You know the drill - the big city career woman who finds love in a small town, the fake dating arrangement that turns real, or the prince in disguise falling for an ordinary girl. Yet here we are, curled up on our couches with hot cocoa, absolutely living for these delightfully cheesy moments that somehow warm our hearts every single time.
In this post, we've done the heavy lifting and rounded up 10 must-watch holiday romantic comedies that'll give you all the feels. Plus, stick around till the end because we've got a sweet little tip to make your movie marathon even more enjoyable (hint: it's perfect for those who love multitasking their entertainment with a bit of learning).
- 6 Best Italian Christmas Movies To Watch This Year
- 6 Best French Christmas Movies To Watch Today
- 15 Romantic Japanese Movies To Watch With Your BF/GF
Best Holiday Rom-Coms On Netflix
Princess Switch
Ever wondered what would happen if The Parent Trap got a royal holiday makeover? That's exactly what you get with "The Princess Switch," where Vanessa Hudgens pulls double duty (and absolutely nails it) as both a talented Chicago baker and a soon-to-be princess. When these lookalikes cross paths in the charming kingdom of Belgravia, they hatch a plan to swap lives for just a few days - because why not?
A Christmas Prince
If you think your job is demanding, try being a journalist who accidentally falls in love with a prince while undercover at a palace. Between dodging suspicious palace staff, bonding with a young princess, and trying not to blow her cover, Amber finds herself caught in the most clichรฉ yet absolutely irresistible royal romance ever. It's so delightfully cheesy and charming that it spawned two sequels - and honestly, we're not even mad about it.
Love Hard
Think you've had bad luck with online dating? Meet Natalie, whose disastrous dating life just became everyone's favorite holiday cautionary tale. In "Love Hard," this LA-based writer swipes right on what seems to be the perfect guy, only to fly 3,000 miles across the country for a Christmas surprise - and boy, does she get one! Turns out, her dreamy match Tag is actually Josh, a self-conscious guy who used his friend's photos to catfish her.
But here's where it gets interesting: instead of just becoming another dating disaster story, this mess turns into an unlikely deal where Josh helps Natalie win over the real Tag in exchange for her pretending to be his girlfriend for the holidays.
Falling For Christmas
Lindsay Lohan makes her triumphant return to rom-coms in this delightfully festive amnesia story. She plays Sierra, a spoiled hotel heiress who takes a nasty tumble down a mountain right after getting engaged to her equally self-absorbed influencer boyfriend. When she wakes up, she can't remember her name, her designer wardrobe, or her Instagram following - but luckily, she's rescued by Jake, a charming widowed dad who runs a struggling local inn.
While trying to piece together who she is, Sierra finds herself learning how to make beds, cook breakfast, and actually care about others - all while unknowingly falling for the kind of authentic love her old self would have swiped left on.
A Castle For Christmas
After a bestselling author faces a massive public meltdown over her latest book's controversial ending, she escapes to Scotland to find inspiration - and somehow ends up trying to buy a gorgeous castle.
The catch?
The grumpy duke who owns it, played by Cary Elwes (yes, our beloved Wesley from "The Princess Bride"!), isn't too keen on selling his family estate to an American. He's so confident she won't last in the cold castle that he agrees to sell with one condition: she has to live there with him for 90 days before the sale is final!
The Merry Gentlemen
When former Broadway dancer Laura returns to her hometown to save her family's struggling theater, she cooks up a brilliant (or brilliantly desperate) plan: staging a holiday male revue show. But transforming a group of well-meaning local guys into sultry Santa's helpers isn't exactly as smooth as a candy cane slide.
Between teaching construction workers to pirouette, convincing the conservative town council that this isn't scandalous, and trying not to fall for the surprisingly talented local mechanic with perfect dance potential, Laura discovers that sometimes the best Christmas presents come wrapped in flannel - and maybe a bow tie or two.
The Knight Before Christmas
In this charmingly ridiculous fish-out-of-water tale, Vanessa Hudgens (yes, her again - she's basically the queen of Netflix holiday movies) plays Brooke, a science teacher who's totally over love until she literally crashes into Sir Cole, a 14th-century knight magically transported to 2019.
While Sir Cole tries to figure out his "quest" (spoiler: it probably involves love) and navigate modern wonders like cars and indoor plumbing, Brooke finds herself playing tour guide to this surprisingly hunky blast from the past.
- The 10 Best Italian Series and TV Shows to Learn Italian
- 12 Best French TV Shows on Netflix to Learn French
- Top 20 German Movies and Series to Learn German
Holidate
Tired of the endless cycle of holiday judgment as a single person? That's exactly what leads Sloane (Emma Roberts) and Jackson (Luke Bracey) to strike up the perfect arrangement - being each other's platonic plus-ones for every holiday event throughout the year. No romance, no drama, just two attractive people faking their way through festivities to keep their families off their backs.
But as anyone who's ever watched a rom-com knows, the "strictly platonic" part of their deal is about to get hilariously complicated. This refreshingly self-aware holiday rom-com proves that sometimes the best presents are the ones you didn't plan for.
The Holiday Calendar
A struggling photographer inherits an antique advent calendar that seems to have a magical knack for predicting the future - including her love life. As each door opens, Abby (Kat Graham) finds herself following the calendar's mystical clues that might just lead her to true love, even though she's too focused on the handsome new guy in town to notice that her best friend Josh has been perfect for her all along.
It's a sweet blend of holiday magic and romance that proves sometimes the best gift is realizing what's been right in front of you all along. Sure, it's predictable, but isn't that exactly what we want in our holiday comfort viewing?
The Noel Diary
Justin Hartley trades in his "This Is Us" emotional moments for some holiday soul-searching in this surprisingly deep Christmas romance. He plays Jake, a bestselling author who returns home during Christmas to settle his estranged mother's estate, only to find Rachel (Barrett Doss) - a mysterious woman searching for her own mother who used to be his family's nanny.
Our Little Secret
When Peter and Audrey show up for Christmas with their new partners, they're hit with a jaw-dropping surprise - their new loves are actually siblings, meaning these exes are about to become one big, uncomfortable family. Now they're trapped under the same roof, desperately trying to hide their messy romantic history while dodging mistletoe, sharing family traditions, and attempting to keep their lingering chemistry under wraps.
Between fake smiles at family photos, strategic seat-swapping at dinner, and trying not to spill the beans (or the eggnog), these two discover that some secrets - and feelings - are harder to bury than others.
Christmas Inheritance
Before she can inherit her father's company, spoiled socialite Ellen has to learn the value of hard work by delivering a Christmas letter to her dad's former partner in the tiny town of Snow Falls (with only $100 in her pocket, because apparently that's how billionaires teach life lessons). Going incognito as "Ellie," she finds herself stranded by a snowstorm and taken in by the charming local inn manager, Jake.
Between learning to make beds, serve coffee, and actually care about other people, Ellen discovers that maybe there's more to life than Manhattan high society - and that sometimes the best Christmas gifts come with snow boots and a side of humility. It's predictably cheesy in all the right ways, serving up exactly the kind of small-town holiday charm we can't resist.
Make Your Holiday Movie Marathon More Meaningful
While these English-language rom-coms are perfect for getting into the holiday spirit, why not make your next movie marathon even more rewarding? If you're one of the many people thinking about learning a new language as their New Year's resolution, here's a little head start: Lingopie turns your cozy movie nights into effortless language learning sessions.
With thousands of movies and TV shows (including Netflix originals) in Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and more, you can enjoy authentic content while picking up a new language naturally.
The best part? Unlike regular streaming, Lingopie transforms every show into an interactive learning experience with advanced features like dual subtitles, instant translations, and personalized flashcards - all while you're caught up in the story.
So while you're swooning over holiday romances, you could also be well on your way to becoming bilingual. Now that's what we call a Christmas miracle!