(SPOT.ph) Look, getting into the Christmas spirit has been extra hard lately. What with, well, *gestures vaguely at everything*. So if you just need a boost of easy, low-commitment serotonin, well there will always be a bunch of cheesy holiday-themed Netflix rom-coms to choose from. Take your pick from our roundup of some of the cheesiest, most butterfly-inducing, happy-go-lucky, Christmas romances available. Hey, sometimes we just need a little pick-me-up.
Also read: 10 Clichéd Rom-Coms, Ranked by How Much We Secretly Love Them
Deck your mental halls with some holiday serotonin via the best romantic Christmas movies on Netflix:
Holidate (2020)
The gist: If you ever need a catch-all feel-good holiday flick anytime of the year, then this is the one to watch. Emma Roberts stars as Sloane, a recently broken-up with young woman whose family is constantly riding her about her singledom (Sounds familiar?). Enter Jackson (Luke Bracey), with whom she strikes a low-commitment deal to be each other’s “holidate”—in other words, their plus-ones to social events without the long-term commitment.
Serendipity (2001)
The gist: Die-hard romantics are sure to have watched this rom-com starring Kate Beckinsale and John Cusack at least once before. An oldie-but-a-goodie, this movie takes you on a wild, almost dreamlike ride as two strangers, Jonathan and Sara, meet during a Christmas shopping rush in New York City, part ways, spend years waiting for fate to bring them back together, and then finally decide to take things into their own hands.
Princess Switch (2018)
The gist: The Prince and the Pauper but for 21st century adults. Oh, and starring Vanessa Hudgens, whom we somehow never tire of seeing in these feel-good roles. Stacy (Hudgens) is a baker with big dreams who finds herself in the idyllic and totally fictional nation of Belgravia where she just so happens to bump into a royal, Lady Margaret (also Hudgens), who also just so happens to look exactly like her. Yeah, we’ll leave you to guess what happens next. And if you need more serotonin after this one, then note that the third installment (with three Hudgens-es!), The Princess Switch 3: Romancing the Star, dropped on November 19.
A Christmas Prince (2017)
The gist: Ah, the Christmas franchise that launched a thousand other Christmas movies. And yup, this tale of an undercover journalist falling in love with the prince charming of some fairytale country really just hits the spot in our cold, dead, hearts. There is intrigue, scheming for the throne, heartwarming family connections, an endless supply of romantic and wholesome moments, et cetera.
The Knight Before Christmas (2019)
The gist: Hudgens is back! And this time, she stars in this time-travelling rom-com flick about a literal knight in shining armor who is transported right into the life of 21st century high school teacher Brooke Winters (yup, Hudgens). The perfect movie for anyone who has ever dreamed their perfect partner would drop pretty much out of the sky. Or just needs a totally unrealistic dose of “Happily ever after.” We understand.
Love Hard (2021)
The gist: Natalie (Nina Dobrev) decides it would be smart to fly to another state to surprise a guy she met on a dating app for Christmas. Only it turns out she was being catfished the entire time. Surprise. But what starts out as utter disaster becomes a bit of hope when she gets the catfisher, Josh (Jimmy O. Yang) to help her catch the actual real guy she was conned with.
A California Christmas (2020)
The gist: Rich and arrogant city boy Joseph Van Aston (Josh Swickard) is sent to a dairy farm to convince the owners to sell off their land. Only the farm is owned by a small family—led by headstrong Callie Bernet (Lauren Swickard)—who would not sell it for all the money in the world. Cue Joseph conning his way into their trust as a clumsy farm hand who eventually—cliché alert—learns what really, truly, matters. Can’t get enough of Hallmark-level movies? (And we honestly say that with no derision.) Then this sweet one is for you.
The Holiday (2006)
The gist: Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz star as two women getting ready to face the holidays after their own respective heartbreaks—cue their idea to do a home exchange from opposite sides of the Atlantic. If there’s anything to take from all rom-coms, it is that fate sure is a funny thing. Sure enough, their random, spur-of-the-moment decision to escape home lands them both right into the arms of someone who could be The One.
The Holiday Calendar (2018)
The gist: Who doesn’t love a bit of Christmas magic—literally speaking? When Abby Reilly (Kat Graham) receives an Advent calendar from her grandfather, she isn’t exactly thrilled. That is until the calendar’s “gifts” begin to manifest in real life. Enter her old friend Josh (Quincy Brown), who is a photographer just like her, and newcomer and handsome doctor Ty (Ethan Peck). Yup, there’s Christmas magic and a love triangle.
Single All the Way (2021)
The gist: Ever had a ‘What if?’ moment with a bestie? Yeah, not an attack, we promise; we feel you. Peter (Michael Urie) gets his best friend Nick (Philemon Chambers) to come home with him for Christmas—only their pretend romantic relationship (finally) starts to get a little too real. Oh, and yup, Jennifer Coolidge is in here! As if you needed any more reason to watch it.
this strange new world.