Who doesn’t love a good rom-com? They provide the perfect combination of funny and emotional, giving both cheesy and accurate depictions of relationships. With all the love present around Christmas, it’s the perfect time to indulge in some good rom-com binging!
Whether they’re your guilty pleasure or favorite types of movies, here are 9 romantic Christmas movies you should watch this holiday season!
Romantic Christmas Movies: Love Hard (2021)
Love Hard is one of the latest holiday rom-coms on Netflix. The movie stars Nina Dobrev, Jimmy O. Yang, Darren Barnet, and Harry Shum Jr. The movie follows Natalie as she thinks that she has found love on a dating app during the Christmas season. After traveling to meet her new fling in person, she learns that she has been catfished.
Upon meeting the man that she has actually been talking to, she introduces herself to his parents and he asks her to pretend to be his girlfriend until after Christmas. Natalie discovers that the man she thought she was talking to lives in the area and convinces her catfish to help her dream man fall in love with her. Love Hard was written by Danny Mackey and Rebecca Ewing, and directed by Hernán Jiménez.
Watch Love Hard on Netflix!
Romantic Christmas Movies: Love Actually (2003)
Perhaps the most famous Christmas romance film, Love Actually tells ten different stories about characters living in London. The movie features an ensemble cast that includes Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley, Colin Firth, and Liam Neeson. It was directed and written by Richard Curtis.
Love Actually starts 5 weeks before Christmas and moves closer to the holiday as it tells each story. Although the film tells the stories of multiple individuals, they are all connected in some way. The film’s plot relays both the trials and triumphs of love and relationships. The movie was also created by the same filmmakers who made Notting Hill and Bridget Jones’s Diary!
Rent or buy Love Actually on Amazon Prime Video!
Romantic Christmas Movies: Happiest Season (2020)
Happiest Season is a Hulu original movie starring Kristen Stewart, Mackenzie Davis, Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza, and Dan Levy. The movie follows lesbian couple Harper and Abby when they go to visit Harper’s conservative family for the holidays, and she is faced with the difficult task of coming out to her parents. Harper and her sisters have always strived to earn their parent’s love, but that all comes to a head on Christmas.
The film’s soundtrack features songs by some of today’s biggest artists like Anne-Marie, Bebe Rexha, and Tegan and Sara. In 2021, Happiest Season won a GLAAD Award for Outstanding Film (Wide Release). The movie was directed by Clea DuVall, who wrote the screenplay with Mary Holland.
Watch Happiest Season on Hulu!
Romantic Christmas Movies: Last Christmas (2019)
Last Christmas is a romantic comedy based on the holiday song of the same name by Wham! The movie was written by Emma Thompson and Bryony Kimmings, and directed by Paul Feig. The film takes place in London and follows an aspiring singer named Kate (Emilia Clarke) who works as an elf at a year-round Christmas store.
Kate meets Tom (Henry Golding), who brings her out of her comfort zone as they begin to spend more time together. Throughout the film, Kate experiences self conflict as she tries to juggle working a dead-end job, trying to be a performer, and constantly being compared to her successful sister by her parents.
Kate slowly takes steps to positively change her life while seeing where things could go with Tom. As she learns more about him, she discovers some unexpected information that provides a heartwarming twist to the film. Last Christmas also stars Michelle Yeoh, Emma Thompson, Lydia Leonard, and Boris Isaković.
Rent or buy Last Christmas on Amazon Prime Video!
Romantic Christmas Movies: The Holiday Calendar (2018)
The Holiday Calendar is a Netflix original film that centers around Abby (Kat Graham), who receives an Advent calendar from her grandfather. As Abby opens the calendar each day, she realizes that it has magical powers; each box contains an item that corresponds with something she experienced that day.
Abby is visited by her friend and fellow photographer, Josh (Quincy Brown), who has returned from traveling around the world. Abby begins dating a guy named Ty (Ethan Peck), which Josh becomes jealous of, but chooses to keep his feelings hidden from Abby. The couple decides to stop seeing each other, but a fight between Josh and Abby ruins the chances of them being together.
Abby continues to try to prove herself as a photographer, and Josh must find a way to win her heart before Christmas. The Holiday Calendar was directed by Bradley Walsh and written by Amyn Kaderali, and also stars Ron Cephas Jones, Genelle Williams, and Kevin Hanchard.
Watch The Holiday Calendar on Netflix!
Romantic Christmas Movies: Holiday in Handcuffs (2007)
Holiday in Handcuffs is an ABC Family original movie starring Melissa Joan Hart, Mario Lopez, Markie Post, Timothy Bottoms, and Gabrielle Miller. The film starts with main character Trudie getting dumped by her boyfriend at her diner job right before she leaves to see her family for Christmas. Trudie then kidnaps one of the diner’s patrons to avoid embarrassment when she shows up to her family’s house alone.
Holiday in Handcuffs (2007) is the most amazingly unrealistic display of holiday kidnapping and I LOVE IT. pic.twitter.com/CQSdoHUy4T
— Peggy (@jellytinkles) December 11, 2021
Trudie convinces her new “boyfriend” David to go along with her plan, and the two slowly begin to fall for each other. Trudie and David’s charade is foiled when the police show up to Trudie’s family cabin to rescue David after his girlfriend had reported him missing. Following the ruined Christmas, Trudie attempts to turn her life around and ignore the pressures that she previously felt from her family.
Watch Holiday in Handcuffs on Hulu!
Romantic Christmas Movies: The Holiday (2006)
Written and directed by Nancy Meyers, The Holiday follows 2 women who swap homes for the holidays in an attempt to escape their past relationships. Iris (Kate Winslet), a columnist in London, switches places with Amanda (Cameron Diaz), who works as a movie trailer producer in LA.
The two women quickly begin to establish lives for themselves in their new locations. Amanda meets Iris’ brother Graham (Jude Law), well Iris befriends Amanda’s screenwriter neighbor who introduces her to his colleague Miles (Jack Black). The 2 women then try to navigate their new relationships while determining what their next steps are.
The Holiday also stars Eli Wallach, Kathryn Hahn, and John Krasinski, and includes a cameo from Lindsay Lohan.
This scene is one of the many reasons why The Holiday is one of my favourite christmas movies of all time, Cameron Diaz singing Mr Brightside is a total mood ?? pic.twitter.com/xqopbZEKNf
— Kerry J ⫩ (HAWKEYE ERA) ❄? (@xxncisaddictxx) November 20, 2020
Watch The Holiday on Hulu!
Romantic Christmas Movies: Single All The Way (2021)
Single All The Way is one of Netflix’s newest Christmas films. The movie follows the classic Christmas rom-com storyline of two friends pretending to be dating for the holidays. After Peter learns that his boyfriend has been using him to cheat on his family, he enlists his best friend Nick to act as his boyfriend.
Peter and Nick’s charade begins to affect their friendship when they spend Christmas with Peter’s family in New Hampshire. Peter is then faced with making the difficult decision between his real and fake love life. Single All The Way was written by Chad Hodge and directed by Michael Mayer. The film stars Michael Urie, Philemon Chambers, Luke Macfarlane, and Jennifer Robertson.
Watch Single All The Way on Netflix!
Romantic Christmas Movies: New Year’s Eve (2011)
If you don’t celebrate Christmas but you’re looking for a festive rom-com to watch this winter, check out New Year’s Eve! The film was directed by Garry Marshall and is similar in style to his 2010 movie Valentine’s Day. New Year’s Eve features an ensemble cast that includes Halle Berry, Jessica Biel, Jon Bon Jovi, Katherine Heigl, Robert De Niro, and Zac Efron, along with many other Hollywood stars.
Written by Katherine Fugate, the film follows interconnected storylines of New Yorkers preparing for and celebrating New Year’s Eve. Throughout the movie, the characters try to work out both their personal and relationship struggles in time to celebrate the holiday. The movie also features musical performances by Bon Jovi and Lea Michele!
Watch New Year’s Eve on HBO Max!
We hope that these movies put you in the spirit of love just in time for Christmas!
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