3 best free Christmas movies on the Roku Channel right now

Roku Channel on a television set
(Image credit: Shutterstock / Tom's Guide)

It's the most wonderful time of the year, or so they say. The air is crisp, the eggnog is flowing, and the shopping is discounted. And if you're lucky, you're getting to spend some time at home with your family, possibly cozied up on the couch to watch something. What better way to get into the holiday spirit than by watching some good, old-fashioned Christmas movies?

Luckily, you don't need to shell out for yet another streaming service subscription. The Roku Channel has a sleigh full of free holiday movies to fill you with yuletide cheer. With just a few ad breaks here and there, you can enjoy hours of entertainment without spending a single cent. It's no wonder we consider the Roku Channel one of the best free streaming services out there.

With fresh titles decking the digital halls each week, the Roku Channel is your go-to destination for movies all holiday long. Not sure where to start? Check out some of our favorite free Christmas movies on the Roku Channel available to stream now.

'I'll Be Home for Christmas'

Official Trailer - I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS (1998, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Jessica Biel) - YouTube Official Trailer - I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS (1998, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Jessica Biel) - YouTube
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Jake (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) is a self-centered college student who reluctantly agrees to return home for the holidays when his father tempts him with a vintage Porsche. Things take an unexpected turn when Jake his school's football team abandons him in the desert dressed as Santa Claus without any money or ID. While Jake struggles to make his way home, his girlfriend Allie (Jessica Biel) becomes concerned about his whereabouts and accepts a ride from Jake's rival. The pair race in tandem to make it home in time for Christmas, while Jake ends up learning to appreciate what's important during the holiday season – and it isn't a Porsche.

Watch on the Roku Channel

'It's a Wonderful Life' 

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE | Official Trailer | Paramount Movies - YouTube IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE | Official Trailer | Paramount Movies - YouTube
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George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) is a compassionate but troubled man who reaches his breaking point on Christmas Eve. He's at the end of his rope, about to end his life, when Clarence, his guardian angel, intervenes. He gives George a new perspective by showing him an alternate reality where he never existed. Through this supernatural journey, George witnesses how his absence would have transformed his beloved town and the lives of its residents into a darker, more corrupt place – and how his existence has actually changed others' lives for the better if he could only see as such. By the end of the night, he has to learn to appreciate the way his life actually went instead of how it could have been in a story that's become a veritable Christmas classic over the years.

Watch on the Roku Channel

'Ernest Saves Christmas'

Ernest Saves Christmas (1988) Trailer - YouTube Ernest Saves Christmas (1988) Trailer - YouTube
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The well-meaning but clumsy Ernest P. Worrell (Jim Varney) finds himself tied up in Santa Claus's mission to find his replacement before retiring. Santa arrives in Florida looking for a kids' television host who he's chosen as his successor. Along with a streetwise teenage runaway named Harmony, Ernest becomes Santa's unlikely helper when the search for Carruthers goes awry. If you're an 'Ernest' fan, you'll know what to expect. For everyone else, "Vern", look for slapstick comedy and mayhem with a holiday flavor.

Watch on the Roku Channel

More From Tom's Guide

Brittany Vincent

Brittany Vincent has been covering video games and tech for over 13 years for publications including Tom's Guide, MTV, Rolling Stone, CNN, Popular Science, Playboy, IGN, GamesRadar, Polygon, Kotaku, Maxim, and more. She's also appeared as a panelist at video game conventions like PAX East and PAX West and has coordinated social media for companies like CNET. When she's not writing or gaming, she's looking for the next great visual novel in the vein of Saya no Uta. You can follow her on Twitter @MolotovCupcake.

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