bassett, Jennifer Hudson, this heartwarming is just what you need to help you get into the holiday mood.
The Holiday Calendar
A struggling but talented photographer inherits an antique holiday advent calendar, the contents of which seem to predict the future. Will this magical calendar lead her to love this holiday season: Kat Graham, Quincy Brown, Ethan Peck star in this 2018 film, The Holiday Calendar.
The Preacher’s Wife
Another movie filled with amazing music is The Preacher’s Wife. I love this soundtrack! Denzel Washington plays an angel who came to Earth to help a preacher save his church and his family. The late Whitney Houston shines as the Preacher’s wife.
Black Christmas Movies to Watch: Reconciling and Reconnecting with Family
Almost Christmas
Yet another Black Christmas movie chock-full of top-notch stars. Danny Glover, Gabrielle Union, Romany Malco, Mo’Nique, and Nicole Ari Parker star in this holiday family reunion. The family comes back together for the first time after their mother’s passing, and everything comes to a head. Catch Almost Christmas on Amazon Prime Video.
This Christmas 2007
Watch This Christmas streaming on Netflix and enjoy as an all-star lineup of actors from Lauren London, Idris Elba, Regina King, Mekhi Phifer, and Chris Brown reunite for the holidays after several years of being apart. Each comes with their extra baggage and secrets. This is one of our family’s favorite movies to watch, and you can usually find it playing in the house during Christmas dinner or on Christmas Eve.
Christmas Everlasting
Tatyana Ali stars in this touching movie about a young woman who loses her older sister before the holidays.
Memories of Christmas
Noelle, portrayed by Christina Milian, inherits her childhood home and is determined to make changes to her mothers’ Christmas decorating legacy, much to the determined decorator’s chagrin. A Gingerbread Romance is another movie on Hallmark to catch with a Black cast.
The Best Man’s Holiday
This is probably one of our favorite Black Christmas movies. It has a bittersweet ending, starring the cast from The Best Man. Nearly 15 years after they were last together as a group, college friends Lance (Morris Chestnut), Harper (Taye Diggs), Candace (Regina Hall), Quentin (Terrence Howard), Robyn (Sanaa Lathan), Jordan (Nia Long), Murch (Harold Perrineau), and Mia (Monica Calhoun) finally reunite over the Christmas holidays. Though much has changed in their lives, the friends discover just how easy it is for long-forgotten rivalries and passionate romances to be reignited. And if you haven’t watched The Best Man, we would suggest you start there.
Classic Christmas with a Twist
Ms. Scrooge
Cicely Tyson plays Ms. Ebenita Scrooge in this classic modern retelling of Charles Dicken’s, A Christmas Carol. Katherine Helmond from Who’s the Boss fame stars as Jacob Marley. This movie is a great way to introduce a classic tale to younger members of the family.
Spending time with family and friends during the holidays is one of life’s special treasures. As 2020 draws to a close, Christmas will likely be very different. If you’re unable to spend time together in-person and are practicing social distancing, consider setting up a virtual online viewing party with family and friends. Consider one of these entertaining Black Christmas movies to watch online together with friends and family near and far. Safely celebrate the holidays’ magic and joy while looking forward to a brighter new year in 2021.
More holiday resources:
15 Christmas Movies For Teens | Movies They Will Actually Watch With You
Christmas Movies on Netflix in 2020
25 Holiday Traditions To Try This Year
Holiday Bucket List For Everyone
Black Culture Card Games + More
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