All the Made-for-TV Holiday Movies We've Watched this Year
Is it a must-watch or should you learn from our mistakes?
Don’t miss it:
Round and Round - I don’t care if you have to steal your parents’ cable login, please watch this one! The best holiday movie of the year is Hallmark Round and Round. Rachel is trapped in a Groundhog’s Day-style time loop on the day of her parents' Hanukkah party. She enlists sweet nerd Zach (played by Brian Greenberg) to help her get out. It was so funny and clever with great banter and pop culture references as they use comic books, movies, and yes, the movie Groundhog’s Day to help her escape the loop. (Hallmark)
EXmas - This was funny! When Leighton Meester’s ex-fiancé catches her spending the holidays with his family, they compete to prove who is the family favorite. In the meantime they can’t help making each other laugh, working out their unresolved issues and have a steamy/angry scene that Hallmark would never allow. The family is all pretty great, especially the dad (Best in Show’s Michael Hitchcock). Come for the male lead’s Bugle Boy sweaters, stay for the goat scene. (Freevee)
Dashing Through the Snow has everything you need in a family-friendly holiday movie. Kids would find it funny, but it’s not too dumb for adults to enjoy. The cast was charming, especially Lil Rey Howery as Santa and Ludacris, who gets to show his acting range as a tender-hearted social worker. It has good production value, a great cast, and a steady pace. Watch if you want to hear Ludacris say, “That’s ludicrous!” in context. (Disney+)
Catch Me if You Claus was fun nonsense! I love a Christmas caper, and I wish Luke MacFarlane could win every Holiday Hunks. He nails it as Santa’s son like only someone who has been in 15 Hallmark holiday movies could. It’s silly, he’s so charming - it’s everything we want! (Hallmark)
The Santa Summit - Three down-on-their luck friends are healed by the magic of a Santa-Con style bar crawl in Nashville. Standout detail was Hallmark’s prohibition on saying the word beer. The trio ordered countless eggnoggs and and the least appetizing looking “ciders” I’ve ever seen. (Hallmark)
A World Record Christmas is refreshing because it focuses more on an autistic child’s goals than a love story. I was impressed that Hallmark cast an openly autistic 13-year-old actor, Aias Dalman, in the role. And yes, of course I teared up during the record-attempt scene. The dad who doesn’t take any interest in his son will go down as one of Hallmark’s all-time most despicable villains. (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries)
Solid holiday fare:
Family Switch - This was a fun watch. Jennifer Garner is as charming as ever, and Ed Helms pulls off his nerdy humor well. My only complaint is that it isn’t very Christmassy. The Christmas scenes felt tacked on.
Christmas at the Chalet - Terri Hatcher was great in this, but she’s great in everything. It was fun to see her working at the chalet and bearing her soul to her Instagram followers. As my mom said, “she embraced being a chalet girl with such class!” (Lifetime)
Christmas on Cherry Lane - If you like This is Us, you’ll love this. Multiple generations and families tell the story of the same house. Bonus points for Jonathan Bennett and Vincent Rodriguez
In Where Are You, Christmas?, Christmas-hating workaholic Addy gets in a car accident. Her hometown turns grayscale and everybody forgets what Christmas is. The people of Red Lake Falls are trapped in an alternate reality where they watch dozens of New Year’s movies a year, starting in June. Jerry from Parks & Rec is upset by pine trees in living rooms. I loved it. (Hallmark)
Christmas Island - I’m a sucker for a good holiday storm, but I was left confused when the weather on the island seemed lovely. The air traffic controller and pilot’s romance story started a little cliche, but the chemistry between the actors shined through. (Hallmark)
Learn from our mistakes:
Best. Christmas. Ever! - The movie strives to be a heartwarming family comedy involving actors you might actually remember if you are over 35. But it’s awkward, try-hard vibe is painful to watch – even by straight-to-TV holiday movie standards. (Netflix)
Never Been Chris’d - I liked how this one was more focused on the two leads’ changing friendship than the romance with Tyler Hines. I just wish the friends were a little more likeable (and nicer to their moms!) (Hallmark)