10 Least Cringey Hallmark Christmas Originals

I don't think it's outrageous to assume that most everyone has seen a Hallmark Channel Christmas original movie at some point in their life. The love stories that always magically work out, the cringey moments that are often made worse by forced laughs and uncomfortable acting. And although I'll gladly watch anything with Lacey Chabert in it, it's not a stretch to say that she will definitely be the best part of the two hour experience. Regardless of what my husband might say, the eye rolls so huge I'm surprised he doesn't get stuck looking at his brain, there are a few hidden gems in the mass-produced collection of holiday favorites. At this point, you might be thinking to yourself, "How many different takes can there be on a Christmas love story?" Well, with over 100 movies coming to cable television during their "Countdown to Christmas", I'd say at least a few. Want a wholesome movie about a Christmas cooking competition? Done. A little slip-on-the-ice-amnesia? Got it. Big city girl going home to fall back in love with her small-town high school boyfriend? Seen it more times than I can count. You have to hand it to them, among the Balsam Hill Christmas Trees and overdone holiday tropes, Hallmark knows how to make hundreds of movies just different enough that you can watch one every single night for the next two months and still feel all warm and bubbly inside. After my first Christmas away from home last year, I thought I might be done with the Hallmark Christmas movie list. I couldn't imagine watching these movies from my couch in Pasadena instead of the comfort of my Ohio hometown, snuggled up with a blanket and my family dog. Although "The Princess Switch" on Netflix with Vanessa Hudgens has all of the necessary components in a Hallmark Christmas movie, it just wasn't the real thing. So what would I be missing this holiday season? Here's a small list of the Hallmark Christmas movies that deserve a chance before you shrug the entire channel off as cheesy, boring, and not worth the time.

1. The Christmas Card (2006)

An oldie but a goodie, The Christmas Card is perhaps the first taste of Hallmark that I received. Although I don't usually watch movies from Hallmark's Movies and Mysteries Channel, this one is worth the wait. Sergeant Cody Cullen is so inspired by an anonymous Christmas card he receives while serving overseas, that when his tour is completed he travels to the town from which the card was sent to track down it's author. With a 7.1/10 on imdb, what more do you need to convince you to give it a try this year?

2. Crown for Christmas (2015)

Hallmark really upped their game when they decided to start making holiday movies that took place in castles and played into our fairy-tale dreams. Although there are numerous movies on the channel that involve runaway princesses or undercover princes, this is definitely my favorite (even with the bad acting). The holidays are always special, but there's just something even better about a huge Christmas ball with a magnificent tree and poinsettia centerpieces. In Crown for Christmas, Allie gets fired from her job in New York City and hesitantly accepts a position in Europe as a governess to Princess Theodora. As she charms the castle with her kindness, she begins to remind them of the importance of spending time with their loved ones, old AND new (something that the Countess Celia would never make time for in her plan to marry King Maximillian). Obviously sweaters and hot chocolate are great, but give me a decorated palace and love triangle and I'll never leave my couch again. Way to go, Hallmark.

3. Christmas Getaway (2017)

Taking a step back from castles and fancy balls, Christmas Getaway focuses on a more rustic holiday setting: cabins, s'mores, and lots of snow. Emory, a travel writer in need of inspiration, decides to spend Christmas alone (again) somewhere quiet and relaxing. However, upon arrival to her cabin, she finds that it has been double booked by Scott, a widower, and his daughter and mother. Like all polite strangers, they decide to make the best of it. As a frequent traveler, Emory has a difficult time narrowing down any holiday traditions that she shares with her parents. Scott and his family make sure that she receives the whole holiday package: decorating the tree, going to Christmas parties, and even joining a gingerbread house competition. However, when Emory sees Scott with his "perfect woman", she decides to head back to her life before she gets stuck where she is not wanted (dramatic much?). Luckily for us, there's just enough snow on the road for her to be stuck in need of a Christmas miracle (that just so happens to come in the form of a handsome, sensitive man).

4. Christmas at Pemberley Manor (2018)

I'll admit it, at this point there is definitely a theme to these movies: Christmas spirit, traditions and (of course) decor. Christmas at Pemberley Manor takes this to the extreme when they add a little Christmas magic to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Elizabeth Bennett, a New York event planner, takes her skills to a small town where she hopes to makeover a beautiful manor while simultaneously attempting to convince its billionaire owner not to sell. Mr. Darcy, rich and conveniently lacking in Christmas spirit, holds off on the sale and keeps his historic estate open for the town's Christmas festival. As the two work together to create magic for the community, a little romance can't help but develop along the way.

5. Christmas Joy (2018)

As someone who always looked forward to our family's cookie-baking-and-candy-making days, this film starring Danielle Panabaker definitely makes the list. When Joy's (Panabaker) aunt is hospitalized, she quickly leaves her hot-shot job in D.C. to come to her aunt's aid in North Carolina. Taking main priority in her aunt's surgical recovery? Needing a substitute for the holiday "Cookie Crawl". Joy accepts without realizing what a huge task this will be, and she is reluctant when she runs into her former crush and he offers to help. But as she is reminded of the traditions she's missed and the importance of allowing others in, she realizes that there truly is no place like home for the holidays. Oh, and baking with your childhood honey doesn't hurt either.

6. Christmas Comes Twice (2020)

That moment when Tamera Mowry-Housley starts making Hallmark movies:

For real though, I don't think I've ever been this excited for a TV movie premiere. Cheryl (Mowry-Housley) is an astrophysicist heading home for the holidays. That's right: an accomplished woman who isn't a party planner decorating for Christmas, traveling, or...baking...cookies…okay, so maybe the previous half of this article proves that I don't mind those career choices either. ANYWAYS, Cheryl attends her town's classic Christmas Carnival and takes a ride on its beautiful carousel. However, after it makes its final loop, she soon realizes that time has rewound to five years earlier, and she begins to see the impact of her choices on not only her own life, but the lives of those that she loves. Perhaps the most creative movie on my must-watch list, Christmas Comes Twice is a story about family, love, Christmas, and the experiences that shape our lives.

7. Love, Lights, Hanukkah (2020)

I laughed, I cried, and I enjoyed watching Ben Savage in something again. Christina is busy preparing for her restaurant's busiest time of the year when she receives her DNA test results. She spends the holiday connecting with new relatives and learning about the traditions of Hanukkah that she grew up without. Though an unlikely pair, she finds herself falling for a friend of the family: a notorious food critic that gave her restaurant a poor review. This was a beautiful story that warmed my Ohio-loving heart (while also teaching me about the magic of Hanukkah from a precious family).

Little side-bar now that we've only got a few left. Many would argue that Candace Cameron Bure is the face of Hallmark. To that I say, then how come she's not in any of the movies on my list?

Meanwhile, the final three must-watch movies star everyone's favorite: Lacey Chabert. Make sure to end your Hallmark Christmas movie marathon with these gems: The Sweetest Christmas (2017), Christmas in Rome (2019), and Christmas Waltz (2020).

8. The Sweetest Christmas (2017)

Aaaaaand we have another gingerbread competition. I get it, this list might not be the most diverse but I can say with 100% certainty that this movie will warm your heart and inspire a little holiday baking. Kylie Watson (Chabert) is struggling as a baker when she makes the finals of the American Gingerbread Competition. Just when things are looking up, her oven breaks and she is forced to (gulp) ask her ex-boyfriend for help. Using his pizzeria's oven to bake her beautiful creations, the two get to talking about the dreams they shared in culinary school and it seems the oven isn't the only thing heating up in the kitchen.

9. Christmas in Rome (2019)

Hallmark making a movie NOT on the set of a small, charming town? Only the best for Lacey. Angela (Chabert), an American tour guide, loses her job right before the holidays. Lucky for her, Oliver appears with plans for purchasing an Italian ceramics company. When the owners refuse to sell, he requests the service of Angela to guide him around the country in search of "the heart of Rome". Although I can't imagine spending my holiday showing a perfect stranger around a foreign country, I guess it would be worth it if he fell in love with me and paid for our exclusive dinners.

10. Christmas Waltz (2020)

When Avery's (Chabert) fiancé breaks off their engagement right before their Christmas wedding, she is left with her pre-purchased dances lessons for what would've been their first dance. Instead of canceling the lessons, her instructor Roman (Will Kemp) encourages her to "let go". Avery does just that, continuing to try not only dancing, but also falling in love.

If none of these sound all that appealing, then take your little Scrooge-self to Hallmark Channel's website and scroll through the literal hundreds of movie posters. You can also become a super-fan by downloading the Hallmark Movie Checklist App, linking your calendar to the app so you get notifications at four in the morning informing you of the holiday classic coming up next. These are the ten I'll be looking forward to watching each year, but keep in mind that there are probably a hundred new movies coming out over the next two months. Already I've enjoyed The Santa Stakeout with Tamera Mowry-Housley and Hallmark heartthrob, Paul Campbell, as well as Gingerbread Miracle (okay, maybe I like the baking-based movies a little too much).

My top ten list might change from year to year, but at least I'll always be able to look forward to a holiday season filled with warmth, love, and Hallmark Channel's Countdown to Christmas.

Photos from https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/christmas