America has many Christmas traditions: drinking eggnog that may or may not be spiked with alcohol, singing outdated carols to random strangers, avoiding weird relatives during dinner, and listening to Mariah Carey endlessly proclaim that all she wants for Christmas is you. But it wouldn’t be the holidays without at least one viewing — and usually many more than that — of A Christmas Story, the nostalgic 1983 movie that introduced the world to Ralphie Parker, eating soap as a form of punishment, and the immortal phrase, “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid.”
Almost 40 years later, the classic film is still a holiday staple, one that signals that Christmas is almost here…as well as all those presents waiting to be unwrapped under the tree. A Christmas Story is a movie that unites all generations and is always available to watch just as the jingle bells start up and the credit cards get ready to reach their limit.
Where can I watch A Christmas Story?
If you want to follow the exploits of Ralphie, the Old Man, Ma, Randy and his messy mashed potatoes, ginger-haired bully Scut Farkus, Flick, and Schwartz, we’ve got you covered. A Christmas Story streams on many platforms but is only available via a subscription on HBO Max and Premium subscriptions to Hulu and Sling TV.
If you still have a cable TV subscription, no problem! As usual, the movie will air on TBS and TNT, including the 24-hour marathon of A Christmas Story which usually starts on Christmas Eve and ends the next day. Check your local listings for exact showtimes.
You don’t have to wear a pink rabbit costume while watching it, but it couldn’t hurt.
When does it stream for subscribers?
A Christmas Story is now streaming on all platforms, just in time for the holiday season to kick into high gear.
Stream A Christmas Story on HBO Max
How much does it cost to subscribe?
If you’re not a current HBO Max subscriber, but you’re interested in watching A Christmas Story, there are a couple of different rates you can pay for access to the service. The cheapest rate includes ads and starts at $10 a month, or $100 for a full year. If you want an ad-free experience, you can pay $15 a month or $150 for a full year.
This makes HBO Max one of the pricier streaming services out there, but it also gives you access to a pretty broad array of titles. including all of the HBO original programming that has ever been made. We’re talking classic series such as The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, Sex and the City, and The Wire, as well as current hits like The Staircase, Irma Vep, and House of the Dragon.
HBO Max also has many selections from the Warner Bros. library like The Batman and Don’t Worry Darling and anime classics from Studio Ghibli and Crunchyroll. In short, it’s a lot of great stuff.
A premium subscription to Hulu (called “Hulu+ Live TV”) will cost you $75 a month. This ad-supported service will get you access to Disney+, ESPN+, and over 75 live TV channels. Click here for more details.
A Sling TV premium subscription varies depending on the package you choose. For more information, click here.
Is it worth it?
Of course! There’s no denying the rose-colored nostalgia that A Christmas Story offers in spades, and it’s the rare wholesome family picture that doesn’t make adults or cynics gag. The comedy is still fresh, and everyone can relate to the childhood traumas poor Ralphie goes through in the movie like being bullied, not getting the present that you want, and … yes, being forced to wear an embarrassing outfit your family insists you put on.
The film was directed by Bob Clark, who has the oddest resume in film history. In the ’70s, he directed the terror classic Black Christmas (which showcases a different set of holiday horrors) and the ’80s teen sex comedy Porky’s. A Christmas Story is 94 minutes is long and stars Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin, and Jean Shepherd as adult Ralphie. The movie spawned numerous inferior sequels, including one that was just released in 2022, A Christmas Story Christmas.
A Christmas Story has a score of 90% on the Tomatometer.
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