The 20 Greatest Hallmark Christmas Films, Ranked

At this level, each TV channel and streaming community has gotten in on the Christmas film craze, collectively realizing that by the point Thanksgiving rolls round, audiences are keen to show off their brains and bask in a bit scorching cocoa and PG-rated romance. However though Netflix is on the case now, spending the vacation season providing us time-traveling knights and an infinite array of royalty searching for love in its related vacation cinematic universe, Hallmark remains to be the undefeated champ in relation to the made-for-TV Christmas film. The community has it all the way down to a science, overhauling its whole schedule between October and December to accommodate the handfuls of tacky romances it churns out every year. 

However not all of those Christmas flicks are created equal: There are some actual stinkers amongst the bunch, in addition to a number of glowing gems that by some means appear to defy the restrictions of their style. Pull out the mistletoe and discover your nearest sentimental decoration that reminds you of what Christmas is all about, as a result of listed here are the very best vacation movies that the Hallmark Channel has to supply.

The difficulty in “The Christmas Waltz” begins when Avery (Hallmark Channel stalwart Lacey Chabert) will get all overly optimistic about her relationship together with her fiance, signing them up for 10 dance classes in preparation for his or her marriage ceremony. Since it is a made-for-TV Christmas film and this type of factor all the time tends to occur, he inevitably dumps her after getting a job supply elsewhere, leaving her on the hook for the dance classes. 

However all hope just isn’t misplaced, as a result of as luck would have it, her dancing teacher Roman (Will Kemp) seems to be fairly dreamy in his personal proper, and sparks shortly start to fly after he convinces her to take the lessons by herself somewhat than losing them. “The Christmas Waltz” stands out primarily for its surprisingly spectacular choreography which, mixed with the chemistry between Chabert and Kemp, offers it a singular taste all its personal.

As any Christmas film fanatic is aware of, there are a restricted variety of profession paths on the planet of Hallmark. Pastry chef. Christmas tree farmer. Inheritor obvious to a fictional nation in Europe. However when you ask us, not sufficient consideration is paid to most likely one of the crucial wintery jobs an individual might have: Skilled hockey participant. 

“Frozen in Love” modifications all that, when it throws collectively a bookstore proprietor whose small enterprise is failing (Rachael Leigh Prepare dinner) and a disgraced hockey participant (Niall Matter) who has been suspended for his questionable habits on the ice. To enhance each of their fortunes, they should work along with a PR group, however the larger challenge could find yourself being how they’re in a position to keep away from ruining the whole lot with their rising attraction to at least one one other. Though they’re full opposites, issues inevitably start to warmth up between them — even regardless of all of the ice in “Frozen in Love.”

Typically, you do not want an amazing plot to make an efficient Hallmark Channel vacation film — you would possibly simply want a picturesque European location for the backdrop of your movie. Such is the case with “Christmas in Vienna,” the place the pure magic of Austria in winter does a variety of the movie’s heavy lifting. Sarah Drew performs Jess Waters, a live performance violinist who’s misplaced her ardour for music. 

Fortunately, there are few locations on Earth to rekindle your musical spark than Vienna — particularly while you occur to run right into a good-looking new love curiosity, performed by Brennan Elliot. As heat and soothing as a cup of mulled wine at a European Christmas market, “Christmas in Vienna” won’t be the subsequent nice piece of American fiction, however it undeniably scratches a sure vacation itch for viewers. If you cannot really go to Vienna for Christmas, we’re assured that that is the subsequent neatest thing.

There’s nothing like a pleasant story revolving round airline mishaps to place you within the Christmas spirit — in spite of everything, who would not love flying across the holidays? All the pieces all the time appears to run tremendous easily. In “Christmas Connection,” flight attendant Sydney (Brooke Burns) is put accountable for an unaccompanied minor, Leah (Sophie Neudorf). However when Leah by accident leaves a package deal behind, Sydney takes it upon to hand-deliver the lacking merchandise. You understand, like all flight attendants do. 

One factor results in one other, and after Sydney finally ends up lacking her flight connection house, she is invited to stick with Leah’s household — together with, in fact, her good-looking and charming single father Jonathan (Tom Everett Scott), with whom she forges a direct connection. (Get it? Just like the title of the movie?) A candy, understated, and family-oriented vacation movie, “Christmas Connection” is principally the final word fantasy of how you would like your journey mishaps would end up.

There’s one thing about individuals working within the marriage ceremony business that makes them absolutely the excellent fodder for rom-coms. Possibly it is the truth that they’re so near romance of their day-to-day lives, however solely working on the periphery of it, that makes it so endearing once they lastly fall in love. “Marry Me at Christmas” stars Rachel Starsken as Madeline Krug, a girl who owns a bridal boutique and is presently within the midst of planning an opulent vacation marriage ceremony for one in every of her purchasers. 

The very last thing she expects in all of that is to hit it off with the bride’s brother Johnny (Trevor Donovan), however that is precisely what occurs. A tad on the unprofessional facet? Maybe. However that does not make Madeline’s exploits any much less romantic — particularly since Johnny is a film star, which simply provides one other layer of want achievement to the proceedings.

Honesty is all the time the very best coverage. Certain, everybody goes into marriage with a number of small issues flying beneath the radar — possibly you have got an in depth assortment of Beanie Infants that you just’re satisfied are going to pay in your retirement, for instance. However the one factor you need to all the time disclose is whether or not or not you occur to be the inheritor to a European throne, which is strictly what Leo (Stephen Hagan) would not do — or at the least, not till a suspiciously very long time into his relationship with Emily (Lacey Chabert). 

Nonetheless, it is most likely simpler to forgive a man when he is set on making you a princess. “A Royal Christmas” just isn’t the primary royalty-themed vacation movie, nor will it’s the final, however it earns additional factors for together with the indomitable and endlessly elegant Jane Seymour as Queen Isadora, who works additional time to thrill audiences in her royal capability.

Inject these faux relationship narratives immediately into our veins, Hallmark. “An Surprising Christmas” stars Bethany Pleasure Lenz and Tyler Hines as a pair of exes who, when thrown again collectively by destiny, make the unconventional choice to faux that they are nonetheless collectively, in order to not break the household vacation. Emily (Lenz) spends Christmas with Jamie (Hines) and his household, a scenario that in films all the time appears to convey out the nice and cozy fuzzies amongst its characters (even when that will not replicate the truth of an precise expertise of holidays spent with the in-laws). 

Though they might have had good causes for breaking apart within the first place, a pleasant small city Christmas will certainly convey again these loving emotions. The chemistry between Lenz and Hines is robust, and “An Surprising Christmas” will get bonus factors for creating an endearing household dynamic that may win over audiences with extra than simply boilerplate romance.

The Hallmark Channel tends to play issues a bit on the secure facet, particularly throughout the vacation season. Its content material is strictly G-rated, and it hardly ever dangers upsetting extra socially conservative viewers by wading into what is commonly ominously known as “the tradition wars.” Nonetheless, in 2020, “The Christmas Home” noticed Hallmark characteristic its first LGBTQ couple, Brandon (“Imply Ladies” star Jonathan Bennett) and Jake (Brad Harper). 

They’re one in every of three pairs of {couples} who return house for the vacations, every with their very own storyline that displays their makes an attempt to navigate their altering lives round Christmas — for Brandon and Jake, this includes their journey to undertake their first youngster. And it is appropriately heartwarming that “The Christmas Home” exhibits this couple at a stage of their lives once they’ve already come out, are fortunately married, and absolutely embraced by their whole household, somewhat than having the script mine their sexual orientation for drama.

There are a variety of acquainted faces on the Hallmark Channel — when you make an excellent impression with the community in a single vacation film, chances are high it will find yourself placing you in half a dozen others. However each now and again, they throw a bone at viewers who’re searching for one thing totally different, and with “One Royal Vacation,” Broadway fanatics are consuming properly. 

The story would not veer removed from the Hallmark mould: A younger lady opens her house to a stranded mom and son, solely to fall in love with the son and uncover that they are really a part of a European royal household. However what makes “One Royal Vacation” distinctive is the theater pedigree of its lead couple, who’re performed by Laura Osnes and Aaron Tveit, who’ve three Tony nominations and one win between them. (It goes with out saying that sure, they do discover a possibility to sing within the movie.)

These days, Hallmark Christmas films are usually mild and fluffy, romantic escapism you can largely flip your mind off for. However that wasn’t all the time the case. Again in 2002, Hallmark launched a vacation movie known as “Silent Night time,” which takes place within the midst of World Warfare II. A German mom (performed by Linda Hamilton) and her son take refuge in a cabin, the place they’re shortly compelled to play host to 2 separate teams of troopers — one American, and one German. 

Though they clearly have appreciable variations between them, being on reverse sides of a world warfare, additionally they discover a stunning quantity of widespread floor as they shelter collectively on Christmas Eve. It is considerate fare, actually heavier than most Hallmark Channel movies, and value a watch — if solely to see the way it navigates a morally difficult narrative on a community that’s dedicated to hope and optimism.

Some individuals have relationships that blow up spectacularly, however Layla (Jessica Lowndes) in “A December Bride” takes the cake. Not solely was she deserted by her ex-fiance, however he shortly began up a brand new romance with none aside from her very personal cousin. So it is with a particular form of dread that Layla prepares to attend their marriage ceremony, one which she completely, positively can not flip as much as alone. Determined, she agrees to attend with Seth (Daniel Lissing), despite the fact that he is the one who launched the evil ex and her cousin within the first place. 

However Seth throws a curveball — he decides to announce their engagement on the marriage ceremony, forcing Layla to tackle the position of blushing bride-to-be. Will their mutual animosity flip to affection? Effectively, that is Hallmark, is not it? Candy but ever so barely acerbic, “A December Bride” is an ideal match for everybody who desires a bit little bit of enemies-to-lovers of their Christmas romances.

If you happen to appreciated the basic ’00s rom-com “Maid in Manhattan” with Jennifer Lopez and Ralph Fiennes, “Crown for Christmas” is bound to scratch the identical itch. It stars Danica McKellar (one other stalwart determine of the Christmas made-for-TV film style) as Allie, a former maid who takes on the position of governess to a hard younger princess however finally ends up getting in over her head with the princess’ father (i.e., the king, performed by Rupert Penry-Jones, who romance followers will possible acknowledge from “Persuasion”) once they begin to catch emotions for each other. 

McKellar brings a refreshingly down-to-earth angle to the royal family, and we all the time love romance tales the place one of many leads has to decide on between their duties (and this case, King Maximilian marrying a way more applicable candidate from a royalty perspective) and the prospect of discovering real love. “Crown for Christmas” units the mould for the rash of royal Christmas films that may observe in its wake.

Who would not love an excellent faux romance? In “The Mistletoe Promise,” primarily based on a novel by Richard Paul Evans, Jaime King and Luke Macfarlane play a pair of Christmas misanthropes who begrudgingly comply with faux to be courting within the lead-up to the vacations. In any case, it is a bit simpler to get by the vacation season in case you have somebody in your arm, serving to you fend off the infinite questions on your romantic life and protecting you firm by work events and household dinners alike. 

Inevitably, these two Grinches start to fall for one another alongside the way in which, and possibly simply uncover the — gag — true that means of Christmas in spite of everything. King and Macfarlane are a charismatic duo with a ton of pure chemistry collectively, and so they breathe contemporary life into a vacation story, elevating materials that would in any other case come off as tacky and trite.

We see Christmas films set in all types of locations: Small cities, European castles. (Okay, to be truthful, most of them fall into these two classes.) However “The Christmas Practice” steps into uncharted territory by setting its romantic story in — you guessed it — a prepare automobile. The fundamental premise is an outlandish one for all these acquainted with American geography: A journalist (Dermot Mulroney) must get from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles, California, in time for Christmas. And naturally, the quickest possibility accessible to him is … a cross-country prepare that may take about 75 hours. 

Nonetheless, that is loads of time for him to strike up a romantic reference to one in every of his fellow passengers. The very best factor that “The Christmas Practice” has going for it’s its pleasant ensemble forged — not solely do you have got Mulroney within the lead position, however the supporting gamers embrace Danny Glover and Joan Cusack.

Airways — all the time messing issues up across the holidays. In “A Very Merry Combine-Up,” Alice Chapman (Alicia Witt) is touring to fulfill her fiance Will’s (Scott Gibson) household for the primary time, a journey that’s made extra difficult by the truth that she first loses her baggage after which breaks her telephone, leaving her stranded on the airport. Fortunately, Will’s brother Matt (Mark Wiebe) swoops in to avoid wasting the day when she serendipitously meets him at baggage declare. 

The one downside? We have got a scenario harking back to “Whereas You Have been Sleeping” — one of many greatest rom-coms of the ’90s. Whereas Will is scheduled to reach later, Alice finds herself drawn to Matt. And truthfully, what’s to not like? He is candy and charming, they’ve quick chemistry, and his whole prolonged household welcomes her with open arms. Nonetheless, somebody’s going to have to inform Will, and hope that this Christmas gathering would not flip right into a WWE match.

A number of Christmas films have fun the distinctive charms of the American small city. If a high-powered, massive metropolis lawyer returns to her hometown for the vacations, it form of goes with out saying that she’s going to fall in love with a neighborhood diner proprietor or firefighter, proving the prevalence of their extra intimate neighborhood as soon as and for all. In that regard, “Christmas on the Plaza” stands out, highlighting how magical Christmas in New York may be. 

Set towards the backdrop of the long-lasting Plaza Resort in Manhattan, “Christmas on the Plaza” stars Elizabeth Henstridge as Jessica Cooper, a historian designing an exhibit on Christmas all through the centuries, and Ryan Paevey as Nick Perrelli, the Christmas decorator who will give it some a lot wanted splendor. Whereas the lodge itself does a variety of the heavy lifting in giving the movie a way of ambiance, the romance between Jessica and Nick is nothing to sneeze at both.

One of many latest movies to enter the Hallmark Channel catalog of Christmas films, launched in October 2024, “The Christmas Charade” brings a bit little bit of motion to the usually calm and comfortable proceedings. Rachel Skarsten stars as Whitney, a librarian who has by no means achieved something extra dangerous than jaywalking in her whole life (and truthfully, most likely not even that). However her life is turned the other way up when she by accident will get concerned with an undercover F.B.I. operation through a blind date gone flawed. 

Immediately, she’s anticipated to pose because the girlfriend of an F.B.I. agent (Corey Sevier) as he works to catch an artwork thief at a glamorous Christmas Eve gala. With shades of “Chuck,” “The Christmas Charade” is a enjoyable, energetic new entry to the style, bringing spice and motion right into a made-for-TV world that has been dominated by sleepy small cities for manner too lengthy.

Do you bear in mind “Three Males and a Child,” the movie that performs on the pure comedy from watching a bunch of bachelors wrestle to deal with an toddler (and has been circling a Zac Efron-led remake for years)? “Three Clever Males and a Child” is a Christmas tackle the identical idea, as a trio of brothers (performed by Paul Campbell, Tyler Hynes, and Andrew Walker) who’re compelled to deal with a child who’s left on their doorstep. 

Though we clearly love an excellent Christmas rom-com, it is a good change of tempo that “Three Clever Males and a Child” permits the romance to take a backseat, growing as a substitute the candy relationship between these brothers and their new cost. With robust performances from the three leads and comedy that is really humorous (no small feat for the Hallmark Channel, we’re sorry to say), it is easy to think about “Three Clever Males and a Child” turning into a vacation fixture for the community.

If you happen to thought that Netflix had cornered the market on time-traveling Christmas romances when it launched “The Knight Earlier than Christmas,” suppose once more. Hallmark received in on the motion with “A Timeless Christmas,” an enthralling manufacturing a few rich businessman, Charles Whitley (Ryan Paevey), from the early 1900s who’s transported to the current day. 

His mansion is now a historic museum, and the one one who is aware of his predicament is without doubt one of the museum’s docents, Megan (Erin Cahill), who skillfully — if bemusedly — helps him navigate the trendy world. (A part of the fantasy, in fact, is that this man has 1903 attraction with early-Twenty first-century attitudes about, you already know, ladies and labor unions.) Though they arrive from (actually) totally different worlds, there is a pure attraction between the 2 that is inconceivable to disregard. With nice chemistry and a relatively nuanced screenplay, “A Timeless Christmas” stands out as among the finest vacation movies on the Hallmark roster.

Do not get us flawed — there’s nothing flawed with the Hallmark steady of Christmas film actors that get hauled out yr after yr. However typically, the celebs align, and for no matter cause, precise Hollywood stars discover themselves in the correct place on the proper time to remind us what one in every of these items can seem like with some actual energy behind it. “A Princess for Christmas” stars Katie McGrath as a Buffalonian aunt who takes her orphaned niece and nephew to Europe to attach with their estranged prolonged paternal household, solely to find that they are (shock) royalty. 

And if that is not sufficient, their uncle (and her lovely love curiosity) is performed by none aside from Sam Heughan, the long run “Outlander” star and onetime James Bond hopeful. And talking of 007, Roger Moore additionally appeared because the household’s stern patriarch. Add that star energy and a few actually pleasant romance, and you have a recipe for Christmas attraction. As Jules (McGrath) embarks on her quest to convey Christmas pleasure to this emotionally repressed and grief-stricken household, we won’t assist however fall in love.