The 2020 Hallmark Christmas Romance: How I Rank Them (So Far)
Like usual I’m embarking on my annual Hallmark Christmas movie ranking list. This year, I’m going to be honest, I haven’t (yet) seen a lot that I’m wild about. Have I seen adorable movies? Sure. But none of them really stand out. That said I cannot let a year go by without a Hallmark 2020 Christmas movie rankings because it’s just too fun, and I’ll take any excuse to write more about them!
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So, below you’ll first see the listing of the titles I’m ranking today (because I haven’t watched them all yet), and then the actual rankings will begin from least to most favorite. On any given day these rankings could change or they may be upset drastically given the rest of the films I watch this year. One thing if for sure, my rankings will likely be Hallmark controversial since I am 100% not a conventional picker-of-favorites (meaning I tend to like those others do not). Either way, we’ll go with this for now and see how the rest of the Christmas movie watching season (yes, I am a strictly-at-Christmastime movie watcher) goes. Let us begin.
HALLMARK 2020 CHRISTMAS MOVIE RANKINGS
The Titles I Rank | 1: Christmas by Starlight | 2: Chateau Christmas | 3: Christmas in Vienna | 4: A Christmas Tree Grows in Colorado | 5: The Christmas Waltz | 6: Christmas with the Darlings | 7: Five Star Christmas | 8: Heart of the Holidays | 9: Jingle Bell Bride | 10: Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Sweater | 11: One Royal Holiday | 12: On the 12th Date of Christmas
12: Chateau Christmas
This is, if I’m not mistaken, the first Christmas film I watched of this past year. It was as screener, and so I watched it in order to publish a little pre-review of it. There’s nothing wrong with this film, but it also seems pretty ordinary, and while that’s ok, it just didn’t become an instant favorite. Merritt Patterson plays the concert pianist, and Luke MacFarlane (who I do tend to like) plays the ex.
11: Jingle Bell Bride
I was impressed with this one for a specific reason that I won’t share since it’s about the end, which can be spoiler-y. That said, I’ll also note this one kept dropping lower the more Hallmark Channel originals I watched this year.
10: Heart of the Holidays
One of the Thanksgiving week premieres, Corey Sevier directs (and co-stars) this film, which is usual fare, but it does have its moments and I like seeing some faces we don’t see year after year as leads in this one.
The 2020 Hallmark Christmas Romance: How I Rank Them (So Far). The annual Hallmark 2020 Christmas movie rankings list is here! #HallmarkChristmasMovies #Hallmarkies #Fun #Happy @HallmarkChannel Share on X9: One Royal Holiday
I’ll confess this one doesn’t really “cut” it for me. It’s definitely one of the better ‘royal’ romances of recent years, and does have some really sweet moments, but the romance just feels a little too sappy for me to fully support.
8: A Christmas Tree Grows in Colorado
This one is cute, and was actually up higher on my list but the more I watched, the further down this one falls. That said, it’s cute and I have to admit I do like Lizzie-Darcy-kiss moment.
*This does have a minor LGBTQ character
7: Christmas by Starlight
Ok, so here’s the thing, this one is cute and I did laugh throughout it, but it’s also not one I feel instantly head-over-heels in love with. I admire that it’s a story by its stars (and penned by one of them), but… just cannot fully love this one. I think part of this is the whole how-could-you bit before the end; true many other films go this route, but this one feels more dramatic than recent ones, and I just… can’t.
*This does have a minor LGBTQ character
6: Christmas with the Darlings
This one surprises me… in mostly good ways. I’m not too “into” the romance of the story (mainly because of the end declaration), but I like the cast, and the three kids make everything more fun.
*This does have a minor LGBTQ character
5: Christmas in Vienna
Quite the surprise, in these Hallmark 2020 Christmas movie rankings, this may actually be the titles that surprises most. Unusual since I’m not a fan of its lead star, Brennan Elliot, but there’s something sweet and cute about this one that I cannot deny. The whole von Trapp (visual) moment at the end carries things a bit far for me, but I still enjoy this one. Again, probably in part because of the Maria and Captain von Trapp romance.
4: The Christmas Waltz
Oh, look! Two in a row that take me by surprise. I actually quite like this one as well. It features some really pretty pictures (the dancing) and I love that this is also by the minds behind one of my vintage favorites, A Princess for Christmas.
3: Five Star Christmas
This one is simply put, quite unusual for a Hallmark just because it’s a kind of zany comedy. I think what really puts it up this high in my rankings is Bethany Joy Lenz who I always enjoy as a performer.
2: Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Sweater
This is one I don’t see getting much (or any?) love. In fact what I have seen about it is totally negative. I’ll be opposite (it’s ok!) and say a: the title is darling and b: this one is actually quite fun. I didn’t think I’d enjoy it as I do, but Niall Matter helps, and if you read but don’t love the (very PG-13) novel, this just might be for you.
1: On the 12th Date of Christmas
This is one of the first titles I saw of 2020, and I still love it. Again it’s one no one seems to be talking about (have we already forgotten it?), but I keep it up this high on the list because I love the sweet way it ends, and the fact that the “break up” is less about drama and more about stepping back (over a misunderstanding). It’s just dang cute, and new faces brings a new “unexpected” energy.
HALLMARK MOVIES & MYSTERIES
The ‘Movies and Mysteries’ line up has been pretty on point this year. There’s a few I really don’t like, but those I love are, in my opinion, some of the channel’s best ever.
Titles I Rank | 1: The Christmas Bow | 2: The Christmas Ring | 3: Christmas Tree Lane | 4: Cranberry Christmas | 5: Deliver by Christmas | 6: God wink Christmas: First Love, Second Chances | 7: Holly and Ivy | 8: Meet Me At Christmas
The 2020 Hallmark Christmas Romance: How I Rank Them (So Far). The annual Hallmark 2020 Christmas movie rankings list is here! #HallmarkChristmasMovies #Hallmarkies #Fun #Happy @HallmarkChannel Share on X8: Christmas Tree Lane
Despite liking Andrew Walker, I just didn’t love this one. There’s nothing wrong with it, but there’s also nothing about it that sort of helps to overcome the tired plot of a big corporation set to demolish a small shopping street.
7: Meet Me At Christmas
To be honest, I didn’t love this one. The script just isn’t well done; and the “misunderstanding” tropes get carried away, and the way it ultimately all comes out as to what the truth is feels like one of those moments that isn’t appropriate. That said, I have to give it some points for sweetness, and plus, Catherine Bell, who is a favorite on this network. hallmark 2020 christmas movie rankings
6: Godwink Christmas: First Love, Second Chances
For some reason I’m not really “into” these Godwink movies. I like the concept and what they try to do, but they always seem some of the more ingenious films I watch. I like this one better than the first one (I haven’t seen the middle film), likely because it features Brooke D’Orsay and Sam Page!
5: The Christmas Ring
Just watched this one, and while I didn’t like it quite as well as anticipated, I did still enjoy the “mystery” of a quiz writer trying to find the owner of a 40s era ring. Plus, it’s fun to see Nazneen Contractor (Ransom) make her Hallmark debut.
4: Deliver By Christmas
This one is all kinds of cute! In fact it was running in the top spot for a while until I saw more and more that edge it out – just a bit. Love the fun old-fashioned charm and the cast is solid, too.
3: The Christmas Bow
Michael Rady’s 2020 Christmas film has to have a place on this list somewhere. I suspect I may have rated this one higher if it wasn’t a musical romance. For some reason I’m just not as into those as a rule. But I’m impressed that its leading lady is a violinist and that she turns in a good performance as an actress, too. hallmark 2020 christmas movie rankings
2: Cranberry Christmas
Telling a story about marrieds on the verge of divorce is not something Hallmark usually does, but this happens to be another impressive film.
1: Holly and Ivy
This film is bittersweet in unexpected ways, and because of this it, justifiably so, won’t be a “good watch” for everyone. At the risk of spoiling anything, that’s all I’ll say save for, I did love this film.
There we have it! All of the (so far) titles I’ve seen across both Hallmark networks and how I rank them. At least today; ask me tomorrow and things may go down differently. How would you order the Hallmark 2020 Christmas movie rankings? Do you have an instant (or not) favorite? Do you TOTALLY disagree with me? Comment all of your thoughts down below.
Photos: Hallmark / Crown Media Productions
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