15 Holiday Rom-Coms To Watch Under The Mistletoe

Lucy lives a lonely life as transit worker in Chicago. Seeing her crush, Peter, take the train is the highlight of her day, though the two remain strangers. But after she saves him from being hit by an oncoming train, an incident that leaves Peter in a coma, she is mistaken for his fiancée and taken in by his family to celebrate the holiday. This inadvertent deception only gets more complicated as she starts building a relationship with his brother, Jack.

Stream While You Were Sleeping, rated PG, on Disney+.

Elizabeth Lane is a beloved food writer. Her articles often center around her Connecticut farm, husband, and baby, but the truth is her personal life is all fiction: she’s really a single New Yorker. So when her publisher insists that Elizabeth host a Christmas dinner for returning war hero Jefferson at the behest of Jefferson’s fiancée Mary, she hurries to her friend John, who just so happens to have a farm in Connecticut (and a neighbor whose baby they can engage in this farce). But when Elizabeth sees Jefferson, it’s love at first sight. Can she overcome the lies to find true love?

This movie is unrated but family friendly; the most “scandalous” thing we see is a baby’s bottom and an innocent reference to a (cow’s) “nice firm rump.”

Stream Christmas in Connecticut, on Max.

Christina is a restaurant owner and adoptee curious about her roots, so she takes a DNA test and learns she’s 50% Jewish. Not only that, but she has some pretty close relatives, the Berman family, who live nearby. But it turns out her newfound mishpocha is much closer than she realizes: Mrs. Berman is her birth mother! Christina spends Hanukkah with the family and learns about her Jewish heritage... but wouldn’t you know it: the restaurant critic who gave her a bad review is also in attendance. I wonder how this will turn out...?

Stream Love, Lights, Hanukkah, rated G, on Hallmark Movies Now or Amazon Prime.

When Georgia learns she has a terminal illness, the introverted, cautious saleswoman begins to reflect on her life so far. Deciding to live what remains of her life to the fullest, withdrawing her life savings and heading to Europe to live like a millionaire. Over time, she becomes upbeat and passionate, charming everyone she meats, including the renowned Chef Didier. Might this new Georgia also finally get together with her long-time crush?

Stream Last Holiday, rated PG-13, on Paramount+.

You know it’s going to be an absolute banger when the title is a pun.

December, 1334. Sir Cole Christopher Frederick Lyons is sent on a mysterious quest by a woods witch in order to become a true knight: a quest that will take him to the future (2019) where he meets Brooke, a disillusioned high school science teacher in Ohio. Confused by the new and unfamiliar surroundings, Cole winds up getting hit by Brooke’s car and taken to the hospital. Since no one can figure out who he is, Brooke decides to take the handsome stranger in... and, as you can imagine, courtly love ensues, Christmas style.

Stream The Knight Before Christmas, rated PG, on Netflix.

LA-based social media strategist Peter, is tired of his entire family constantly badgering him about his love life. Good thing he has a new boyfriend, Tim, to bring home with him to New Hampshire... or so he thinks. It turns out Tim is married. Devastated, he asks his friend Nick to go home with him for the holidays and pose as his boyfriend. But when Peter’s mom Carole sets him up with her spin instructor, things get complicated, especially as Nick is finding it harder and harder to conceal his true feelings for Peter.

Stream Single All The Way, rated PG, on Netflix.

When WMLE is bought by CamCom, widowed hip-hop radio Rush finds himself out of work. After living a life of luxury, he and his four children find themselves having to downsize and move back to where they started: their Aunt Jo’s house. Rush and his producer Roxy buy WBQL, an old radio station where they used to work to try to build up another show. But what might just be building is far more romantic than either could have imagined.

Stream Holiday Rush, rated TV-PG, on Netflix.

This comedy of errors focuses on Rachel and Ethan. When Rachel’s boyfriend is hit by a car outside of Tiffany’s after buying her a pair of earrings, Ethan performs first aid on him, dropping the Tiffany’s box containing an engagement ring he bought for his girlfriend. Hilarity ensues when neither woman gets what her boyfriend intended on Christmas morning. Nothing seems to be going according to plan, especially as Ethan and Rachel get to know each other.

Stream Something From Tiffany’s, rated PG, on Amazon Prime.

When burnt out pop star Angelina escapes to a small town to grant a young fan’s wish, she just might find the inspiration for a new Christmas hit she’s been looking for... and a romance with a sweet and unassuming music teacher that she never could have imagined.

Stream Christmas With You, rated PG, on Netflix.

Ever since Abby’s parents died, she hasn’t been very interested in Christmas. But when her girlfriend of nearly a year, Harper, invites her to join her family for the holiday, Abby agrees. But while Abby has plans to propose on Christmas morning, Harper’s parents don’t even know she’s a lesbian; as far as her family knows, the two are simply friends and roommates. The holidays become a struggle, with the pair wanting to celebrate together but hiding their true feelings for one another in front of Harper’s loving but very image-focused parents.

Stream Happiest Season, rated PG-13, on Hulu.

This rom-com, which is set between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, runs a bit darker than most, but the result is one of the greatest examples of the genre of all time. It centers on Bud, a lonely office drone at an insurance corporation in New York City. He wants to succeed, and cozies up to his superiors by letting them use his Upper West Side apartment to conduct their extramarital affairs. It turns out one of those affairs is between the personnel director, Jeff, and Fran, the elevator operator Bud is smitten with.

When a rendezvous at Bud’s apartment makes it apparent to Fran that Jeff has no intention of leaving his wife for her, she attempts suicide, only to be discovered by Bud returning home from the theater. With the help of a doctor friend next door, Bud helps nurse Fran back to health over the course of the next few days and the pair find a growing affection for one another that is at turns hilarious and heartfelt.

This film is unrated, but Common Sense Media recommends it for children 13 and older.

Stream The Apartment on MGM+ or Amazon Prime.

After Iris (of London) and Amanda (of Los Angeles) each experience heartache, the decide they need to get away, completely by themselves, to recharge and heal. Amanda discovers Iris’ beautiful cottage in the English countryside for rent and messages her. The two decide to swap homes... where Amanda meets Iris’ handsome brother, Graham while Iris befriends the charming and lovable Miles.

You see where this is going, right?

Stream The Holiday, rated PG-13, on Amazon Prime.

Nerdy and unpopular high schooler Chris is in love with his best friend, Jamie. But when he finally gathers up the courage to confess his true feelings she tells him she just wants to stay friends. He leaves his town as soon as he graduates and 10 years later his life looks pretty different: he’s not a handsome, super successful record executive working with the hottest pop star on the planet, Samantha James. When a planned Christmas in Paris doesn’t go as planned, he and Samantha head to his hometown for Christmas where he reconnects with Jamie and is determined to win her heart at last.

Stream Just Friends, rated PG-13, on Amazon Prime.

Quite possibly the greatest romantic comedy of all time, When Harry Met Sally tells the story of an unlikely couple whose various quirks and peccadilloes go from irritating to endearing as they fall in love over the course of several years. Since this movie plays the long game, not all of this movie take place during the holiday season, but the ones that do are delightfully memorable and sure to scratch that holiday rom-com itch.

Stream When Harry Met Sally, rated R, on Max.

Perhaps the most quintessential “Holiday Rom-Com,” Love, Actually is a movie that teaches us everywhere you look (if you’re looking carefully) you can find love, whether it be between new lovers, parents and children, siblings, or even a grizzled rock star and his manager. Through a series of interconnected vignettes, this star-studded cast makes us laugh, cheer, and scream “Alan Rickman, what the hell are you thinking? She’s Emma Thompson! You don’t cheat on Emma Thompson!”

Stream Love, Actually, rated R, on Netflix.