The Christmas Pact (2018)
Rated: PG
Genres: Drama, Romance
Starring: Kyla Pratt and Jasmine Guy
Synopsis: As childhood friends and neighbors, Sadie and Ben planted a scrawny Christmas tree and promised to always keep the spirit of Christmas alive in their hearts.
Review: The story is interesting but Pratt’s disingenuous performance distracts from the tale. It’s good but had the potential to be much better. ***Update*** I think I was a little hard on Pratt. It’s not so much disingenuous as not as layered as it should be. I enjoyed watching it the second time.
Scoring: 3
Christmas Party Crashers (2022)
Rated: TV-14
Genres: Family, Romance
Starring: Skye Townsend and Jaime M. Callica
Synopsis: When two grifters meet after crashing the same millionaire's Christmas party, they agree to work together to achieve each other's "mission," not knowing that they would find something more than money or fame could offer - true love.
Review: This movie was okay. I didn’t like all the deception of the grifters and the coldness of the wealthy family. The only part I liked was Tara reuniting with her family.
Scoring: 2
Christmas Pen Pals (2018)
Rated: PG
Genres: Drama, Romance
Starring: Niall Matter, Sarah Drew, and Michael Gross
Synopsis: Following an unexpected breakup week’s before Christmas, a tech wiz heads back to her hometown for the holidays. She signs up for an anonymous pen pal service and becomes enchanted by each beautifully written letter she receives.
Review: This movie is more about finding a soulmate than it is Christmas. It’s still an original and enchanting movie. No spoilers but it’s a happy ending for all.
Scoring: 4
Christmas Perfection (2018)
Rated: PG
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Starring: Caitlin Thompson
Synopsis: As a kid, Darcy had no control over her family's holidays and thus, has grown up to be a Christmas control freak - so much so that she loses sight of what the holidays actually mean. Suddenly, she finds herself magically transported into her idea of the perfect Christmas Village and learns that 'perfection' isn't all it's cracked up to be.
Review: This is sort of like Groundhog Day and the Wizard of Oz meshed. The main idea is one that’s overused but it’s done so well in this movie it feels fresh and new. Truly enjoyable. My favorite part was random Christmas words coming out when she tried to curse.
Scoring: 4
The Christmas Pitch (2021)
Rated: PG
Genres: Comedy, Romance
Starring: Joseph Morales and Alexa Maria Huerta
Synopsis: When two executives, Becca and William, at a top marketing firm in Chicago are sent to William’s hometown of Kringle Lake to rediscover the spirit of Christmas-they begin to find it, and more.
Review: This movie is chock full of Christmas. It’s sometimes silly and reminds me of the joy of family getting together. The romance is a forgone conclusion but it’s still fun watching it unfold. Loved it.
Scoring: 4
Christmas Plus One (2023)
Rated: PG
Genres: Family, Romance
Starring: Emily Alatalo and Corey Sevier
Synopsis: When sisters Cara and Amy make a pact to find their soulmates by next Christmas, they're not expecting to be so lucky. One year later, Amy's wedding approaches and Cara finds her soulmate but quickly loses him. Will her wish come true?
Review: The premise sounded silly to me, but I was pleasantly surprised. I found it very engaging and was completely invested in Cara’s happy ending. There were also lots of Christmas activities.
Scoring: 3.5
A Christmas Prayer (2022)
Rated: NR
Genre: Drama, Religion
Starring: Chad L. Coleman and Stan Shaw
Synopsis: When a former alcoholic and now respected leader of the local church gets accused of a heinous crime, he struggles with the possibility of not only doing hard time but keeping his own "faith" while trying to prove his innocence.
Review: This is definitely a faith-based movie. I had low expectations based on the description, but I was pleasantly surprised. Once it got going, I enjoyed the story. There were places where it dragged, and I probably won’t watch again but the Pastor’s faith was inspiring.
Scoring: 2
A Christmas Present (2022)
Rated: G
Genres: Drama, Family, Religion
Starring: Candace Cameron Bure and Marc Blucas
Synopsis: Real-estate mom Maggie Larson takes her family to spend Christmas with her brother and his daughter, who have different expectations for their holidays.
Review: Let me start by saying there’s a real focus on religion so if you don’t like that, skip this one. I enjoyed the family’s Christmas activities and learning to not plan every minute and just enjoy each other. They also talk about coping with grief and having faith to get through the hard times.
Scoring: 3
A Christmas Prince (2017)
Rated: PG
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Starring: Rose McIver and Ben Lamb
Synopsis: When a reporter goes undercover as a tutor to get the inside scoop on a playboy prince, she gets tangled in some royal intrigue and ends up finding love - but will she be able to keep up her lie?
Review: This movie was the hit of 2017. There were articles about people watching it over and over again. Because of this, I went into it with high expectations and I wasn’t disappointed. Yes, there’s lots of girl marries a prince movies but this one is special and one I’ll watch again.
Scoring: 4
A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby (2019)
Rated: PG
Genres: Drama, Family, Romance
Starring: Rose McIver and Ben Lamb
Synopsis: Christmas brings the ultimate gift to Aldovia: a royal baby. But first, Queen Amber must save her family and kingdom by unwrapping a monarchy mystery.
Review: Being the third in the series, I wasn’t sure how they’d make the story new. Adding in another country, their monarchy, the stolen truce, and and a possible curse, it felt like a new story. It was more mystery than romance but still held the same feel as the first two. Thanks to a thorough recap at the beginning, you don’t have to watch the first two to appreciate this one but I would suggest it for the full emotional story and impact.
Scoring: 4
A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding (2018)
Rated: PG
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Starring: Rose McIver and Ben Lamb
Synopsis: A year after helping Richard get to the throne, Amber is about to become his wife. But is she really made to be queen?
Review: This had the same feeling as the original and it was as predictable. That being said, I enjoyed it. It delivers the American commoner marrying into the royal family of some small European nation love story as promised. It could’ve done without the over-the-top stereotype of a New Yorker dad and the ridiculous wedding planner.
Scoring: 4
A Christmas Princess (2019)
Rated: G
Genre: Romance
Starring: Shein Mompremier, Erin Gray, and Travis Burns
Synopsis: A prince from a small European country arrives in New York City to plan his family’s annual Christmas charity dinner.
Review: This movie is okay. Yes, it’s the standard commoner meets Prince and she’s the only one who doesn’t know who he is and romance ensues. And, of course, his parents don’t approve. I did like the catering aspect and it was interesting enough. It just needed a little more oomph. It’s still not a bad watch. The reunion at the end was a tearjerker.
Scoring: 3
The Christmas Project (2016)
Rated: PG
Genres: Comedy, Family
Starring: Jacob Buster
Synopsis: A writer looks back on his memorable 1986 Christmas, dealing with brothers, bullies, first love, pregnancy and family "elving."
Review: A sad attempt to recreate A Christmas story including Mom, younger brother, and grouchy dad. It might have been a decent movie if the imitation wasn’t so blatant.
Scoring: 1
A Christmas Project Reunion (2020)
Rated: NR
Genres: Family, Comedy
Starring: Corbin Bernsen, Daniel Baldwin, and Brian Bosworth
Synopsis: An awkward high school boy is forced to break out of his shell, when his elementary school nemesis moves back into town and tries to steal his girlfriend.
Review: While still cheesy, corny, and juvenile, this is much better than the first movie. It starts out borderline ridiculous but it actually gets pretty good towards the end. It has a great message about family and giving to others.
Scoring: 2.5
The Christmas Promise (2021)
Rated: G
Genres: Drama, Family
Starring: Torrey DeVitto, Dylan Bruce, and Patrick Duffy
Synopsis: Nicole learns to deal with grief, with the help of her grandfather and a carpenter she hires to renovate the home that was once meant for her and her fiancé.
Review: I expected a movie about grief to be dark and sad. This so wasn’t. It was beautiful. It was filled with love and hope and friendship. It was about moving forward and living your life with love. I was completely absorbed in the movie. How we can include the past with our present and future.
Scoring: 4
A Christmas Proposal (2021)
Rated: G
Genres: Family, Romance
Starring: Adam Rodriguez and Jessica Camacho
Synopsis: A chef who dreams of having her own food trucks agrees to pose as the girlfriend of an attorney. Working together they try to prove he’s the ideal candidate to take over the family firm, but it’s complicated as real sparks begin to fly.
Review: I really liked this one. It’s got characters that feel like people you know. It kept my attention waiting to see how the deception would be discovered.
Scoring: 3
