When the cabler first announced their Countdown to Christmas lineup, I made a list of all the Hallmark winter movies I was most excited to catch on the 2024 Christmas movie schedule. Fast forward three months, and not only did I watch the handful on my list, but I managed to catch all 32 new films that premiered on the original. You read that right; with some determination and a little help from my DVR, I caught every new film.
From Christmas family Olympics and fake relationships with a special agent to mini sitcom reunions, some great romantic comedies, oh and Mama Donna Kelce's Hallmark debut, weekend after weekend, I found myself swept away. As expected, most of them followed the perfect Christmas movie formula, but some broke the rules and created unique spins on classic tropes.
Watching 32 movies was quite the undertaking, and I did it over the course of two months, so it’s nearly impossible to catch them all in the few days leading up to Christmas. Thankfully, I kept detailed notes of my thoughts and have rounded up the top 5 Hallmark holiday movies I think are worth checking out.
The 5-Year Christmas Party
I fell in love with The 5-Year Christmas Party early on, and it remained one of my favorite movies of Hallmark’s 2024 lineup as the weeks went by. Told over the course of five years, the film follows Alice (Katie Findlay) and Max (Jordan Fisher) as they spend every holiday season together working for a catering company. Despite their paths only crossing during the holidays, they grow closer, constantly support each other’s dreams, and eventually fall in love.
Unlike most Hallmark Christmas movies, this one didn’t shove the holiday down your throat. In fact, it felt more like a fun Netflix holiday movie than a Hallmark one because of how many rules it seemed to break. Unfortunately, it’s not streaming as of now, but it’s one to keep an eye out for since Hallmark regularly replays its holiday movies throughout the year.
Christmas With The Singhs
I’m not sure how I missed this one on my original list, but Christmas with the Singhs quickly skyrocketed up my list of favorites after checking it out. Asha (Anuja Joshi) and Jake (Benjamin Hollingsworth) are former high school classmates whose paths cross on Christmas Eve. The two hit it off, and after a year of dating, Jake proposes. Their first holiday as an engaged couple should be a dream, but their relationship is put to the test when they go home to meet each others’ families for the first time.
The struggles Jake and Asha faced while trying to make their interracial relationship work felt authentic and the several moments in the film were loosely inspired by co-writer Patricia Isaac’s life, making it even more special. If you missed it, you can stream it with a Fubo subscription.
Hanukkah On The Rocks
Last year, one of my favorite Hallmark movies happened to be a Hanukkah one and the tradition is continuing this year. After getting laid off from her corporate law job, Tory (Stacey Farber) is tasked with helping her Bubby secure the last box of coveted Hanukkah candles for their celebration. Of course, Jay (Daren Kagassoff) is on a similar mission for her grandfather. Tory lets Jay have the candles but then changes her mind and follows him to Rockys, an Old Town bar. While there, she gets hired as a temporary bartender and helps them create a Hanukkah celebration to remember.
This was another movie that I let slip through my fingers when the lineup was first announced, but quickly fell in love with while watching. I don’t celebrate Hanukkah but the film does a great job explaining the important aspects of the holiday to its audience, and Farber and Kagasoff’s chemistry is great. The real treat, though, is Marc Summers in his role as the mischief, matchmaking grandfather.
You can catch Hanukkah on the Rocks with an active Peacock subscription, but I suggest you act fast because it’s unclear how long it will be available.
The Santa Class
If traditional Hallmark Christmas movies are more your style, The Santa Class is the perfect film to add to your Christmas movie watch list. After reluctantly taking over her father’s beloved Santa School, Kate (Kimberly Sustad) struggles to keep the business afloat amidst competition from a new school. Elsewhere, Dan (Benjamin Ayres) gets fired from his job as Santa trainer and decides to offer his services to Kate as a way to get back at his former boss. Amid this, the two cross paths with the real Santa, who has crashed near the school and can’t remember who he is.
The Santa Class has everything: a swoon-worthy romance, high stakes, and tons of Christmas challenges, including a great Santa-themed obstacle course. Honestly, it’s a Hallmark movie the whole family can enjoy together, and it could become one of the best Christmas movies of all time. And the best part is that it’s one of the Hallmark movies available to stream on Peacock.
Three Wiser Men And A Boy
The highly anticipated sequel to a fan-favorite 2022 Hallmark movie, Three Wiser Men and a Boy, did not disappoint. Set five years after the original, the Brenner brothers are back planning the best Christmas ever. Of course, it doesn’t come without obstacles. Thomas’ school holiday musical is in trouble after the director steps down, and all three brothers must grapple with how they feel about their mom’s new boyfriend. But through it all, the brothers stick together and manage to pull off another unforgettable Christmas.
Sequels typically aren’t my favorite, especially when it comes to holiday movies, but Three Wiser Men and a Boy is the exception. It’s the emotional arcs of the three Brenner brothers and the bond they share with Thomas that truly makes this movie so great. If you missed it live, you can catch an encore presentation of the film on The Hallmark Channel on Sunday, December 22nd or stream it with a Sling subscription.
Narrowing down 32 movies to 5 was almost as difficult as watching all of them. There were a handful of honorable mentions that almost made the list, including Holiday Crashers, Holiday Mismatch, and the internet’s favorite Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story. But if you can only stick to a few, I’d stick to my list!
Now that we're getting closer to 2025 TV premieres, I can start looking forward to next year's lineup. Until then, I’ll be rewatching these five movies and maybe giving a second chance to the ones I didn’t love.
