Hallmark's "Countdown To Christmas" feels as though it's been operating for so many years that there's no way even to attempt to catch up on everything. Additionally, while holiday films might not be everyone's cup of tea, for those who adore them, there are still sadly some misses among the masses. Whether the tropes aren't working as well as they should, or the chemistry the characters share is close to nonexistent, some films sadly aren't worth the time. Still, every year there are a handful that encapsulate the cheesy (and warm) spirit of Christmas, while providing romance fans with the kind of feel-good movie they've been waiting all year to watch.
Further, with the tireless complaints about the overt absence of diversity, Hallmark Christmas films have done a far better job telling broader, more nuanced stories in the last few years. We aren't merely subjected to the cookie-cutter, all-white town, but we get to watch stories that feel more authentic to the world we live in. Through these small changes, while there are still a ways to go, more films are worth watching than skipping. And this year especially delivers various tropes, narratives, and the right amount of classic holiday magic. Here are the best Christmas movies to watch on Hallmark this year.
8 A Kismet Christmas
Written by Betsy Morris and Lori Wilde, Hallmark's A Kismet Christmas is a second-chance romance that brings two friends back into each other's lives after a children's author returns to her hometown for the first time in years. The film's plot requires believing in farcical ideas that magical cookies could prompt dreams about whom one's future spouse will be. When Sarah (Sarah Ramos) sleeps with a kismet cookie under her pillow, she dreams about her friend and neighbor, Travis (Carlo Marks). When she wakes up the following day to tell him, she learns that he's getting married to someone else that day— heartbroken and full of disbelief, Sarah rips the family's recipe and leaves. She returns years later, learning that Travis is now divorced and her grandmother, Mia (Marilu Henner), wants to sell their house. The film features fun meddling from Travis' daughter, Grandma Mia, and magical cookie recipes that ultimately showcase that Travis and Sarah were meant to be all along, but the timing wasn't right in their past.
7 Noel Next Door
Based on Annabelle Costa's novel How the Grinch Stole My Heart, Hallmark's Noel Next Door, written by Keith Hemstreet, follows a grump with a soft heart and a kind, single mother in a Christmas romance. The intriguing detail about this film is that the presumed Scrooge, Jeremy Geer (Corey Sevier), isn't a grouch who hates Christmas, but rather a genuinely kind man who's profoundly misunderstood. Though most characters know that Jeremy had a stroke and now suffers through the disabilities brought on, they still act as though his frustrations aren't merited. That is, of course, except for Noelle (Natalie Hall), who doesn't know he's her neighbor, but falls for him as he continues to visit the restaurant she works at. After multiple sweet dates, holiday clichés, and a third-act breakup, Jeremy, Noelle, and her son Henry find their happy ending.
6 Christmas at the Golden Dragon
There's just something about the old family restaurant that feels like home to every customer who enters, and that's the case with The Golden Dragon, a Chinese restaurant that is always open on Christmas. Hallmark's Christmas at the Golden Dragon is an ensemble film that features various couples connected by a single thread, much like Love Actually. In this case, the tether that binds them is the restaurant, and when owners Jim Chen (Vincent Cheng) and his wife, Sue (Sharon Crandall), decide to close it down and retire, it's up to their kids Romy (Kara Wang) and Rick (Osric Chau) to give the restaurant one final Christmas loyal customers will remember. The film features multiple sweet romances, delightful platonic relationships, and a lot of heart, which gorgeously adds to the warmth of the holidays.
5 Inventing the Christmas Prince
There are several reasons why Inventing the Christmas Prince is a great, worthy watch, but at the top of the list is the fact that it features Hallmark's first STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) heroine. Tamera Mowry-Housley's Shelby is a rocket scientist with a heart of gold. Where Christmas films often see the heroine leaving her big corporate job for love and a small town, here, Shelby not only finds love in the end, but she gets to continue working at a job she adores. Written by Kim Beyer-Johnson, the film brings refreshing twists to the grump and sunshine trope while it sets up a fun romance between Shelby and her Scrooge-like boss, Ronnie Rowe's Evan. It feels a little like Beauty and the Beast, providing the best kind of fantasy warmth as it digs into character growth by working beyond heartaches.
4 The Royal Nanny
Hallmark's The Royal Nanny would be born if Mary Poppins was a spy. Claire (Rachel Skarsten), an MI5 agent, is tasked to protect the Royal family from harm by posing as their nanny. Throughout the film, we learn that she carries her own heartaches, which leads her to a life as a spy. At the castle, she meets Prince Colin (Dan Jeannotte), with whom she forms a close bond after learning that his giving spirit matches her own. While the film is a water-downed version of most spy dramas, it's enough to provide the necessary actions that films like this generally miss. It makes the story and the romance more fun, allowing viewers to get a wide variety of pieces that make up the whole story.
3 Time for Him to Come Home for Christmas
Time for Him to Come Home for Christmas might be Hallmark's most beautiful Christmas film featuring the friends-to-lovers and second-chance romance trope. Starring Tyler Hynes and Teen Wolf alum Holland Roden, this holiday special follows two best friends reuniting after losing their other best friend, Andrew (David Lennon), a miscommunication and three years without seeing each other. In their reunion, they try to help another couple find each other again after someone leaves Roden's character Elizabeth a message hoping to reconnect with a Madelyn. In their attempt to reunite the couple, the two realize that their heartaches should've brought them closer instead of tearing them apart, allowing them finally confess their feelings and embark on a romance together. Simultaneously, the film is a stunning exploration of grief and guilt and how people can move past their pain by allowing themselves to be vulnerable.
2 Ghosts of Christmas Always
Ghosts of Christmas Always brings a gorgeous twist to Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol with the kind of romance that's both expected and simultaneously surprising. Written by Zac Hug, the film stars Kim Matula as Katherine, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and Ian Harding as the soul whose heart the three spirits are meant to change. The more they get to know Harding's Peter, the more they realize that he's the opposite of a Scrooge, causing much confusion and plenty of uncertainties as the film effortlessly throws in one pleasant twist after another. In the end, the narrative looks into what it's like for two like-minded people to fall in love and how they can change the world for the better, inspiring those around them with the adoration and empathy they exude. The twists and turns provide plenty of heart and entertainment, allowing the film to be one of Hallmark's most memorable experiments with Dickens' classic tale.
1 Three Wise Men and a Baby
Three Wise Men and a Baby is sharp, hilarious, and emotionally compelling. Starring Hallmark heartthrobs Andrew Walker, Tyler Hynes, and Paul Campbell, the men are three brothers, each grappling with their father's abandonment differently. When a baby is left at Luke's (Walker) fire station, the brothers each take turns taking care of him, allowing the experience to bring them closer together as they come face to face with the cruxes they each carry. While this is the one Hallmark film that doesn't place romance centerfold, its thematic exploration of how different people can unravel after the same trauma provides intriguing and riveting depth. Co-writers Paul Campbell and Kimberley Sustad stick every landing with laugh-out-loud humor and heartwarming confessions that seamlessly make the film a tremendous success. While the movies on this list can each use improvement, Three Wise Men and a Baby comes close to being flawless.