Christmas in Review: Best New Christmas Movies of 2020
If you know me, you know I am all about Christmas movies 24/7 from when they start airing around Halloween until New Years’! There is no shame in my Christmas movie watching game. After this crazy year, I was looking forward to the new Christmas movies more than ever.
Hallmark and Lifetime did not disappoint this year keeping up with their impressive new movie lineup for the holidays. Between the two networks, they had a combined total of 74 new Christmas movies this year (4 more than last year). I also watched the 7 Christmas premieres from UP TV too.
My favorites have and always will be Hallmark! They’re the top in Christmas movies for a reason. However, Lifetime and UP TV have really impressed me with their lineups for the last couple of years. For those not as lucky as me to be able to catch all the new Christmas movies, I have come up with my top favorites for your reading pleasure. Trust me, you don’t want to miss these wonderful holiday stories.
Top 10 New Hallmark Christmas Movies
Without further ado, here are what I like to call “The Best of the Best” or better known as “Hallmark’s Top 10” listed from 10th best to 1st best. In my opinion, when it comes to Hallmark there are no ‘worst’, they’re all the best.
10. Christmas in Vienna
“Christmas in Vienna” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Sarah Drew & Brennan Elliott. It is about a concert violinist, Jess (Drew) who travels to Vienna for her last professional performance. In her off time, she agrees to help a friend by babysitting a US diplomat’s kids and finds her inspiration again along with love.
I love a good travel destination movie but honestly wasn’t sure this would be a favorite but boy was I wrong! I absolutely loved it. I liked the characters’ fun banter and how they said what was on their minds–it made it funny and cute. I also enjoyed how the kids were a little older. All of the Christmas activities in Vienna were cool to see and made me want to visit.
9. A Christmas Carousel
“A Christmas Carousel” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Rachel Boston & Neal Bledsoe. It follows art teacher Lila (Boston) who is hired to repair one of her grandfather’s broken down carousels by the royal family of Ancadia. While there she helps the Prince (Bledsoe) with not only the carousel but also an art show.
I really liked it. I was a little skeptical of the royal story because there are quite a few but it really surprised me. I loved the banter and joking nature of the prince. I also loved the carousel aspect and the wishing horse. I liked how the prince talked to the girl early about his feelings to be upfront that he didn’t want to go to the event with another girl, it was out for the normal Hallmark realm.
8. Time for Us to Come Home for Christmas
“Time for Us to Come Home for Christmas” is a Hallmark Movies & Mysteries original movie starring: Lacey Chabert & Stephen Huszar. After losing her mom, Sarah (Chabert) travels to an Inn for Christmas after receiving an anonymous invite. With the help of the owner Ben (Huszar), they discover four other guests who received the same invite mysteriously and they track down the origins of the sender.
I was really looking forward to this one and I did enjoy it. It is the 3rd installment of the Come Home for Christmas movies executive produced by Blake Shelton. I loved that it was an ensemble cast which isn’t common with Hallmark. I also loved the mystery element to it trying to figure out how 5 strangers all got invited to stay at the inn. I liked the two main characters’ relationship it seemed natural and they had great chemistry. My only gripe was the ending didn’t have clarity with where the girl was going to live and work. But it was a realistic ending.
7. USS Christmas
“USS Christmas” is a Hallmark Movies & Mysteries original movie starring: Jen Lilley & Trevor Donovan. It is about Maddie (Lilley), a newspaper reporter who embarks on a Christmas Tiger Cruise with her family for the holiday and discovers a true love story she tries to uncover with the help of a Naval officer (Donovan).
I liked the idea of a Christmas tiger cruise. It was a different twist on a typical military Christmas movie. I liked the mystery aspect of the girl tracking down a love story. It reminded me of my own early struggles with military life and the dynamic of deciding if it’s right for you.
6. The Angel Tree
“The Angel Tree” is a Hallmark Movies & Mysteries original movie starring: Jill Wagner & Lucas Bryant. It follows writer Rebecca (Wagner) who travels home to uncover who the anonymous person is that grants Christmas wish left on the town’s Angel tree.
This was such a sweet story! I loved the joking around and banter of the main characters, it had a comedic era to it. It was so fun to watch their childhood friendship pick up where it left off and then blossom into romance. The magic Angel tree was such a fun storyline and the mystery of who Angel is that grants the wishes added another great element to it.
5. Christmas Comes Twice
“Christmas Comes Twice” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Tamara Mowry-Housley & Michael Xavier. It follows Cheryl (Mowry-Housley) who is unhappy with her life. When the Christmas Carnival comes to town a carousel transports her back in time to five years earlier, while back in time she decides to change her future course and sees her rival (Xavier) in a different light.
I loved it! I loved the history of the characters being old-school rivals and the time travel aspect. I liked how even though she wanted to change the future she ultimately decided not to change fate. I also enjoyed how her time traveling was real and pieces of the past came back to her future with her. I liked how she was the brainy scientist type that’s not typical for these movies. It was such a fun story.
4. A Nashville Christmas Carol
“A Nashville Christmas Carol” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Jessy Schram & Wes Brown. It’s about workaholic television producer Vivienne (Schram) who is visited by her deceased mentor to show her the path she is on is not the best one. Along the way, she is visited by ghosts and reconnects with an ex (Brown) and her sister.
This one was so good! I loved the modern, country twist on A Christmas Carol. Christmas, romance, and country music…what could be better? Country stars highlighted the cast and there is of course singing. Jessy Schram is one of my favorites and was amazing. I also liked the twist that there was no angel of Christmas future because the main character could already see how it would go either way.
3. Chateau Christmas
“Chateau Christmas” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Merritt Patterson & Luke Macfarlane. It follows famous pianist Margot (Patterson) who meets her family at the Chateau Neuhaus to celebrate Christmas. While there she runs into her ex, Jackson (Macfarlane) who convinces her to take part in the Chateau’s Christmas concert.
This had two of my fave Hallmark regulars and it didn’t disappoint. I liked the close-knit family aspect, the willingness to forgive/not major grudge, and how an older couple who broke apart for years helped lead them back together.
2. Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Sweater
“Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Sweater” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Ashley Williams & Niall Matter. It’s about single mom Maggie (Williams) who is facing her first Christmas alone until she accidently injures Lucas (Matter). She invites him to stay in her guest house as he heals and sparks fly.
I loved this one!! I thought this was a cute and catchy title and after seeing previews I was so excited to see it. And it did not disappoint. It was so fun. Maggie’s joy is wonderful to see. I loved how they gave back to others by volunteering. I liked having a military secondary story. I also enjoyed their banter back and forth and how the overall relationship blossoms.
1. A Timeless Christmas
“A Timeless Christmas” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Erin Cahill & Ryan Paevey. It follows Charles Whitley (Paevey) who travels in time from 1903 to 2020 where he meets the museum director Megan (Cahill) who runs his historical estate. While experiencing a 21st century Christmas, they work together to find a way to get Charles back home.
I absolutely love a good time travel movie. I was looking forward to seeing this one and absolutely loved it! I liked how the guy ended up choosing not to go back in time but stay in the modern-day and they got their happily ever after.
Close Seconds – Hallmark
Hallmark had a total of 40 new holiday movies this year between Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. With so many new Hallmark movies to choose from it’s so hard to pick just 10. So here are my Close Seconds (in no particular order).
Good Morning Christmas!
“Good Morning Christmas!” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Alison Sweeney & Marc Blucas. It follows TV hosts Melissa Merry (Sweeney) and Brian Bright (Blucas) who do not get along. They are sent to a festive town for the holidays to host their final episodes together. While there they begin to see their working and personal relationship in a different light.
I love a good cohosting story where the cohosts don’t get along. I liked how Melissa had a secret crush on Brian. I felt like she liked him all along even though it came across that she didn’t know she did. I also really liked how they were already cohosts vs finding a replacement like is normal. The only thing I didn’t like was that Brian had a different girlfriend for most of the movie.
The Christmas Waltz
“The Christmas Waltz” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Lacey Chabert & Will Kemp. When Avery (Chabert) is dumped a month before her dream Christmas wedding, she decides to continue taking dance lessons solo and falls for her handsome teacher (Kemp).
This one was a good heartfelt one. I loved how Avery continued with the wedding dance lessons anyway after her breakup. I liked that the connection between the main characters was genuine. The dancing was a fun aspect too. It was a beautiful and fun movie to watch.
A Little Christmas Charm
“A Little Christmas Charm” is a Hallmark Movies & Mysteries original movie starring Ashley Greene & Brendan Penny. It follows Holly (Greene) who finds a charm bracelet and works with an investigative reporter (Penny) to return it to its owner before Christmas.
The charm bracelet with each charm having a special meaning was cute. I loved the mystery of the characters trying to track the owners down and that the guy was featuring Holly in a holiday heroes article.
Five Star Christmas
“Five Star Christmas” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Bethany Joy Lenz & Victor Webster. It is about Lucy (Lenz) who travels home for Christmas to be surprised that her dad started a Bed and Breakfast. When a travel writer shows up to rate the B&B, Lucy and her whole family pretend to be guests and workers to impress the writer. While keeping up the charade Lucy begins to fall for another guest Jake (Webster).
I loved how the girl was all about helping to save her dad’s B&B. I thought it was funny how the dad didn’t tell anyone he started a B&B. The mix up with who the B&B critic was was funny but also predictable. I know who it was the whole time so wasn’t surprised when it was revealed. The only thing I didn’t like was that they didn’t resolve how the characters were going to make things work together at the end and if anyone was staying to help the dad with the B&B or not. This was still such a fun story to watch unfold.
Christmas with the Darlings
“Christmas with the Darlings” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Katrina Law & Carlo Marks. It follows Jessica (Law) who agrees to help her boss and his brother (Marks) with their orphaned nieces and nephews during the holidays.
This one exceeded my expectations. Katrina Law has been in some classic Hallmark Christmas movies but hasn’t been in one for a while. I loved how the love match was between the assistant and boss’ brother and not the boss. Having the kids as the nieces and nephews added another fun aspect to it. I loved the family feel.
On the 12th Date of Christmas
“On the 12th Date of Christmas” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Mallory Jansen & Tyler Hines. It is about two-game creators who must work together to create a Christmas scavenger hunt in the hopes of winning a work promotion.
This was super cute and kept me engaged. I liked the scavenger hunt and clues, it gave it an element of mystery. I loved how the characters worked together and both ultimately wanted the other to win the job promotion.
A Christmas Tree Grows in Colorado
“A Christmas Tree Grows in Colorado” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Rochelle Aytes & Mark Taylor. It follows Erin (Aytes) who is planning the town’s Christmas celebration and must convince fireman Kevin (Taylor) to let her cut down and use his tree for the celebration.
This one was so fun. I loved the interactions between characters and the variety of characters and their situations (adoption, ethnicities, etc). It was also hilarious how everyone thought Erin was dating one guy but he was gay. I loved the early angry kiss — it was first for Hallmark but fit perfectly.
Love, Lights, Hanukkah!
“Love, Lights, Hanukkah!” is a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Mia Kirshner, Ben Savage & Marilu Henner. It is about Christina (Kirshner) who gets her DNA test back which shows she is Jewish. She meets her birth family and embraces her Jewish heritage over the eight days of Hanukkah.
This was so cute! Loved Ben Savage and the Hanukkah theme was fun. The adoption/getting to know Christina’s new family plot was such a good one. Watching them bond was so special. I loved the banter between the two leads and watching the family bond develop.
A Glenbrooke Christmas
“A Glenbrooke Christmas” is a Hallmark Movies & Mysteries original movie starring Autumn Reeser & Antonio Cupo. It follows wealthy heiress Jessica Morgan (Reeser) who travels to small-town Glenbrooke for a quiet and relaxing Christmas. While there she falls for a local fireman (Cupo).
This was a cute one. I loved the chemistry between the leads and how the main thing that kept them apart was money. That was a different theme. The mishappenings were so cute.
Holly & Ivy
“Holly & Ivy” is a Hallmark Movies & Mysteries original movie starring Janel Parish, Jeremy Jordan & Marisol Nichols. It follows Melody (Parish) who helps her sick neighbor Nina (Nichols) by watching her two young daughters.
I really enjoyed this one. I was afraid I would cry in this one but it wasn’t as sad as I thought. It does deal with a more serious matter but still has joy and lightheartedness that is so common with Hallmark. I loved the special bonds that the characters formed and the message that family is more than blood. I loved the selfless nature of the characters and how they always helped others in need.
Top 10 New Christmas Movies – Other Networks
You can’t forget Lifetime or UP TV. Lifetime has been trying to catch up to Hallmark’s Christmas status for a while and they usually have quite a few good ones. Overall, I wasn’t as impressed with Lifetime’s new movies this year as I have in the past but they still had some good ones that I really enjoyed. I was a huge fan of UP TV’s Christmas movies from last year. This year, UP TV mostly aired Christmas movies that were made a couple of years before but they were new to UP TV (and to me) and I still loved them. Here are my Top 10 Christmas movie favorites from non-Hallmark networks, listed from least favorite to favorite.
10. Spotlight on Christmas (Lifetime)
“Spotlight on Christmas” is a Lifetime original movie starring: Tori Anderson & Victor Zinck Jr. It follows famous actress Olivia (Anderson) who travels home to escape the press on the heels of a breakup. While at home she reconnects with an old classmate (Zinck Jr.).
I loved that Olivia came home to reconnect with her family and get peace from her dad’s passing. I liked how her love interest developed naturally and he liked her for who she was. I liked how the paparazzi girl wanted a heartfelt story and took Olivia’s side.
9. Dear Christmas (Lifetime)
“Dear Christmas” is a Lifetime original movie starring: Melissa Joan Hart & Jason Priestley. It is about Natalie (Hart) a love podcaster who goes home for the holidays and find love with Chris Massey (Priestley).
It was so cute! I loved the magic of how they fell for each other so fast and that Natalie’s podcast was all about holiday love. Some of it was a bit cheesy and Chris’ many jobs were unrealistic but it was overall so fun to watch. I loved the starry-eyed/true romantic vibe from Chris.
8. The Christmas Edition (Lifetime)
“The Christmas Edition” is a Lifetime original movie starring: Carly Hughes, Rob Mayes & Marie Osmond. It is about Jackie (Hughes) an up-and-coming journalist who is at a crossroads in her career. Determined to prove herself she takes a job as the editor in chief of a small Alaskan newspaper. After relocating she falls in love with the paper, town, and son of the former owner of the paper (Mayes).
This one really surprised me. I didn’t think I’d love it but I did! There was such cute chemistry between the main characters and I loved Jackie’s personality. I also enjoyed how there wasn’t a huge blowup fight and Jackie knew where her heart was all along.
7. Homemade Christmas (Lifetime)
“Homemade Christmas” is a Lifetime original movie starring: Michelle Argyris & Travis Nelson. It follows Megan (Argyris) a handy DIYer who loves to help others with Christmas emergencies. While decorating a toy store she is mistaken for a marketing rep and the store owner (Nelson) hires her to help him win over a big client.
As a fellow DIY lover I loved all the DIY projects in this movie. I liked the convos between the main characters and how they had chemistry and just got each other. I loved how the girl kept giving back to others and was mistaken for someone else to work with the guy.
6. Christmas Matchmakers (UP TV)
“Christmas Matchmakers” aired on UP TV and stars: Andrew Rogers, Anna Marie Dobbins, Vivica A. Fox & Dorian Gregory. It is about Jen (Dobbins) and Jon (Rogers) two executive assistants. In an effort to get holiday free time back, they team up to set up their bosses (Fox & Gregory).
This movie was actually released in 2019 but it premiered for the first time on UP TV this year. It was super cute! I loved the assistants scheming and planning to get their bosses in the same places at the same times and that the bosses actually clicked on their own. I also loved how the assistants found love together along the way.
5. Christmas on the Range (UP TV)
“Christmas on the Range” aired on UP TV and stars: Erin Cahill & Nicholas Gonzalez. It follows rancher Kendall (Cahill) who is doing all she can to turn the farm organic and keep it afloat. She finds an unexpected helper in her rival rancher’s son (Gonzalez).
This was another movie that came out in 2019 but premiered on UP TV for the first time in 2020. It was such a cute story. I liked the family rivalry and scrouge type character aspects. I loved that the rival rancher’s ex-wife took her own revenge and her and the son were a tag team. It was a fun dynamic. I also loved that Kendall stuck t her guns and always tried to be the better person.
4. Christmas Ever After (Lifetime)
“Christmas Ever After” is a Lifetime original movie starring: Ali Stroker & Daniel di Tomasso. It is about romance novelist Izzy (Stroker) who travels to her favorite inn for Christmas only to meet a man (di Tomasso) who looks just like the leading man in her romance novels.
I loved this one! The idea of an author meeting someone who looked just like the leading man in her books was so cute. I loved Izzy’s bubbly nature and awkwardness of putting her foot in her mouth. It was so relatable and fun. It was the first movie I’ve seen with a handicapped lead and I never thought twice about it. It was so cute and one of my favorites of the year.
3. Mistletoe Magic (UP TV)
“Mistletoe Magic” aired on UP TV and stars: Jessica Sipos & Stephen Huszar. It follows Harper (Sipos) who accidentally gets rid of her family’s magic mistletoe. Her sister is desperate to get it back so she will get proposed to, so Harper travels the city trying to track the missing mistletoe down with the help of an old school classmate (Huszar).
This was another movie released in 2019 that premiered on UP TV in 2020 and I absolutely loved it! It was super cute. I loved that the mistletoe was magic that helped couples fall in love and get married. I enjoyed the mystery aspect of the two main characters working together to track down the mistletoe. Their chemistry and teamwork are so cute to watch as they find themselves in funny situations trying to get the mistletoe back.
2. A Welcome Home Christmas (Lifetime)
“A Welcome Home Christmas” is a Lifetime original movie starring: Jana Kramer & Brandon Quinn. It is about Army Veteran and counselor Chloe (Kramer) who helps other soldiers adjust back into civilian life after leaving the military. She gets assigned to help returning soldier Michael (Quinn) and they work together to help other military families during the holidays.
What can I say? I loved it! I’m a huge Jana Kramer fan but this one completely exceeded my expectations. It had the heartfelt military homecoming christmas movies moments. But there was a fun twist following soldiers as they transition into civilian life. I loved the chemistry and banter between the two main characters.
1. Too Close for Christmas (Lifetime)
“Too Close for Christmas” is a Lifetime original movie starring: Chad Michael Murray & Jessica Lowndes. It follows Hayley (Lowndes) and Paul (Murray) two frienemies who are forced to spend the holidays under the same roof. As they embark on holiday fun together their feelings begin to change.
I absolutely loved this movie! It had two actors who often appear in Hallmark movies and had the same typical Hallmark Christmas movie eel which I am partial to. I liked that they were frenemies turned love interests. The fact they had a history with each other but it wasn’t because of dating was a fun aspect. I also thought the title was so clever as a spin-off of the saying ‘too close for comfort’.
Honorable Mention – Other Networks
Again, it’s so hard to pick just 10. So here are some of my other favorite non-Hallmark network Christmas movies that I felt deserved an Honorable Mention. They are listed in no particular order.
Christmas on Ice (Lifetime)
“Christmas on Ice” is a Lifetime original movie starring: Abigail Klein & Ryan Cooper. It is about Courtney (Klein) a former figure skater who works with a former hockey player (Cooper) to keep the local rink from closing down.
It was different in the sense that the main characters had an instant connection and wanted to pursue each other the whole movie. They didn’t have any second-guessing within their feelings for each other. I also loved the ice skating aspect.
Forever Christmas (Lifetime)
“Forever Christmas” is a Lifetime original movie starring: Chelsea Hobbs & Christopher Russell. It follows reality TV producer Sophia (Hobbs) who films a holiday special on a handsome hunk (Russell) who celebrates Christmas 365 days a year.
This one was super cute. I loved the banter and connection of the main characters. I liked the reality show aspect and that the guy celebrates Christmas every day f the year and his whole house is decked out in all things Christmas.
A Crafty Christmas Romance (Lifetime)
“A Crafty Christmas Romance” is a Lifetime original movie starring: Nicola Posener & Brad Johnson. It is about Mandy (Posener) the owner of a used book store who finds a 70-year-old letter to Santa stuck between the pages of a donated book. With the help of Jonah (Johnson), Mandy works to track down the author of the letter and answer it.
I liked this one more than I thought I would. I loved the willingness of the characters to just help each other out of the goodness of their hearts. I liked the mystery aspect of trying to track down the writer of a 70-year-old letter.
Christmas on Wheels (Lifetime)
“Christmas on Wheels” is a Lifetime original movie starring: Tiya Sircar & Michael Xavier. It follows Ashley (Sircar) who enlists the help of an attorney (Xavier) to help track down her mom’s old convertible that was sold.
This was a fun and different story. I loved the mystery aspect of trying to track down the car and then fixing it. I liked how she wanted to keep her mom’s old Christmas tradition alive by bringing gifts to those in need with the car.
Once Upon a Main Street (Lifetime)
“Once Upon a Main Street” is a Lifetime original movie starring: Vanessa Lachey & Ryan McPartlin. It is about Amelia (Lachey) who bids on a property to open a year-round Christmas shop. Once she discovers she has competition from Vic (McPartlin), they quickly begin competing to win over the seller’s approval.
This was so fun! I loved the two characters and their competitiveness with each other. I liked how the fight wasn’t a huge blowup and the girl explained it right away, it was more realistic. The ending was a bit predictable about them both sharing the shop space they were trying to win.
The Christmas Listing (Lifetime)
“The Christmas Listing” is a Lifetime original movie starring: Lexi Giovagnoli & Travis Burns. It follows two competing realtors Julia (Giovagnoli) and Chad (Burns) who are forced to spend time together at an Inn they’re both trying to win the listing for.
I enjoyed it. I liked the characters and their competing nature. Their relationship was fun to watch as their misconceptions of each other were proved wrong. I also liked how the guy ended up buying the building in the end.
Let’s Meet Again on Christmas Eve (Lifetime)
“Let’s Meet Again on Christmas Eve” is a Lifetime original movie starring: Kyla Pratt & Brooks Darnell. It is about event planner Corinne (Pratt) who must work with her old college sweetheart (Darnell) to coordinate the perfect Christmas wedding for a high-profile client.
This was a clever and fun movie. I loved how they drifted apart and came back together years later and how it was all fate. The Christmas wedding element is always fun too.
Inn Love by Christmas (Lifetime)
“Inn Love by Christmas” is a Lifetime original movie starring: Jonna Walsh & Jesse Hutch. It follows business-oriented Mandy (Walsh) who comes home for the holidays with the agenda of acquiring a local inn that is for sale. Upon arriving home she discovers her old high-school rival Lucas (Hutch) also has his eye on the inn to purchase.
I liked how the competition was friendly between the two leads who were both competing for the inn. I liked their self-sacrifice for each other and how they comprised in the end but neither gave up their dreams or lives. Made it more realistic. They were a cute couple.
A Christmas Exchange (Lifetime)
“A Christmas Exchange” is a Lifetime original movie starring: Laura Vandervoot & Rainbow Sun Francks. It is about Molly (Vandervoot) who has always had her heart set on moving to London. After getting fired she decides to do a house swap with Patrick (Francks), a man from London. What begins as simple correspondence about their house swap quickly turns into a romance between the two.
I love a good travel/abroad Christmas story. This had the same feel as The Holiday where they house swap. The cool twist was they fell for each other and not other people in the new locations. It had a “You’ve Got Mail” feel with the emails and phone calls between the characters. The only downside was they were rarely in the same place at the same time.
My Sweet Holiday (Lifetime)
“My Sweet Holiday” is a Lifetime original movie starring: Malone Thomas & Jason Burkey. It follows Sadie (Thomas) who returns home for the holidays after a breakup only to discover her parents have sold their chocolate shop. She unhappily agrees to show the new owner (Burkey) everything she knows about chocolate.
I enjoyed the story of a guy buying the girl’s family Chocolate shop and her having to show him the ropes. I liked that they didn’t have a major blowup fight and worked through their own issues and disappointments realistically and together. I also liked his daughter, she brought a fun childlike aspect and wonder to the story.
One of my favorite things about the Christmas season is Christmas movies. I absolutely love all the new Christmas movies that come out and I love re-watching my favorites from previous years. I live for my Christmas movie marathons every year! Did you have a favorite new Christmas movie from this past season? Let me know in the comments below.