Every year, I have to watch at least one cheesy Christmas rom-com with the worst plot imaginable. It’s a guilty pleasure, like a piece of candy with no nutritional value whatsoever. But at the end of the year, I’m worn down, and I deserve to watch a mindless flick about a hardworking city gal who finds love in her small hometown.
- The Princess Switch
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If you love The Parent Trap, get excited. In this movie, Vanessa Hudgens plays twins—one a duchess, one a Chicago baker—who switch places one week before Christmas. In the least shocking turn of events, they fall in love with men in each other’s lives. Now, if you’re into really trashy Christmas movies, follow it up with the sequel, The Princess Switch: Switched Again. There’s also a third movie in which they find out they’re actually triplets, but that one goes a bit too far for me to enjoy it, even ironically.
- Hot Frosty
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In a town called Hope Springs, a young widow accidentally brings a muscular snowman to life by placing a magical scarf around its neck. Yes, it is as amazing as it sounds. Surprisingly, the cast for this movie is actually pretty good, starring Lacy Chabert (the original Gretchen from Mean Girls) and Dustin Milligan (Ted from Schitt’s Creek) with supporting cast members Craig Robinson and Joe Lo Truglio (a shoutout to Brooklyn Nine-Nine). I won’t lie, this is the second year in a row I’ve watched it. Every line of dialogue is hilariously predictable; every character falls into a trope, and I truly enjoy the plot for all its silliness.
- Single All The Way
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Peter (Michael Urie) works a dead-end job in L.A. and has just found out his boyfriend (now ex) is married. But…he already told his family he was bringing home a surprise. Instead, he brings his best friend of a decade, with whom his entire family already ships him. What could possibly happen??? They definitely don’t fall in love while helping out with his nieces’ nativity play! That would be crazy.
- Happiest Season
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This one’s the lesbian classic. Abby (Kristen Stewart) is excited to go home with her long-term girlfriend, Harper, for Christmas; that is, until she finds out Harper isn’t out to her parents yet. Frustrated that she has to go back in the closet, Abby survives the season with the help of a new and unlikely friend, Harper’s ex (Aubrey Plaza!). There’s plenty of family drama to be had.
- The Knight Before Christmas
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This is another movie that makes you wonder why Vanessa Hudgens does these. (Seriously, she’s a great actress, and you’d think after High School Musical and Tick, Tick… Boom! she would get cast in some higher value productions. That said, she elevates even the corniest stories.) In this one, she plays a high school science teacher who stopped believing in love—until a medieval knight is teleported to the present day. Can Sir Cole reignite the fire in Brooke’s heart? (Yes, he can.)
Do you have any other recommendations? Let me know! Otherwise, I’m cozying up on the couch with a cup of cocoa and the Hallmark channel.