Are you looking for Christmas movie recommendations for your holiday movie marathon? Maybe something a bit different from Elf and It’s a Wonderful Life? Then grab your popcorn and read on for my Christmas movie awards. 

I have plenty of Christmas movie favorites like The Holiday, Two Weeks Notice, Diehard, and The Last Holiday, but those are well-known.

For this post I’m sticking to new-to-me Christmas movies. It’s by no means an exhaustive list, but it’s my favorite things about each of the movies at the top of my list this year. Snow, mistletoe, hot chocolate, and Christmas romance. These movies have all the Christmas feels.

Best scenery—A Castle for Christmas

Brooke Shields plays an author who has made her fans so angry that she must flee the country. She goes to Scotland, buys a castle, falls in love.

Tune in to this holiday movie for a Beauty and the Beast trope, gorgeous scenery, and quirky characters. The knitting group at the pub is a nod to viewers who love their cozy crafts. 

Best BFF—Holly Star 

The secondary characters in some Christmas movies are milquetoast. Often the best friend role is so forgettable that there’s nothing to distinguish the BFF from one Christmas movie to the next. 

The character of Kay K is a refreshing change. She has a distinct personality, and she’s definitely memorable. When down-on-her-luck Sloan returns to her hometown, a coastal hamlet in Maine, after losing her puppeteering gig (yes, that’s her job), she’s definitely in a Scrooge-like mode. It’s her friend Kay K who is always there to listen to her, encourage her, and take her to the paintball range to lift her spirits with a few rounds of paintball AK-47 shooting.

This movie also has the most authentic snow scenes. On a side note, I’m sure the puppets were supposed to be charming, but I found them creepy. You’ve been warned. 

Best dialogue—Naughty or Nice 

Hilarie Burton plays woman who has who’s having her worst day ever. She loses her advertising agency job and ends up working at the mall wrapping presents while wearing an elf costume.

There’s a heavy dose of magical realism in Naughty or Nice, but the crisp and clever dialogue undercuts the more fantastical elements and keeps the movie from being too sugary sweet.

Best Set Up and Best Chemistry–The Christmas Contract 

The is another Hilarie Barton movie—the algorithms are as predictable as ever—but it’s a different setting and a more romantic movie than Naughty or Nice. Visually, the movie is a contrast to the often fake winter scenes as this one takes place in Louisiana.

The trope of a Fake Relationship will be familiar to anyone who’s watched a Hallmark movie marathon, but the friend who insists on a legal document that outlines each person’s responsibility takes this trope to a new level. Burton and Robert Buckley have legitimate chemistry, and they slowly fall in love, despite their best intentions.

Best Over All—Frozen in Love 

While this movie isn’t technically a Christmas movie—it’s set during the winter but not specifically at Christmas—it checked all the boxes for me. I always enjoy seeing Rachel Leigh Cook, and she and Adam go from enemies to lovers in a delightful but realistic way. There’s no contrived drama or emotional upheavals that aren’t earned. 

The set up is a bad boy hockey player who redeems himself through PR work with a local bookstore owner, Rachel Leigh Cook’s character. The two characters epitomize the trope of Opposites Attract. Their personalities, their careers, and their backgrounds are polar opposites. Frozen in Love gets bonus points for the bookstore and reading theme. 

That’s a wrap on my Christmas Movie Awards. What are your favorite holiday movies? 🔔 🎄 ❄️ 🎁