The holiday season is here so there's really no getting away from hot cocoa, gift wrapping, ornaments, sparkling lights, and of course, Hallmark Christmas movies. Whether you try your best to stay away from these types of films but your partner or family member draws you in every year, or you love these without shame, you've probably seen a few in your day.
Hallmark holiday films are known for one thing: having the same types of storylines over and over again. This is what makes them so predictable... and also, at the same time, like comfort food. Here are the 10 worst Hallmark Christmas movie storylines of the last decade. Let's make a batch of hot chocolate (hopefully with some marshmallows) and take a look.
A Woman Goes Back Home And Reunites With An Ex
This Hallmark Christmas movie storyline isn't great by any means because it suggests that finding a relationship is the only important thing in life when of course that's not true. Plenty of people can find happiness through other things. Some examples: Christmas Bells Are Ringing (2018) when a photographer goes to Cape Cod and falls for an old flame, or 2015's 'Tis The Season For Love.
It's not the absolute worst, though, which is why it's ranked number 10 on this list. After all, sometimes a Christmas film that features an adorable and charming small town is just what the doctor ordered. These types of movies are okay for getting into the holiday spirit (even if, yes, they are pretty cheesy).
A Type A Career Woman Learning The Meaning Of Christmas From A Rugged Man
This Hallmark Christmas movie storyline has been used a lot this year. There's 2019's Twinkle All The Way when wedding planner Candence and Henry (who literally owns a business that sells Christmas items) have to work on their kids' school play together. (Someone in this movie is actually named Twinkle, which might be the worst part).
In 2019's Forever Christmas, she just wants to produce a great reality series about the guy who celebrates Christmas all year long. She cares more about her career than celebrating the holidays... but, of course, they fall in love, and she realizes that the season isn't so bad after all. Even just describing this movie's plot is incredibly corny, so that's definitely the problem with it. And there are plenty of other films that follow this same plotline.
A Woman Stumbles Upon A Town That Celebrates Christmas Intensely
It makes sense that a Hallmark Christmas movie would be about a town that loves Christmas. But some movies take it too far: 2019's Christmas Town, 2016's Every Christmas Has A Story, and 2016's Love You Like Christmas.
From the opening credits, it's obvious that the point of this type of movie is to show the main character that they should always celebrate the joy of the holidays. There are never any surprises.
The Main Character Travels Back In Time/To The Future To Be Taught A Lesson
Time travel is a pretty big thing in the world of Hallmark Christmas movies, like in 2016's Journey Back To Christmas when Candace Cameron Bure's character is from WWII but she goes into the future. There are also movies like 2015's Just In Time For Christmas when a woman travels three years into the future to see if she should pick a job or get married.
This storyline is ranked at number 7 because on the one hand, these movies do end up kind of heartwarming. But on the other hand, they tend to follow traditional ideas about joy and success (a family vs. a career, etc.)
A Woman Hosts A Big Party Or Enters A Contest But Things Get Messy
Just to name a few movies that follow these awkward storylines: 2016's Ice Sculpture Christmas and 2014's Best Christmas Party Ever.
There are always random obstacles, like a meddling relative (in the case of the party) or teaming up with someone annoying (in the case of the contest). The main characters in these movies are often too Type A and high strung to really care about, and it's always obvious that the party will be amazing and magical, and they will win the contest (and win true love, too...).
Cookies Help Someone Find True Love
Yes, that sounds slightly ridiculous... Okay, it sounds totally ridiculous. But Hallmark Christmas movies are known for being silly, and this is one of the worst storylines.
There are actually a bunch of movies that feature cookies, hard as it might be to believe. There's A Cookie Cutter Christmas from 2014 when two teachers fight over one guy and enter a cookie-making contest. There's also 2016's Christmas Cookies (yup, they got right to the point).
Whether a character is baking the cookies herself, like in the former movie, or a corporate type going to a town to fold a tiny cookie factory into their giant corporation, like in the latter, it seems like the mixture of butter and sugar always leads to true love. This is way too sweet (no pun intended) and that's why this storyline is ranked number five on this list.
A Small Town Business Is Threatened And Then Saved
The main character of 2015's Christmas Incorporated goes to a tiny town to decide if he's going to ruin the hopes and dreams of its people by shuttering the doors of a toy factory... or make their Christmas dreams come true by letting it remain.
That might be an overdramatic way of explaining this movie's plot, but that's how corny these storylines are. Many Hallmark Christmas films feature a small town business that is threatened and then, of course, saved in the end (with the protagonist finding love, too, since that always has to happen). It's a tough watch since you always know exactly what will happen.
One Person Hates Christmas, The Other Loves It, And They Have To Work Together
In 2017's With Love, Christmas, Donovan isn't into Christmas but his coworker Melanie is all about it, and they work on a cell phone holiday ment. This Hallmark Christmas movie storyline is so frustrating because it's incredibly obvious what is happening from the very start: one character will turn from a Scrooge into a Santa, and they're going to end up together.
It just seems too easy for one person to be a Christmas hater and the other to be all about it. That's why this storyline is ranked number three on this list. It also feels like the characters need actual personalities in these types of films instead of simply feeling one way or another about Christmas.
Two People Pretending To Be In Love... Actually Fall In Love
A Very Merry Mix Up from 2013, The Mistletoe Promise from 2016, and 2012's Hitched For The Holidays all follow the same bad storyline: two people pretend to be in a relationship (or someone thinks that they're in a relationship) and then that's exactly what ends up happening.
This is the second worst Hallmark Christmas movie storyline as there is absolutely zero chance of getting shocked by the ending, and it can be really boring to watch.
A Single Woman Sees What It's Like To Have A Family (And Vice Versa)
In 2016's A Dream Of Christmas, the main character is frustrated with her life and so she gets the chance to see what the single life is like again thanks to magic. A Family For Christmas in 2015 told a similar story, except this time, the character is a career woman who suddenly has a family and has to figure out what she cares about more: working super hard or having a loving family.
This common Hallmark Christmas movie theme is annoying because these movies never act like you can have a career and get married and have kids. This seems so simplistic, offensive, and unfair. While there's nothing wrong with curling up with a Christmas movie and getting cozy, these 10 storylines do tend to happen frequently, and they're pretty frustrating.
