For families who do not have an actual fireplace to create a warm and cozy feeling at home for the holidays, it has become an annual tradition to watch virtual Yule Logs on streaming. There are many to be found on some of the best streaming services to subscribe to, including ones inspired by Rick and Morty and Harry Potter that are available with a Max subscription.
I always like my static shots of a crackling fireplace surrounded by festive decor to have a pop culture twist to them, so those types of specials would have the best shot of playing in my house when family comes over. However, there is only one that I would choose as my personal favorite Yule Log and it is probably not the one anyone would have expected… unless you know me really well, that is.
Shudder’s Mad God Ghoul Log Is The Hottest Yule Log I’ve Ever Seen
With a Shudder subscription – home to many great horror movies on streaming – viewers can find various “Ghoul Logs” to put on as virtual jack-o-lanterns for their homes. The absolute best, in my opinion, is the Mad God Ghoul Log. While clearly intended for use around Halloween, it still creates a cozy aesthetic that is perfect for the holidays, especially for fans of Christmas horror movies, and genuinely boasts more astonishing effort put into it than any traditional Yule Log I have ever seen.
Inspired by writer and director Phil Tibbett’s underrated recent horror movie, 2022’s Mad God – a stop-motion animated fantasy set in a gritty, war-torn future – the hour-long video boasts a killer fireplace set-up, resembling a monster with jagged teeth and fiery eyes, underneath a large pumpkin placed on a rotating platform that intermittently spins to reveal a new jack-o-lantern design, courtesy of a pair of creepy stick figures seen carving away behind it. The surrounding production design is simply a wonder to look at with its glorious, underground dystopian aura.
The Grinch Yule Log On Peacock Is My Runner Up
Now, if you would rather put on something that better reflects the festive aesthetic of the Christmas season, Shudder also has a “Ghoul Log” made specifically for the holiday, featuring a jack-o-lantern wearing a Santa hat. However, I do not actually like that one as much as what I recently decided was my second favorite Yule Log on streaming: The Grinch Yule Log, which is available with a Peacock subscription.
Lasting 30 minutes, this live-action Yule Log is one of the few I have ever seen that has some semblance of an actual story. It starts off bearing your typical fireplace set-up with surrounding decorations, which are taken away one by one by the scheming, green title character from one of the best Dr. Seuss movies. The special is also a good one to put on with young ones around but, keep in mind, the Grinch’s first appearance and devilish giggle startled me worse than just about anything I saw on my alternate runner-up choice, the Chucky Yule Log, which is also available on Peacock.
One that I also considered choosing to highlight is the Adult Swim Yule Log from 2022 – which recently acquired a sequel, Adult Swim Yule Log 2: Branchin’ Out, now available on Max – but that one does not really count because it is a feature-length horror-comedy movie initially disguised as just another crackling fireplace video. Fans of the Star Wars movies in order can also look to YouTube for a five-hour Darth Vader Yule Log, edited from the end of Return of the Jedi by BenjaminApple. There are many other fun holiday Yule Logs to choose from and, hopefully, we get even more from each coming year.