The holiday season is ramping up, and so too are the seasonal movie releases. With so many to watch across several networks, we’re putting together a handy guide to them all, starting with Netflix’s 2018 Original Christmas Movies.
Though Netflix has a smaller offering of original Christmas movies this holiday season, each one that they have to be utterly delightful. Some are already streaming — so you can dive right in — with a few yet to come through the rest of the month.
We’ve rounded them up below, in release order, along with a brief synopsis and trailer so that you can easily shortlist them to get you into the holiday spirit.
‘The Holiday Calendar’ — November 2, 2018
In The Holiday Calendar, Kat Graham stars as Abby Sutton, an aspiring photographer who feels her creativity is being stifled by her corporate job. Her childhood friend, Josh, returns after spending time abroad as a travel photographer, it reminds Abby of all the chances she didn’t take in her own career.
When Abby’s grandfather gifts her with an advent calendar that originally belonged to her grandmother, strangely magical things begin to happen in her life, leading her closer to her dreams, and a potential chance romance with Ty Walker, a single father and doctor whose Christmas tree Abby runs over.
Of course, in true Christmas romance style, things are never quite as they first appear…
‘The Princess Switch’ — November 16, 2018
Who doesn’t love a little Prince and the Pauper style look-a-like switcheroo? Especially with a holiday spin to it (It’s set just before Christmas). That is exactly what we appear to be getting with The Princess Switch, starring Vanessa Hudgens as a baker called Stacy, and her royal twin, Margaret, the Duchess of Montenaro.
Hijinks and romance ensue when Stacy and Margaret step into each others’ lives, which will undoubtedly lead to some interesting complications as The Princess Switch unfolds — but, of course, in the spirit of the season, they’ll work themselves out by the end.
If you love The Parent Trap, but want a more romantic spin to it, this is definitely a movie to check out as you cosy up under some blankets with a hot chocolate. Read our full Princess Switch review!
‘The Christmas Chronicles’ — November 22, 2018
Netflix switches out the romance for a more traditional Christmas adventure with The Christmas Chronicles, starring Kurt Russell as good ol’ Saint Nick himself.
The Pierce children, who are left alone on Christmas Eve when their mother needs to work, accidentally crash Santa’s sleigh in their bid to catch him on camera. What happens next is a classic “saving Christmas” narrative, with both kids teaming up with Santa to ensure that everyone gets their gifts, to remind them to “do good.”
And look, I’ll be real with you, I was sold as soon as Russel’s Santa wise-cracked, “I’m Santa Claus, Teddy. Not Yoda.” Because who doesn’t love their holiday movies with a dose of pop culture references?
‘A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding’ — November 30
Perhaps the most anticipated of Netflix’s original holiday movies for 2018, The Royal Wedding is a follow-up to A Christmas Prince, which was just the right balance of cheesy romance and Christmas spirit when it released in 2017.
The challenges facing Amber Moore and Prince Richard are heightened as their wedding approaches. With royal responsibilities and an image to uphold, Amber struggles as more and more restrictions are placed on her life, while also contending with the strict traditions of Aldovia that threaten to make her wedding less about her love for Richard, and more about the nation she is marrying into.
Amber and Richard’s love for each other overcame several obstacles in A Christmas Prince — not least Amber’s deception about her true identity — but will a compromise be reached between who she is as an individual, and her new responsibilities as Queen-to-be? We certainly can’t wait to find out.
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