Best 23 Christmas Romantic Comedies
Christmas romances are popular in books and films, so there are many to choose from for your holiday offering. From comedies to dramas to elements of magic, there is something for everyone when looking at Christmas romantic comedies.
Here are the best, with a combination of mainstream and TV movies. Have fun binge-watching these during the Christmas season (or any time!). Many of these you can enjoy repeatedly.
Love Actually (2003)
Rotten Tomatoes: 64%
IMDb: 7.6
Love Actually is often considered the best romantic holiday comedy. While some of the couples are problematic, the film does present them in various stages of love. The interwoven stories make for an enjoyable watch, along with Hugh Grant's dancing.
All Facets of Love
The film follows eight couples, some falling in love and some falling out of love. They are all connected through families or friends, but don't all directly interact. Presented against the backdrop to claim the number one Christmas single by aging rock star Billy Mack (Bill Nighy), we see these couples show all the facets of love from new love, second chance love, unrequited love, and lost love.
While You Were Sleeping (1995)
Rotten Tomatoes: 81%
IMDb: 6.7
An enjoyable holiday film from the 90s comes in While You Were Sleeping. Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman are perfect as love interests that you want to love. With the holiday season looming around, we get pulled into their story.
A Mistaken Identity
The plot revolves around Lucy (Bullock), a lonely woman who works as a Chicago L ticket seller. Every day, a man (Peter Gallagher), who she has a crush on, comes through her line. One day, he is mugged and pushed onto the tracks. She saves him and checks on him at the hospital. When she is mistaken for his fiancée while he is in a coma, she falls in love with his brother Jack (Pullman).
Elf (2003)
Rotten Tomatoes: 85%
IMDb: 7.0
As a more recent holiday classic, Elf is a fun Christmas movie from start to finish, with the theme of love always in the background. We follow Buddy (Will Ferrell), an elf who is actually a human, as he discovers he was adopted. He journeys to New York to find his dad.
A Fun Comedy With a Romantic Storyline
While there, he falls in love with Jovie (Zooey Deschanel) and must save Christmas when Santa's sleigh lacks the Christmas spirit needed to keep it aloft. This film is a fun comedy with a romantic storyline.
The Holiday (2006)
Rotten Tomatoes: 50%
IMDb: 6.9
This romantic holiday film features some of the magic of classic Hollywood. In a supporting storyline, you have a veteran of Hollywood named Arthur (Eli Wallach), who meets Iris (Kate Winslet), and she convinces him to accept a prestigious award and let her be his date.
Two Women Unlucky in Love
The rest of the story has Iris swap houses with Amanda (Cameron Diaz) because both are unlucky in love and want to get as far away as possible. Iris goes to Los Angeles, while Amanda takes Iris's cottage in England. Even though they are both trying to escape men, they find new love.
The Family Man (2000)
Rotten Tomatoes: 53%
IMDb: 6.8
In a play on It's a Wonderful Life, The Family Man shows the main character Jack (Nicolas Cage) how his life would be different had he changed one decision. He is given a look at the life he would have had if he'd chosen to be with his love Kate (Téa Leoni), instead of going to London for his career.
Magic in a Life Full of Chaos
He enters a life full of chaos and kids, and while he is freaked out at first, he soon learns the magic in this kind of life. When his glimpse into this is over, he seeks out Kate, who he hasn't actually seen for years. This film is a thought-provoking ride into the choices that we make.
Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)
Rotten Tomatoes: 80%
IMDb: 6.7
While much of Bridget Jones's Diary takes place during other points of the year, the film is bookended by the holidays and covers her entire year. It also shows how the holidays can be lonely even when you're surrounded by people. It features some ugly Christmas sweaters at the parties, which is relatable for many.
Awkward Situations
The plot revolves around Bridget (Renee Zellweger) and her decision to keep a diary and take control of her life. She struggles with awkward situations, men, and her career. Ultimately, she finds love while snowflakes fall.
A Christmas Prince (2017)
Rotten Tomatoes: 73%
IMDb: 5.8
As one of the better Netflix original Christmas movies, A Christmas Prince gives us all the holiday tropes we're looking for, including royalty, a writer, sledding, a fireplace, a family secret, and baking. It is fun to watch the Prince fall for the writer.
An Undercover Writer
It follows Amber (Rose McIver) as she goes undercover to get the inside scoop on a prince playboy named Edward (Ben Lamb). While she intends to collect dirt on him, she soon discovers he is far kinder than she realized. She falls in love with him, but things get messed up when he discovers her secret.
12 Dates of Christmas (2011)
Rotten Tomatoes: N/A
IMDb: 6.3
12 Dates of Christmas is the Groundhog Day of the holidays. The premise is identical, except with a gender reversal, where the main character needs to get their day right to get out of the time loop of reliving the same day repeatedly.
A Time Loop
Here we have Kate (Amy Smart), who goes on a date with Miles (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) on Christmas Eve. When she screws it up for an ex-boyfriend, she relives the day. She learns many things throughout her journey and still gets the guy.
The Family Stone (2005)
Rotten Tomatoes: 52%
IMDb: 6.3
This film shows us the drama that can crop up when spending Christmas with your boyfriend's family. This premise is what the film The Family Stone explores.
A Boyfriend's Family Drama
When Meredith (Sarah Jessica Parker) goes home with her boyfriend Everett (Dermot Mulroney), she is met with hostility from his family, who doesn't like her. They band together against her in an effort to keep Everett from proposing.
A Cinderella Christmas (2017)
Rotten Tomatoes: N/A
IMDb: 6.2
In a fairytale retelling of Cinderella, this film involves a masquerade ball. While Angie (Emma Catherine Rigby) isn't a servant, she is a much harder worker than her cousin, who takes advantage of her good nature.
A Fairytale Retelling of Cinderella
When her cousin has to miss the masquerade ball, Angie meets Nikolaus, a wealthy local bachelor. Although she knows who he is, he doesn't find out her identity and must figure it out. Her cousin does her best to convince him that she was the one there, but he soon finds out the truth.
Naughty & Nice (2014)
Rotten Tomatoes: N/A
IMDb: 5.9
One of the queens of Christmas movies appears here in Naughty & Nice in her seventh of eight total so far. Haylie Duff may be trailing behind Candace Cameron Bure, but she is close. Here she stars as a love doctor radio host named Sandra, who is forced to partner with cynical host Pepper (Tilky Jones) when he is sent there as punishment.
A Love Doctor Radio Host
The two of them butt heads, but soon they fall for each other, as is often the formula with many of these films. Duff shines in her role and has great chemistry with Jones as the two of them fall in love.
Just Friends (2005)
Rotten Tomatoes: 42%
IMDb: 6.2
Just Friends features hilarious performances by Ryan Reynolds, Amy Smart, and Anna Faris. The cast plays well off each other and is great to watch.
A Fun Romantic Comedy
The story revolves around a man named Chris (Reynolds), who returns home after being wildly successful in both his career and fitness. He soon encounters his best friend Jamie (Smart), who he had a crush on, but never took him seriously. Things change for them with his return. With plenty of laughs, this is a fun romantic comedy offering.
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009)
Rotten Tomatoes: 28%
IMDb: 5.8
In a turn on A Christmas Carol, instead of being haunted by traditional ghosts, Connor (Matthew McConaughey) is haunted by his ex-girlfriends. Although the premise surrounds a wedding instead of Christmas, this play on the classic Christmas tale makes this an interesting one to check out for the holiday season.
Haunted Ex-Girlfriends
While home for his brother's wedding, Connor intends to talk him out of the marriage, but his dead uncle appears to him to warn him that his girlfriends of past, present, and future are going to visit him. Just like Scrooge, Connor has something to learn.
Four Christmases (2008)
Rotten Tomatoes: 25%
IMDb: 5.7
Trying to fit in multiple visits for Christmas is a common problem, so the struggle presented in Four Christmases is relatable for many people. It can also be difficult to spend time with family during the holidays, which is highlighted here also.
A Relatable Christmas Movie
The film centers around Kate (Reese Witherspoon) and Brad (Vince Vaughn) as they attempt to visit all four of their divorced parents after their plot to vacation in Fiji for the holiday fails and is then revealed through a TV interview. Doing this all in one day is stressful and complicated, but also lends itself to comedy.
The Spirit of Christmas (2015)
Rotten Tomatoes: N/A
IMDb: 6.4
If you're into a heartwarming paranormal love story, The Spirit of Christmas is perfect. It involves a ghost named Daniel (Thomas Beaudoin) and a human named Kate (Jen Lilley), who fall in love.
A Heartwarming Paranormal Love Story
When Kate travels to a historic inn to close a sale before Christmas, she meets Daniel, who returns for the 12 days of Christmas every year. She must help him figure out the truth of his death and break the curse upon him.
A Castle for Christmas (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes: 74%
IMDb: 5.5
The best thing about A Castle for Christmas is seeing Cary Elwes return to a romantic comedy role. It had been many years since he'd played Westley in The Princess Bride, and his movies since have been in horror and other genres, so to see him return as a romantic lead is worth watching.
A Best-Selling Author Waits Out a Scandal
The story follows a bestselling author named Sophie (Brooke Shields), who goes to Scotland to wait out a scandal. While there, she decides to buy a castle from Myles (Elwes), who is a duke. They constantly bicker, but it soon turns to love.
A Kiss for Christmas (2011)
Rotten Tomatoes: N/A
IMDb: 6.1
This film comes with plenty of Christmas decorations and the premise that one kiss can change everything. It also perpetuates the idea that guys don't recognize girls they see in masks or fancy makeup when they encounter them later.
One Kiss Can Change Everything
Wendy (Laura Breckenridge) is an interior designer who takes the job of a prestigious designer to build her experience. One night, her friends put a bunch of makeup on her to go out, but her demanding boss calls her back to work. She gets trapped in the elevator with a handsome stranger, and they share an impulsive kiss. Wendy later learns that he is her boss's boyfriend, but he doesn't recognize her.
The Princess Switch (2018)
Rotten Tomatoes: 67%
IMDb: 6.0
In a holiday retelling of The Prince and the Pauper, we have The Princess Switch starring Vanessa Hudgens in the dual role of baker Stacy and the prince's fiancee Duchess Margaret. The two look so alike that they decide to switch places.
A Retelling of The Prince and the Pauper
Duchess Margaret convinces Stacy to switch with her so she can get a chance to be normal before she marries into the crown. Stacy agrees and falls in love with the prince herself, while Margaret falls in love with Stacy's friend Kevin.
Christmas Belle (2013)
Rotten Tomatoes: N/A
IMDb: 5.0
Christmas Belle is another holiday offering featuring Haylie Duff in the title role. It is a fairytale retelling of Beauty and the Beast, although the guy is just kind of grumpy instead of being a beast.
A Fairytale Retelling of Beauty and The Beast
When Belle goes to help with an estate sale, she meets the handsome but cranky owner Hunter (Nicholas Gonzalez). She soon melts his icy exterior as they fall in love.
Love Hard (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes: 57%
IMDb: 6.3
Despite the unnecessary hate it throws at the song “Baby, it's Cold Outside,” this film is worthy of a holiday watch. If you ignore that, it is a different kind of romantic comedy.
A Different Kind of Romantic Comedy
It revolves around a girl who falls for a guy on a dating app and then decides to surprise him by showing up for Christmas. When she meets him, she realizes she's been catfished. She soon falls for him, anyway.
Christmas Inheritance (2017)
Rotten Tomatoes: 43%
IMDb: 5.7
Christmas Inheritance delivers a holiday romance with a great character arc and all the fun of getting snowed in. It features a spoiled rich girl who learns the meaning of Christmas and finds true love along the way.
The Meaning of Christmas
The story follows Ellie, the daughter of a highly successful businessman, who wants to inherit her father's lucrative business. He sends her to deliver a Christmas letter to his former partner in a small town to prove she's up for it. She soon gets stranded, and falls for a local man.
Back to Christmas, aka A Secret Service Christmas (2013)
Rotten Tomatoes: N/A
IMDb: 5.6
In a plot similar to the 12 Dates of Christmas, we have a time travel movie with a holiday backdrop. The theme is to figure out how to change the past, but it is never what the characters first think.
A Time Travel Film For Christmas
After running into her ex, Ali travels back in time to the Christmas before and attempts to fix things with him. While there, she notices someone she didn't before and realizes that maybe she's trying to fix the wrong relationship.
The Knight Before Christmas (2019)
Rotten Tomatoes: 67%
IMDb: 5.5
The play on the classic story title is evident here in The Knight Before Christmas. This film is another of Vanessa Hudgens, but this time with a time travel element.
A Knight Transported to the Modern World
A knight named Cole (Josh Whitehouse) is transported to the modern world by a sorceress. While there, he encounters Brooke (Hudgens), who has been disillusioned by love. As she helps him navigate the modern world, he falls for her and begins to wonder if he wants to return to his own time, after all.
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This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.
