Nadeen Maniord is a Journalism Senior and the Sports Social Media Manager for Mustang News. The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of Mustang Media Group.
Listen, we need to talk about Hallmark Christmas movies. Every year, they show up in their sparkly, low-budget glory, and every year, someone—probably wearing black turtlenecks and quoting The New Yorker—feels the need to trash them.
Are they predictable? Of course. Are they cheesy? Duh. Do they make me feel like everything’s going to be OK, even if just for 90 minutes? You bet your Grinchy heart they do.
First, let’s get one thing straight: these movies aren’t here to win Oscars or reinvent cinema. They’re here to serve up a world where love always wins, hot cocoa solves everything, and the worst villain you’ll encounter is a corporate real estate developer. (Seriously, why are they always trying to bulldoze the town square?)
And clearly, I’m not the only one who finds this appealing—Hallmark holiday films drew 85 million viewers last year, according to Nielsen. That’s not just a cult following; that’s a movement.
Critics love to drag Hallmark for being “formulaic,” but let’s be honest—do we really want surprises in our holiday movies?
Imagine watching one where the hero loses the gingerbread bake-off, the Christmas tree farm goes bankrupt, and everyone just… goes home sad. No, thank you. Life has enough plot twists. Hallmark delivers something we don’t get enough of these days: certainty. You know the couple will kiss by the third act, and that’s exactly the point.
And before you roll your eyes at the clichés, let’s be real—you love clichés.
People rewatch Elf and Love Actually every year like it’s a seasonal religion. Yet when Hallmark serves up its signature blend of snow, romance, and small-town charm, it’s “too much”? Spare me.
A 2021 YouGov survey revealed that 70% of viewers appreciate Hallmark movies for their predictability. It’s comfort food for the soul—familiar, dependable, and deeply satisfying.
Plus, these movies are more than just fluff. Hallmark’s Christmas lineup accounted for 40% of ad-supported cable viewership during the week of Christmas in 2022, according to Forbes. That’s right—while some of you were scoffing at the saccharine dialogue, Hallmark was quietly taking over your TV.
Sure, the plots are absurd. A big-city lawyer moves back to her hometown, saves the family inn and falls in love with her high school boyfriend? Ridiculous.
But is it any more absurd than a movie where burglars are outsmarted by a 9-year-old or a guy wins a girl over with cue cards in the snow? Hallmark just leans into the absurdity—and wraps it in tinsel.
So let me have my cheesy montages and guaranteed snow-covered kisses, OK?
In a world where everything feels messy and unpredictable, Hallmark gives us 90 minutes of peppermint-scented joy. And if you still feel the need to judge, maybe you’re the problem—not the perfectly named heroine rediscovering the true meaning of Christmas.
