christmasmoviesrated

[christmasmoviesrated]

A Kiss Before Christmas

Hallmark, 2021. 1h 23m.

Ethan, a married father of two teens, wakes up one morning shocked to find that he's unmarried, has no kids, and is the CEO of his company. His wife is the key to him being able to reclaim his original life and family.

Very predictable, but also emotional and Christmassy. A bit preachy, but isn't that the whole point of Christmas?

Top Selling points:

Older characters

Love is all you need #priorities

Alternate reality

Christmas wish gone wrong

Do I recommend? Yes, I do. It was heartwarming.

Would I watch again? Probably at some point, but I'm not in a rush.

Happy ending? Yes!

Did I cry? No. Not that I recall.

8 Christmas Trees out of 10

[christmasmoviesrated]

Christmas at Castle Hart

Brooke Bennett goes to Ireland for Christmas to search for her Irish roots. While there, she meets Aiden Hart. Mistaken for an elite event planner, she's hired to host his castle's epic Christmas party.

In theory, this would speak to me more than it did. Alas, it did not.

Top Selling points:

Older characters

Castle & titles and stuff

Ireland

Fake identities

Do I recommend? If the above selling points speak to you, sure.

Would I watch again? I know other similar Christmas movies that I like better, so I might go to those instead.

Happy ending? Yes.

Did I cry? Nope.

4 Christmas Trees out of 10

[christmasmoviesrated]

A Very Merry Bridesmaid

Hallmark, 2021. 1h 24m.

Leah's 30th birthday is on the same day as her brother's wedding. Her childhood crush is back in town for the wedding and he is determined to make sure her birthday does not go by the wayside.

For a Hallmark Christmas movie, this hit close to home.

Top Selling points:

Relatable for 30-year-olds?

Christmas wedding

Hopes and dreams

Snow

Do I recommend? Sure, watch it if you want something cozy without too much substance.

Would I watch again? Maybe. Some of the plot points hit a bit close to home, though.

Happy ending? Yes.

Did I cry? I did, though I'm not entirely sure I'd consider that a good thing.

7 Christmas Trees out of 10

[christmasmoviesrated]

'Tis the Season to be Merry

Hallmark, 2021. 1h 24m.

Looking for a fresh angle on her new book on relationships, Merry heads to snow covered Vermont. She finds a new perspective and Christmas cheer with charismatic aid worker Adam.

Oh, how I giggled at this movie. It's Christmassy, it's cute, it's predictable and filled to the brim with tropes, but it has it's own take on things. The chemistry is there. The shoes are MUCH better in the movie than on the poster.

Top Selling points:

Cute male lead

Great chemistry

Absurd problems to solve

Christmas tree auction

Author/influencer

Do I recommend? Yes! Absolutely!

Would I watch again? YES. I might even make it one of my yearly ones, if I can hold off until next year. I'm waiting to put it on the list of all time faves, though.

Happy ending? YES.

Did I cry? I want to say yes, but I think I'd be lying.

10 Christmas Trees out of 10

[christmasmoviesrated]

Christmas in Tahoe

Hallmark, 2021. 1h 23m.

Follows Claire, an aspiring talent booker, as feelings come back between her and her boyfriend after she asks him to be her big act at her family's hotel and casino, and realizes that they might need each other more than they remembered.

This movie was somehow kind of light on the Christmas Spirit to me. I don't know how that works. It's still an inoffensive Christmas movie, though. I did not care for the love story.

Top Selling points:

Hotel with snow

Personal growth

Exes finding their way back together

Some music

A "rock band"

Do I recommend? I don't think I can, I've seen so many better movies. It's inoffensive, unless you're like me and think a famous guitarist should play the guitar instead of an electric bass when he's on stage with his band.

Would I watch again? I might consider switching to something else if I accidentally put it on, unless I was planning on doing something else that required my attention at the same time.

Happy ending? Yes.

Did I cry? Not remotely.

4 Christmas Trees out of 10

[christmasmoviesrated]

A Royal Queens Christmas

Hallmark, 2021. 1h 24m.

A prince finds his way to Queens during Christmas when a local woman enlists his help with a children's Christmas show.

The first Christmas Movie of the season! Hallmark delivers what Hallmark promises to deliver. No more, no less.

Top Selling points:

Royal Romance

Undercover Royals

It's a Hallmark movie

Music? I guess

TROPES, executed mostly in a satisfactory way

Do I recommend? Sure! It's not one of the titles I'll shout at people excitedly - frankly I'm not sure I'll actually remember the title come next Christmas - but it's a movie and it's Christmassy and cute, so why not.

Would I watch again? I might accidentally. I don't think I'll turn it off when I realise I've already watched it, though.

Happy ending? Yes! It's Hallmark!

Did I cry? Nope!

5 Christmas Trees out of 10

[christmasmoviesrated]

I rewatched this with a friend, and boy, did we have a good time. This time around I really felt I could appreciate one of the supporting characters, Clive, properly. Clive is perfect and must be protected at all costs.

Christmas with a View

HQ Marquee #4 Productions, 2018. 1h 31m.

Secret aspirations between a failed restaurateur and a celebrity chef threaten their blossoming Christmas romance.

I dunno. It's cute. A very decent Christmas Movie.

Top Selling points:

Snow! Lots of snow.

Cute characters

A really great friend

Decent puns

Restaurant

Soppy story

Kind of misleading title?

Do I recommend? It deserves a watch.

Would I watch again? I've watched it several times. So, probably.

Happy ending? Yup.

Did I cry? If I'd had some wine I probably would've.

5.5 Christmas Trees out of 10

[christmasmoviesrated]

Did I start the Christmas Movie Season by watching this again? Yes I did. Did I get everything I wanted from it? Yes.

A Christmas Prince

Netflix, 2017. 1h 32m.

When a reporter goes undercover as a tutor to get the inside scoop on a playboy prince, she gets tangled in some royal intrigue and ends up finding love - but will she be able to keep up her lie?

By now, A Christmas Prince is a real classic among CMTaBEtBGA:s (Christmas Movies That are Bad Enough to Become Good Again). It’s outrageous. It’s beautiful. 

Keep reading

[christmasmoviesrated]

A Christmas Miracle for Daisy

GAC Media, 2021. 1h 25m.

Whitney (Wagner) owns Marietta Designs, an interior-design firm which she runs with her friend Andi (Tegan Moss). She's designing Santa's float for the town's annual Christmas parade when a potential job opportunity comes her way: the full redesign of a landmark house by Christmas Eve. Despite the challenge, Whitney and Andi sign on to the job-- then discover the home's new owner is Whitney's ex-boyfriend Connor (Bateman), who has moved to town from Los Angeles with his bright-eyed young daughter Daisy (Rubi Tupper). Connor had no intention of becoming a family man, but when his goddaughter was orphaned, he adopted her and committed to becoming a devoted single dad. More than anything, Daisy wishes for a mom to complete her picture-perfect family, and no prospect is as perfect as Whitney. Tall order, but Christmas is a time for miracles.

Christmassy for sure, but absent the real tingles. A "do-something-else-at-the-same-time" type of movie.

Top Selling points:

Your typical second chances story

Smoulder McSmoulderface as the male lead

Multiple love stories, kinda

a kid

snow

Santa

Hot actors I guess?

Do I recommend? There are definitely Christmas movies I would recommend before this one, but it's not offensively bad

Would I watch again? Nothing I would seek out.

Happy ending? Yes. But the tension wasn't really there for me before the non existent problem was solved.

Did I cry? LOL no

Christmas vibes? Very decorated. There's snow.

4 Christmas Trees out of 10

[christmasmoviesrated]

A Boy Called Christmas

Netflix, 2021. 1h 46m.

In this origin story of Father Christmas, an ordinary boy (with a loyal pet mouse and a reindeer at his side) sets out on an extraordinary adventure to find his father who is on a quest to discover the fabled village of Elfhelm.

Oh my, how star specked this movie is. I had almost decided I didn't like it, and then the ending hit me like a steamroller.

Top Selling points:

Maggie Smith

Santa origin story

Snow

Elves and shit

Do I recommend? Yeah. I landed in this being a pretty good film.

Would I watch again? I was very sure I wouldn't, but after watching all of it I'm not so sure.

Happy ending? Yes? No? Kind of?

Did I cry? Twice, once towards the end and once at the very end. Those two times were what changed my mind about this movie.

8 Christmas Trees out of 10

[christmasmoviesrated]

The Noel Diary

Netflix, 2022. 1h 39m.

The story of a man who returns home on Christmas to settle his estranged mother's estate. Once there, he discovers a diary that may hold secrets to his own past and of a beautiful young woman on a mysterious journey of her own.

I felt like this was much much longer than it was.

Top Selling points:

DOG!

The dog has an actual part in this movie

The characters are good looking I guess

The dog is incredibly cute

Home-wrecker vibes galore

Do I recommend? It was cute. Lots of things going on. Not my fave but sure, worth a watch.

Would I watch again? I probably will not seek it out, but I'll probably put it on when I've watched everything else or forgotten what the movie is.

Happy ending? Yes?

Did I cry? Nope.

Christmas vibes? Kind of? But it's not really about Christmas, no. It's more about adultery.

5 small Christmas Trees out of 10

[christmasmoviesrated]

Love Hard

Netflix, 2021. 1h 44m.

An LA girl, unlucky in love, falls for an East Coast guy on a dating app and decides to surprise him for the holidays, only to discover that she's been catfished. This lighthearted romantic comedy chronicles her attempt to reel in love.

This was a really cute move despite leaving a bit of a bitter aftertaste. Just don't think about it too hard. It's my favourite trope, Fake Relationship, after all.

Top Selling points:

Nina Dobrev is actually really really good in this

Not your classic type of love interest

Really cute family

Could actually have been cringier

Yes, there are a lot of nods to Love Actually

Fake relationship

Do I recommend? Sure, why not. Nina Dobrev is amazing.

Would I watch again? Mayhaps. Not a must-see tho.

Happy ending? Yes, but the fact that it's happy is where the aftertaste comes from.

Did I cry? Big nope.

Christmas vibes? Yeah. It was cozy.

7 Christmas Trees out of 10

[christmasmoviesrated]

I watched this again, and it was my first Christmas movie of the season. No regrets. It's not great, but it's awesome, ya feel?

A Christmas Prince

Netflix, 2017. 1h 32m.

When a reporter goes undercover as a tutor to get the inside scoop on a playboy prince, she gets tangled in some royal intrigue and ends up finding love - but will she be able to keep up her lie?

By now, A Christmas Prince is a real classic among CMTaBEtBGA:s (Christmas Movies That are Bad Enough to Become Good Again). It’s outrageous. It’s beautiful. 

Keep reading

[christmasmoviesrated]

Christmas Made to Order

Hallmark, 2018. 1h 20m.

A Hallmark Channel original movie. When architect and Christmas amateur Steven (Jonathan Bennett) finds himself hosting his family for Christmas, he recruits holiday coordinator Gretchen (Alexa PenaVega) to bring holiday joy to his home.

For a Hallmark movie, this is very inventive. It's still exactly what you expect it to be, though.

Top Selling points:

Gaudy Christmas decor

Predictable plot

Gretchen is really cute

All the Christmas vibes packed into a short space of time

Do I recommend? I don't regret watching it, but I think I've seen it before? Still cute and christmassy tho.

Would I watch again? Apparently I already watched it again.

Happy ending? Yes. It's Hallmark. But also unrealistic, and I say this as a freelancer.

Did I cry? Not even close.

Christmas vibes? Yes, that's the whole movie. It's almost too much.

5 Christmas Trees out of 10

[christmasmoviesrated]

Spirited

Apple Originals, 2022. 2h 7m.

A musical version of Charles Dickens's story of a miserly misanthrope who is taken on a magical journey.

A new take on the classic story. In the form of a musical. With Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell. Need I say more?

Top Selling points:

The production value really did say spare no expenses

It's really funny

If you don't like Will Ferrell, you will probably tolerate him in this

It's a musical

The music is great.

Great dancing.

Great jokes.

Octavia Spencer is in it! And she's really precious.

Do I recommend? If you like musicals. Also if you don't.

Would I watch again? Yes. Without a doubt.

Happy ending? Yes and no? But yes.

Did I cry? Almost. I was on the brink.

Christmas vibes? SO MANY. It's very christmassy.

10 Christmas Trees out of 10

[christmasmoviesrated]

Falling For Christmas

Netflix, 2022. 1h 33m.

In the days leading up to Christmas, a young and newly engaged heiress experiences a skiing accident. After being diagnosed with amnesia, she finds herself in the care of the handsome lodge owner and his daughter.

I'M HERE for Lindsay Lohan living her best life and making a Christmas movie. It is awesome.

Top Selling points:

Lindsay Lohan

The mouth guy from Glee

The amnesia trope

Snow

Strangers to enemies (?) to lovers

Incompetence

Actual reasonable reactions to some stuff?

Do I recommend? ONE HUNDRED PERCENT, what's not to love. Watch with a friend, it'll be fun.

Would I watch again? Absolutely. Maybe even this year, actually.

Happy ending? Of course.

Did I cry? No. But I laughed a lot.

Christmas vibes? Yes. It's a new classic.

10 Christmas Trees out of 10

[christmasmoviesrated]

Holidate

Netflix, 2020. 1h 44m.

Fed up with being single on holidays, two strangers agree to be each other's platonic plus-ones all year long, only to catch real feelings along the way.

This has not been out for long enough to call it an all-time fave, but it's getting there. Also, it contains lots of other holidays too. It's still a great romcom, no matter how you look at it. And it's primarily Christmases.

Top Selling points:

It's a great movie

It's kinda crazy

Slow burn

Funny

Very Cute

Strangers to Friends to Lovers

Fake relationship

Good actors

An Australian man

Awkwardness

Over the top

Do I recommend? YES. I do. I'd also love to read a book with this plot.

Would I watch again? YES. Again and again.

Happy ending? YES. Very cute.

Did I cry? I actually did. A little.

Christmas vibes? Yes. Also Thanksgiving, Easter and Halloween.

9.5 Christmas Trees out of 10