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Not every film set in winter is about Christmas, and not everyone wants to see a Christmas movie during the winter. We’re not about to knock Hallmark Christmas movies (because we love those, too), but sometimes you just want to stream a movie that isn’t focused on holiday romances or singing Christmas carols during snow-laden wintry montages. That’s where these non-holiday winter movies come in, from Idris Elba and Kate Winslet fighting a blizzard (and their feelings) in The Mountain Between Us to a penguin documentary we can’t get through without crying.
Related story 55 Fantastic TV Shows You Should Be Watching Right NowNo matter what your favorite genre is, there are so many films available for streaming that will give you all the snow with none of the ho-ho-ho. This list of recommended viewing is perfect if you’re looking for a winter-set movie with approximately zero jingling bells, candy canes, snowmen or dudes in red suits with big white beards — in other words, totally Grinch-approved! And if you’re an extreme weather fan, we must say these wintry films deliver.
From indie darlings like Winter’s Bone to fairy tale re-imaginings like Snow White and the Huntsman, you can pick your own winter wonderland to match the dreary weather outside even if you’re feeling far from merry. These movies will keep you warm long after the holiday cheer has gone, when puddles of snow are still melting outside come February. Somehow, we think watching Liam Neeson wrestle with a pack of timber wolves will make you feel warm and cuddly right where you are.
Gather your snacks and your comfiest blanket and hunker down — it’s movie time.
A version of this article was originally published December 2018.
‘The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe follows four kids who travel through a wardrobe to the land of Narnia, and have to save it from White Witch whose land is perpetual winter.
'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'$3.99 to Rent
‘Red Riding Hood’
Starring Amanda Seyfried, Red Riding Hood follows a girl who falls for a man her family doesn’t approve of, all while in a town haunted by a werewolf. It’s all set in the winter time, so it’s perfect for a spooky winter flick!
'Red Riding Hood'$3.99 to Rent
‘Serendipity’
No rom-com marathon is complete without the 2001 film Serendipity. Starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale, this lighthearted film starts with two people who found each other by chance, or serendipity. They spend one magical afternoon together, feeling an instant connection. However, fate has other plans, and years go by, but they can’t stop thinking about the other.
Convinced that one day they’d end up together, they do everything they can to meet up once again.
‘When Harry Met Sally’
Nora Ephron and Rob Reiner’s romantic comedy classic, When Harry Met Sally… is a movie that drives two schools of thought when it comes to the ideal time of the year to watch it. Some people are definitely team autumn with this movie, which is totally fine! Honestly, some of Harry and Sally’s best outfits are during those gorgeous New York City fall scenes.
Then there’s team winter. We’d like to give this side just a little boost, espcially considering that the penultimate scene between Harry and Sally occurs on New Year’s Eve. With the charm and chemistry between Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan, this classic is really hard not to watch when you have a hankering for it.
Check it out on Amazon.
‘Little Women’
Little Women and each of its iterations feel like they could be watched anytime of year — and honestly, they should! But Gillian Armstrong’s 1994 iteration and Greta Gerwig‘s 2019 adaptation definitely have a certain wintery feel to them we just can’t shake. There’s a true, timeless quality about this story of the four March sisters as they discover their passions, desires, loves, and come into their own over the course of the story. We love revisiting this classic as often as possible — but especially during those cozy winter months.
Watch Armstrong’s Little Women, and Gerwig’s Little Women on Amazon.
‘Carol’
2015’s Carol has earned quite the following on social media as an unofficial Christmas movie — and for good reason! The entire narrative of the film takes place over the course of a holiday season in the 1950s, as Carol Aird (Cate Blanchett) and Therese Belivet (Rooney Mara) explore a secret romance. The film has earned wide-spread acclaim, and both Blanchett and Mara earned Oscar nominations for their work. This slow burn of a film is ideal for those winter nights.
Watch on Amazon.
‘Bridget Jones’s Diary’
Much like Carol, Bridget Jones’s Diary has enough Christmas iconography in it to be an honorable Christmas movie, too. But this film might actually have a bit more in common with Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice than anything else.
Renée Zellweger is absolutely hilarious and charming as the titular character, who tries to pull her life together while dealing with heartbreak and more. Bridget is such a loveable character to root for, and who doesn’t love pulling for the underdog? Grab yourself some hot chocolate; this is the perfect winter watch!
Watch now on Amazon.
‘The Mountain Between Us’
This movie is, put briefly, your worst nightmare. Strangers Alex (Kate Winslet) and Ben (Idris Elba) desperately need to make a connecting flight when their own is cancelled due to snow (a bad omen). They charter a small plane together, but the pilot suffers a stroke and the plane crashes, leaving them abandoned on the side of a snow-covered mountain with no record of where they’ve gone. The story that follows is one of survival under the most intense circumstances, but also of how two stubborn hearts can slowly start to soften toward each other.
‘Snow White and the Huntsman’
Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron) hears the prophecy that she must eat her stepdaughter Snow White’s heart (Kristen Stewart), and sends widower Eric the Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) to go procure it for her. But as those familiar with the original Snow White may know, things don’t go exactly to the evil queen’s plan. It’s a modern magical retelling of Disney’s favorite winter princess, and the A-list cast doesn’t disappoint.
‘The Grey’
This survival movie starring Liam Neeson and Dermot Mulroney follows a group of oil-men who survive a plane crash but find themselves on the territory of a pack of feral wolves in Alaska. Marksman John Ottway (Neeson) has spent his career protecting these men from wolves and tries to guide the surviving group to safety, but the treacherous weather and approaching wolves start to pick them off one by one.
‘Anna Karenina’
Based on Leo Tolstoy’s book of the same name, Anna Karenina is the tale of an epic romance set in 19th-century Russia. Beginning in the deep, chilling winter, the story follows the forbidden romance of the titular Anna Karenina (played by Keira Knightley) and Count Vronsky (played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson), showing the dramatic repercussions their love has on their families and friends. Filled with stunning visuals of grand ballrooms and gorgeous gowns, this film is one that’s not easily forgotten.
Anna Karenina$3.99
on Amazon.com‘The Revenant’
This 2015 Iñárritu drama tracks the journey of frontiersman Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) in 1823 (the movie is loosely based on real events). When Glass is attacked by a grizzly bear, he has to stay behind from the group with his son — but Fitzgerald, who was meant to stay and bury Glass when he died, instead kills his son and partially buries Glass alive.
This true wilderness survival story has gone down in history for two things: that scene were Leo climbs inside a horse carcass, and the fact that he finally won an Oscar for this role.
The Revenant$3.99
on Amazon.com‘Ice Age’
If The Revenant is a little too gory for your taste, why not relax with the crowd-pleasing Ice Age? With voices by John Leguizamo, Ray Romano, Denis Leary, Jack Black, and Jane Krakowski, this hilarious animated film launched a franchise that’s still going strong nearly two decades later.
Lose yourself in the world of sloth Sid, Manny the mammoth, and tiger Diego with this movie that the whole family will enjoy.
Ice Age$3.99
on Amazon.com‘March of the Penguins’
This French documentary made us fall in love with penguins all over again, as we breathlessly watched these emperor penguins walk inland across Antarctica for the winter. Their mating rituals, family units, and wobbly lil’ walks pretty much have us saying “awww” for the full 80 minutes — and it’s a surprisingly emotional journey too.
March of the Penguins$2.99
on Amazon.com‘Hold the Dark’
This Netflix original movie, starring Westworld‘s Jeffrey Wright, Big Little Lies star Alexander Skarsgård and Riley Keough, follows the story of an investigator (Wright) who travels to Alaska in the depths of winter to help one young mother (Keough) find her son, who she believes was taken by wolves. In true thriller fashion, the investigator soon discovers that the circumstances surrounding the young boy’s disappearance are not exactly what they seem.
Watch Hold the Dark on Netflix now.
‘The Day After Tomorrow’
In The Day After Tomorrow, the world is thrown into utter chaos as extreme climate changes, including super-hurricanes and massive winter storms signaling the beginning of a new ice age, take over major cities like New York. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Dennis Quaid and Emmy Rossum, this is a disaster movie that will make your heart race as you watch folks try to survive seemingly impossible wintry circumstances.
The Day After Tomorrow$3.99
on Amazon.com‘Winter’s Bone’
Without Winter’s Bone, the world might never have been introduced to the glory of Jennifer Lawrence — and for that alone, it’s worth a winter watch. At only 20 years old, Lawrence delivered a stunning performance as Ozark teen Ree Dolly on the hunt for her father.
With a mentally ill mother and two younger siblings, Ree is responsible for the family’s fate, and must embark on increasingly desperate paths to try and ward off financial ruin. It’s a haunting, moving film about a world we rarely see.
Winter's Bone$3.79
on Amazon.com‘The Shining’
Set in the fictional Overlook Hotel, an isolated mountain retreat in Colorado, Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of Stephen King’s classic novel The Shining is a chilling horror film that explores one man’s descent into madness. Filled with stunning visuals, The Shining remains a fear-inducing classic whose tension is only amplified by the snowstorm that traps the central characters within the Overlook.
Watch The Shining on Netflix now.
‘Defiance’
Starring Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber, Defiance is based on the true story of four Jewish brothers who escape from their Nazi-occupied home of Belarus and help 1,200 of their fellow Jews escape during WWII. The film’s action largely takes place deep within the forests of Belarus during the wintertime, meaning you’ll want to bundle up as you watch this enthralling film.
‘Frozen’
Disney’s acclaimed animated musical Frozen follows the story of Elsa (voiced by Broadway star Idina Menzel) and Anna (voiced by Kristen Bell), two sisters who are driven apart when Elsa develops the ability to literally freeze anything or summon the power of winter whenever she is overcome with emotion. Anna’s quest to reconnect with Elsa after Elsa goes into hiding takes viewers through the frozen fictional wonderland of Arendelle and shows what sacrifices sisters are willing to make in order to protect each other. Including award-winning songs like “Let It Go,” Frozen is a classic that everyone can enjoy.
Frozen$1.99
on Amazon.com‘Everest’
2015’s Everest boasts the star-studded ensemble of Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin, John Hawkes, Robin Wright, Michael Kelly, Sam Worthington, Keira Knightley, Emily Watson, and Jake Gyllenhaal. The film tells the true story of a 1996 Everest expidition on which eight people died in a blizzard trying to descend while on commercial expeditions — a growing practice that was heavily questioned after the year’s tragedies.
While it’s not a lighthearted watch, it’s a perfect winter flick for justifying the decision the stay in for the zillionth time — hey, there are blizzards out there!
Everest$3.99
on Amazon.com‘Crimson Peak’
If you’re in the mood for a gothic supernatural romance that features a heart-stopping climactic sequence set in the deep, chilling winter (fresh, blinding snowfall included), then Crimson Peak is the film for you. When a young author (Mia Wasikowska) marries a handsome, enigmatic Englishman (Tom Hiddleston) and moves into his childhood home — a massive manor house where his sister (Jessica Chastain) also lives — she finds herself entangled in a web of love, lies and betrayal that also features more than a few ghosts telling her she must use her wits to escape.
Crimson Peak$3.99
on Amazon.com‘Wind River’
Inspired by true events, Wind River is a crime drama set during the deepest of winter days (seriously, you will feel the cold coming through the screen) that follows a trusted local hunter (Jeremy Renner) and a young FBI agent (Elizabeth Olsen) who are tasked with trying to find the person who murdered a young Native American woman whose body was discovered in the snow on a quiet Wyoming reservation.
Watch Wind River on Netflix now.
‘Fargo’
Considered by many to be the Coen brothers’ best work, Fargo is a 1996 crime drama based in a Minnesota winter (AKA a very, very snowy place). Desperate and debt-ridden car salesman Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy) hires two men to kidnap his wife (Frances McDormand) so he can collect a ransom from her wealthy father.
Obviously, this hare-brained scheme doesn’t go according to plan — and as always happens in a Coen brothers movie, it’s a dark and wickedly funny twist.
Fargo$0.99
on Amazon.com‘Misery’
Kathy Bates won the 1990 best actress Oscar for her depiction of the homely, unstable Annie Wilkes in the film adaptation of Stephen King’s Misery. Starring Bates and James Caan, the film follows a renowned author who gets into a car accident during a snowstorm and is rescued by a woman who soon reveals that her love of the author is more sinister than it appears. The claustrophobia and tension between the two main characters is matched by the winter climes and will have you on the edge of your seat.
Misery$14.99
on Amazon.com‘Mr. Popper’s Penguins’
Speaking of penguins: Jim Carrey’s Mr. Popper isn’t as keen on these flightless birds, only coming in contact with the creatures when he receives the gift of a penguin from his late father (five others soon join the fray). But — as penguins do — these pets soon win him over, and inspire him to be a better person.
If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to try and keep five penguins in a New York City apartment, this is the movie for you.
Mr. Popper's Penguins$3.99
on Amazon.com‘Hot Tub Time Machine’
For those in search of some goofiness mixed with a wintry setting, why not check out Hot Tub Time Machine? Following longtime friends Adam (John Cusack), Nick (Craig Robinson) and Lou (Rob Corddry), as well as Adam’s nephew, Jacob (Clark Duke), who all head back to a favorite ski resort to reconnect but end up going back in time after partying too hard in a hot tub, this movie will have you laughing in no time
Watch Hot Tub Time Machine on Hulu now.
‘Happy Feet’
Happy Feet is a toe-tapping 2006 animated musical set in chilly arctic climes and features the voice talents of Elijah Wood, Brittany Murphy, Hugh Jackman and Robin Williams. The story follows the journey of a penguin who so desperately wants to be just as musically proficient as the rest of his community.
Happy Feet$3.99
on Amazon.com
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