Summary
- Romantic comedy fans have a surprising number of romantic comedy Christmas movies to choose from, with options available on platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon.
- Netflix has been a pioneer in streaming holiday content, offering a wide range of modern holiday movies that include romance and comedy.
- Some beloved Christmas classics, like The Santa Clause 2 and Love Actually, can also be categorized as romantic comedies, providing a mix of holiday cheer and heartwarming love stories.
Romantic comedies typically dominate the box office in February with moviegoers celebrating Valentine's Day. While that's great, it often leaves romantic comedy fans with nothing new to watch the rest of the year. Hallmark and Lifetime might have the romance Christmas movie market covered, but romantic comedy fans still want comedy in their movies. However, romantic comedy fans don't have to wallow too much because there's a surprising number of romantic comedy Christmas movies out there. Even some of the best Christmas classics are similar to romantic comedies.
Netflix in particular has helped rom-com fans find the Christmas spirit when it comes to modern holiday movies. They've developed a lineup over the last decade that has helped to usher in an era of streaming holiday content that has been followed by other platforms like Hulu and Peacock, which have access to made-for-tv movies from Lifetime and Hallmark, respectively, as well as holiday movies previously released in theaters. Rom-com fans who are on the look for holiday movies have a number of them at their fingertips as a result.
Single All The Way (2021)
Starring Michael Urie and Philemon Chambers
Netflix's first gay Christmas movie, Single All The Way, follows Peter and his best friend, Nick, as they visit Peter's family for the holidays. Though originally planning to pretend to be boyfriends, Peter gets swept up in dating a local his mom set him up with, while Nick discovers his true feelings for Peter.
Single All The Way hits all the best rom-com tropes. There's miscommunication, wrong timing, and a handful of love confessions. It also pulls off one of the cutest romantic gestures of all time when Nick finds a clever way to show Peter how serious he is about him.
Falling For Christmas (2022)
Starring Lindsay Lohan and Chord Overstreet
Lindsey Lohan makes her triumphant return to movies opposite Chord Overstreet in Netflix's first 2022 Christmas movie of the year. After a ski accident leaves her with amnesia, a hotel heiress finds herself living with a small inn owner while trying to who she is.
Falling for Christmas is the perfect balance of Christmas cheesiness and rom-com joy. It truly delivers on the amnesia trope and also features an appearance by a real Santa with some impactful Santa magic.
Love Hard (2021)
Starring Nina Dobrev and Jimmy O. Yang
Love Hard kicked off the 2021 Netflix holiday season. After expanding her dating app radius, Natalie hits it off with Josh. So much so that she decides to back up her bags and surprise him at his home for Christmas. But when she gets there, she learns she's been catfished.
Though catfishing isn't romantic in the slightest, Love Hard manages to make it work. The slow-burn in-person romance between Natalie and Josh hits every major rom-com emotional moment, culminating in a sweet grand gesture at the end.
The Princess Switch (2018)
Starring Vanessa Hudgens and Nick Sagar
The Princess Switch centers on a duchess and an ordinary baker who decide to switch places when they realize they look exactly like each other. Of course, their new environments cause sparks to fly in the romance department.
Though it's a Netflix holiday movie, The Princess Switch could be a Hallmark one with the royal and baking components met. Regardless, its a sweet rom-com that involves two heartwarming romances certain to leave every rom-com fan satisfied.
Holidate (2021)
Starring Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey
Tired of being the only single one at her family's holiday gatherings, Sloane decides to take a page out of her zany aunt's book and find someone to be her holiday plus one. Fates align when she runs into Jackson at the mall the day after Christmas and the two decide to be each other's holiday plus ones for the year.
While Holidate doesn't just cover Christmas, it does begin and end in the holiday season. It's a sweet and sometimes frustrating rom-com as Sloane and Jackson play into the beloved miscommunication rom-com trope.
The Santa Clause 2 (2002)
Starring Tim Allen and Elizabeth Mitchell
Released in 2002, The Santa Clause 2 was the much-anticipated sequel to the 1994 Christmas film starring Tim Allen. This time around, Scott Calvin finds his status of being Santa Claus in jeopardy because he is single. On top of having to find a Mrs. Claus by Christmas Eve, Scott must also leave the North Pole to deal with his son Charlie, who is going through his rebellious adolescent phase.
While The Santa Clause 2 might seem like another family-friendly Christmas movie, it's actually a romantic comedy in disguise. At the beginning of the film, Scott and Carol, his love interest, are sworn enemies, but little by little, Scott manages to win her over, one grand gesture at a time.
Love Actually (2003)
Starring Hugh Grant and Bill Nighy
Love Actually follows nine different stories as its ensemble cast work through their various love lives. From rock stars and Prime ministers to widows and best friends who wind up in love with their best friend's wife, Love Actually has a little bit of everything, not to mention one of the most iconic and cheesy romantic gestures of any film.
Love Actually might have a bit more drama than romantic comedy fans are used to, but there are definitely plenty of laughs in this Christmas classic.
Elf (2003)
Starring Will Ferrell and Zooey Deschanel
Arguably one of Will Ferrell's most iconic movie characters, Elf follows Buddy the Elf as he leaves the North Pole for New York City in the hopes of reconnecting with his birth father (who doesn't know he exists). Along the way, Buddy learns a thing or two about the "real world" while also spreading Christmas cheer wherever he goes.
Elf may not always be considered a romantic comedy, but it really is. After all, it has an awkward first meeting, a cute montage of a first date, a romantic duet, and even a romantic grand gesture when Jovi gets over her fear of singing in public to spread the Christmas cheer. Elf is a modern Christmas classic.
The Holiday (2006)
Starring Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz
The Holiday centers on two women from two different worlds who decide to swap places for the holidays. Iris (Kate Winslet) is a British columnist who is in love with a man who is engaged to someone else (but who continually leads her on). Meanwhile, in California, Amanda (Cameron Diaz) breaks up with her own boyfriend, and he its he's cheated on her.
It seems hard to believe that romantic comedy fans would overlook The Holiday during December, considering the film is literally titled "The Holiday," but it happens. The movie didn't initially receive rave critical reviews, so The Holiday has become one of the most underrated holiday rom-coms.
The Perfect Holiday (2007)
Starring Gabrielle Union and Morris Chestnut
Released in 2007, The Perfect Holiday stars Gabrielle Union as Nancy, a single mom of three girls who hasn't had a date during the holidays in several years. Determined to make their mom happy, Nancy's youngest daughter calls in a favor with the department store Santa aka Benjamin (Morris Chestnut). What starts with an innocent compliment turns into an epic romance for Nancy and Benjamin.
Romantic comedy fans will love The Perfect Holiday because it's all about romance. It includes all the best tropes everyone loves and even has a plot twist that throws things for a loop.
