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11 New Feel-Good Holiday Romantic Comedies That'll Get You in the Spirit

21/11/2020 - 10:30 PM

It's an understatement to say that the holidays don't quite look the same in 2020, but some things never change, like the tradition of the classic holiday romantic comedy [1]. Yes, we have new feel-good holiday rom-coms that are sweeter than gingerbread cookies. These lovable films are great for temporarily escaping the world's chaos and viewing them makes for the perfect stay-at-home Christmas activity. While you can rewatch holiday classics [2] like Love Actually and Elf for the 15th time, there are plenty of 2020 picks [3] to enjoy. So grab your cosy Christmas pajamas, whip together some eggnog, and set up that Netflix watch party [4].

Holidate

Holidate [5] follows all of the holidays, but it's really bookended around Christmas, when Sloane (Emma Roberts) and Jackson (Luke Bracey) first meet. Sloane is tired of her mom badgering her about being single, so she strikes a deal with Jackson, who agrees to platonically accompany her to all her holiday festivities.

Watch Holidate on Netflix. [6]

Operation Christmas Drop

Kat Graham stars as Erica, a congressional assistant who audits a US Air Force base in Guam to evaluate whether or not it needs to close. While Erica's there, she meets Andrew (Alexander Ludwig), a dreamy Air Force captain who guides her through the base and shows her the tradition of airlifting presents to Guam for Christmas [7].

Watch Operation Christmas Drop on Netflix. [8]

Happiest Season

In Happiest Season [9], Kristen Stewart [10] and Mackenzie Davis play Abby and Harper, a queer couple who, as Dan Levy [11]'s character puts it, have a perfect relationship. Abby wants to propose when she meets Harper's parents over the holidays, but there's only one problem: Harper's family doesn't know that Harper is gay, and they think that Abby is her . . . orphan friend. Along for the holiday ride are Mary Steenburgen, Alison Brie [12], Aubrey Plaza, and more!

Watch Happiest Season on Hulu on Nov. 25. [13]

The Christmas House

Hallmark is featuring its first onscreen gay couple in The Christmas House. The romance is already there for its leading couple Brandon and Jake (Jonathan Bennett and Brad Harder). The dramedy, for the most part, follows the loving couple as they eagerly await for an adoption call while visiting family.

Watch The Christmas House on The Hallmark Channel on Nov. 22. [14]

The Princess Switch: Switched Again

The Princess Switch [15] sequel has not one, not two, but three Vanessa Hudgens [16]! As Margaret is about to inherit the throne, she switches places with her friend Stacy yet again in order to patch things up with her former beau Kevin. But a third lookalike is out wreaking havoc: Lady Fiona, a scheming royal cousin who's in town for the Christmas coronation.

Watch The Princess Switch: Switched Again on Netflix. [17]

Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey

Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey is a whole load of yuletide steampunk musical goodness [18]! It's mainly about how inventor Jeronicus Jangle (Forest Whitaker) gets his groove back and connects with his granddaughter Journey (Madalen Mills), but we get elements of cheeky humour as well as romance (hello, Mrs. Johnston!) for extra wholesome cheer.

Watch Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey on Netflix. [19]

The Christmas Setup

The Christmas Setup is Lifetime's first LGBTQ+-focussed Christmas movie [20], following Hugo (Ben Lewis), an NYC lawyer, who returns to Milwaukee for the holidays. His mom Kate (Fran Drescher) wants to play matchmaker, setting her son up with his high school crush Patrick (Blake Lee).

Watch The Christmas Setup on Lifetime on Dec. 12. [21]

Midnight at the Magnolia

After getting dumped by their significant others after Christmas, childhood BFFs and radio personalities Maggie and Jack brew up a PR scheme for New Year's. They plan to surprise their fans with a fake new relationship, but will they catch feelings? Watch and find out.

Watch Midnight at the Magnolia on Netflix. [22]

Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square

Dolly Parton, vaccine investor [23] and country music extraordinaire, plays a literal Christmas angel who tries to change the ways of a greedy woman named Regina Fuller (Christine Baranski) in this Debbie Allen feature. After her father's death, Regina returns home to evict residents and sell the land to a mall developer. The film encompasses camp, love, and music for a cup of delightful holiday cheer.

Watch Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square on Netflix on Nov. 22. [24]

​The Christmas Chronicles 2

Real-life loves Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn [25] are back on Christmas shenanigans as Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus. Also returning to The Christmas Chronicles sequel is Kate (Darby Camp), who finds herself lending Santa a hand once more when an elf threatens to end Christmas.

Watch The Christmas Chronicles 2 on Netflix on Nov. 25. [26]

Just Another Christmas

In Just Another Christmas, Jorge, a family man who loathes the holidays, gets stuck in a time loop where he wakes up and it's Christmas Eve again and again. Unlike Groundhog Day, time actually moves forward, and he continually wakes up year after year. Eventually, Jorge finds that he's separating from the love of his life, so he has to find a way to get out of this curse before it's too late.

Watch Just Another Christmas on Netflix on Dec. 3. [27]


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