Christmas Challenge: 31 Holiday Movies In 31 Days
Last year, I had so much fun watching all the holiday romcoms I could find. As this is a market that is not oversaturated somehow, there are so many more that appear on all the streaming services, so I’m returning to that quest but ramping it up a notch.
I have a new goal: 31 holiday films in 31 days. I may not watch one a day, but it’ll shake out that way by the end of 2021. And to make sure I don’t burn out, I’m widening the net and saying they don’t have to be romances. The only rules: it has to be holiday themed (anything from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve is acceptable) and it has to be a movie I haven’t seen before.
I enjoyed the pro and con style of this list I did, so I’m going to return to that and will update as I go, so keep an eye on this space! I’ll also be chronicling my choices in my instagram stories if you’d like to follow along there.
This is my first attempt at this rolling edit style, but I’m excited to give it a go.
Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas (Roku Channel)
Pro: If you were a fan of the show, you’re going to get a bit more of an intended ending, which is definitely a plus. Also, one of my new favorite musical numbers of the whole thing to “Time After Time.”
Con: It’s on the Roku Channel, meaning it seems a bit cheaper than it did when it was on a network with a bigger budget. Also, for some reason, the timing is off in most of the songs, which makes it look like a truly terrible episode of Lip Sync Battle.
Single All The Way (Netflix)
Pro: I loved how this movie took the common romcom tropes and twisted them around to keep it a bit fresher. Also, I’m a huge fan of having more LGBTQ+ inclusive romantic comedies, especially around the holidays.
Con: Unfortunately, it may be Jennifer Coolidge. Normally I could go either way on her, but her drunk, dramatic character seemed a bit extreme, even for a holiday romance, which is really saying something.
The Princess Switch 3 (Netflix)
Pro: To quote the friend I watched it with: “It ended.” We’ve been watching crappy Christmas movies together for a few years, and this is definitely the worst.
Con: It exists. And it’s clearly open-ended for more of them.
A Castle For Christmas (Netflix)
Pro: Cary Elwes is such a delight and seeing him as the lead in a decently written holiday romcom was the gift I didn’t know I wanted.
Con: There is a baffling unnecessary montage of clips from the previous 45 minutes. Cut that out, and we have a really solid movie here.
Winter Wedding (Hulu)
Pro: It’s full of pretty people and gorgeous scenery. Also, Carol from FRIENDS is in it, even if I am reeling from her somehow now being old enough to convincingly play the role of a lead’s mother.
Con: It’s a new level of utterly ridiculous planning and decisions are made - specifically about a wedding and how/where/when it will occur that is bafflingly inconsiderate of guests. Yes, this is what keeps me up at night.
Same Time, Next Christmas (Prime)
Pro: It takes place in Hawaii so there’s a gorgeous resort backdrop, and they manage to have relatively cute children in this without erring on the side of irrationally precocious.
Con: Honestly, it’s Lea Michele. I just personally don’t love her, but she isn’t terrible. Also, yet another “inconsiderate of wedding guest” plot line to add to my list.
No Sleep Til Christmas (Hulu)
Pro: I adored the lead actress, who I’m calling Baby Mandy Moore and enjoyed her chemistry with both of the male leads in this film.
Con: My friend prefaced this by warning me I’d be annoyed by the wedding, and wooooo boy was I. I am going to need to find one of these that doesn’t irk me.
Holly Star (Netflix)
Pro: There is a fun little mystery element that takes center stage rather than a full on romance, so it’s a delightful change of pace.
Con: The best friend in this has a pretty aggressive personality that seems like it wants to be a Melissa-McCarthy-in-Bridesmaids style role, but it just seems ridiculous. Also, there are puppets. Puppets are terrifying.
Mistletoe Mixup (Prime)
Pro: It’s full of just about every trope you could hope for in a Christmas romcom, so if that’s your jam, they got you covered.
Con: The “fighting” or behavior of the two main males are more childish than endearing, so I was eye rolling at them more than I think the writer would have liked.
Ghosting: The Spirit of Christmas (Hulu)
Pro: This is absolutely one of the better holiday movies I’ve seen in the past couple years. I thought it was a lot of fun, and I loved the two main actors.
Con: I don’t think I have many, honestly. This was creative, entertaining and adorable.
Santa Girl (Netflix)
Pro: Well, it is unlike most other movies I’ve watched so far this month, so it gains a few points for originality. Also, I guess Barry Bostwick just does a metric ton of Christmas movies now?
Con: The main elf in this is irrationally irritating. It’s not the actress’ fault but it’s as if the director said, “Nope, even more annoying.”
A Winter Romance (Prime)
Pro: I know he may be a meh human in real life, but teen Heather cannot turn down any opportunity to see Chad Michael Murray as a romantic lead.
Con: It’s every cliche. Including some eye rolling dialogue. But again, sometimes that’s what you need.
A Dogwalker’s Christmas Tale (Hulu)
Pro: Thankfully, this isn’t one you have to look up on doesthedogdie.com. The pro is what you’d expect: dogs! My personal favorite is the shaggy mess of a sheepdog named Hank.
Con: The main character was a bit grating and didn’t have the “transformation” I’ve come to expect from these movies.
A Very Country Christmas (Netflix)
Pro: There wasn’t much I really enjoyed watching this movie, and it’s definitely one of the most “chore-like” picks I’ve made so far.
Con: I’m getting pretty burnt out at all single parents being widows or widowers in these films, as if a divorce makes you truly unsuitable for love ever again.
Hometown Holiday (Netflix)
Pro: Ugh, I’m having a run of pretty meh movies at the moment. There really aren’t any obvious pros coming to me for this one either.
Con: It combined some of my least favorite tropes: obnoxiously precocious child and a country singer theme. I may need to avoid any movies that seem like they could lean these ways for a bit.
Naughty or Nice (Prime)
Pro: Considering I picked this one only because it had Kyle XY and one of the girls from One Tree Hill, I was pleasantly surprised. It didn’t follow the standard tropes and was actually really creative.
Con: The love interest in this was a bit one dimensional, but since that’s my only complaint, it’s not half bad.
A California Christmas: City Lights (Netflix)
Pro: It actually shows some level of physical chemistry beyond the singular kiss that doesn’t occur until the last eight minutes. Even though it’s awkward, it’s definitely a more unique feature.
Con: I was not really charmed by anyone in this movie and lacked almost any emotional attachment to them, which is especially bad since it was actually a sequel to one I watched last year.
Holidate (Netflix)
Pro: The cast is really solid, and it is definitely one of the bigger budget movies I’ve watched this month, which automatically elevates its quality level.
Con: It’s not exclusively a Christmas movie, so it’s a little bit of a stretch to call it that.
Four Christmases (HBO Max)
Pro: As my friend pointed out, somehow every single person in this movie seems to be ridiculously famous now, so every moment was a delightful surprise to see who else was showing up.
Con: It’s hard for me to buy Vince Vaughn as a romantic lead, but that’s probably more of a ‘me’ problem than an overarching one.
Snowbound for Christmas (Netflix)
Pro: Frankly, I’m not sure I can think of any right off the bat. It’s a struggle and a half. For heaven’s sake, the two leads bond over a shared love of tinned fish. What even is happening here?
Con: I feel like my ‘pro’ says enough to where you would expect nothing but a long list of cons. Most mediocre movies I’ve watched aren’t exactly a waste of time, but this one may have been.
12 Dates of Christmas (Prime)
Pro: I mean, it’s unique at least. Everyone in it is charming and there’s actually some recognizable actors for the leads, so this feels like a solid holiday movie.
Con: Some of the dialogue is insanely clunky, especially at the beginning. It does even out by the end, for the most part anyways.
A Bride for Christmas (Prime)
Pro: The people are irrationally beautiful, so it makes it pretty easy to watch a movie that has an utterly ridiculous plot.
Con: I was legitimately laughing out loud at some of the ways the story went. It’s insane, even for a holiday romance.
The Man Who Invented Christmas (Hulu)
Pro: Dan Stevens is always a delight to watch, and if you’re wanting a Christmas Carol-like experience without watching one of the adaptations, this is a nice alternative.
Con: It feels a little sanitized at times and paints Charles Dickens in a mostly positive light, which always makes me pause when I watch a biopic and don’t know much about their real lives.
Cupid for Christmas (Hulu)
Pro: The main guy looks like dollar store Mac from Always Sunny, and I kept imagining that it was actually starring that character, which was extremely amusing.
Con: I think I’m burning myself out on these movies, which is something I assumed would happen, but I’m just finding these even more redundant than I did last year.
Christmas Break-In (Netflix)
Pro: Danny Glover stars in this odd, bummer of a Home Alone rip off that was ripe for making this poor man say The Catch Phrase - BUT HE DIDN’T!
Con: 7/8 of the people in this movie are monsters. Basically a child, a janitor and a teen are the only decent humans in this universe.
The Christmas Edition (Prime)
Pro: The lead is actually a woman of color, and there are some in the immediate supporting cast. I had realized how white my holiday romances were looking, so I was thrilled to find this.
Con: It’s a ridiculous timeline, but honestly, it was pretty cute, all things considered.
Dear Christmas (HBO Max)
Pro: I appreciate that this film is aware of the fact that it only takes place over about a week, but they factor that in and even make it a true part of the plot.
Con: Some of the writing is legitimately silly, like many others in this genre, but that’s the worst of it really.
Christmas Is Cancelled (Prime)
Pro: The acting is really solid and there are actual actors you’ll recognize, which is a nice touch.
Con: The premise itself is pretty icky, considering it all revolves around a widower whose new girlfriend is his daughter’s peer.
Noelle (Disney+)
Pro: This is definitely a film suited for the whole family, with a plot and some animals for the kids and some known actors and jokes for the adult.
Con: Somehow almost every Christmas movie is a bit hokey, and about 10-15 minutes could be cut out of this, but it’s mostly a cute watch.
A Boy Called Christmas (Netflix)
Pro: Surprise Hogwarts teachers in the cast, the mark of a truly solid British film.
Con: This looks like a family film, but some of it is awfully dark, so maybe check into it more before sharing it with the kiddos.
8-Bit Christmas (HBO Max)
Pro: Honestly, this was one of the best I watched this month. It had a bit of a Christmas Story vibe in a Princess Bride framing technique. Potentially a great pick for the whole family.
Con: Since I’m not a biggest fan of The Christmas Story, I didn’t love all the similarities, but that’s the only con I could truly come up with. Very solid movie.
Well, it’s noon on December 26th, and I’ve finished my quest. I suspect between this year and last year, I’ll be taking a break from these films next Christmas, or at least keep them to a minimum and let the stockpile build up for another year of holiday cheer.