December is finally here, which can only mean one thing: Christmas is just around the corner. And with the country in the grip of a cold snap it’s certainly starting to feel festive.
But if you’re not quite there yet and need something to get you truly in the spirit, what better way than kicking back with a few Christmas films. In recent years, there’s one festive film that has grown to be considered a modern classic and is enjoyed around the world.
That’s the film that spreads Christmas cheer loud for all to hear, Elf. From Iron Man director Jon Favreau, the 2003 comedy stars Will Ferrell as Buddy, a human raised by elves.
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The beloved film combines a typical fish-out-of-water tale with a healthy blend of Christmas and a sprinkling of Ferrell’s unmatched comedic chops. Elf opens on Christmas Eve, as an orphan baby crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and gets mistakenly taken to the North Pole.
Years later, a fully grown, six-foot tall Buddy (Ferrell) comes to realise he doesn’t fit in amongst his diminutive elven cousins, so sets out to New York City determined to find his biological dad and a place where he belongs. Alongside Ferrell, Elf boasts a stellar supporting cast, including the late The Godfather star James Caan as Walter Hobbs, a grouchy publishing executive and Buddy’s real dad.
It also stars Mary Steenburgen and Zooey Deschanel, while Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage also makes an appearance. The film became a huge critical and commercial success upon its release, grossing $220 million at the global box office.
It is now considered one of the best ever Christmas films and regularly features in ‘top’ lists. Time Out has named it the fourth best Christmas film of all time, while last year, Empire readers voted it the 11th best.
Is Elf on Netflix?
Elf is not available on streaming platforms like Netflix or Disney+ in the UK, although each platform has a host of other festive films. Disney+ members can stream The Muppets Christmas Carol and Home Alone while Netflix members can watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas and The Holiday, plus brand-new blockbusters like Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, Maestro and Rebel Moon.
Where to watch Elf this Christmas on TV streaming platforms
Here in the UK, Elf is available to watch on Sky, where it is showing on Sky Showcase at 6pm on Christmas Eve, while it also has regular showing on Sky Cinema Christmas in the days leading up to Christmas Day. This means that to watch Elf this Christmas, you'll need a membership to Sky.
Film fans can currently get Sky Cinema included in an awesome deal that also includes Netflix, Apple TV+ and Paramount+ at no extra cost. This amazing entertainment bundle includes Sky Stream, Sky TV, Sky Cinema, Netflix and Paramount+ for £37 a month, with customers also able to claim six months of free Apple TV+.
This means bargain hunters can save almost £270 and have access to premium Sky channels like Sky Atlantic, Sky Max and Sky Documentaries, plus loads of films like Love Actually, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and May December. With this bundle, members can also catch all the most-talked-about new shows on Netflix and Apple TV+ including the final season of The Crown, Slow Horses, Godzilla spin-off Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks’ upcoming WWII epic Masters of the Air and the fourth season of True Detective.
With Paramount+ included at no extra cost, members also have access to loads of blockbuster films and shows like Transformers Rise of the Beasts, Top Gun Maverick, Yellowstone, Frasier and South Park. What’s more, a membership also comes with two free Vue cinema tickets every month.
Those looking to upgrade their broadband can also add Sky’s Superfast broadband with 35Mb/s for an extra £13 a month. Sky also offers the Sky TV, Sky Stream and Netflix package without Sky Cinema and Paramount+ for £26 a month.
Amazon customers can rent or buy Elf on Prime Video for £3.49 or £5.99 respectively.
Join Sky to stream Elf this Christmas. Alternatively, a host of other Christmas films are available on streaming platforms including Disney+ and Apple TV+.