Let’s be honest: It was beginning to look a lot like Christmas back in September when CVS broke out the chocolate Santa Clauses. Right alongside them, the holiday movie season starts earlier and earlier each year. Holiday movies are already here in 2023. There’s something just so comforting about them. The romance. The simplicity of the plots. The familiar stars. It’s the viewing equivalent of wrapping yourself in a cozy blanket and drinking a cup of hot chocolate.
In the past few years, there’s been a movement to feature more diversity of holidays and same sex couples in these ever-popular movies. Alas, this doesn’t seem to be the case this year’s crop, which is all the more reason to check out A Holiday I Do, which features an interracial lesbian couple as its protagonists.
But for now, we’ve made our list and checked it at least thrice to give you the 10 holiday movies to watch in 2023:
1. Best. Christmas. Ever!
Stars: Heather Graham, Brandy, Matt Cedeño, Jason Biggs
Premiere Date: November 16 on Netflix
Pick up the phone! It’s the ‘90s calling! Netflix’s entry into the holiday fray features some of your favorite stars from the ‘90s and we are here for it. Charlotte (Heather Graham) is so jealous of her college friend Jackie (Brandy) and the seemingly perfect life Jackie has on display in her annual Christmas letter (we have all gotten them). Charlotte is sure Jackie is hiding something behind her perfect veneer. Will the holidays bring these two friends back together? Mary Lambert—whose horror movie history has given way to holiday fare like 2021’s A Castle for Christmas—directs.
2. A World Record Christmas
Stars: Nikki DeLoach, Lucas Bryant, Aias Dalman
Premiere Date: November 16 at 8 p.m. on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
Aias Dalman, who is Autistic, stars as Charlie, an Autistic boy who wants to break the Guinness World Record by stacking 1400 Jenga blocks on Christmas Eve. The movie is inspired by Auldin Maxwell, who holds the record for stacking Jenga blocks. Of course, this is a Hallmark movie, so there’s the added twist that Charlie is hoping to also catch the attention of his father, who has been absent for most of his life. I’ve already lamented the lack of diversity in the movies this season but I’m very happy to celebrate the inclusiveness in A World Record Christmas.
3. Dashing Through the Snow
Stars: Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Teyonah Parris, Madison Skye Validum, Lil Rel Howery, Oscar Nuñez
Premiere Date: November 17 on Disney+
Chris “Ludacris” Bridges stars as Eddie, a goodhearted social worker who doesn’t love Christmas (for reasons that will be revealed). When Eddie and his daughter Charlotte (Madison Skye Validum) meet Nick (Lil Rey Howery) on Christmas Eve, their lives begin to change. You see, Nick believes he’s Santa Claus, while Eddie thinks Chris may be a bit delusional. Will Eddie rediscover his love of Christmas?
4. EXmas
Stars: Leighton Meester, Robbie Amell, Michael Hitchcock, Kathryn Greenwood, Veronika Slowikowska, Steven Huy
Premiere Date: November 17 on FreeVee
Graham (Robbie Amell) travels home for the holidays to spend Christmas with his family. The only problem? His family has already invited his ex-fiancee Ali (Leighton Meester) to be part of the festivities. There’s not a lot of XOXO between the former couple, but will Christmas bring them back together? EXmas is the second movie to be produced by BuzzFeed Studios following Puppy Love, which debuted over the summer.
5. A Merry Scottish Christmas
Stars: Lacey Chabert, Scott Wolf, James Robinson
Premiere Date: November 19 at 8 p.m. on Hallmark Channel
Hallmark is, of course, still the reigning champion of the genre and will be debuting 40 (that’s right 40!) new holiday movies this year. But only one of its movies will feature a Party of Five reunion. Lacey Chabert and Scott Wolf will once again play siblings in A Merry Scottish Christmas. Lindsey (Chabert) and Brad (Wolf) have grown apart, but travel to Scotland for the holidays to see where their mom grew up. Secrets and a surprise cameo (that Hallmark movie loyalists will truly enjoy) abound in this movie filmed on location in Scotland. Chabert will also reunite with her Party of Five co-star Jennifer Aspen when Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up premieres on November 25.
6. The Naughty Nine
Stars: Winslow Fegley, Camila Rodriguez, Anthony Joo, Imogen Cohen, Clara Stack, Deric McCabe, Ayden Elijah, Madilyn Kellam, Derek Theler, Danny Glover
Premiere Date: November 22 on the Disney Channel
We know Santa is making his list and checking it twice, but what happens to those on the naughty list? According to this Disney Channel movie, those kids…get revenge. When Santa fails to bring 5th grader Andy (Winslow Fegley) a present, Andy gathers up some of his equally naughty friends with a brilliant plan to steal from the North Pole. What could possibly go wrong? Keep an eye out for Danny Glover as Santa. (Let’s hope Santa is not getting too old for this sh*t!) Beginning November 23, the movie will also be available on Disney+.
7. The Recipe Files
Stars: Ashlee Simpson, Morgan Bradley, Doug Noble
Premiere Date: November 24 on QVC
Is there a more on-brand cross promotional synergy than a shopping network debuting a holiday movie on Black Friday? For the second year in a row, QVC+ is getting into the holiday movie game. Last year they debuted Holly and the Hot Chocolate and this year they are back with The Recipe Files, which is being billed as a holiday mystery. On the premiere day, audiences can shop exclusive merchandise and get special deals on items featured in the movie. The movie also features cameos from QVC stars David Venable, Ali Carr, Steve Doss and Rachel Boesing. All the more reason to skip the crowded malls on the most popular shopping day of the year.
8. Yes Chef! Christmas
Stars: Tia Mowry, Buddy Valastro, Luke Humphrey
Premiere Date: December 10 at 8 p.m. on Lifetime
Lifetime has 12 new holiday movies coming your way this season as part of their “It’s a Wonderful Lifetime” programming, including Ladies of the ‘80s: A Divas Christmas, starring Loni Anderson, Morgan Fairchild, Linda Gray, Donna Mills and Nicollette Sheridan. But we are partial to Yes Chef! Christmas. Despite its tongue-in-cheek title, the movie has little in common with the FX series The Bear. Instead, Yes Chef! Christmas finds Tia Mowry starring as Alicia Gellar, a culinary teacher who gets picked as one of the contestants for Chicago’s annual Kringle Cook Off. As you might imagine sparks will fly between Alicia and her Kringle Cook Off mentor Logan (Luke Humphrey). In addition to romance, the movie celebrates how different cultures celebrate the holiday season.
9. Candy Cane Lane
Stars: Eddie Murphy, Tracee Ellis Ross, Jillian Bell, Thaddeus J. Mixson, Ken Marino, Nick Offerman, Robin Thede, Chris Redd, Genneya Walton, Madison Thomas, Anjelah Johnson-Reyes, Lombardo Boyar, D.C. Young Fly, Danielle Pinnock, Timothy Simons, Riki Lindhome, Stephen Tobolowsky
Premiere Date: December 1 on Prime Video
It seems crazy that Eddie Murphy has never starred in a holiday movie before. But apparently he hasn’t! Candy Cane Lane reunites him with his Boomerang director Reginald Hudlin and producer Brian Grazer. Murphy stars as Chris, a father who wants to win his neighborhood’s holiday decorating contest perhaps a little too much. When he makes a deal with a not-so-nice elf named Pepper (Jillian Bell), chaos ensues. Now Chris, his wife Carol (Tracee Ellis Ross) and their three children must race to save the holiday. The script comes from screenwriter Kelly Younger, who bases the movie on growing up on Candy Cane Lane in El Segundo, California. We can only assume magical elves weren’t involved in Younger’s childhood.
10. Favorite Son Christmas
Stars: Tank, Darrel Walls, Loren Lott, Serayah, Lisa Arrindell, MC Lyte, Jekalyn Carr, Anthony Evans
Premiere Date: December 14 on BET+
After the death of his father, Blaine (Tank) takes over as pastor at Graceway Church. But the church is struggling financially and Blaine must think of ways to raise money. The only thing to save the church may be a reunion of So Gifted, the singing group Blaine and his brother were once a part of. With all the musical talent as part of this cast, keep an ear out for fantastic renditions of holiday classics including “Angels We Have Heard on High” and “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.”
Amy Amatangelo, the TV Gal®, is a Boston-based freelance writer and a member of the Television Critics Association. She wasn’t allowed to watch much TV as a child and now her parents have to live with this as her career. You can follow her on Twitter (@AmyTVGal).