TEN OF THE MORE UNIQUE CHRISTMAS MOVIES of 2024
Each year the number of new Christmas movies grows. Between all the streaming platforms (who now produce original content) and the networks (including but not limited to Great American Family and Hallmark), there is way too many Christmas movies debuting each year. This means in addition to our favorites from years past, we also have a good deal of new titles to choose from. Like we did last year, we’re looking back on the titles we’ve seen and sharing some of the more unique Christmas movies of 2024. Because sometimes we need a little help to weed through the many titles and find the ones that go that extra mile or are simple elevating as being more memorable.
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TEN OF THE MORE UNIQUE CHRISTMAS MOVIES of 2024. What #ChristmasMovies do you think get "unique" right in 2024? #Christmas #MovieList #OnTV #Romance #LindsayLohan Share on XMy parameters for qualifying a title as “unique” don’t require a lot. Most of these films still indulge in the usual festiveness, tropes and go over the top on more than one thing, but they do possess something (a different way of doing a first kiss, a plot we haven’t seen 500 times, or maybe even just how they come together) that makes them stand out – even if just a little bit.
From Hallmark to Lifetime, plus places like Netflix, we’ve watched a decent number, though certainly not all of them, of the titles all of these places have to offer. Let’s look through some of them and see what we find that are more unique.
TEN of the MORE UNIQUE CHRISTMAS MOVIES of 2024
THE CHRISTMAS CHARADE
WHERE: Hallmark, watch for encore showings on the Hallmark Channel
STORY: A careful librarian who never strays from the carefulness her parents have instilled in her meets, quite by happenstance, an FBI agent and is drawn into an uncover mission.
THOUGHTS: This one doesn’t always make the cut when you look at its production, but the concept if fun and I admire that it goes for it to be unique. Plus it reunites former co-stars Rachel Skarsten and Corey Sevier.
FIVE GOLD RINGS
WHERE: Hallmark, watch for encore showings on the Hallmark Mystery
STORY: A woman who loses her grandmother, returns home for Christmas where she finds her beloved grandmother left a kind of final gift.
THOUGHTS: I’ve seen this type of concept (a type of treasure hunt) before, but I think the new (network) faces and the leading man allow this one to stand out. However, if you’re not a fan of more emotional stories, this one won’t be for you. This isn’t even the only Christmas movie this year with the treasure theme, but of the ones I’ve seen, far and away, I like this one best.
HANUKKAH on the ROCKS
WHERE: Hallmark, watch for encore showings on the Hallmark Channel
STORY: Being cut from her firm because of a merger is not on the busy daily to-do list Tory has. But this is where she’s at. Taking a temporary job bartending, Tory discovers that maybe this detour will lead to the kind of better we don’t know is missing.
THOUGHTS: This one is unique because its setting is, and sometimes, even the smallest thing can give a title an edge which is how I feel about this one. It’s also fun thanks in large part to its leading lady, Stacey Farber, who plays the role quite well. I also love that this one seems to purposefully lean into the oft used interrupted kiss and just has fun with it.
HOLIDAY CRASHERS
WHERE: Hallmark, watch for encore showings on the Hallmark Channel
STORY: Lyndsy Fonseca stars as a law school graduate who is at a kind of crossroads in her life looking to answer the question that asks “what am I doing with my life”?
THOUGHTS: I’ve seen this one twice and enjoyed it both times. My mom and I also agree that it’s more unique than most, we see and we’re no stranger to Christmas movies since it’s a subgenre we’ve seen many titles in throughout the many years. The film follows Toni as she and her bestie crash seasonal parties in an effort to kind of “forget” life and the adulting they have to do.
TEN OF THE MORE UNIQUE CHRISTMAS MOVIES of 2024. What #ChristmasMovies do you think get "unique" right in 2024? #Christmas #MovieList #OnTV #Romance #ChrisMcNally Share on XJINGLE BELL RUN
WHERE: Hallmark, watch for encore showings on the Hallmark Channel
STORY: A teacher who rarely does anything exciting enters a cross country Christmas themed race where she meets a single mom, an aspiring restauranter and a former hockey star, all of whom have something to show her.
THOUGHTS: What helps this one stand out, though I don’t think I’d count it as a personal favorite is that it steps away from the we-all-have-to-be-together tropes. There is nothing bad or wrong about doing all the Christmas activities with family, but it’s also not sinful if people do something different for the season. Doing so doesn’t mean you don’t love family. Most scripts, through the years, seem to imply that anyone who doesn’t physically spend ALL the time with family means you’re in the wrong or sinful, so seeing this one step away from this kind of family togetherness (which most movies indulge in) made this one stand out.
OUR LITTLE SECRET
WHERE: Netflix, stream exclusively on Netflix
STORY: When childhood sweethearts’ part, they reunite a decade later in a most unexpected way.
THOUGHTS: Like any Christmas movie, this one also has many of the same tropes and “moments” of any. But it has its advantages because of its leading lady (Lindsay Lohan) and the plot is also more unique in a seasonal rom-com kind of way.
PRIVATE PRINCESS CHRISTMAS
WHERE: Hallmark, watch for encore showings on the Hallmark Channel
STORY: A royal with a problem meeting commitments. This inspires her family to send her to a kind of boot camp designed to help people grow up.
THOUGHTS: This one is likely something to fly under everyone’s radar. It’s cute though and when looking at the subgenre (royal m0vies), it’s definitely one that stands on its own. The reasons it does this is for the faith (prayer) element and the way that leading lady Violet learns to be a leader. It also doesn’t get caught up in the we-cannot-be-friends-because-you’re-royal trope.
RED ONE
WHERE: Stream on Prime Video
STORY: Santa gets (gasp!) kidnapped forcing his head of security Callum to work with a works-for-the-highest-bidder tracker Jack.
THOUGHTS: A disastrous Christmas isn’t really a new concept, but kidnapping Santa and giving him bodyguards feels new. Plus I think the film has some really fun moments and if you don’t mind your kids watching action flicks, Red One is a fun family flick.
THE SANTA CLASS
WHERE: Hallmark, watch for encore showings on the Hallmark Channel
STORY: A woman, who once had other career dreams and goals, must run the North Star school her father started, which trains Santa Clauses.
THOUGHTS: Kimberley Sustad has become a favorite leading lady through the years after appearing as lead in the years ago fan favorite The Nine Lives of Christmas. Since that role, she took on best friend roles but has again cemented her role as lead in titles like Christmas by Starlight and To All a Good Night. This one is unique because it’s about a school that trains Santa’s and for the most part, it’s all cute. (It also has a let’s-make-fun-of-ourself speech which is cute and a cameo which many will love.) This one is another that’s not a personal choice favorite, but I think Kimberley’s do typically have something that makes them stand out, and I have zero problem recognizing this.
SUGARPLUMMED
WHERE: Hallmark, watch for encore showings on the Hallmark Channel
STORY: A woman who wants to have the ideal Christmas before her daughter leaves for college, finds these plans
THOUGHTS: This one is very self-aware and seems to poke fun at itself, which is cute. It’s also a film that is about Christmas, but it doesn’t go into all the romance-y things or the usual other tropes we see. I also really like Maggie Smith in this and Janel Parish is fastly becoming a new favorite. Full disclosure, I didn’t get this one finished pre publication. There just wasn’t enough time.
What titles have you seen that you would put the ‘unique’ tag on? Which ones do you think fit nicely? How many do you still want to see? Comment all of your unique Christmas movies comments down below! Let’s talk about it all.
Photos: Hallmark Media / Alamy Stock Photos
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