(Credit: Netflix)

Oh, we are still doing this? Still pretending the holidays are all twinkly lights and everyone magically loves each other? Because we are OVER it. The cookies are about to get stale, every shop is playing the same four carols, and if one more movie ends with a slow-motion family reunion in the snow, there is a high chance half of us might scream.

You get it, right? Not all of us are here for the holiday cheer marathon. Some of us are tired. The tree’s a mess, we have had three emotional breakdowns since December 1st, and honestly, we just want to watch something that doesn’t make us feel like a failure for not being full of “Christmas spirit”. Whatever that means.

And no, nobody wants another Hallmark couple kissing under fake snow. We want sarcasm and grumpiness. We want characters who say the things we’re all thinking, like how the holidays are expensive and exhausting. And how half the time, everyone is just pretending to be happy so they can avoid actual conversations.

So if you have hit that point, this list is for you. Five humbug movies on Netflix that let you sulk in peace. No magical endings. Just vibes, bad moods.

Five humbug movies to watch on Netflix

A Not So Merry Christmas (Mark Alazraki, 2022)

If you have ever, ever felt like December drags on forever, this movie is a literal depiction of that feeling. A guy wakes up to the same Christmas Eve over and over again, and each time it somehow gets worse. He is rude and careless and also half-asleep through dinner. And guess what? He has to do it all again. You would think he’d improve. But it’s his worst nightmare he is living over and over. So naturally, he flails and forgets things, and yeah, it’s kind of hilarious.

Once you start the movie, you’ll realise that you’re not watching for growth. You are watching because watching someone else go crazy during the holidays satisfies your holiday-enraged soul. There is no fake holiday magic or sudden bursts of cheer. Just one man trapped in a glittery loop with relatives who barely tolerate him. It’s Christmas, served with a lot of passive aggression, and we are here for it.

Scrooge: A Christmas Carol (Mark Alazraki, 2022)

So you think you have seen every version of Scrooge? Try this one. And it is animated, sure, but it feels heavier than most live-action takes. This whole thing feels like it was made for the people who never bought into holiday cheer in the first place.

What really works is how little patience this version has for nonsense. Scrooge is insufferable, the past is painful, and the redemption? Hard-earned, not handed out like a candy cane. You don’t walk away inspired. You walk away with the realisation that it is good that it worked out for him, but please spare us. And isn’t that exactly the mood we are going for? A cold little Christmas story for anyone who’s tired of being told to smile more in December.

Happy Christmas (Joe Swanberg, 2014)

Okay, so for those who are done with the Christmas explosion and someone coming and saving the day, this one is for them. A woman moves in with her brother and his wife, and everything turns into one long, uncomfortable hangout. She drinks too much and says the wrong things (well, who hasn’t?) and lingers too long. Basically, all those little family moments that make you want to scream into a pillow.

And you have no other option but to keep watching. Because it feels like real people trying and failing to be festive. Happy Christmas is that weird limbo between December 24th and January 1st where everyone’s pretending they are not irritated but are silently grinding their teeth. It’s kind of sad but also weirdly nice when you have had enough of the sugar-coated stuff. A break from the fake joy of holidays.

Christmas as Usual (Petter Holmsen, 2023)

Nothing says holiday exhaustion like meeting your partner’s family in another country. This one’s all about that. A woman goes to Norway with her American fiancé, and everything, literally everything, feels off. Traditions, food, awkward silences and conversation, and so much family tension that it makes you want to be single forever.

And the fun part about it is that you are waiting for someone to finally say what everyone’s thinking. It’s a holiday movie that doesn’t care about making things better, but just shows you how absurd this whole season can get. No perfect ending. No grand romantic gesture. Just a classic show of passive-aggressive dinners and mismatched expectations.

Christmas with the Kranks (Joe Roth, 2004)

The dream, honestly. A couple decides to just skip Christmas altogether, and before they know it, they are the villains of the entire neighbourhood. No tree, no party, no decorations, and people lose their minds. It’s exactly what it feels like to say “no” to holiday plans and be judged like you have kicked Santa.

What’s fun is that they stick to it. Through peer pressure, guilt trips, a thousand unsolicited opinions, they keep trying to ditch the whole thing. Trust me, you will root for them just out of spite. In other words, it’s the most realistic holiday movie you’ll see this month. A film that doesn’t beg you to love holidays.