With the holiday season comes an influx of holiday movies, both new and old. With that in mind, here’s my take on some of the holiday movies available for streaming on Netflix.

“Holidate,” starring Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey, is a romantic comedy with a holiday spin. Sloane and Jackson, two strangers, are fed up with being single on the holidays. The two decide to platonically be each other’s plus-one for the holiday season, but they end up catching feelings for each other along the way.

While this movie is entertaining, it is very shallow and lacks real and thoughtful humor. Roberts and Bracey have great chemistry in the film, but it is not enough to make up for the lack of depth. The storyline is predictable as it is for most rom-coms, and the entertainment in it comes from its raunchiness and messiness. I would recommend this movie if you’re looking for an easy watch — you can follow it easily while multitasking or scrolling through your phone.

The 2018 animated version of “The Grinch” is a lighthearted movie that will get you into the holiday spirit. While this movie is directed at a younger audience, it is a goofy holiday offering that will raise your spirits.

This movie follows the storyline of the traditional Grinch story and tells of a grumpy curmudgeon who plots to halt Christmas in the small town of Whoville. A kindhearted little girl begins to change his heart, and he rethinks his stingy plans.

While this movie does stay true to the traditional story of the Grinch, it also adds some silliness and humor that are not present in the original version. The characters were also a little more complex. In the original version of the film, Whos are one-sidedly joyful, and the Grinch is one-sidedly grouchy. This version of the movie adds layers to the characters to make for a more entertaining experience. “The Grinch” brings a modern spin to a classic holiday tale, plus it includes a cute dog (Max). And who doesn’t love a cute dog?

“Operation Christmas Drop” is a holiday movie based on a real-life military mission. It stars Kat Graham as Erica Miller, a political aide for a high-up congresswoman. Erica is asked to travel to Guam to visit an Air Force Base. Erica’s boss is concerned about an annual holiday tradition at the base called “Operation Christmas Drop” after one of the pilots, Andrew Jantz — played by Alexander Ludwig — posts a spirited photo on social media. Erica must decide whether the program gets cut.

Once Erica arrives on the base, she immediately meets Andrew. While the two clash at first, they begin to grow fond of each other, and Erica begins to grow fond of Operation Christmas Drop too.

While “Operation Christmas Drop” is a cheesy and predictable rom-com, it is still worth the watch. The movie is better as a distraction than an invested watch, but it did fulfill the purpose of a typical holiday romantic comedy. And while the movie is extremely dramatic — as to be expected — it did serve to subtly educate about military traditions.

All of these movies are available for streaming on Netflix. Whether you are looking for a raunchier comedy, a family friendly classic or a typical holiday romance, Netflix has many options in the movie department this holiday season.

ANNA MALESIEWSKI

[email protected]