Comforting and predictable with a generous dollop of sappiness, Hallmark movies have long been holiday staples. And, why not? After a challenging year full of hustle, one needs to unwind and what better way to do this than to plop on a cosy couch and binge-watch cheesy, romantic comedies. After wading through the gruelling rigmarole of our daily lives, it is only natural to take a flight to fantasy once a year and enjoy the warm wholesomeness of these films. The Hallmark channel movies are the perfect guilty pleasure, as they unabashedly revel in romance that almost borders on silliness. No worries if you aren’t subscribed to the American cable channel, though, as Netflix has in recent years been churning out its own Hallmark style movies filled with the same fairytale-like love stories. But, before taking a look at the best Hallmark style movies to watch on Netflix — including the newly released Falling for Christmas starring Lindsay Lohan — let’s understand why they are so popular.
According to Forbes, the success of these movies depends on their surprisingly low production costs but high returns. Streaming giants like Netflix are simply making films inspired by the holiday fare on the Hallmark channel, ensuring global viewership and huge profits at a low price. It has been observed that despite the pandemic affecting the movie business adversely, the makers still managed to put out a new slate of Hallmark-type films for both 2020 and 2021. This proves that these romantic dramas with saccharine sweet plots set in La-La Land are still relevant and popular. And, will always be.
Why does the allure of Hallmark movies never fade?
It is interesting to note that the masses go back to watching these feel-good Hallmark-style movies every year around the holidays despite their fluffy premise with a corny dose of predictability. Romantic movies like A California Christmas (2020), A Christmas Prince (2017) and Cinderella Story (2019) are beloved for their music, beautiful sets and awe-inspiring romantic moments that make a great viewing experience with your partner, family or even alone.
Like how it feels to spend time with family irrespective of differences, every year during the festivities, these movies offer similar comfort — and a feeling of homecoming and belonging.
‘My Sassy Girl’ To ‘The Classic’: The Most Romantic Korean Movies Of All Time
Fall In Love With These Romantic K-Dramas That’ll Tug At Your Heartstrings
What are some of the notable Hallmark-inspired movies on Netflix now?
Leading Netflix’s slate of Hallmark-esque holiday movies is Falling for Christmas, which premiered November 10 2022 and marks American actress Lindsay Lohan’s first role in a major production in more than a decade. The film was officially announced in May 2021 and generated much buzz last month, when Netflix unveiled a teaser trailer featuring Lohan introducing the show. It quickly became one of the most highly anticipated releases of 2022, with its positioning as a comeback for Lohan, who has signed a multi-picture deal with the streaming platform. Lohan was one of the biggest names in Hollywood in the early noughties before her troubled personal life (which included courtroom appearances and stints in rehab) overshadowed her acting talent.
Falling for Christmas has received mixed reviews — as expected of Hallmark-type flicks, which are usually made as crowd-pleasers and not so much to impress the awards circuit — but Lohan’s performance and knack for comedic timing have drawn praise. She even contributed a cover of “Jingle Bell Rock” to its soundtrack, in a nod to that iconic scene in her 2004 movie Mean Girls.
Other than Falling for Christmas, Netflix also offers many other Hallmark style films such as Holidate (2020) and The Princess Switch trilogy (2018-2021), all of which are equally heartwarming and the perfect guilty pleasure for this festive season. Read on for our full list of the best Hallmark style movies to enjoy on Netflix now.
(Main and featured image: Netflix)
An earlier version of this story first appeared on Lifestyle Asia India
Feel-Good K-Dramas On Netflix That Will Instantly Uplift Your Mood
Falling for Christmas and other best Hallmark style movies to watch on Netflix
Jump To / Table of Contents
- Falling for Christmas
- Holidate (2020)
- Christmas Inheritance (2017)
- A Christmas Prince (2017)
- Too Close For Christmas (2020)
- Holiday In The Wild (2019)
- A Boy Called Christmas (2021)
- The Princess Switch (2018)
- The Holiday Calendar (2018)
- Christmas With a View (2018)
- Christmas On a Square (2020)
- The Christmas Chronicles (2018)
- Single All The Way (2021)
- A Castle For Christmas (2021)
- The Knight Before Christmas (2019)
Directed by: Janeen Damian
Cast: Lindsay Lohan, Chord Overstreet and George Young
Synopsis: A newly engaged hotel heiress Sierra (Lohan) suffers amnesia after a skiing accident that happens just days before Christmas. Jake (Overstreet), a widower with a young daughter, houses Sierra at his lodge and the two gradually fall in love. But what will happen when she gets her memories back?
Image: Courtesy Scott Everett White/ Netflix
Directed by: John Whitesell
Cast: Emma Roberts, Luke Brace and Kristin Chenoweth
Synopsis: Sloane (Roberts) and Jackson (Bracey) are cynical singles who are fed up with being unsuccessful in romantic relationships. They meet each other in a chance encounter and agree to be each other’s platonic dates during the holiday season only to fall for each other in reality.
Image: Courtesy IMDb
Directed by: Ernie Barbarash
Cast: Eliza Taylor, Jake Lacy and Andie MacDowell
Synopsis: This rom-com revolves around Ellen Langford (Taylor), a rich, spoiled heiress, who is sent out on a special mission by her father to the countryside. She is supposed to deliver a letter to her father’s business partner. She has only USD 100 (RM 460) to sustain herself during the trip.
Image: Courtesy IMDb
Directed by: Alex Zamm
Cast: Rose McIver, Ben Lamb and Alice Krige
Synopsis: Amber (McIver), an ambitious reporter, goes undercover to get a scoop on Prince Richard (Lamb), but she is unprepared for a romantic complication with the royal known for his playboy tendencies.
Image: Courtesy IMDb
Directed by: Ernie Barbarash
Cast: Chad Michael Murray, Jessica Lowndes and Vanessa Sears
Synopsis: Hayley Parker (Lowndes) is all set to spend Christmas with her sister-in-law but fate has other plans as a man named Paul Bernett (Murray), with whom she has had a complicated relationship in the past, suddenly shows up at her doorstep.
Image: Courtesy IMDb
Directed by: Ernie Barbarash
Cast: Rob Lowe, Kristin Davis and Fezile Mpela
Synopsis: Kate (Davis) is left on her own to visit Africa after her husband suddenly abandons her. There, she meets an elephant conversationalist named Derek (Lowe) and an unlikely romance brews.
Image: Courtesy IMDb
Directed by: Gil Kenan
Cast: Maggie Smith, Henry Lawfull and Joel Fry
Synopsis: An ordinary boy named Nikolas (Lawfull) ventures on a magical journey in search of his father in this tale revolving around Christmas and hope.
Image: Courtesy IMDb
Directed by: Mike Rohl
Cast: Vanessa Hudgens, Sam Palladio and Nick Sagar
Synopsis: Stacy De Novo (Hudgens) bumps into her lookalike who is engaged to the Prince of Belgravia. They exchange places in the wake of a royal wedding and usher in a lot of confusion and surprise in the royal family.
About the film: The film has two more sequels The Princess Switch (2020) (Switched Again) and The Princess Switch 3 (2021) (Romancing the Star).
Image: Courtesy IMDb
Directed by: Bradley Walsh
Cast: Kat Graham, Quincy Brown and Ethan Peck
Synopsis: Abby Sutton (Graham) is a struggling photographer. She inherits a calendar which seems to have magical properties of predicting her future, especially her love life.
Image: Courtesy IMDb
Directed by: Justin G. Dyck
Cast: Kaitlyn Leeb, Scott Cavalheiro and Mark Ghanimé
Synopsis: Clara Garrison (Leeb) is a restaurant manager of a ski resort who falls for a new chef. Both have secret aspirations which create complications in their love life.
Image: Courtesy IMDb
Directed by: Debbie Allen
Cast: Dolly Parton, Jenifer Lewis, Josh Segarra and Christine Baranski
Synopsis: Regina (Baranski) is a cold-hearted woman who tries to sell her hometown land only to cause distress to the citizens during the holiday season. An angel (Parton) arrives to change her mind.
Image: Courtesy IMDb
Directed by: Clay Kaytis
Cast: Kurt Russell, Darby Camp and Judah Lewis
Synopsis: Siblings Kate (Camp) and Teddy (Lewis) plan to catch Santa on camera. This leads to a memorable adventure with them facing the father of Christmas himself.
About the film: The sequel Christmas Chronicles 2 (2020) traces the journey of Kate who is a teenager now. She lands in the North Pole and is in for a rude surprise in this flick.
Image: Courtesy IMDb
Directed by: Michael Mayer
Cast: Michael Urie, Philemon Chambers and Luke Macfarlane
Synopsis: Peter (Urie) and Nick (Chambers) are best friends but agree to pose as boyfriends to appease Peter’s family during the holidays. Will they end up falling for each other?
Image: Courtesy IMDb
Directed by: Mary Lambert
Cast: Brooke Shields, Cary Elwes and Lee Ross
Synopsis: Sophie (Shields) is a famous author but is stuck amid a scandal. To escape that, she travels to Scotland and is completely taken in by a beautiful castle but has to bear with a Duke named Myles (Elwes) who owns the place, but is extremely annoying.
Image: Courtesy IMDb
Directed by: Monika Mitchell
Cast: Vanessa Hudgens, Josh Whitehouse and Emmanuelle Chriqui
Synopsis: Sir Cole (Whitehouse) is a mediaeval knight who gets magically transported to the present day. He meets a disillusioned teacher, Brooke (Hudgens), and falls in love with her.
Image: Courtesy IMDb
