A romantic comedy is heart-warming in itself. Add the cosy and comforting vibe of Christmas as the backdrop, and you have the perfect formula for a soul-satisfyingly adorable movie-watching experience. That’s why, in case you’re tied to your bed and don’t want to get out of your blanket this month, we’ve picked some Christmas love stories for you to binge-watch on Netflix.
The Princess Switch
The “comeback” film of Vanessa Hudgens that all High School Musical fans were eagerly waiting for, this film is the perfect amalgamation of the formulaic adorableness that Christmas rom-coms are known for. The premise is this: two women look identical to each other; except one is a Duchess and one is a baker. A predictable switch happens, and the rest of the plot is all comfortingly romantic. The reason this movie has been the topic of discussion this season is because there’s no cringe-worthy, cheesy acting despite the genre; and the leads actually have toe-curlingly good chemistry with each other.
The Holiday Calendar
One of the few movies that bothered to be diverse in more than just token terms, this film is different just because it has more than one black or brown person. Other than that, the storyline is unique because it is one of the few films that explores the mystical “Christmas miracle” angle seriously. In the film, there’s a mysterious advent calendar that predicts the future of the lead, who is a photographer. Unlike many saccharine Christmas movies that keep the storyline safe and free of raw emotions, confusion, and unpredictability–this film actually tries to be more than its limiting genre.
Merry Kissmas
This whole film is about kisses, elevators, and one hot chef we would all leave our boyfriends for. Jokes apart, its corny narrative (which is complete with an obnoxious antagonist) treats complex human emotions like cheating and falling out of love in a surprisingly mature way. While it’s a little boring, slow, and at times, hard to watch–this one gets a vote simply because the drop-dead gorgeous Pretty Little Liars actor who played Noel Kahn is the male lead. If you’re willing to sit through this unnecessarily long and predictable story for him, watch this.
Christmas Inheritance
Perhaps the most clichéd, stereotypical film on this list, Christmas Inheritance is a hard pass for those who like quality cinema. However, if you have time to kill alone on a cold evening–it’s a cosy, cheesy film about a rich heiress who roughs it in a small town, only to end up discovering the value of authentic connections by falling in love with, you guessed it, the sweet boy who is poor. You know, like Gori Tere Pyaar Mein, but gender-reversed, and set in a snowy American village near New York City with only one homeless person.
The Spirit Of Christmas
A film that had the potential to be much better than it was, thanks to its plot, this is nevertheless worth a watch for those who have nothing to watch. Ever-so-slightly spooky, it is an unusual Christmas tale. Instead of elves, snowmen, and reindeer–there is a mysterious murder, a ghost or two, and a haunted inn. The twist? The whole thing is a love story, because the female lead falls for the ghost haunting the said inn. How will they work it out? Is he evil? Will there be a Christmas miracle? Watch it to find out.
Love Actually
Forever the best cheesy romantic movie there can ever be, Love Actually takes every rom-com formula and combines it into one critically-ridiculed, but warm and happy film. The love stories–romantic, platonic, familial, and friendly–all come together through an intertwined storyline set against the backdrop of Christmas. From strangers falling in love in a foreign country, to a grieving widower re-discovering love, to a “perfect” family falling apart–it has enough depth and complexity to be a good bad film. A classic Christmas watch, this is the kind of thing you secretly re-watch too many times to tell anyone.
Christmas Prince
There’s an undercover female journalist; a rich, royal playboy prince from a foreign country; and predictable intrigue created thanks to her web of lies. A full-fledged modern day Cinderella narrative with a Yuletide touch, Christmas Prince is adorable. Plus, this film even has a sequel with a wedding and everything. That’s more than enough for those of us living vicariously through rom-com movie characters this cuffing season.
