The holiday season has arrived, which means it’s time to warm up some hot chocolate and grab a spot on the couch for a Christmas movie night. While there are a ton of great flicks to watch during this time of year, few are as sidesplittingly funny as Elf, which has gone on to spawn musicals, TV specials and more. Since Christmas is around the corner, you’re probably asking yourself: Is Elf on Netflix? Well, here’s how to stream the holiday classic this year.
What is Elf about?
If you haven’t seen the hit 2003 flick yet (which is pretty astounding, but OK), here’s a brief recap. Directed by Jon Favreau (who also has a cameo in the movie), the comedy revolves around Buddy Hobbs (Will Ferrell), a human who was raised by elves and grew up in Santa’s workshop. One day, Buddy finds out his true heritage and embarks on a trek through through the seven levels of the Candy Cane forest, through the sea of swirly-twirly gum drops, and a walk through the Lincoln Tunnel to land in New York City to find his biological father.
Unfortunately, Buddy discovers that his dad, a children’s book publisher named Walter Hobbs played by the legendary James Caan, is a bit of a Scrooge and is on Santa’s naughty list. Using his infectious love for the holidays, Buddy tries to win over his father’s affection, although it takes a while to break through his icy exterior.
The film features a star-studded cast, including Zooey Deschanel as Jovie, Buddy’s love interest, Mary Steenburgen as Emily Hobbs, Buddy’s stepmom, Ed Asner as Santa Claus, Bob Newhart as Papa Elf and Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage as Miles Finch, an acclaimed children’s author who ends up butting heads with Buddy.
Is Elf on Netflix?
So now that you’re all caught up, it’s time to answer the question of is Elf on Netflix? While the streaming service has a ton of holiday titles in its library, Elf isn’t available to stream on Netflix at the moment. The film isn’t on Hulu either, although Elf: Buddy’s Musical Christmas, an animated version of the flick, is available to stream on Hulu. Don’t expect to watch Elf for free on Amazon either, although it is available to rent or purchase on the video service.
