The 10 Best And 10 Worst Holiday Movies On The Hallmark Channel

The Hallmark Channel's holiday movies have become a seasonal mainstay. Whether you can't get enough of them or wish their fall premieres would stop stealing Thanksgiving's spotlight, these made-for-TV holiday flicks aren't going anywhere anytime soon — and the Hallmark Channel is consistently churning out more titles to add to its festive film roster. 

In the 2022 season, the network has added 16 brand-new holiday movies, perfect for fans who love to embrace romance this time of year (via Entertainment Weekly). And with each new holiday season, viewers can surely expect to see even more Christmas-themed movies. However, considering the sheer number of Hallmark Channel holiday films out there, it's safe to say they can't all be winners. While most of them are generally entertaining, heartwarming tales the whole family can enjoy, there may be some that you might want to skip. Here are some of the best and worst holiday movies on the Hallmark Channel.

The Hallmark Channel is home to a roster of holiday movies with cleverly concocted, punny titles, including "Christmas Under Wraps," "A Very Merry Mix-Up," and "A Christmas Carol." However, not every title can be a winner — and "A Boyfriend for Christmas" is a Hallmark Channel holiday flick with a title that leaves little to the imagination.

As you've probably guessed, "A Boyfriend for Christmas" tells the story of a woman who wishes for a boyfriend for Christmas. The only problem is that the woman at the center of the film, Holly Grant, was just 13 when she told a mall Santa that she wanted a boyfriend. Fast-forward 20 years later, and Santa literally sends a boyfriend to Holly's doorstep in the form of a man named Ryan. 

While it's certainly odd for Santa to grant a teen's wish for a significant other, it's even stranger that he held onto Holly's request for a whopping 20 years. Did Santa somehow have the ability to see into the future and know that 33-year-old Holly would be single and ready to mingle? We have so many questions, Hallmark. 

The Hallmark Channel holiday movie "Fir Crazy" tells the story of Elise, a recently out-of-work shoe company executive who's put in charge of her family's New York City tree lot. While reluctantly managing the tree lot, Elise meets Darren — a schoolteacher who not only buys three trees from the lot in various attempts to make a connection with Elise, but even admits to walking by the lot regularly to try and catch a glimpse of her. Even more upsetting is the way Darren continues to pursue Elise, even after she initially expresses disinterest in starting a relationship.

Honestly, if someone replaced the cheery, instrumental Christmas music with the soundtrack to a B-list horror movie, this film would be genuinely terrifying. Before agreeing to a first date, Elise even asks Darren, "How do I know that you're not some sort of homicidal maniac with a sense of humor?" Immediately, Darren provides her with multiple forms of identification — which is exactly what a homicidal maniac with a sense of humor would probably do. 

Hey, perhaps all of Darren's red flags will make for festive Christmastime decor. 

"Full House" star Candace Cameron Bure stars in "A Christmas Detour" as Paige Summerland — a magazine writer flying to New York City to meet her fiancé's family. However, in a twist of Christmas fate, a snowstorm causes Paige's flight to be redirected. As a result, she ends up forming a bond with her seatmate, Dylan MacKenzie.

Despite Dylan's cynicism and Paige's, you know, engagement, these two travelers eventually fall head over heels in love. Following a grand gesture from Dylan, Paige decides to call off her wedding, and this Hallmark Channel holiday movie ends with the new lovebirds riding off into the snowy sunset together. 

It's important to keep in mind that Paige has known Dylan for a grand total of three days when she abandons any and all plans for a future with her fiancé. She's either dangerously impulsive or incredibly exhausted from her days-long trek — or, perhaps, both. Hallmark would obviously like viewers to buy into Paige and Dylan's serendipitous romance, but we just can't bring ourselves to root for a relationship between two people who are virtually strangers. 

While Hallmark Channel holiday movies are famously formulaic, "A December Bride" is especially predictable — which is part of the reason it falls into our "worst" category. Starring Jessica Lowndes and Daniel Lissing in the leading roles, "A December Bride" tells the story of Layla O'Reilly, an aspiring interior designer dreading the wedding of her ex-boyfriend, who just so happens to be marrying her cousin. Desperate to have a date for the event, Layla is forced to take Seth Murphy — who, incidentally, is the man responsible for setting up Layla's ex with her cousin. 

An overzealous people-pleaser, Seth takes it upon himself to announce at the wedding reception that he and Layla are engaged, despite this being 100% false. However, by the end of the movie, Seth and Layla aren't just fake-engaged — they're literally married. 

As with most Hallmark Channel holiday films, the relationship at the center of this movie doesn't make a whole lot of sense. However, we're even more befuddled that Layla's family would be so supportive of her cousin marrying the guy who broke Layla's heart. What gives?

The college admissions scandal (known as "Operation Varsity Blues") might have been the first time Lori Loughlin's reputation was called into question for the entire world to see. However, the actress once played a character dealing with her own tarnished reputation in the Hallmark Channel holiday movie "Every Christmas Has a Story." 

In the film, Loughlin plays Kate Harper, a Los Angeles-based morning television show host who accidentally admits her disdain for the holiday season on the air. The slip-up angers Kate's boss and her morning show's advertisers — because, in Hallmark Land, Christmas is very serious business. 

In fact, Kate's accidental admission is such a colossal error that she winds up having to visit Hollyvale — a tiny, Christmas-obsessed town in North Dakota — to find her holiday spirit and repair her public image. Only in the Hallmark Channel universe would disliking the holidays nearly cost a person their livelihood. If you ask us, the "story" in "Every Christmas Has a Story" could use a bit of a reality check. 

Unfortunately, the main characters in the Hallmark Channel's holiday movie "Mingle All the Way" are seemingly unredeemable. The made-for-TV Christmas rom-com tells the story of Molly, the creative mind behind Mingle All the Way, an app designed to help businesspeople find dates to networking events so their peers don't judge them for being single. Oh, the horror! 

When an investor wants Molly to prove the app's worth, she's forced to use Mingle All the Way herself, which leads her to Jeff. Despite him being the romantic male lead, the film does nothing to make Jeff appealing to viewers. In fact, he is a total jerk to Molly during what we can only assume was meant to be their meet-cute — and his attitude doesn't improve much throughout the course of the film. 

Basically, "Mingle All the Way" is a love story about a woman who thinks people should lie about their relationship status to climb the corporate ladder and a man who has a bit of a mean streak. We think we'll swipe left on this one. 

It's no secret that we, as a society, are totally obsessed with royalty. Particularly, Americans seemingly can't get enough of the British royal family. According to data provided by Nielsen, over 29 million Americans tuned in to watch Prince Harry's May 2018 wedding to American-born actress Meghan Markle.

This collective obsession with the royal family likely inspired the Hallmark Channel holiday movie "Christmas at the Palace." However, just as royal fever is nothing new, neither is Hallmark's penchant for making movies centered around unexpected royal romances. Because the network already has a roster of royal flicks, "Christmas at the Palace" feels entirely unnecessary and painfully predictable. 

In theory, the story of Kate — a former professional ice skater — accidentally falling in love with King Alexander of San Senova (a fictional country) is a cute idea. Unfortunately, though, the film lacks the originality needed to make it memorable. 

The Hallmark Channel has produced a large number of holiday movies for our viewing pleasure, but unfortunately, some don't make the cut as our favorites — and "Christmas Song" is one of them. The film — which features Natasha Henstridge as Diana Deason and Gabe Hogan as Ken Stoddard — is centered on two schools merging into one as they struggle to get acquainted with their new system. Diana and Ken are both music teachers who must compete against one another for a position in one singular music department. They create dueling musical acts in a Christmas song competition that is televised for the entire town to see.

Over the course of the movie, each team prepares to win the competition, with the outcome meant to determine the structure of the new music department. However, romance blossoms between Diana and Ken, causing chaos in their schemes. While preparing for the competition, Diana is faced with one major decision: whether to follow her heart or focus on her responsibilities. Hallmark, as much as we love you, this one feels a bit corny, even for us.

Whether you enjoy watching "Elf" or "The Polar Express," some Christmas movies will forever be our favorites. However, this Hallmark movie has a plot line that's a bit reminiscent of another Christmas classic we all know and love. 

Hallmark's "Santa Switch" is about Dan Ryebeck, played by Ethan Erickson, who is unemployed and trying to find a way to afford gifts for the upcoming holiday. His wife has filed for divorce and he hasn't been spending enough time with his children, so Dan is on a mission to make this Christmas the best his family has ever had. After being paid a visit by Kris Kringle, portrayed by Donovan Scott, Dan becomes the new Santa Claus and learns a thing or two about what it takes to be in the Christmas spirit. However, things get out of control when he becomes distraught by juggling the role of Santa while trying to make things right with his family. 

Although the plot is slightly different, the idea of someone taking over the role of Santa to improve his own family relationships reminded us way too much of the 1994 film "The Santa Clause" featuring Tim Allen and Eric Lloyd. As sweet as the theme is, it's been done before. 

Last on the list of our least favorite Hallmark holiday movies is "Debbie Macomber's Mr. Miracle." Rob Morrow portrays Harry Mills, who works as a guardian angel that is on Earth for the first time to help Addie, played by Britt Irvin. After the passing of her father, Addie moved back home with her mother and is trying to adjust to her new life while finishing school and trying to regain her confidence — while also trying to avoid her childhood rival, Erich. 

Posing as an English teacher, Harry is given a deadline by his mentor, Celeste, that Addie has until Christmas Day to find a new perspective on life, or else he has to leave Earth for good. Of course, along the way, Addie and Harry each learn a few life lessons that they wouldn't have gained without the help of one another. If you're a fan of movies that are extra cheesy, and even a bit cringy at times, then this is definitely one for you.