Hallmark

10 Most Popular Hallmark Holiday Movies

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‘Tis the season to mainline Hallmark holiday movies! The Hallmark Channel indulges our love of Christmas, family, and romance with two full months of original holiday movies, airing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in November and December. This year Hallmark will debut a record 33 new movies for the holidays, adding to their collection of feel-good Christmas fare.

We heart (most) Hallmark movies here at Nice Girls HQ, and our reviews of these made-for-TV films are among our most read articles. For a special holiday treat, we’ve rounded up the 10 most popular Hallmark holiday movie posts on Nice Girls TV, according to our site traffic data, in one handy mega list! 

1. Every Christmas Has a Story 

Kate hates Christmas, a fact viewers of her popular morning show don’t know until she goes on an anti-Christmas rant without realizing cameras are rolling. As punishment for her lack of holiday spirit, Kate’s boss sends her to Hollyvale, North Dakota – the biggest little Christmas town in the country – to rediscover her Christmas spirit. Oh, and colleague for the trip? Former college sweetheart Jack. Starring Lori Loughlin and Colin Ferguson, Every Christmas Has a Story clearly touched a chord in our readers; it’s our most viewed Hallmark holiday movie review of all time.

2. A December Bride

It’s the classic conundrum: what do you do when your ex-fiance is marrying your cousin, and you don’t have a date for the wedding? This is Layla’s problem in one of the more complex Hallmark movie plots we’ve seen. When Layla’s ex’s best friend (told you it was complicated) offers to attend the wedding as Layla’s date, then announces that they are engaged in a misguided attempt at making things better for Layla, things get really complicated. Jessica Lowndes and Daniel Lissing star in this romantic, convoluted, satisfying Christmas tale.

3. A Bride for Christmas 

Arielle Kebbel and Andrew Walker star in this charming tale of a commitment-wary pair who find their way to each other. Jessie (Kebbel) is a three-time runaway bride; Aiden (Walker) is a committed bachelor. When a bet brings them together, sparks fly and true love may finally calm their skittish hearts.

4. Home for Christmas Day 

Hallmark’s new holiday movie for this year’s Christmas in July special week of holiday cheer manages to capture both the spirit of Christmas and honor our military. Teenager Betsy falls hard for Tyler, a soldier in the Army. Betsy’s mom, a soldier’s widow herself, wants to protect her daughter from potential heartache. But young love prevails, and sure enough, Betsy experiences grief when Tyler is deployed. Starring Catherine Bell, Victor Webster, Matreya Fedor, and Anthony Konechny, Home for Christmas Day depicts real world issues that many military families deal with every year in a poignant story of love, loss, and moving on.

5. Matchmaker Santa 

This is one of the better entries in the “stuck in a small town, romance blossoms” holiday movie pantheon. Lacey Chabert stars as Melanie, a baker who just wants to get away for a romantic weekend with her boyfriend. Instead, she gets stuck in a small town with her bf’s bestie and a Santa-for-hire (who also might be the real Santa). She bakes cookies and falls in love, while her bf reconnects with his childhood sweetheart. Also, there are bears. So, really, it’s a must watch.

6. The Christmas Secret 

Single mom Christine is having a rough day. Her smarmy ex refuses to pay child support and wants custody of the kids, her boss at her low-paying waitress job just fired her for being late to work because she stopped to help a woman who was in a car accident, and she lost her prized locket while performing her good deed. Starring Bethany Joy Lentz, Susan Hogan, Nicola Cavendish, and John Reardon, The Christmas Secret is a heartwarming story of good people ultimately getting what they deserve.

7. The Nine Lives of Christmas 

Hallmark has a tried-and-true formula for their holiday movies, and this is definitely formulaic, but with a few interesting variations. Marilee is a vet student working in a pet store. Zachary is a fireman who restores old houses on the side. When Zachary happens to acquire a stray cat named Ambrose, he and Marilee cross paths and a few sparks fly. Unfortunately, thanks to Zachary, Marilee loses her job and her apartment. When he offers to let her stay in the upstairs apartment of his latest renovation project, Zachary begins to realize that his life has been missing someone like Marilee, and cats. Because cats make everything better.

8. A Nutcracker Christmas 

This is one of the more melancholy Hallmark holiday movies, in part because Amy Acker is such a soulful actor. Acker plays Lily, a talented ballerina whose dreams of dancing with the New York City Ballet – and budding romance with fellow performer Mark – are cut short after her older sister’s sudden death. Fast forward several years and Lily is a second mother to her niece, who also happens to be a talented ballerina. Lily encounters Mark again as her niece pursues her dream of performing in The Nutcracker, and the walls built out of grief and self-preservation start to crumble. 

9. A Cookie Cutter Christmas 

Starring Erin Krakow and Miranda Frigon as former childhood best friends who are now second grade school teachers and archrivals, this movie is less about romance and more about friendship. Sure, the two women are vying for the attention of a the hot new single dad in town (David Haydn-Jones), but really they’re in dire need of the magic of Christmas to heal their broken relationship.

10. One Starry Christmas 

Sarah Carter and Damon Runyan co-star as an astronomer and a cowboy, respectively, already shattering the mold for romantic leads’ occupations. There is a big shot significant other to contend with, lessons about life and the true meaning of Christmas to be learned, and unexpected romance between strangers to be had, but this charming holiday romance rises above the usual Hallmark formula with lyrical writing, sharp directing, and an enchanting cast. 

Note: The incredibly popular A Royal Winter would have slotted in at number two on this list, but it was actually part of Hallmark’s Winterfest 2017, not part of their holiday collection.

Is your favorite on the list? Which Hallmark holiday movie do you watch whenever you run across it?

Editor in Chief * Pop Culture Enthusiast * Team Sookie * Team Buffy * Team Veronica * Team Knope * melissa@nicegirlstv.com