The holidays mean glowing lights, hot chocolate by the fire, and, of course, cheesy movies. Luckily, Netflix has caught on to the public’s obsession with a breezy Christmas flick and has a slew of options for those who want to cuddle up for a weekend comfort watch.
Over the past few years, the streaming service has produced numerous holiday films—and sequels—like The Princess Switch and A Christmas Prince, which bring stories of kind-hearted wish fulfillment to our screens. This year, its latest originals, Falling For Christmas and Christmas With You, joined the party.
Whether you’re looking for an unrealistic but charming rom-com, a warm-hearted family drama, or something involving a fictional royal kingdom, here are the best cheesy holiday movies on Netflix to stream right now. And next, check out the best cheesy holiday movies on Hallmark.
1. The Princess Switch
Are you seeing double? Nope, it’s just two Vanessa Hudgens. The actress stars as a Chicago baker who trades places with a look-alike duchess while in the fictional kingdom of Belgravia over the holidays. Antics and romance ensue.
It’s a delightful, charming, feel-good movie. Don’t forget to queue up its slightly more ridiculous sequels, The Princess Switch: Switched Again and The Princess Switch 3: Romancing the Star.
2. A Castle For Christmas
Cheesy is the name of the game in A Castle For Christmas, a Netflix original that came out last year. Author Sophie Brown (Brooke Shields) heads to Scotland to her ancestral home and is forced to contend with the grumpy Duke of Dunbar (Cary Elwes) who owns it.
The central romance is cute and worth rooting for, but it’s the Scottish locals who befriend Sophie who make this one so charming. The movie’s sense of wish fulfillment is as comforting as it is corny.
3. A Christmas Prince
If Prince Harry used to top your holiday wishlist, this is the movie for you. Rose McIver stars as a journalist who is sent to Aldovia to cover a press conference for Prince Richard (Ben Lamb). She becomes mistaken for his sister’s American tutor and gets the inside scoop she dreamed of, along with a little bit of romance.
It’s slightly silly, but still a great watch over the Christmas season. Stay tuned for its sequels, A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding and A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby, which are also streaming.
4. Holiday Rush
After widowed hip-hop DJ Rashon “Rush” Williams (Romany Malco) loses his job, he and his kids are forced to move in with his Aunt Jo (Darlene Love). Rush tries to get his career back on track and falls in love in the process.
It’s definitely got that hazy, everybody-learns-a-lesson vibe, but Holiday Rush is an easygoing, nice holiday watch that emphasizes family over romance.
5. Falling For Christmas
Lindsay Lohan makes her grand onscreen return in an outlandish but feel-good holiday flick about a hotel heiress who loses her memory. Lohan’s stuck-up Sierra Belmont finds herself at a local inn run by widower Jake (Chord Overstreet) and his adorable daughter and, since she can’t remember anything, transforms herself into a much nicer person.
It’s cheesy with some ridiculous moments, but really sweet. And Olivia Perez, who plays Jake’s daughter, glows with an infectious optimism.
6. Christmas With You
Even if you didn’t grow up on Freddie Prinze Jr. rom-coms, his return to the small screen is a welcome one. The actor stars as a small-town music teacher who connects with a pop star (Aimee Garcia) and helps her to write a Christmas song.
It’s a whimsical, although slightly generic, holiday flick about how the season can magically bring people together. It will warm even the most cynical of hearts.
7. Love Hard
Internet dating can be a dangerous pursuit, as Natalie (Nina Dobrev) learns in Love Hard when she flies across the country to surprise her perfect match only to learn she’s been catfished. Thankfully, Josh (Jimmy O. Yang) isn’t a murderer or a creep, just a lonely nerd who deserves love.
Set during Christmastime, the movie is a cute will-they-or-won’t-they rom-com about the importance of looking deeper than someone’s profile pic.
8. Single All the Way
Who hasn’t convinced their BFF to pretend to be their significant other during Christmas? In Single All the Way, Peter (Michael Urie) is so tired of his family asking him why he’s single that he brings his best friend Nick (Philemon Chambers) home as his boyfriend.
Things go amiss, but all is well that ends well in this charming and often silly gay rom-com. Bonus: Jennifer Coolidge plays Peter’s aunt.
9. Holidate
Being single on Christmas can be a real bummer, but Sloane (Emma Roberts) and Jackson (Luke Bracey) come up with a plan to be each other’s “holidate.” Obviously, sparks fly despite their intention to keep it platonic.
This one spans a bunch of holidays, but it’s got the feel-good Christmas spirit at its core. Holidate is the sort of movie you’ll want to rewatch on a lazy Sunday even once the festive season has passed.
