Ever since I was a child I have adored sappy, romantic movies. My favourites will always be fantasy, historical fantasy/fiction, sci-fi, adventure and the like but I always had room in my heart for romance. There’s nothing as corny, cliche or soft as a generic romance movie. The older I got the more I fell in love with it. Sometime in 2019, it became holiday romance movies. It became sappy movies.
I would do this thing where I expertly avoid them until November each year, then I would devour countless holiday specials- most on Netflix. I’ve probably watched most, if not all the holiday romance movies available to us on the app. I will always love how holiday movies sort of help set the tone for this time of year. They soften you and sort of make you melt in the joy of the holidays and the magic that many people believe exists during this period.
If you ask me, I think without realising it, we make that magic because it’s the one time, all year that a lot of people are riding on a positive vibration. With that, here are sappy holiday movies you can watch with almost anyone on Christmas Day!
Holidate (2020)
I stumbled upon this move the year it came out. I think so far, 2020 was the year I watched the most holiday films. I probably needed more joy that year than I realised.
The movie follows Sloane who gets mocked for being single every time her family gathers for the holidays. At some point, she gets so fed up that she strikes a deal with an unlikely man. Jackson, an Australian Golfer is tired of women wanting something serious from him. They decide to be each other’s Holidate. This means they’re nothing to each other all year but for every holiday that family comes together (Christmas, New Year’s, Easter and so on), they would pretend to be in a relationship.
It’s a solid plan- until it’s not. When two people are compatible and spend a lot of time together, more often than not, they fall.
This movie is funny, sweet, charming, soft and a perfect watch for the holiday season!
The Knight Before Christmas (2019)
I have loved Vanessa Hudgens since her High-School Musical days. I probably always will. So when I saw this movie, I jumped at the chance to watch it.
Brooke who Vanessa plays stumbles upon a knight one faithful night. She thinks he’s in costume but what she eventually comes to realise is that he is an actual medieval knight transported through time. What follows is a cute and beautiful story. We watch them softly and almost perfectly fall for each other.
You will love this if you’re a die-hard sappy holiday film fan!
The Noel Diary (2022)
I decided to watch this movie because of the lead actors. The female lead plays a badass firefighter in Station 19, the spin-off that came out of the hit TV series; Grey’s Anatomy. The male lead played The Green Arrow in Smallville; an old and super nostalgic Superman series. I also thought they looked ridiculously cute together.
Jake Turner, a best-selling author returns home to settle his mother’s estate when he finds an intriguing journal and a mysterious woman shows up on his doorstep. Soon after we’re thrown into a spiral of a love story and a painful mystery to solve.
I loved that this wasn’t your typical holiday romance. I mean we could guess and tell that that’s where it was going but I absolutely adored the bits of mystery they threw into it. I loved how they barely had a choice. They just had to fall for each other. Like it was meant to be.
The Holiday Calendar (2018)
Kat Graham will forever be Bonnie Bennet first where I’m concerned. If like many people in the early 2010s, you watched Vampire Diaries, then you know our girl! She’s the reason I watched this.
Abby Sutton, a photographer who just wants her own studio is given a big-ass antique holiday advent calendar that she inherited. On each day of the month, a small section pops out and reveals a small item. At first, Abby doesn’t get it but soon she realises that the Calender was predicting something that would happen in her day.
I adore Christmas magic and this movie literally has Christmas magic popping out of a calendar. As I have said with most of the movies above, the softness of this film was everything. I loved watching her try to get her dream studio. I loved watching her fall in love with her oldest friend who is such a cutie and I will always love the growth we see at the end of most holiday films!
Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
Though technically not sappy, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is such a classic movie with a beautiful and heartwarming Christmas touch to it that you would be remiss to not watch it on Christmas Day.
As a Potterhead, I can admit that I am partial. At the same time, everyone knows that this franchise is one of the greatest to ever exist. Simultaneously, many would argue that it’s not a Christmas movie because of the plot but I and countless others beg to differ.
From the gorgeous snowy scenes and decorations to the music, to Harry’s first proper Christmas and many more- I would say, this is the ultimate Christmas movie.
Home Alone (1990 and 1992)
This classic needs no explanation whatsoever. Home Alone is the movie to watch throughout December. There’s nothing as perfect or as nostalgic. Almost everyone will love it!
Other Christmas Movies
Boxing Day (2021)
The Princess Switch(2018)
Love Actually (2003)
Rise of the Guardians (2012)
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
The Polar Express (2004)
A Christmas Carol (1951)
Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmas (1999)
Single All The Way (2021)
Carol (2015)
Black Nativity (2013)
Little Women (1994 and 2019)
Falling For Christmas (2022)
The Happiest Season (2020)
The Christmas Chronicles (2018)
The Preacher’s Wife (1996)
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
The Holiday (2006)
Love Hard (2021)
Christmas With the Kranks (2004)
The Grinch (Too Many Versions)
All I Want For Christmas (1991)
While You Were Sleeping (1995)
Fred Claus (2007)
It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)
The Holiday (2006)
Elf (2003)
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966 & 2000)
