Merry and bright movies on DStv this December

News 08 December 2025

We’ve made a list and checked it twice. Welcome to our ultimate holiday movie collection

Merry and bright movies on DStv this December

It’s time! All our DStv Family and Access subscribers have been Upsized to Compact, and all Compact and Compact Plus subscribers can now access every Premium channel until midnight on 31 January 2026. And that means more holiday movies for everyone!

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We’ve packed our schedule with all kinds of delights for grownups, families, kids, and couples. Get ready for a criminally Christmassy time with Jack Black’s Dear Santa, family-friendly fare like The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland and Die Koning van Konings, and brand-new Disney kids movies like Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever.

We also have the cosy classics like Home Alone and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. And if your For You page has been flooded with skits about big city girls having to save the Christmas tree farm, scroll down to our viral holiday romance section.

Criminally Christmassy

Dear Santa

Comedy. Liam, a dyslexic 11-year-old boy, mails his Christmas wish list to Santa, but accidentally addresses it to Satan (Jack Black). When Satan himself appears in Liam’s bedroom the next night, and Liam still believes he’s Santa, the Devil plays along, offering to grant Liam three wishes. Liam makes one wish before realising his mistake … and that Satan will own his soul after he’s made his third wish. So Satan sets about tempting Liam to use all his wishes.

Stream Dear Santa on Sunday, 21 December at 8:05 PM on M-Net Channel 101. Also on Showmax from Monday, 22 December

Bad Tidings

British crime caper. Grumpy, competitive dad Neil (Lee Mack) can’t stand his cheerful new neighbour, Scott (Chris McCausland). It’s not just that he keeps his Christmas lights up all year, it’s everything! So it grates on him when the two become coordinators of the neighbourhood watch, and have to look after their area’s (mostly) deserted homes over the holidays. But with the two men bickering, local crime matriarch Stacey Brennan (Rebekah Staton) spots easy pickings, and plots a street raid.

Stream Bad Tidings on Sunday, 7 December at 8:05PM on M-Net Channel 101. Also on Showmax from Monday, 8 December.

The Heist Before Christmas

British crime caper. Twelve-year-old petty thief Mikey (Bamber Todd) follows a man dressed as Father Christmas (James Nesbitt) after seeing him rob a bank during a Santa Dash event. Along the way, Mikey runs into another man in a Father Christmas outfit (Timothy Spall) who claims to be the real Santa. It’s a hard sell to Mikey, who’s grown up poor despite his mom Patricia’s (Laura Donnelly) best efforts to support him and his little brother, Sean (Joshua McLees).

Stream The Heist Before Christmas on Saturday, 13 December at 10:42AM on M-Net Movies 1 Channel 104. Available on DStv Stream.

Reno 911! It's a Wonderful Heist

Comedy. When Lieutenant Dangle (Thomas Lennon) loses his money in a crypto scam and wishes he'd never been born, his wish attracts the attention of rollerskating Christmas angel Terry (Nick Swardson). Terry works their magic to show Jim what the world would be like without him, especially for his fellow officers. From Trudy (Kerri Kenney-Silver) playing the glass harp, to Clementine (Wendi McLendon-Covey) inventing a new type of coffin, it’s an even more bizarre reality than usual in Reno.

Stream Reno 911! It's a Wonderful Heist on Saturday, 20 December at 10PM on Comedy Central Channel 122.

Family-friendly watch party

The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland

Animated comedy based on Carys Bexington’s book of the same name. When St Nick (Gerard Butler) finds a lost letter sent to him by Wonderland’s then-Princess of Hearts (Emilia Clarke), he decides to pay her a belated visit, only to find the grown-up Queen of Hearts is now a dedicated holiday hater. St Nick teams up with Alice (Simone Ashley), the Mad Hatter (Mawaan Rizwan) and the March Hare (Asim Chaudhry) to bring the true spirit of Christmas to Wonderland.

Stream The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland on Saturday, 13 December at 12:05PM on M-Net Movies 1 Channel 104. Also on Showmax from Sunday, 14 December.

Trading Up Christmas

Romance. When Michelle’s (Italia Ricci) sister Keri (Meredith Forlenza) needs a new home, Michelle comes up with a scheme to bargain her way to an epic deal, starting with swapping her Christmas stocking for something a bit more valuable, then trading up from there. While her family has doubts, Dan (Michael Xavier), a local reporter, believes it’s possible, and as he covers her story, he comes to see the world through her rose-coloured glasses – even when she doubts herself.

Stream Trading Up Christmas on Sunday, 7 December at 12PM (noon) on Universal TV Channel 117. Available on DStv Stream.

Three Wiser Men and a Boy

Family drama. Brothers Luke (Andrew Walker), Taylor (Tyler Hynes), and Stephan (Paul Campbell) step in to help Luke's adopted son Thomas (Miles Marthaller) with his school’s holiday musical after the director walks out because of their shenanigans and interference. Adding to their Christmas crisis, their mom Barbara (Margaret Colin) has started dating a “perfect” pastor named Roy (Christopher Shyer), Luke’s wife is away on a business trip, Stephan’s girlfriend feels neglected, and Taylor’s about to lose his home … and his heart.

Stream Three Wiser Men and a Boy on Saturday, 6 December at 12PM (noon) on Universal TV Channel 117.

Urkel Saves Santa: The Movie

Animated comedy based on the characters from the 90s sitcom Family Matters. Accident-prone nerd Steve Urkel (Jaleel White) wrecks the festive spirit at his local mall by publicly humiliating the store Santa (Roy Wood Jr). In an attempt to make things right and get back on the real Santa’s Nice List, Urkel invents a device to help people to spread the Christmas spirit. And when that backfires (naturally), he’ll have to use both his heart and mind to save Christmas.

Stream Urkel Saves Santa: The Movie on Saturday, 6 December at 3PM on M-Net Movies 1 Channel 104. Also on Saturday, 13 December at 4PM on M-Net Channel 101, and on Showmax from Sunday, 14 December.

The King of Kings/Die Koning van Konings

Animated family drama inspired by Charles Dickens’ children's book The Life of Our Lord. Charles Dickens (Kenneth Branagh) tells his young son Walter (Roman Griffin Davis) about the childhood and life of Jesus as a bedtime tale. Through his vivid imagination, the child walks alongside Jesus (Oscar Isaac), witnessing His miracles, facing His trials, and understanding His ultimate sacrifice. The King of Kings was named Feature Film of the Year at the 2025 Gospel Music Association’s Dove Awards.

Stream The King of Kings/Die Koning van Konings on Thursday, 25 December at 8PM on kykNET Channel 144). Also on Showmax from Sunday, 21 December.

Kids’ festive fun club

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever

Animated comedy adapted from Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney. With just two weeks to go until Christmas, Greg (Wesley Kimmel) is trying his utmost to stay on the Nice List, hoping to get the Mega Station 9000 video game console – and Santa’s snitch “Elfrendo” is in the house watching his every move. Alas, Greg and his friend Rowley (Spencer Howell) cause cascading catastrophes when their snowman building gets out of hand.

Stream Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever on Friday, 5 December at 5PM on Disney Channel 303.

The Loud House Holiday Special LDH 223 STILL Nickelodeon Nick Press

A Loud House Christmas Movie: Naughty or Nice

We all know that Lincoln (Sawyer Cole) is a permanent resident on Santa's Naughty List. But when Lincoln hacks into the North Pole computer system to switch lists, he makes such a muddle that the entire list swaps, and the North Pole itself turns naughty. Lincoln turns to the Loud family, along with Duncan (Harvey Guillén), the elf who first put him on the naughty list, to help him to defeat Evil Santa (Piotr Michael) and his minions.

Stream A Loud House Christmas Movie: Naughty or Nice on Saturday, 13 December at 11AM on Nickelodeon Channel 305.

Prep & Landing: The Snowball Protocol

Animated comedy. When troublemaking Christmas elves Wayne (Dave Foley) and Lanny (Derek Richardson) are called into Santa’s (Christopher Swindle) office, Lanny tells Santa a secret. And when a panicked Wayne confesses to their shenanigans, we flash back four weeks, to when Magee (Sarah Chalke) asked the two to look after her pet seal, Nog, and to earlier in the year, when Wayne set up Magee for a post-Christmas holiday romance and the elves ran amok while she was distracted.

Stream Prep & Landing: The Snowball Protocol on Friday, 19 December at 5PM on Disney Channel 303.

Cosy classics

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Live-action adaptation of Dr Seuss’s children’s book of the same name. From his house on top of Mount Crumpit, the Grinch (Jim Carrey) looks down on the Christmas-obsessed town of Whoville in every way. But when a little Cindy Lou (Taylor Momsen) learns his sad tale, she convinces the townsfolk to make the Grinch their Holiday Cheermeister, only for the Mayor (Jeffrey Tambor) to humiliate him, sparking the Grinch’s determination to steal everyone’s presents, feasts, and decorations.

Stream How the Grinch Stole Christmas on Tuesday, 9 December at 3:10PM on Studio Universal Channel 112. Also on Showmax and DStv Stream.

Home Alone

Comedy. In the midst of holiday chaos, eight-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) wishes his family would just disappear. His wish seems to come true when he wakes to find his parents, siblings, and cousins gone and the house quiet. A delighted Kevin revels in this piece of holiday magic, going to town on indulging himself, playing, and snooping. But things get scary when Kevin has a run-in with his neighbour, "Old Man" Marley (Roberts Blossom), and burglars target the house.

Stream Home Alone on Saturday, 20 December at 5PM on Studio Universal Channel 112.

The Holiday

This cosy Christmas romantic comedy doubles up on love, pairing Kate Winslet and Jack Black as Iris and Miles, along with Cameron Diaz and Jude Law as Amanda and Graham. Iris and Amanda swap their houses in the UK and Los Angeles, hoping for a festive break with a difference … and they wouldn’t say no to a holiday romance if you’re offering. While there’s plenty to enjoy about Amanda and Graham (Iris’s brother), it’s Iris and Miles who win viewers’ hearts.

Stream The Holiday on DStv Stream and on Showmax.

Bridget Jones’s Diary

Romantic comedy based on Helen Fielding's novel of the same name. Singleton Bridget Jones (Renée Zellweger) is on a chaotic journey toward love, starting at her mom’s annual New Year turkey curry buffet, where she runs into childhood friend Mark (Colin Firth). Alas, she is put off by his ugly Christmas jersey, and he thinks she’s vulgar. So Bridget takes a detour on her road to true love by falling for her roguish boss, Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant), instead.

Stream Bridget Jones’s Diary on DStv Stream and on Showmax.

Viral holiday romance

Christmas Under the Lights

After their mother’s death, Nick (Antonio Cayonne) begs his sister, busy marketing executive Emily (Heather Hemmens), to return to their family’s animal rescue ranch, and to help him to organise their annual Christmas Carnival. She arrives to find Nick’s friend Luke (Marco Grazzini), a former artist, will be staying with them. While they get off to a rocky start, Emily, Nick and Luke collaborate on creating the most spectacular, light-filled carnival the town has ever seen.

Watch Christmas Under the Lights on DStv Stream.

The Christmas Quest

Stefanie (Lacey Chabert), an archeologist, and her ex-husband Chase (Kristoffer Polaha), who’s an expert in ancient Norse languages, are sent to Iceland over the Christmas season to search for the legendary treasure of the Yule Lads. But as others join in the hunt, Stefanie and Chase must set aside their grudges while they race to keep the treasure from falling into the wrong hands in a grand adventure that’ll take them from museum balls to a dark cave.

Watch The Christmas Quest on DStv Stream.

The Finnish Line

This romantic comedy was shot in Iceland and Lapland. Anya (Kim Matula), a Finnish-American woman, follows in her late father's footsteps with her friend and teammate Elyse (Nichole Sakura) to compete in the 40th annual Joulurauha sled-dog race in Finnish Lapland. Anya’s quest attracts unwanted attention from the press, including former sled-dog racer Cole Olsen (Beau Mirchoff), and she is standoffish until one of her dogs is injured, and Cole offers her a dog from his own pack.

Watch The Finnish Line on DStv Stream.

Holiday Crashers

Aimless BFFs Toni (Lyndsy Fonseca) and Bri (Daniella Monet) shake things up by creating fake identities to crash the fancy Christmas parties that their business prints the invitations for. When Toni’s mistaken for a lawyer, the two are whisked off to a business retreat at a mountain lodge in Vermont by business mogul Justin (Chris McNally), who has a crush on Toni’s character. And Bri falls for the resort’s valet, Vinny (Jag Bal), who has secrets of his own.

Watch Holiday Crashers on DStv Stream.

A Novel Noel

Successful New York City editor Harper (Julie Gonzalo) is feeling burned out when she’s tapped to run an independent bookstore in the small town of Saint Ives during the holiday season in Maine. Alas, the shop owners’ handsome, finance-bro son, Sawyer (Brendan Penny), soon ruins her fun. With Sawyer secretly longing to be a writer, though, Harper realises that her true talent lies in fostering others’ creativity, and that she can make both their dreams come true.

Watch A Novel Noel on DStv Stream.

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