Considering that the holiday of Christmas exists because of the birth of Christ, there seems to be a surprisingly small percentage of Christmas movies that have anything to do with that actual event.
These days, we might feel lucky to find Christmas movies that have even a hint about the Reason for the Season in them. But if you’re in the mood to watch a Christmas flick that’s actually about the Nativity itself, here is a list of five Nativity films that are available for streaming now.
The Nativity Story (2006)
A PG-rated retelling of the birth of Christ, beginning with the Annunciation. While there might not be anything extremely novel about this movie, it’s pretty faithful to the Scriptural events and is definitely a good starting point for anyone who wants to watch a good Nativity film.
The content of The Nativity Story is suitable for most ages (especially if your kids have already heard the Bible story!), but there is some implied scary stuff like the Massacre of the Innocents.
The Nativity Story is available to buy or rent streaming on Google Play, YouTube and Amazon Prime Video (it’s also included free on Prime with a trial or subscription to the AMC+ streamer -- NOTE: the movie leaves AMC+ on Dec. 31).
Veggie Tales: The Little Drummer Boy (2011)
This one’s a 45-minute animated kids video featuring, you guessed it, everyone’s favorite singing vegetables. It tells the story of an asparagus drummer boy who finds himself at the birth of Jesus.
While the songs and silliness could get a bit annoying for some parents, Veggie Tales: The Little Drummer Boy is a solid little-kid-friendly Nativity video that most kids will eat up.
Veggie Tales: The Little Drummer Boy streams on Amazon Prime Video (on its IMDB channel, free with ads), as well as on the Christian streaming services Minno, Pure Flix and Yippee TV.
Joseph & Mary (2016)
Joseph & Mary is an unrated drama starring Kevin Sorbo as St. Joseph. It tells the story of the Holy Family traveling to Bethlehem and of Christ’s birth. It also showing Jesus at age 12 and Joseph’s death.
This film does have some violence and frightening images that make it best for teens and adults.
Currently, you can watch Joseph & Mary on VUDU and for free with ads on YouTube, as well as on Amazon Prime Video.
The Three Wise Men (2020)
This one is a short but sweet Nativity movie that littler kids should be fond of.
The Three Wise Men is a 26-minute animated film, narrated by Andy Griffith, that follows the Magi as they search for the newborn King. The narration is rhymed, and it features some Christmas songs.
The Three Wise Men is currently included with Amazon Prime Video.
The Nativity: The Life of Jesus Christ (1984)
This one shows more than just the birth of Christ, but it begins there. Though it’s a bit more of an '80s, low-budget-type of movie, it’s still a solid pick for a movie about Christ that shows His Birth.
The Nativity: The Life of Jesus Christ is on Amazon Prime Video -- alas, though, not in America right now. It’s also free with ads on YouTube, and on DVD from BestBuy.
(Note, the trailer below embedded with a big white block on the bottom of it. But, fear not, keep scrolling for the bonus content below!)
2 Bonus Films: The Star and Baby in a Manger
We’ve talked about the computer animated Nativity movie The Star (2017) before (click here for that) and it’s good enough to mention again. If you have young kids, you pretty much can’t go wrong with this fun movie about the birth of Christ. It’s on Hulu right now (if you subscribe to Hulu + Live TV), and is also available on Amazon Prime Video, VUDU, Google Play and YouTube.
Another Nativity-related movie to check out is the G-rated Baby in a Manger (2019), which is about a Child Protective Services agent and police officer who have to deal with a baby abandoned in the manger of a Nativity scene. Though a little cheesy, this is a clean family film that features the real Reason for Christmas. Baby in a Manger will air on UpTV on Christmas Eve at 5 p.m. ET (among other times, see here). It's also on the channel's streaming service, UP Faith & Family.
Image: UPtv
Adrienne Thorne is a Catholic mom, blogger and screenwriter.
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