Am I ashamed to say I’ve watched thousands of minutes-worth of Christmas-themed romantic comedies as they’ve been released to Netflix over the past few years? No, not really, because they’ve fueled one of my favorite traditions: watching these movies simply to see what “unexpected” plot twists or cheesy lines of dialogue I can predict. If you watch even just one, you’ll get a feel for the mechanics and tropes, best exemplified by a tweet from @pete_schultz: “As a relatively successful and busy man who lives in the city, my greatest fear is losing my girlfriend to a hometown hunk with a young son who teaches her the true meaning of Christmas.”
So, with my growing knowledge of festive rom-coms, why not subjectively rank the movies I’ve seen (that I can remember; there’s been so many) to tell you which are worth watching?
Some guidelines: though not all of these movies are Netflix originals, the majority are, and they are the type I want to review–though seasonal rom-coms like “Love Actually” merit their viewership, we all know they’re worth the watch. This list aims to suggest from a specific, magnetic (attractive or repulsive, you choose) group of movies where “the magic of Christmas” is a genuine theme… or even a genuine line. I also didn’t have time to include many that were released this year (thank you, finals.)
Also, though not technically a romantic comedy and thus ineligible for the ranking, “Klaus” is truly a fabulous Christmas movie and is well worth it. This multi-award winning, animated Santa Claus origin-story delights; I would highly recommend it.
Falling for Christmas (95 minutes)
“Falling For Christmas,” featuring Lindsay Lohan, felt like a new generation of these movies: crisp, bright, and “edgy-Gen-Z-humourous” mostly brought about by the social influencer character, Tad.
Christmas Inheritance (104 minutes)
“Christmas Inheritance” preys on the classic trope (Re: that tweet above) but weaves in the original cheesy-Christmas-movie charm. Delightfully predictable, this movie fits in perfectly to that magnetic group of movies sure to make you smile, or cringe, or smile at how cringy they are.
A Christmas Prince (92 minutes)
In “A Christmas Prince,” aspiring journalist Amber secretly records the life of and falls in love with the crown prince of a vaguely-made-up European country. Two things I love about this movie: it was the first cheesy Christmas movie I watched with the express intent of predicting (nostalgia) and it plays into the whole Netflix-Christmas-Movie-Universe (NCMU–see below.) *
The Princess Switch (102 minutes)
I almost couldn’t decide between these two; the edge that “The Princess Switch” brings is the inclusion of a second storyline through Vanessa Hudgen’s…secret twin sister?! With the addition “secretly Santa” magical figure, the movie ties in “the magic of Christmas” with a fun twist. *Both of these movies have two sequels!
A Castle for Christmas (99 minutes)
In “A Castle For Christmas” a best-selling author meets the “dashing duke” that cares for his Scottish-castle escape and the surrounding community (particularly the “warmhearted knitters.”) Something I liked about this movie (and “Holiday In The Wild”) is they both feature protagonists a little farther on in their lives, rather than the 20-something characters we tend to see in these movies.
Holiday In The Wild (86 minutes)
Another cool thing about “A Castle for Christmas” and “Holiday in the Wild”: both movies promise premises unique from typical christmas movies. In this one, an empty-nested mom “embarks on a solo second honeymoon in Africa, finding purpose–and potential romance.” While I’m writing, I keep switching the winner but I’ve decided that, though these two movies are about equal, “Holiday in the Wild” wins because it has baby elephants. (I said this was subjective!)
Christmas With A View (91 minutes, not “Netflix Original”)
“Christmas With A View,” presenting the wintery romance between a celebrity chef and restaurant manager, feels grounded with its Canadian setting and Mom-and-Pop restaurant vs. expanding-company-chain conflict. While the same actress plays the protagonist in this movie and the next, I think she slips more seamlessly into this role (…is that just because I saw this one first?), which, coupled with the charmingly energetic best-friend Bonnie, gives C.W.A.V. the edge. (Also, this is part of the Canadian-Netflix-Christmas-Movie-Universe (CNCMU)!)
Christmas With A Prince (86 minutes, not “Netflix Original”)
“Christmas With A Prince” felt like it dipped too far into the cheesy: an “undercover” Prince recuperates at a hospital and happens to–who could have guessed–fall in love with the pediatrician who had a previously-standing crush on him, having known him from boarding school. Honestly, I don’t remember that much else from this movie.
The Holiday Calendar (95 minutes)
“The Holiday Calendar” feels grounded and relatable, barring the inherited magic antique future-predicting advent calendar. I’m also a fan of Kat Graham, who has appeared in several other Netflix Original movies (see “Operation Christmas Drop” on this list and even “Love in the Villa” as another suggestion.)
Christmas Wedding Planner (86 minutes, not “Netflix Original”)
“Christmas Wedding Planner” runs into a similar problem as “Christmas With A Prince”: while CWP’s plot is unique–“a handsome private investigator is hired to disrupt one of [the Wedding Planner’s] biggest jobs.” I draw the line at campy inner-monologuing voiceovers. It is, though, part of the CNCMU–see if you can spot the connections as you watch!
A California Christmas (107 minutes)
Though it’s creative to place Christmas on a small-town rural ranch, and the in-real-life married protagonists have chemistry, “A California Christmas” doesn’t elicit simultaneous smiles and cringes with the same driving force “The Knight Before Christmas” does. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad cheesy Christmas movie, though!
The Knight Before Christmas (92 minutes)
It’s all in the pun of the title: time-traveling knight emerges in modern day Ohio to run into Vanessa Hudgens (literally), learn about the ‘magical moving picture box’ and other facets of present society, and do it all with a British accent. This movie is delightfully charming and cheesy (yes, I too am wondering how many times I can use that word in this article).
Operation Christmas Drop (96 minutes)
This is a clear choice. “Operation Christmas Drop” is doubly enchanting because of its balmy tropical setting and the fact that the leads actually have chemistry. Scathing? Perhaps. Fair? Definitely. Also, Kat Graham.
Hometown Holiday (84 minutes, not “Netflix Original”)
I really don’t know what I can say about this movie. It’s charming, in a way. Festive. It’s based on a book, but not exactly memorable…
Let It Snow (93 minutes)
“Let It Snow,” on the other hand, is based on a book AND memorable! Featuring multiple storylines and recognizable faces, this movie feels fresh and well-paced, festive and entertaining. Definitely worth the watch.
Christmas Catch (86 minutes, not “Netflix Original”)
A creative premise: “a cop working undercover…gets caught in a tricky spot when she finds new cluse—and new feelings–for the suspect” delivers in an only vaguely-memorable kind of way. Entertaining in the moment, but not a top dog.
1000 Miles From Christmas (102 minutes)
This Spanish movie delightfully presents Spanish celebrations of Navidad in this film where a dryly-sarcastic auditor with terrible memories of the holiday must audit a company in a small town filled with Christmas cheer. The funky flashbacks to his past can feel the slightest bit jarring in this otherwise “swoonworthy” movie.
A Very Country Christmas (84 minutes)
A celebrity meets his small-town romantic interest, where did we hear that before? I’m not one to judge on a reused trope, but I’d say “A Very Country Christmas” doesn’t present it quite as convincingly as some of the others.