Do you swoon over a smooch under the mistletoe? Looking to dive into the romance of a blossoming relationship set to the backdrop of picture-perfect snowflakes and Mariah Carey? Netflix has got you covered with a handful of holiday-themed rom-coms perfect for streaming with a cup of cocoa as the temperature drops outside.
Sloane (Emma Roberts) and Jackson (Luke Bracey) are tired of being single on holidays — all the incessant hounding from their relatives gets old year after year — so they decide to be each others’ dates during the holidays. Whether Halloween or St. Patrick’s Day, they’ve got a no-commitment commitment to one another. With a feel-good and festive vibe, the movie maintains a humorous and heartwarming tone, despite the very predictable series of events. With comedic takes on the Dirty Dancing lift and a nutty Kristen Chenoweth, the film boasts some vulgar jokes and a self-aware approach to the genre that is refreshing — albeit a bit underdeveloped.
Based on the young adult novel of the same name by John Green —known for oft-saccharine coming-of-age tales featuring romance and adolescent struggles — the Netflix original follows a group of high school students in a midwestern town following a snowstorm. Love lives and friendships collide in this cutesy and serendipitous film from Feel Good Director Luke Snellin. Teenage insecurities. Teenage awkwardness. Teenage doubts. Teenage attraction. Teenage conflict. Teenage adventure. It’s got all the coming-of-age-shenangians wrapped up in a wreath.
Single All the Way is yet another film that uses the incredible discomfort associated with being single on the holidays as its foundation. In the movie, Peter (portrayed by the adorable and quirky Michael Urie) persuades his best friend Nick (enter the handsome and side-smirking charmer Philemon Chambers) to pose as his boyfriend on a trip home for the holidays. However, an overly excited and Christmas-loving Kathy Najimy, who plays Peter’s mom, Carole, has her own plans for her son. She enjoys playing matchmaker, and she sets her son up on a blind date with her handsome trainer James (the gorgeous boy-next-door-type-type Luke MacFarlane) before the besties can initiate operation couple.
Will Nick want to see Peter with someone else? Could it be that these besties for years are perfect for one another? Could it be that this relationship could and would actually work? Will they risk what they have to explore romance? Will they stay in the friend zone? It’s a fun and heartwarming movie and, of course, Jennifer Coolidge plays the kooky and sexy Aunt Sandy…we’re in.
Natalie (Nina Dobrev) has finally met her perfect match on a dating app. After years of dating all the wrong men — including the double-crossing married kind — she matches with east-coaster Josh (Darren Barnet). She takes it upon herself to fly from LA to New York to meet the man who has captured her heart. There’s just one problem: when she gets there, she discovers she’s been catfished.
The man she thought she was meeting is the childhood friend of the man she actually meets. The catfisher agrees to set her up with the guy whose face she expected, Tag, and she gives the catfisher a week to get them together. Natalie soon comes to discover that she wants Tag’s face but her catfisher’s personality. While we don’t love the message here — the person you catfish may just fall in love with you yet — we’ll let it slide in holiday spirit.
The Knight Before Christmas follows a medieval knight (Josh Whitehouse), who is transported to the present day, where he falls in love with a science teacher (Brooke) who has given up on finding her special someone. It features a couple of comedic hijinks — at the hands of a man unfamiliar with modern technologies and terminology. Yet, his knight status also bodes well for those craving a fairytale story where a knight in shining armor sweeps them off their feet to ride horseback into the sunset. It’s cute. It’s romantic. It’s predictable. It’s a Christmas-hued wonder.
This one may be less “com” and a bit more “rom-drama,” but we included it anyway… It’s got This Is Us star Justin Hartley in it as the primary protagonist. How could we resist? He plays novelist Jake Turner who, upon being notified of his mother’s passing, returns home during Christmas time to settle her estate. From the director of Father of the Bride, Charles Shyer, the film follows a blossoming relationship between the jaded Jake and the hopeful Rachel Campbell (Barrett Doss), who crosses paths with Jake while searching for her birth mother. While Jake is home, the duo discover a secret diary that may reveal secrets to both their pasts — secrets that will bring them closer together. It’s got some cute funny moments interspersed with moving montages.
Christmas With You follows pop star Angelina (Aimee Garcia), who ventures outside her daily life to grant a young fan’s wish in small-town New York, where she not only finds the drive to jump back into her career but also stumbles upon a shot at true love in Freddie Prinze Jr’s Miguel. From the piano to the dance floor to the dining room table and the halls of a school, this pop star is on a mission to reconnect with her fans and come back down to earth.
