A Tale of Two Christmases
Limited comedy, overplayed romance and an uneven main character.
| Two Christmas romances are not necessarily better than one, especially when the film wants to be this unsubtle about which one is the right one. A Tale of Two Christmases features Emma an architect in Chicago and when she over-sleeps her alarm and runs into a Santa Claus-type person in the airport, her life splits into two directions: one if she makes her flight home to Vermont for Christmas Eve, the other where she spends Christmas Eve in Chicago. | 2022 Directed by: Jason Bourque Screenplay by: Cylin Busby, Nanci Katz Starring: Katherine Barrell, Chandler Massey, Evan Roderick, and Keith MacKechnie | |
| See full review of A Tale of Two Christmases | ||
Merry Kiss Cam
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Hockey and love and comedy in an indie rom-com. |
| Shot and set in Duluth, Minnesota, Merry Kiss Cam is a hockey movie for rom-cam fans, or maybe it’s the other way around and is a rom-com for hockey fans. Either way it’s the perfect coupling of comedy and romance in a college hockey town setting. The team in question is the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs, a real team, but don’t worry you don’t need to know anything about them, just that they lose a lot. | 2022 Directed by: Lisa France Screenplay by: Maya Boudreau, Evan D. Watkins Starring: Katie Lowes, Jesse Bradford | |
| See full review of Merry Kiss Cam | ||
Holiday Harmony
Uplifting and sweet tale of music and romance.
| Holiday Harmony is an uplifting and sweet tale of music and romance, and in equal measure. Gail (Annelise Cepero) is an aspiring musician who lives out of her van and plays music in dive bars and on Instagram to all her friends in her phone. A real-life friend helps her apply for iHeart Radio’s Christmas show for her big break on national TV; however, on her way to LA she runs into van trouble in Harmony Springs, Oklahoma. | 2022 Directed by: Shaun Piccinnino Screenplay by: Lauren Swickard, Christopher James Harvill Starring: Annelise Cepero, Jeremy Sumpter | |
| See full review of Holiday Harmony | ||
The Noel Diary
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A Christmas romance in sullen drama form about death, grief, and forgiveness. |
| The Noel Diary features Justin Hartley as Jake Turner, a famous and successful author returning to his childhood home after his mother passed away; and Barrett Doss as Rachel, a woman on search for the identity of her birth mother. It’s a subdued drama about two strangers connecting with one another as they deal with past traumas. Which then of course turns into a romance. | 2022 Directed by: Charles Shyer Screenplay by: Charles Shyer & Rebecca Connor, and David Golden Based on the novel by Richard Paul Evans Starring: Justin Hartley, Barrett Doss | |
| See full review of The Noel Diary | ||
Christmas on Mistletoe Farm
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For the love of animals only. |
| A widowed father, Matt Cunningham (Scott Garnham), who has a full-time job and five young kids to take care of, then inherits a farm from his estranged father and decides to juggle his job plus raising his kids plus running a farm, and needless to say it doesn’t go smoothly. Mistletoe grows on Mistletoe Farm but the farm is a regular farm with animals, and eggs for sale, and minimal other revenue sources. | 2022 Directed by: Debbie Isitt Screenplay by: Debbie Isitt Starring: Scott Garnham, Scott Paige | |
| See full review of Christmas on Mistletoe Farm | ||
Inventing the Christmas Prince
Wrong in almost every possibly way.
| Inventing the Christmas Prince is definitely on the children’s movie end of the Hallmark spectrum, but the comedy isn’t cute, more nonexistent, and the romance is inappropriate. This is very poorly written with uneven acting and messages that make no sense. Considering Hallmark’s other choices are better, this should be a last resort. | 2022 Directed by: Paul Ziller Screenplay by: Kim Beyer-Johnson Starring: Tamera Mowry-Housley, Ronnie Rowe | |
| See full review of Inventing the Christmas Prince | ||
Christmas with You
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Familiar Christmas rom-com with Latin flair. |
| Christmas with You is another Netflix Christmas romance but this time with a Latin flair. All of the main characters and actors are Latino-American and the story is centered around a girl’s quinceañera, but otherwise it’s a movie you’ve seen before and in typical Netflix fashion, very exaggerated. Angelina (Aimee Garcia) is a pop star, and supposedly one of the most famous pop stars on the planet. | 2022 Directed by: Gabriela Tagliavini Screenplay by: Paco Farias, Jennifer C. Stetson, and German Michael Torres Starring: Aimee Garcia, Freddie Prinze Jr. | |
| See full review of Christmas with You | ||
In Merry Measure
Nice music and a whole lot of sweetness.
| This is my second Hallmark Christmas romance of the season and it’s not a bad decision. The first half of In Merry Measure carries the movie with some nice singing, and a very enjoyable – almost relatable – relationship forming. It’s sweet and then just gets sickeningly sweet, so be ready for a sugar rush, since the movie never dials it back. | 2022 Directed by: Paula Elle Screenplay by: Russell Hainline Starring: Patti Murin, Brendan Penny | |
| See full review of In Merry Measure | ||
Falling for Christmas
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Light on laughs and romance, but it is sweet and charming. |
| Falling for Christmas is Netflix’s first Christmas movie of the season, and it’s also their first entry into the Lindsay Lohan renaissance (with the romantic comedy Irish Wish expected in 2023). It starts as an immature comedy about a spoiled brat acting like a spoiled brat, but the charm eventually wins over as it becomes a sweet comedy about a girl who doesn’t know who she is. | 2022 Directed by: Janeen Damian Screenplay by: Jeff Bonnett, Ron Oliver Starring: Lindsay Lohan, Chord Overstreet | |
| See full review of Falling for Christmas | ||
Lights, Camera, Christmas!
A self-aware delight of a Hallmark Christmas romance.
| Lights, Camera, Christmas! is a self-aware Hallmark Christmas movie, and is exactly what the genre needs. A Christmas romance that takes place on the set of a Hallmark-style Christmas romance movie featuring one lead character who hates the genre and her co-lead who makes a living off them and loves it. It has all the necessary ingredients to succeed, and it does. | 2022 Directed by: David Weaver Screenplay by: Gary Goldstein Starring: Kimberley Sustad, John Brotherton | |
| See full review of Lights, Camera, Christmas! | ||
Single All the Way
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Funny and sweet. |
| Michael Urie (from Ugly Betty and Younger) has finally landed himself a lead role, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Netflix has just started to realize it needs to step up its game with gay rom-coms while its most recent heterosexual offering A Castle for Christmas is hitting rock bottom. Single All the Way is a really silly title, but the comedy is well-earned especially with Urie shining throughout all the well-meaning hijinks. | 2021 Directed by: Michael Mayer Screenplay by: Chad Hodge Starring: Michael Urie, Philemon Chambers | |
| See full review of Single All the Way | ||
A Castle for Christmas
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Stripped of all humour, charm and common-sense. |
| Netflix original romances and Christmas movies don't have a good rap in the first place, but A Castle for Christmas is quite possibly the worst one yet. It's illogical, unromantic, not funny and boring. Famous author Sophie Brown (Brooke Shields) travels to Scotland on a whim, buys a castle on a whim, and falls in love, also on a whim since there's really no logic employed here. | 2021 Directed by: Mary Lambert Screenplay by: Kim Breyer-Johnson, Ally Carter, and Neal H. Dobrofsky Starring: Brooke Shields, Cary Elwes | |
| See full review of A Castle for Christmas | ||
Black Friday
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Funny, disgusting and entertaining. |
| How has there not been a Black Friday set horror movie until now? After Halloween, it is the ideal holiday tailor-made for the genre, and yet nobody has pulled it off. Luckily our first foray into the Thanksgiving-to-Christmas shopping day is a bloody entertaining horror-comedy romp. It’s Thanksgiving night at a Toys R Us type store with a dozen employees on the inside and a couple hundred shoppers on the outside. | 2021 Directed by: Casey Tebo Screenplay by: Andy Greskoviak Starring: Bruce Campbell, Devon Sawa, Ivana Baquero and Ryan Lee | |
| See full review of Black Friday | ||
See You Next Christmas
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Premise that eventually really works. |
| See You Next Christmas is an indie romantic comedy. Set in Annie and Tom’s apartment, you can feel the low budget. The dialogue has some awkward delivery which limits the comedy, and it takes awhile to be interested in the characters. The romance is a very slow burn. However, the concept of seeing the same people one day each year really works. A snapshot of your life each Christmas as you grow into adulthood. | 2021 Directed by: Christine Weatherup Screenplay by: Christine Weatherup Starring: Elizabeth Guest, AJ Meijer, Christine Weatherup and Vin Vescio | |
| See full review of See You Next Christmas | ||
Love Hard
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Some bad writing, but funny characters deliver a mostly entertaining rom-com. |
| There’s a lot of bad writing at the beginning to get past, but eventually Love Hard delivers a reasonably funny and entertaining rom-com. It starts with our lead character, Natalie (Nina Dobrev), narrating her life. She’s a successful writer of a ‘bad at love’ blog (which gives some scary Sex and the City flashbacks) and she then turns to online dating because there are just no good men in Los Angeles. | 2021 Directed by: Hernan Jimenez Screenplay by: Daniel Mackey, Rebecca Ewing Starring: Nina Dobrev and Jimmy O. Yang | |
| See full review of Love Hard | ||
Christmas on the Carousel
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An indie romance with well written characters. |
| Writer and director Erik Bloomquist has been busy with Christmas at the Carousel his third movie released this year after Weekenders and Night at the Eagle Inn. He also stars as Greyson, one of four friends who have made the trip back home for the Christmas holidays during their final year at college. It’s time to grapple with their relationships, their future, their past and what home ultimately means. | 2021 Directed by: Erik Bloomquist Screenplay by: Erik Bloomquist, Taylor Turner Starring: Erik Bloomquist, Madeleine Dauer, Taylor Turner and Rachel Oremland | |
| See full review of Christmas on the Carousel | ||
Boyfriends of Christmas Past
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Enjoyable lead couple, frustrating drama. |
| Two years ago, the Hallmark Channel aired and then promptly pulled a commercial which included a lesbian wedding. They knew their White brand and it did not include homosexuality. Boyfriends of Christmas Past is a surprising and refreshing change for the company with gay couples, interracial couples, and featuring two Asian-American leads. | 2021 Directed by: Don McBearty Screenplay by: Lisa Parsons, Edie Grace Starring: Catherine Haena Kim, Raymond Ablack | |
| See full review of Boyfriends of Christmas Past | ||
Silent Night
Dark, bleak, funny and interesting.
| Silent Night is a smart, unsettling combination of a family holiday comedy, a relationship drama and an end of the world, apocalyptic horror. Perhaps The Family Stone meets 28 Days Later…, a bleak dark comedy about inevitable death but held when everybody gets together for Christmas dinner. It’s a story of privileged people accepting death but not accepting that others might not share their world view. | 2021 Directed by: Camille Griffin Screenplay by: Camille Griffin Starring: Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode | |
| See full review of Silent Night | ||
Midnight at the Magnolia
A cute and charming bundle of holiday joy.
| Romantic comedies most often suffer from predictability and Midnight at the Magnolia just may be the most predictable, but in all the right ways. Jack and Maggie form a very cute couple and the charm radiates through the entire story. Even though it feels like it could have been written by a computer or a thousand monkeys on typewriters. | 2020 Directed by: Max McGuire Screenplay by: Carley Smale Starring: Natalie Hall, Evan Williams | |
| See full review of Midnight at the Magnolia | ||
Worst. Christmas. Ever.
Convoluted story and lack of comedy.
| Worst. Christmas. Ever. has such a tough hill to climb. It sets some pretty big goals for itself given all the chaos happening in the plot description, but falls very flat. Low production quality issues combined with poorly defined characters keeps the audience too far removed from the action that is supposed to be occurring but never really comes. | 2020 Directed by: Johnny Chechitelli Screenplay by: Johnny Chechitelli Starring: Raychael Lane, Leonardo Mancini | |
| See full review of Worst. Christmas. Ever | ||
A New York Christmas Wedding
A very different kind of Christmas movie.
| A New York Christmas Wedding is a very different kind of Christmas movie. It has the look and feel of an indie film (which it is) and, most importantly, it’s inclusive. I am going to try very hard to not give anything away, but I just have to say holiday rom-coms are not just for the straights anymore. | 2020 Directed by: Otoja Abit Screenplay by: Otoja Abit Starring: Nia Fairweather, Adriana DeMeo | |
| See full review of A New York Christmas Wedding | ||
Middleton Christmas
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A lot of sweetness, romance, drama and cheesiness. |
| Middleton Christmas starts out as pure sweetness. Hershey chocolate wrapped in a glittery red bow. You know exactly what you’re getting when you unwrap it, but it’s sweet and comforting, and oh so bad for you, especially in large quantities, so hopefully we can keep these movies to a minimum this year (I say that knowing it’s the first week of November, I’ve already seen two, and avoided another dozen). | 2020 Directed by: Dale Fabrigar Screenplay by: Tricia Aurand, Suzanne DeLaurentiis Starring: Kennedy Tucker, Michael Varde | |
| See full review of Middleton Christmas | ||
Operation Christmas Drop
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No romance but a feel-good finale. |
| Netflix’s newest addition to the Christmas romance genre starts out very shaky but eventually lands on its feet. Viewers who can get past the unfunny, unromantic, very typical opening with unlikable characters, will eventually be rewarded with a feel-good, inspirational flick. The set-up is awful, but the pay-off is solid especially for movies of this ilk. | 2020 Directed by: Martin Wood Screenplay by: Gregg Rossen, Brian Sawyer Starring: Kat Graham, Alexander Ludwig | |
| See full review of Operation Christmas Drop | ||
Holidate
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A romantic comedy missing that crucial element of humour. |
| Emma Roberts has built herself a nice career. A long string of comedies – some hits, some nots, but peppers them with roles that have a real bite to them like Scream Queens and American Horror Story. Such that when she returns to a typical romantic comedy, it feels like home. There’s a comfort level to casting Roberts and Luke Bracey in a holiday-themed romantic comedy, and that’s why Holidate will get its audience. | 2020 Directed by: John Whitesell Screenplay by: Tiffany Paulsen Starring: Emma Roberts, Luke Bracey | |
| See full review of Holidate | ||
Noelle
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Good-natured comedy. |
| What starts out as a mundane, cloying, seen-it-a-thousand-times-before Christmas movie turns into a genuinely funny and charming modern update to the seen-it-a-thousand-times before Christmas movie; all thanks to the wildly different comedic charms of Anna Kendrick and Billy Eichner. In Noelle, Santa Claus has been in the Kringle family for 10 generations, when the latest Santa Claus passes away, it’s up to son Nick (Bill Hader) to step up and save Christmas. | 2019 Directed by: Marc Lawrence Screenplay by: Marc Lawrence Starring: Anna Kendrick, Bill Hader | |
| See full review of Noelle | ||
Last Christmas
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Sweetness and charm carrying a movie about nothing. |
| Marketed as a romantic comedy with the possibility of a twist, most viewers are shrewd enough to know that Last Christmas does indeed have a twist, otherwise the movie would be about nothing. And nothing is generally not enough to win audiences over. All three things are going on in this movie: it is a romantic comedy, except very light on the romance. There is a twist, more on that later. And apart from the twist, nothing happens. That’s not entirely fair, but the main issue is how slight the movie is in terms of plot and story. | 2019 Directed by: Paul Feig Screenplay by: Emma Thompson, Bryony Kimmings Starring: Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding | |
| See full review of Last Christmas | ||