5 feel-good Christmas rom-coms to watch on Netflix this week (December 18, 2023)
By Renee Hansen
Christmas is quickly approaching, and one way to beat the stress and hectic pace that comes with the holiday season is to relax with some great rom-coms on Netflix. The streamer offers a massive catalog of titles with holiday themes, and below we have some great suggestions.
Netflix has a great lineup of holiday favorites, including Love Actually, The Christmas Chronicles series of movies, and the classic White Christmas (Leaving Dec. 31). There are many amazing animated holiday films the whole family can enjoy, including the Netflix original Klaus, The Bad Guys a Very Bad Holiday, Happy Holiday from Madagascar and more.
Holiday rom-coms to watch this week on Netflix
Falling For Christmas
Falling for Christmas received mixed critical reviews, but viewers love this holiday movie. Part of the appeal is this film marks Lindsay Lohan's first role in a decade, for which she has been praised for her performance. She portrays Sierra Belmont, a spoiled hotel heiress, who after a Christmastime ski accident, loses her memory. She is taken in by a down-on-his-luck widower Jake Russell (Chord Overstreet) and his daughter, at his cozy B&B, Northstar Lodge.
Holidate
The charming holiday movie Holidate features two people tired of the constant relationship questions they get from family members each holiday and the bad dates they bring to the events, who come up with a plan. Sloane (Emma Roberts) and Jackson (Luke Bracey) meet in a chance encounter while returning presents. Jackson proposes they become each other's date for holiday functions. The story follows the duo as they attend a year's worth of "holidates" and all the drama that comes along.
A Castle for Christmas
A Castle for Christmas stars Brooke Shields and Cary Elwes in a fun story set in Scotland. Sophie Brown (Shields), a best-selling author, escapes to Scotland to avoid more backlash from her recent novel. She visits the ancestral village of her father to discover a castle where her grandfather once worked, Dun Dunbar. The owner, the 12th Duke of Dunbar, Miles Dunbar (Elwes), a man she previously had a bad encounter with, is reluctant to sell to her. He formulates a plan where they both live in the castle for three months. As this is a rom-com, it's highly probable that Sophie will find love at some point, will it be with the grumpy Duke or someone else?
Love Hard
The Netflix original Love Hard tells of Natalie (Nina Dobrev) a journalist who chronicles the bad dates she meets on dating apps. After expanding the app's search radius, she meets a guy Josh (Jimmy O. Yang), and they bond over long phone calls. She visits his hometown, believing this will be the end of her dating disasters, only to discover she's been catfished. Josh has used a friend's photo as his own, much to Natalie's dismay. He agrees to introduce her to Tag (Darren Barnet) and set them up. The story progresses as Josh and Natalie become friends, and she dates Tag while not being completely honest with him.
Dash & Lily
Dash & Lily is a Christmas series based on Rachel Cohn and David Levithan's young adult novel series, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares. Set in New York City, the unlikely pairing of opposites, cynical Dash (Austin Abrams) and sunny Lily (Midori Francis) unfolds. The pair exchange a red notebook in numerous locations throughout the city, while sharing messages and dares along the way. As their connection deepens and romance blooms, they must face how it affects and is impacted by friends, family, and previous loves.
Enjoy some amazing holiday themed titles this week on Netflix.