Not All Of Lacey Chabert's Hallmark Channel Movies Have Been A Hit With Fans

You're not a true Hallmark fan if you don't know Lacey Chabert. Considered by many as the "Queen of Christmas" on the Hallmark Channel, Chabert has even expanded her repertoire in recent years by hosting Hallmark's first-ever unscripted show, "Celebrations with Lacey Chabert," which features a ton of must-see celebs and Hallmark guest stars. It's not surprising if you know how Chabert feels about Christmas in general. In 2023, she told SheKnows: "The day after Halloween, pumpkins are going away and Christmas trees are going up. I know that can be a little bit of a controversial point of view — people think it's too soon. But for me, it can't come soon enough." Chabert really is just that festive.

Chabert hasn't only done Christmas movies for Hallmark. Her entire catalog consists of over 40 movies and TV projects for the channel, and she shows no signs of stopping or slowing down. The problem with such a huge catalog, however, is that you run the risk of some of your movies not being as well received as others, which is exactly why we decided to take a look at Chabert's Hallmark Channel movies that have not been a hit with fans.

To start this list with a (not quite) banger, Lacey Chabert starred in 2023's "Haul Out The Holly: Lit Up" alongside Wes Brown. Rated 5.5 out of 10 stars on IMDb, the sequel to "Haul Out The Holly" is definitely one of Chabert's lowest-rated Hallmark movies. Initially released as part of Hallmark's 2023 "Countdown to Christmas" offerings, the movie sees Chabert reprise her role as Emily opposite Brown as Jared, as they look forward to their second Christmas together, with Emily embracing their neighborhood's festive spirit. However, Emily and Jared's patience is tested when a family of famous influencers moves into the house.

"Haul Out The Holly: Lit Up" seems to have divided Hallmark fans, with one IMDb reviewer writing, "I wasn't a huge fan of the allegedly-funny 'Haul out the Holly' in 2022, but thought I would give this second one a go nonetheless, looking for something that might change my mind, as the cast – led by the Queen of Christmas Lacey Chabert, and the always-reliable Wes Brown – is very good. Alas ... Sadly, the cast is wasted." Another IMDb user, who was clearly not a fan of the influencer family, gave the movie 1 out of 10 stars, writing: "They made it difficult to watch." It seems this sequel was very much not a hit with Chabert's fans.

Lacey Chabert has been in so many Hallmark Christmas movies over the years that it wasn't particularly surprising when she revealed that she can't remember the plots of all of them. She could also be forgiven for not remembering the first "Haul Out The Holly" movie, which came out in 2022 and doesn't seem to have overly impressed fans if its 5.9 out of 10 stars on IMDb is anything to go by. While the sequel "Lit Up!" features Chabert and Wes Brown as a couple settling in for the holidays, the first "Haul Out The Holly" movie sees Chabert take up the role of Emily for the first time. Emily is spending Christmas alone at her parents' house, and the local HOA dictates that every house in the area must decorate to a specific festive standard.

One IMDb reviewer called the movie "over the top cheesey [sic]," adding, "This was a disaster. They tried to do Christmas comedy with romance but failed. This was supposed to be a movie about finding the joy and happiness of Christmas. But instead it became unbearable to watch." Another IMDb user was kinder, writing: "This movie is hysterical. Anyway this is over the top satire of a restricted community with a ridiculous over the top HOA." That said, this appears to be another Chabert outing that wasn't a hit with fans.

Not content with two "Haul Out" festive movies, Hallmark took Evergreen Lane's HOA fun in a new direction in 2025: Halloween. Once again starring Lacey Chabert, the movie brings back "Haul Out" favorites Stephen Tobolowsky, Melissa Peterman, Ellen Travolta, and Wes Brown — who confirmed to us what everyone suspected about Lacey Chabert. "Haul Out The Halloween" takes the Christmas fun and transfers it to spooky season. When more neighbors move to Evergreen Lane, the existing residents are inspired to make the most of Halloween and turn the neighborhood into EverSCREAM Lane.

With a rating of 6.0 out of 10 stars on IMDb, "Haul Out The Halloween" appears to have been better received than the first two "Haul Out" movies — at least so far. One IMDb reviewer called it an "actually family friendly Halloween cozy flick," adding, "I'm not sure what kind of grinch could hate this movie. Hallmark movies are not meant to be 10 stars." However, one IMDb user didn't pull their punches, giving the movie 1.0 out of 10 stars and slamming the cast and plot of the first movie. They wrote, "Take all of these same non-entertaining elements and instead of a Christmas backdrop, but put it in a Halloween theme, and there you have it!!!"

Lacey Chabert is arguably best known for her Christmas roles, and there's a sweet way she picks which Hallmark holiday movies she'll do. One of her earlier Hallmark holiday movies was 2016's "A Wish for Christmas," which, much like "Haul Out The Halloween," has an average score of 6.0 out of 10 stars on IMDb. Chabert stars as Sara Shaw, a woman who makes a wish to Santa to finally be able to stand up for herself after her Christmas-themed idea is stolen by a co-worker. With only 48 hours to fulfill her wish, Sara has to grow a spine quickly if she doesn't want Santa's generous gift to be wasted.

Sharing their views on "A Wish For Christmas," one IMDb reviewer wrote, "Not quite Hallmark's best. I really liked [Chabert's] last few Hallmark Christmas entries, [but] this one seemed a little forced or something." Another IMDb reviewer gave the movie a very low score of 3.0 out of 10 stars, writing that they "wished for a much better film." They added, "'A Wish For Christmas' is one of the mediocre or less films unfortunately, one of the worst of the batch despite having Chabert and [Paul] Greene in it."

While Lacey Chabert is very much a Hallmark stalwart (and has been for many years), she's not the only one. Brennan Elliot is another Hallmark favorite, who starred opposite Chabert in 2024's "His & Hers" — and if this one movie isn't enough, then you should definitely check out the complete list of Brennan Elliott's Hallmark movies. In "His & Hers," Chabert and Elliott play married lawyers Dana and Mark, whose perfect relationship is tested when they end up on opposing sides in the divorce of two reality stars at loggerheads over their TV show. The reality couple's obstinacy ends up straining Mark and Dana's relationship as they represent them.

Rated an average of 6.1 out of 10 stars on IMDb, "His & Hers" is another of Chabert's movies that doesn't seem to have struck the right note with fans. One IMDb reviewer wrote, "It's not the best movie that Lacey has ever done, but I wouldn't watch it again. It was very boring at times and predictable. Halfway through it was just something on in the background while I was on my phone." One IMDb user particularly took issue with one over-repeated word in the script, writing, "Every other word between any couple featured is 'babe'. I get they're going for comfortable long term relationships but no."

While the movies featured on this list are Lacey Chabert's lower-rated Hallmark movies, it's notable that 2015's "A Christmas Melody" also appears on our list of Chabert's best and worst Hallmark Christmas movies — under the "worst" heading. "A Christmas Melody" co-stars and was also directed by the iconic Mariah Carey, and it tells the story of divorced clothing designer Kristin (Chabert) and her daughter Emily. After being forced to close her boutique and move back to her parents' former house, Kristin runs into Melissa (Carey), her old rival. However, in the midst of it all, Kristin and Emily try their best to make it work and get into the Christmas holiday spirit.

"A Christmas Melody" has an average rating of 6.1 out of 10 stars on IMDb, and one reviewer in particular criticized Carey's role in the movie. They wrote on IMDb, "If Mariah hadn't been in this movie I would have scored it higher. Her acting was poor and there were all these awkward close ups. Did they film half of her scenes later so she didn't have to spend too much time with the other actors?" Another IMDb user felt similarly about the movie, writing "[Mariah's] acting is really bad, which is surprising ... The best part of the movie, though, is that Mariah clearly shot all of her scenes separately from all the other actors."

Lacey Chabert has starred opposite basically all of the Hallmark Channel greats over the years, and in "She's Making A List" she co-stars with Andrew Walker. Chabert's extensive Hallmark catalog begs the question: how many Hallmark movies has Andrew Walker starred in? Long story short, it's a lot. "She's Making a List" features Chabert as Isabel, a Naughty-or-Nice consultant who has taken over the role from Santa's overworked elves. She has a foolproof way to determine whether a child is naughty or nice. Isabel is given the tough job of deciding whether Charlie, the daughter of widowed dad Jason (Walker), is naughty or nice, but things aren't as straightforward as they initially seem.

Rated 6.2 out of 10 stars on IMDb, 2025's "She's Making a List" received praise from reviewers for its interesting spin on the typical Hallmark Christmas formula. However, one IMDb reviewer wasn't pleased, writing, "Andrew Walker has great chemistry with just about any Hallmark actress he's paired with, but there was no real chemistry between him and [Lacey] Chabert." Another IMDb user called the movie "forgettable" and criticized Chabert's performance. They wrote, "Lacey Chabert who acts the same in every movie and has, frankly, become tedious and just painful to watch."

One of Hallmark's best-known tropes features a high-powered career woman who returns to her hometown and realizes she'd much rather live a quiet life away from the city. This is exactly what can be found in 2018's "Pride, Prejudice, and Mistletoe," which has an average IMDb score of 6.2 out of 10 stars. Chabert plays Darcy, who always puts her career above everything else, including the search for love. When she returns to her hometown for Christmas, Darcy ends up planning a charity event with old rival Luke (played by Brendan Penny). As they plan the event, Darcy and Luke develop feelings for each other. At the same time, Darcy reconnects with her father, whom she refused to work for early in her career.

Feelings on "Pride, Prejudice, and Mistletoe" seem mixed, with one IMDb reviewer calling it "a waste of a good idea," while adding, "Like another Hallmark movie this year, I think it is pretty shameless to try to reel in Jane Austen fans, with the title of the movie, while not incorporating any of the themes in the actual plot or character." Another IMDb user was much kinder, rating the movie 10 out of 10 stars and writing, "I love this movie, such a great back and forth between the lead [characters]." Either way, "Pride, Prejudice, and Mistletoe" doesn't seem to have been a hit with Chabert's fans overall.

One of Hallmark's coziest tropes is a bakery or coffee shop fantasy, and "The Sweetest Christmas" definitely has it. Lacey Chabert plays Kylie, a pastry chef who discovers she's made it to the finals of the American Gingerbread Competition. Kylie hopes to use the opportunity as publicity for her new cafe, but her oven breaks down just before the competition. She ends up turning to her old boyfriend Nick, who owns an industrial pizza oven, for help. Kylie and Nick reconnect, and all seems to be going well until Kylie's recent ex-boyfriend suddenly reappears, throwing her budding relationship with Nick and the gingerbread competition into chaos.

"The Sweetest Christmas" (2017) has an average review score of 6.3 out of 10 stars on IMDb, so it's by no means the lowest-rated of Chabert's Hallmark Channel movies, even if it's nowhere near the highest. One IMDb reviewer clearly felt this way, writing, "If there was one word to sum up 'The Sweetest Christmas,' it would be okay. It is not a bad film, it is at least palatable, and there are things that come off well. There are worse written, acted and looking [movies]." One IMDb user was much harsher, writing, "not only is the love interest in this movie extremely difficult to root for, but the heroine contradicts herself constantly and ends up choosing the wrong man!"

With her extensive catalog, Lacey Chabert has a Hallmark movie for every mood and time of the year. We have a list of the best Chabert movies for a lazy Sunday afternoon, and one featured is 2015's "Family For Christmas." Starring Lacey Chabert as investigative journalist Hannah Dunbar, "Family for Christmas" tells the story of someone wondering what their life would be like had one thing gone very differently. Hannah left her ex-boyfriend 10 years ago, and when she meets a man dressed as Santa Claus, she ends up in an alternate version of her life where she'd stayed with Ben and started a family with him.

"Family for Christmas" has a respectable rating of 6.3 out of 10 stars on IMDb, meaning that of all of Chabert's movies that weren't a hit with fans, this one landed the most solidly. However, one IMDb reviewer was deeply upset by the movie's premise, writing, "As disturbing, dystopian horror movies and black comedies go, I thought this one was pretty good. The main character ... is sent by a creepy 'Santa' into an alternate universe ... where she loses everything she worked her whole life towards." Another IMDb user shared this sentiment, writing, "I'm sorry – her husband and kids were horrible. She would run FAST back to her great single life and growing career!"

Lacey Chabert's Hallmark movie catalog is impressively extensive, so when it came to narrowing down which projects of hers weren't a hit with fans, we had a lot on our plate. Firstly, we considered the movies' average IMDb rating and picked those that scored less than 6.5 out of 10 stars over the more highly rated ones. To further narrow the list, we took into account viewer reviews, meaning that we prioritized movies with explicitly negative comments over those others felt were generally fine with no specific complaints.