Four Netflix movies to watch if you loved ‘A Dog’s Perfect Christmas’
It has barely been a few days since Halloween, and Netflix is already in a festive mood.
Lucky for us, their Christmas slate kicks off this week with a heartwarming book-to-screen adaptation of A Dog’s Perfect Christmas. W Bruce Cameron’s novel – which is part of the A Dog’s Purpose universe – is narrated by a wise basset hound named Winstead.
The film stars Dennis Quaid, Milo Ventimiglia and Mary Steenburgen, and sounds like a movie both you and your furry friends can watch together.
If you’re looking for more cute animal companions and holiday cheer, here are four Netflix movies to watch when the credits roll.
Four Netflix movies to stream after A Dog’s Perfect Christmas:
Rescued by Ruby (Katt Shea, 2022)
If you love how A Dog’s Perfect Christmas highlights its dog heroics and the emotional bond between a man and his dog, Rescued by Ruby is the ultimate post-viewing candidate. Based on a touching true story, the heartwarming biographical drama currently streaming on Netflix follows Grant Show as Daniel O’Neil, an underdog Rhode Island state trooper, who dreams of joining the police K-9 search-and-rescue unit. But making his dream a reality is no cakewalk.
While struggling with dyslexia and ADHD, Daniel faces back-to-back rejections. To make things worse, he’s running out of time since he’s fast approaching the unit’s age limit. He stumbles upon Ruby, an exuberant, high-strung Border Collie-Australian Shepherd mix who was returned by different adopters for being too hyper and destructive. She is just hours away from being euthanised, but Daniel’s dream finally takes flight as he adopts her as his partner.
Caramelo (Diego Freitas, 2025)
Just like Netflix brought A Dog’s Perfect Christmas for dog parents this year, it dropped Caramelo last year. Directed by Diego Freitas, the heartfelt Brazilian movie centres on young, skilled, and driven chef Pedro, played by Rafael Vitti, who plans to take the next big step in his advancing culinary career. But just as he takes over as head chef of the prestigious restaurant where he was once an assistant cook, he receives a devastating brain tumour diagnosis.
The day before, Pedro had met a mischievous, caramel-coloured, mixed-breed stray dog, but didn’t think much of him. To his surprise, the dog’s intuition helps alert everyone to changes in his health, and Pedro unexpectedly finds healing. As he battles illness and goes through life-saving treatments, Pedro finds unprecedented companionship as he develops a bond with the dog, affectionately known as Caramelo. He ultimately meets Camila, a dog trainer and rescuer, and well, the rest is a story about hope and resilience.
Holiday in the Wild (Ernie Barbarash, 2019)
Holiday in the Wild is no different follows Kristin Davis as Kate Conrad from Manhattan, whose husband ends their marriage just days before they are supposed to embark on a second honeymoon safari to Zambia. Oh, and their son leaves for college. Undeterred, the veterinarian goes on the trip on her own.
While travelling through Zambia, she meets rugged bush pilot Derek (Rob Lowe), and during a flight over a game reserve, they stumble upon an orphaned baby elephant. Determined to rescue the calf and nurse it back to health at a local elephant orphanage, Kate decides to extend her stay through the holidays while working at the sanctuary. Holiday in the Wild centres on Kate’s journey of re-evaluation that helps her rediscover her passion for life, love, and, of course, the holidays.
A Boy Called Christmas (Gil Kenan, 2021)
If A Dog’s Perfect Christmas restores hope and perseverance, A Boy Called Christmas delivers the holiday magic in abundance. In modern-day London, eccentric aunt Ruth (Maggie Smith) tells three grieving children the origin story of Christmas. Set in 18th-century Finland, the story follows 11-year-old Nikolas, who lives in a small forest cabin with his woodcutter father, Joel (Michiel Huisman), after his mother was killed by a bear.
But in hopes of winning a large reward, Joel heads towards Elfhelm, the fabled village of elves, leaving Nikolas alone with his cruel aunt, Carlotta (Kristen Wiig). Driven to despair by his aunt’s cruelty, Nikolas escapes into the freezing northern wilderness to track down his father. Along the way, a headstrong reindeer named Blitzen and a mouse named Miika join him, unknowingly becoming the anchor of peace and resilience in his life.