As SZA has officially declared, “it’s cuffin’ season”. The holidays are certainly a time where couples (whether old or new) start springing out of the woodwork. There is just something about the weather getting colder that makes you want to snuggle up next to someone to keep warm, huh?
Well, whether you’ve got one or not, it doesn’t just take a cuddle buddy to keep you warm this holiday season. Hot drinks, cozy sweaters, and intensely kilig holiday romantic comedies are at your service too.
Let’s be real, the holiday season is a time when we bust out even the sappiest of movies. Any story works as long as you put it against a holiday season background, right? No matter how many friends/enemies to lover stories there are, if they’re set during the holiday season, we will eat them all up! Honestly, we’d probably still eat them up even if it wasn’t the holiday season.
This list mixes in modern and older classic holiday romantic comedy movies that will have you feeling loved whether you’re watching it with your significant other or with the most important person in your life – yourself! Get ready to laugh, cry, celebrate the holiday season, and be in the mood for love.
Serendipity (2001)
Starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale, a chance meeting is only the beginning of this whirlwind romance dictated by the powers of fate.
Love Actually (2003)
This star-studded ensemble cast will surely get you feeling that “Love actually… is all around!” despite some of the stories actually being a bit sadder than the others.
The Holiday (2006)
To escape their romantic failures, Iris (Kate Winslet) and Amanda (Cameron Diaz) decide to swap homes for the holiday season. Iris finds Miles (Jack Black) and Amanda finds Graham (Jude Law), suffice it to say that it was quite a romantic and life changing holiday for all of them.
Four Christmases (2008)
When Brad (Vince Vaughn) and Kate’s (Reese Witherspoon) vacation falls through, they now have to spend Christmas with all four of their divorced parents in separate celebrations. Yes, it is as chaotic as it sounds — but still loads of fun!
Last Christmas (2019)
Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding take the lead in this heartwarming flick about a cynical elf working in a year-round Christmas store whose life is (positively) turned upside down when she meets an enigmatic stranger.
Holiday Affair (1949)
A classic for the ages sporting a love triangle between a charismatic widow, well-off lawyer, and a charming store clerk. Connie Ennis (Janet Leigh) has to decide quick before New Year’s Eve comes and the decision is made for her.
The Noel Diary (2022)
This new release is based on Richard Paul Evan’s book of the same name, making it natural that this story follows a bestselling novelist, Jacob Turner (Justin Hartley). Jacob must go back to his childhood home to settle things after his mother passes. What he finds is a diary, someone looking to identify her roots, and a deep connection between his family’s past, present, and future.
The Best Man Holiday (2013)
What happens when a group of college friends decide to have a reunion over the holidays? They discover that nothing much has changed even after almost 15 years – old romances are rekindled while past feuds are brought back to the surface.
The Preacher’s Wife (1996)
Dudley (Denzel Washington) is an enchanting guardian angel sent to help out a reverend regain control of his life and his church, but sparks start to fly when Dudley spends more time with the reverend’s wife, played by the late great Whitney Houston.
Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
Another black and white film serving all the color through the romance and comedy it invokes. Elizabeth Lane (Barbara Stanwyck) is a popular writer that documents her perfect farm life in Connecticut. But in reality, her work is more fiction that autobiographical. Things start getting sticky when Elizabeth’s editor sends over one of her fans to spend the holidays with her, the two are immediately smitten with each other – but will the truth hurt of free them both?
Elf (2003)
An all-around iconic holiday movie, mostly focused on Buddy’s (Will Ferrell) family relationships, but we can’t discount the blossoming relationship between him and Jovie (Zooey Deschanel) that comes out just as sweet as syrup.
Just Friends (2005)
Everyone hopes to be as successful as Chris (Ryan Reynolds) when they come back home for the holidays: incredibly successful and continuously glowing up. Chris takes the chance to visit his high school bestie and hopefully move out of the friend zone and into the more-than-friends zone.
The Family Man (2000)
A modern retelling of It’s a Wonderful Life, this movie reveals to hard hitting businessman Jack (Nicolas Cage) what would have happened if he stayed with his college girlfriend instead of choosing his career over love.
When Harry Met Sally… (1989)
Not entirely focused on the holidays, but does contain holiday scenes, so we’ll count it! Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal star in this movie which takes years to try and answer the age-old question: can men and women be just friends?
Happiest Season (2020)
Abby (Kirsten Stewart) is thrilled to finally meet her girlfriend Harper’s (Mackenzie Davis) family, that is until she finds out that Harper still hasn’t come out to her family and is forced to pretend to be her platonic roommate instead.
12 Dates of Christmas (2011)
Kate Stanton (Amy Smart) has only one thing on her mind this holiday season: getting back with her ex. This goal consumes her so much that she is blinded to a potential new romance sparking right in front of her – which may be the reason why she is suddenly forced to relive Christmas Eve 12 times.
Let it Snow (2019)
Based on the John Green, Marueen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle novel collab, this sweet film follows the various adventures that budding teens go on during one snowy Christmas Eve.
About a Boy (2002)
After happy-go-lucky Will (Hugh Grant) joins a support group for single parents in the hopes to meet women, the last person he expected to bond with would be someone’s lonesome son who inspires him to open up.
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009)
Starring another devious bachelor, Connor (Matthew McConaughey) is visited by 3 women from his past, present, and future relationships in the hope to get him to change his womanizing ways in this modern take on Dickens’ tale.
Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)
Renée Zellweger is the Bridget Jones, single and trying to mingle (and get a firmer grip on her life completely). In the midst of her self-improvement kick, she finds herself in a very attractive love triangle starring alongside Hugh Grant and Colin Firth.
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
It’s impossible to leave this timeless classic out of the mix. This heartwarming story follows George Bailey (James Stewart) as an angel shows him what the life of those around him would have been like if he was never born.
Carol (2015)
A bit more on the dramatic side of the spectrum of this list, Carol stars Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara as they dance around a forbidden love and pursue their passion in 1950’s Manhattan.
While You Were Sleeping (1995)
Sandra Bullock gets put in a precarious situation after she saves the life of her crush and accidentally gets mistaken for his fiancée while he is in a coma. One thing that makes things more complicated? She starts falling for her crush’s brother.
Carrie Pilby (2016)
Carrie is a young prodigy trying to navigate her life after graduating from Harvard at the tender age of 19. Questioning morality, romance, and friendship, her therapist creates a nifty to-do list to help her open up to the world around her and find the happiness she deserves. A more mellow (and occasionally sad) entry on this list, though it still leaves you feeling soft with its message of giving people a chance even after you’re hurt.
Falling for Christmas (2022)
The queen is back! Lindsay Lohan returns to grace our screens with her presence in this holiday flick. A spoiled heiress loses her memory due to a ski accident and the owner of a small hotel decides to take her in. Sounds like an enticing formula for a holiday centered rom-com.
Even the Grinch got his own little love story, so don’t you give up hope, one day you will too! For now, just sit tight and feed off of these heartwarming and feel good holiday rom-coms instead!
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