Binge These British Christmas Classics and Put the 'Merry' in 'Merry Old England'

Get ready to deck the halls and cuddle up by the fire with these British Christmas classics. From heartwarming tales of holiday cheer to laugh-out-loud comedies, these films will put the "merry" in "Merry Old England."

So grab some hot cocoa, pop some popcorn, and get ready to binge your way through the most wonderful time of the year.

Love Actually, directed by Richard Curtis, 2003

No Christmas celebration is complete without this movie. Originally intended to be just another Christmas comedy, viewers and critics elevated it to a cult status and made it a national treasure. Previously Doctor Who held such honors, but after 2003 it got a worthy rival. In fact, Love Actually is a fairly typical Christmas romcom. At first glance, it is made up of short separate stories, but all the characters are somehow connected. The prime minister turns out to be the brother of the woman who is about to get divorced, the groom's best man is actually in love with the bride, the two porn actors have no one to celebrate Christmas with, and so on. A situation comedy and the pure absurdity of life accompanied by Dido's music and snow.

Happy New Year, Colin Burstead, directed by Ben Wheatley, 2018

This movie has never hit the cinema screens, but it was well received by television fans. Ben Wheatley's mix of comedy and drama is about a large family where some of the relatives do not talk to one another that much, but they also do not hate each other. They keep in touch only because they are related, though it feels like they are complete strangers. But now they have nowhere to go when all of them gather in a rented mansion, they are stuck in a confined space and conversation is simply unavoidable. Except some still do not want to open up, especially when a certain relative has brought in concert speakers and turned off all the lights in the house.

The Snowman, directed by Jimmy T. Murakami and Dianne Jackson, 1982

Of course, the list of British films should not consist entirely of live-action projects. Sometimes, on Christmas or New Year's Eve, you just want to escape from the hustle and bustle of adult life and immerse yourself in a fairytale atmosphere. Join the magical snowman in his adventures and listen to the enchanting voice of the narrator, played by David Bowie himself. Find yourself in a snowy land where Christmas lasts all year round and snowmen are more alive than people.

Nativity! by Debbie Isitt, 2009

Debbie Isitt's musical comedy is generally regarded as the second most popular Christmas film after Richard Curtis' Love Actually. The songs, the absurdity, the jokes, the ridiculous action, and Martin Freeman with his puppy-dog eyes have suddenly become all too familiar, comfortable, and, in a way, heart-warming to every Brit. It is easy for viewers to identify with the main character, Paul, a lifelong underdog who has no desire to celebrate Christmas at all. However, the school teacher's duties include the staging of a holiday play, so he can not just lock himself up in his house listening to sad music and hugging a bottle of liquor. In other words, Nativity! is the family version of Dylan Moran's sitcom Black Books, minus the Irish, unfortunately.

Last Christmas, directed by Paul Feig, 2019

There has been so much debate about the basic concept of this movie and what Christmas has to do with it. In fact, Paul Feig's movie is more of a social commentary on homelessness and Brexit than a holiday comedy with a Christmas spirit. But Last Christmas fits perfectly with Love Actually and Nativity! because all three movies are about underdogs. And as we know, they are the ones who always watch something on Christmas Eve.