The 2003 Christmas movie Elf, starring Will Ferrell, is a great film to help get you and your family into that festive spirit. Raised as an elf but actually human, Buddy leaves the North Pole to go in search of his true identity.
If you want to watch it this year, there are several ways you can stream Elf this Christmas, across all the screens in your life.
Is Elf on Netflix or other streaming services?
Unfortunately, Elf isn’t to be found on Netflix in either the UK or US – but don’t give up hope.
It is on one streaming service in the UK: Now. You’ll need a Now Cinema Pass to stream the movie – this costs £9.99 monthly, but fortunately there’s a 7-day free trial too. Grab that, and you’ve got enough time to watch Elf (and plenty of other Christmas films) before the big day.
Meanwhile, in the US you can watch Elf on HBO Max. Unfortunately there’s no free trial for HBO Max any more, but there are a few ways you can get access without paying a penny – check out our guide to watching HBO Max for free to see if any will work for you.
It’s also included for Starz customers. If you already pay for Starz that means you can watch it for free – if not, you can get a 7-day free trial to watch it on the Starz Amazon Prime channel – and if you’re not a Prime member of that, you just need to stack it with the Amazon Prime free trial. Just remember to cancel both when you’re done!
Rent or buy Elf digitally
If you can’t get a free trial of either Now or HBO Max, the next best option is simply to pay to rent or buy Elf.
You can rent the movie from Amazon Prime Video, iTunes, Google Play, YouTube, and more. It usually costs £3.49/$3.99 to rent, and £6.99/$9.99 to buy outright.
Buy Elf on DVD or Blu-ray
If you’re a little more old school, you can also buy Elf from Amazon on Blu-ray for roughly £8/$8, though stock isn’t always available. DVD is an option too, but it’s actually often more expensive than Blu-ray now since stock is more limited.
Rent Elf on DVD
In the UK, Elf is also available on DVD rental subscription service Cinema Paradiso – sign up here for a free trial.
Where and when is Elf on TV?
In the UK, Elf is available exclusively through Sky. It’s available to watch or stream regularly on Sky Cinema through the Christmas period, so check your guide to find out more.
In the US, Starz will be airing the movie a few times around Christmas, so check the schedule to find out when.
Author: Marie Black, Editorial Director
Marie is Editorial Director at Foundry. A Journalism graduate from the London College of Printing, she's worked in tech media for more than 17 years, managing our EMEA and LatAm editorial teams and leading on content strategy through Foundry's transition from print, to digital, to online - and beyond.