Ready to go full holiday season vibes? Watch these holiday rom-coms first
Ready to go full holiday season vibes? Watch these holiday rom-coms first
Each movie delivers the warmth, charm, and feel-good energy that makes this time of year so fun to watch.
With Halloween behind us and Thanksgiving ahead, it’s time to truly embrace the holiday season. And for my wife and me, that means one thing. Romantic comedies. We watch them all year, but the holidays are the coziest time to settle in with something warm, sweet, and guaranteed to end well. So I pulled together a list of the top seven holiday rom-com movies you can stream right now. A few are modern favorites. A few are undeniable classics. But all of them deliver that comforting holiday feeling we look forward to every year.
Top 7 holiday romantic comedy movies on streaming right now
No. 7: ‘Single All the Way’ (2021) | Netflix
“Single All the Way” is one of the few newer holiday rom-coms that actually works. The movie follows Peter, played by Michael Urie, who brings his best friend Nick home for Christmas to avoid another round of questions about being single. His mom sets him up on a blind date, but the trip sparks old feelings between Peter and Nick that neither of them can ignore. Jennifer Coolidge shows up as the aunt who steals every scene. The whole thing is warm, funny, and effortless in a way so many newer holiday movies are not. My wife and I watched it when it came out, and both agreed it deserved way more love than it got.
Single All the Way
Desperate to avoid his family’s judgment about his perpetual single status, Peter convinces his best friend Nick to join him for the holidays and pretend that they’re now in a relationship. But when Peter’s mother sets him up on a blind date with her handsome trainer James, the plan goes awry.
No. 6: ‘Love Hard’ (2021) | Netflix
“Love Hard” is a modern holiday rom-com that leans into online dating chaos. Nina Dobrev plays Natalie, a writer who travels across the country to surprise a guy she has been talking to on a dating app. When she arrives, she discovers she has been catfished by Josh, played by Jimmy O. Yang. Josh strikes a deal. Pretend to be his girlfriend for Christmas, and he will introduce her to the guy from his photos. The movie is light, funny, and built around really good chemistry.
Love Hard
An LA girl, unlucky in love, falls for an East Coast guy on a dating app and decides to surprise him for Christmas, only to discover that she’s been catfished. But the object of her affection actually lives in the same town, and the guy who duped her offers to set them up if she pretends to be his own girlfriend for the holidays.
No. 5: ‘Just Friends’ (2005) | Rent with Prime Video
“Just Friends” is pure holiday chaos wrapped in a romantic comedy and is maybe the funniest movie on this list. It follows Chris Brander, played by Ryan Reynolds, who comes home for Christmas after years of transforming from an awkward high school kid into a successful music executive. He reconnects with his childhood best friend Jamie, played by Amy Smart, and tries to turn their old friendship into something more. Then there’s Anna Faris, who steals every scene as a completely unhinged pop star who keeps derailing his plans. It is loud and ridiculous, but it has a real heart under the slapstick. If you grew up in the early 2000s, this one hits a very specific nostalgia button.
Just Friends
While visiting his hometown during Christmas, a man comes face-to-face with his old high school crush whom he was best friends with – a woman whose rejection of him turned him into a ferocious womanizer.
No. 4: ‘Last Holiday’ (2006) | Paramount+
Queen Latifah shines in “Last Holiday.” She plays Georgia Byrd, a woman who works in a department store and keeps her dreams tucked away in a journal. After she is mistakenly told she has only weeks to live, she decides to spend the holidays on a luxurious trip to Europe. That choice changes her life in ways she never expected, including a romantic spark with a coworker played by LL Cool J. The movie is sweet, funny, and full of heart, and for my money is quietly one of the best feel-good holiday movies out there.
Last Holiday
The discovery that she has a terminal illness prompts introverted department store saleswoman Georgia Byrd to reflect on what she realizes has been an overly cautious life. With weeks to live, she withdraws her life savings, sells all her possessions and jets off to Europe where she lives it up at a posh hotel. Upbeat and passionate, Georgia charms everybody she meets, including renowned Chef Didier. The only one missing from her new life is her longtime crush Sean Williams.
No. 3: ‘Serendipity’ (2001) | STARZ
“Serendipity” is a holiday romance at its most magical. The movie follows Jonathan and Sara, played by John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale, who meet during the Christmas season in New York. A single night together sparks something real, but they let fate decide if they are meant to reconnect. The story jumps between snowy city streets, ice skating rinks, and one near-miss after another. Few movies capture that warm holiday feeling better than this one. It is charming, cozy, and the perfect holiday watch.
Serendipity
Although already in relationships, two strangers realize they have genuine chemistry after a chance encounter – but part company soon after. Years later, they each yearn to reunite, despite being destined for the altar. But to give true love a chance, they have to find one another again.
No. 2: ‘Love Actually’ (2003) | Peacock
“Love Actually” is still the gold standard for holiday romantic comedies. The movie weaves together a collection of love stories set in London during the Christmas season. Some are sweet. Some are heartbreaking. All of them hit in the right way. The cast is stacked with Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Keira Knightley, Colin Firth, and more. It was a massive box office hit when it opened and has only grown in popularity since. Every year, my wife and I swear we are going to try something new, but we still end up putting this on. It is hard to beat.
Love Actually
Eight very different couples deal with their love lives in various loosely interrelated tales all set during a frantic month before Christmas in London.
No. 1: ‘The Holiday’ (2006) | Rent with Prime Video
“The Holiday” sits at the top of my list for a reason. The movie follows two women. Iris, played by Kate Winslet, and Amanda, played by Cameron Diaz. Both are heartbroken and desperate for a change. They swap homes for Christmas and find themselves falling into new romances. Iris meets a warmhearted composer played by Jack Black. Amanda falls for a charming widower played by Jude Law. All the while, Nancy Meyers brings her signature style: beautiful houses, comforting holiday settings, and all the tropes you want from this kind of movie. My wife and I rewatch this one every year for the simple reason that it has everything we want from a holiday rom-com and then some.
The Holiday
Two women, one American and one British, swap homes at Christmastime following bad breakups. Each woman finds romance with a local man but realizes that the imminent return home may end the relationship.