25 best animated Christmas movies and specials on Netflix

6. Spirit Riding Free: Spirit of Christmas (2019)

In 2002, the Academy-award nominated animated feature film Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron enthralled audiences with its memorable characters and compelling story. Fifteen years later, the franchise returned to the small screen airing eight exceptional seasons on Netflix with several spinoffs and a well-crafted holiday-themed special called Spirit Riding Free: Spirit of Christmas. The Dreamworks Animation film was released in 2019 on the streaming service and subscribers continue to enjoy around that particular time of year when an excellent Noel-themed motion picture is the right choice while cozying up by the fire with the entire family on a brisk winter evening.

Spirit Riding Free: Spirit of Christmas follows Lucky, the titular horse, and the rest of their friends as they embark on a Christmas Eve adventure that involves finding the perfect gift in the city. But things don’t go according to plan for several reasons, one of which being an avalanche that puts the entire endeavor in jeopardy. Along the ride for this epic holiday endeavor is the same players fans know from the franchise as well as Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials and Shadowhunters star Katherine McNamara as Sally Jessup, the main character’s favorite singer. This is by far one of the franchise’s best entrees and is currently available to enjoy on Netflix.