One of the things I look forward to most during the holiday season is curling up on my couch at home with a pile of blankets and a cup of hot chocolate and watching a Christmas-themed romantic comedy.
As avid rom-com fans, especially during the holidays, my mom and I have gone through a countless number of horrible Hallmark movies and cringey Netflix originals over the years.
But, I have found a handful that hit the sweet spot of so-bad-they’re-good, movies that while incredibly cheesy and unrealistic, are perfect for a cozy winter night. Below, I’ve listed some of my favorite classic Christmas rom-coms, as well as several newer movies that I (surprisingly) enjoyed. This is by no means an exhaustive list, and I am always on the hunt for new ones to watch!
My Favorites:
“The Holiday” (2006)
Starring Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet, this movie follows two women living very different lives who both want an escape. They decide to switch houses for the holiday season — one lives in Los Angeles and the other in Surrey, England. While they initially intend to avoid their love lives, they both end up finding romance in each other’s worlds.
I had somehow never seen this until last year when I decided to watch it on a whim. About half an hour in, I knew it was going to be a movie that I would want to re-watch again and again. It’s festive, it’s heartwarming, it’s funny and it has just the right amount of cheesiness without being too over-the-top. It’s definitely one of my favorite holiday rom-coms.
“Love Actually” (2003)
With a star-studded cast including Hugh Grant and Keira Knightly, there’s no denying “Love Actually” is a holiday classic. Following eight different couples around Christmastime in London, the movie is made up of several interconnected stories that explore many different forms of love.Â
Any movie with both Hugh Grant and Colin Firth is a hit in my book, and “Love Actually” contains plenty of swoon-worthy scenes and heartwarming moments. The chaos of the overlapping storylines can make it hard to follow at times, but it also makes it more fun to rewatch since I often don’t remember every detail. A downside is that it’s not all happy — there are a few sad endings as well. But overall, I love this movie and encourage everyone to watch it.Â
“Elf” (2003)
I’m not sure if I really consider this a rom-com, but it is a comedy with a romantic subplot, so I figured I would include it in my list. For those who haven’t seen it, “Elf” focuses on Buddy (Will Ferrell) who was raised by Santa’s elves in the North Pole. Upon finding out that he is not an elf but a human, he ventures to New York City to find and connect with his father. “Elf” is a classic Christmas movie, and for good reason. A family movie filled with comedy, second-hand embarrassment and a little bit of Christmas magic, it’s always a fun watch. Plus, Buddy’s relationship with Jovie brings a sense of childlike fun back into romance.Â
“Four Christmases” (2008)
Featuring Reese Witherspoon, “Four Christmases” follows a couple who fail to escape on a family-free holiday vacation and must instead visit all four of their divorced parents in one day for Christmas. Despite a large dose of chaos and family embarrassment, the pair ends up finding out more about each other and growing closer as a result. I would say this movie leans more toward the comedy side, but still contains a good amount of sweet scenes. It’s an entertaining, family-friendly watch.Â
Netflix Originals:
“A Christmas Prince” (2017)
A classically cheesy but oh-so-cute Christmas rom-com, “A Christmas Prince” features an American news reporter sent to get an inside scoop on the “playboy” prince of a small but beautiful fictional country and cover his coronation as king. Through a case of mistaken identity, she ends up much closer to the royal family than planned and finds some unexpected romance in the castle. This movie is extremely cheesy and predictable, but still endearingly sweet and set against a picturesque, Christmassy backdrop. I have seen it a handful of times, and would watch it again.Â
“The Princess Switch” (2018)
With a similar vibe to “A Christmas Prince” and taking place in a comparable fictional country, “The Princess Switch” stars Vanessa Hudgens in a twin-switch scenario. While in Belgravia for a baking competition, a Chicago baker encounters her doppelgänger, a dutchess engaged to a prince. They decide to swap lives, and find surprising matches during their switch. Bad in the best way, this movie is the perfect corny Christmas romance.Â
“Holidate” (2020)
A surprisingly fun rom-com, I have rewatched “Holidate” quite a few times. Starring Emma Roberts, the movie takes place over a year of holidays, starting and ending with Christmas. Two strangers, fed up with dating and family expectations during the holidays, decide to become each other’s platonic dates exclusively for holidays. As with any fake dating scenario, feelings begin to form. “Holidate” has a healthy mix of humor and romance, making it a consistently entertaining watch that actually has you rooting for the couple by the end of it.
“Falling for Christmas” (2022)
Starring Lindsay Lohan, “Falling for Christmas” follows a snobby heiress who gets amnesia after a skiing accident and ends up in the care of a lodge owner until she regains her memory. Another incredibly corny and clichĂ© pick, “Falling for Christmas” was admittedly pretty bad, but it had a very charming quality to it. It definitely has a sweet, Christmassy vibe, and I would enjoy watching it again. Plus, I’m a big fan of Lindsay Lohan.Â
From Amazon Prime Video:
“Something from Tiffany’s” (2022)
“Something from Tiffany’s” starts with two men accidentally swapping Tiffany boxes — one with an engagement ring and the other with a pair of earrings. It follows the two couples in the aftermath of the accidental proposal and non-proposal, as two of the characters unexpectedly connect. Surprisingly well-made and interesting (while still corny and predictable, of course), I enjoyed this movie and found myself rooting for the main couple. With funny side characters and a healthy dose of Christmas drama, this movie stands out from the standard Christmas rom-com.Â
Honorable Mentions:Â
“Christmas as Usual” (2023), “A Castle for Christmas” (2021), “Our Little Secret” (2024), “EXmas” (2023), “The Knight Before Christmas” (2019) and “Operation Christmas Drop” (2020).
In case anyone was wondering, the next movies on my watchlist for this holiday season are “The Family Stone” with Sarah Jessica Parker and “While You Were Sleeping” with Sandra Bullock, which I found while doing research for this article. Happy watching!