Top 10 Winter Movies

Winter is the perfect time to grab a soft blanket, heat up some hot chocolate and fire up the home theater. Here are ten winter-themed movies that will warm you and your loved ones.

1. FARGO

Taking place in and around the wintry tundra of Fargo, North Dakota, this black comedy follows the ever-spiraling misadventures of a financially strapped Minneapolis car salesman (William H. Macy), who hires a pair of thugs (Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare) to kidnap his own wife (Frances McDormand) in order to extort a huge ransom from her wealthy father. Thanks to its twisted plot and superb acting, Fargo won seven Academy Awards^® in 1997 (including Best Picture) and was selected for preservation by the United States National Film Registry in 2006 for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” Find out where to stream it here.

2. FROZEN

Inspired by Hans Christian Anderson’s 1844 fairy tale The Snow Queen, this charming film tells the tale of Princess Anna of Arendelle, who teams up with a snowman, an iceman and his reindeer. Together, they search for Anna’s estranged sister Elsa, whose magical powers have mistakenly trapped the kingdom in an eternal frozen winter. The film is visually captivating thanks to its deft use of a combination of CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) and traditional hand-drawn animation — so realistic that at times you’ll almost feel the cold of the deep and heavy snows that swirl all around. Find out where to stream it here.

3. THE ICE ROAD

Set in the far north of Canada, this thriller tells the tale of a convoy of ice road truck drivers (Liam Neeson, Laurence Fishburne and Amber Midthunder) who brave untold wintry conditions to deliver critical supplies to save miners trapped in a collapsed mine. Crank up the speakers to enjoy the edgy multi-genre soundtrack executive-produced by Nikki Sixx of Mötley Crüe fame. Find out where to stream it here.

4. THE REVENANT

This gripping tale of survival is set in the Dakotas in early 1823. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Hugh Glass, a fur trader, trapper, hunter and explorer. After being mauled by a grizzly bear and left for dead by his companions, he endures a series of frozen dramatic encounters with nature, American Indians and his own former friends. The cinematography is stunning, as is the score by Japanese musician Ryuichi Sakamoto and German electronic musician Alva Noto, and the film won three Golden Globe^® Awards and five BAFTA awards, as well as earning a Best Actor Academy Award for DiCaprio. Find out where to stream it here.

5. COOL RUNNINGS

Bobsledding in Jamaica? Well, sort of. This sports movie is loosely based on the true story of how Jamaican sprinter Derice Bannock (played by Leon Robinson) managed to assemble a national bobsled team for the 1988 Winter Olympics. John Candy provides additional comic relief, and there’s a soundtrack that includes much reggae, mon. This fun flick will get you feeling good about winter! Find out where to stream it here.

6. THE SHINING

“Heeeeeere’s Johnny!” Truly one of the great psychological horror films of all time, this 1980 classic by Stanley Kubrick is based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. Jack Nicholson stars as Jack Torrance, the newly hired winter caretaker of a remote hotel in the Rocky Mountains, who has been told that the previous caretaker killed himself and his family. As Torrance’s mental health deteriorates and his son’s frightening visions worsen, the story takes a series of disturbing twists and turns that will have you on the edge of your seat. Find out where to stream it here.

7. INTO THE WHITE

This exciting adventure film, set during the Second World War, is inspired and based loosely on real-life events that happened in Norway. It presents the trials and tribulations of the crew of a German bomber that has been shot down. In their snowbound trek to get to the coast, where they hope to be rescued, they encounter two British airmen who have also been shot down. The drama and intergroup antagonism builds as weather conditions deteriorate. Find out where to stream it here.

8. TRACK OF THE CAT

This oldie but goodie, released in 1954, stars Robert Mitchum as Curt Bridges, the head of a squabbling family who spend a terrible winter on their ranch in Northern California in the early years of the 20th century. The adventure starts when a hired American Indian hand tells Bridges there is a panther prowling up in the hills. Curt and his brother Harold then embark on a perilous journey into the frozen wilderness to track the panther while the rest of the family, ensnarled in their own drama, await their safe return. Find out where to stream it here.

9. THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW

This 2004 science fiction disaster film, based on the 1999 book The Coming Global Superstorm, depicts how catastrophic climate effects and a series of extreme weather events can bring on a new ice age. You’ll need to stay warm while watching this one, especially when a huge tropical depression splits into three hurricanes above Siberia, Scotland and Canada, flash-freezing everything in its path. Another superstorm then strikes Manhattan, causing NOAA paleoclimatologist Jack Hall (Dennis Quaid) and his son to embark on a series of wild adventures in order to escape the frozen disaster that ensues. Find out where to stream it here.

10. SNOW DOG

Starring Cuba Gooding Jr. as a celebrity dentist based in Miami, Florida, this comedy revolves around his cold weather misadventures when traveling to Alaska to claim an inheritance — which includes blizzards, grizzly bears, thin ice and an old mountain man played brilliantly by James Coburn. The good doctor eventually falls in love in the frozen town and even learns how to drive a dog sled led by a defiant lead dog. Find out where to stream it here.