All of the best new holiday movies to watch in 2020
A full list of new holiday movies on Netflix, Lifetime, Hallmark Channel, and more, plus our top picks to watch and stream.
Thanksgiving plans will look a lot different this year thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. Regardless of how you celebrate, Thursday marks the unofficial start of the holiday movie season, with cable channels and streaming companies unveiling a cornucopia of viewing choices from now until 2021.
The most prolific purveyors of holiday movie cheer are Lifetime — which airs a new holiday film every Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday at 8 p.m. through Dec. 20 — and Hallmark Channel, which has 23 holiday movies airing at 8 p.m. on multiple nights, plus an additional 17 new movies on its Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel at 10 p.m.
In the streaming realm, Netflix is giving Lifetime and Hallmark a run for their money, releasing a torrent of holiday content throughout the fall.
Ahead, we’ve rounded up all of the new holiday movies to check out in 2020, with top picks including a Lifetime title filmed in Massachusetts and a Disney+ title filmed in Boston earlier this year. (Note: If you miss a movie’s original air time, be sure to check out the channel’s website, as many movies are available on-demand with a valid cable login.)
Netflix
Top pick: “Jingle Jangle” A Christmas Journey” (Nov. 10)
Netflix’s top holiday release is a brand-new musical from writer/director David E. Talbert (“Almost Christmas”) that features original songs by musicians including John Legend. In the quaint town of Cobbleton, toymaker Jeronicus Jangle (Forest Whitaker) creates holiday magic with his whimsical inventions. When his apprentice (Keegan Michael-Key, “Key & Peele”) steals his most prized creation, it’s up to Jeronicus’s granddaughter (Madalen Mills) to save the day and help the pair reconcile in the spirit of the holiday season.
“Holidate” (Oct. 28)
“Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey” (Nov. 10)
“The Princess Switch: Switched Again” (Nov. 19)
“Alien Xmas” (Nov. 20)
“Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square” (Nov. 22)
“The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two” (Nov. 25)
“Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker” (Nov. 27)
“Angela’s Christmas Wish” (Dec. 1)
“Just Another Christmas” (Dec. 3)
“Leyla Everlasting” (Dec. 4)
“Christmas Crossfire” (Dec. 4)
Hulu
Top pick: “The Happiest Season” (Nov. 24)
Hulu’s new release puts a twist on the traditional holiday rom-com, with Kristen Stewart (“Twilight”) and Mackenzie Davis (“Irresistible”) playing a lesbian couple at the center of some family yuletide mix-ups. Abby (Stewart) is joining Harper (Davis) at her family Christmas for the first time, and plans to bring joy to the holiday season by proposing. When they arrive, however, Abby discovers that Harper hasn’t told her family that she’s gay or that her and Abby are a couple. Directed by Clea DuVall (“Veep”), “The Happiest Season” includes a great roster of comedic talent that includes Alison Brie (“Glow”), Aubrey Plaza (“Parks and Recreation”), Daniel Levy (“Schitt’s Creek”), and Mary Steenburgen (“Step Brothers”).
Disney+
Top pick: “Godmothered” (Dec. 4)
If you’re looking for a holiday film with a distinctly Boston flavor to it, Disney+ is here to grant your wish with “Godmothered,” which filmed in Boston, Marblehead, and other nearby towns earlier this year. Set during the Christmas season, “Godmothered” follows a “young, inexperienced fairy godmother-in-training” (Bell) who is determined to prove that the world still needs her magic even though the fairy godmother profession is facing extinction. After finding a misplaced letter from a 10-year-old girl named Mackenzie, Eleanor heads to Earth to assist her, only to find that Mackenzie (Fisher) is now a 40-year-old single mom working at a TV news station in Boston. Mackenzie has given hope on finding a “happily ever after” after losing her husband several years earlier, but Eleanor is determined to turn around her fortunes.
On-demand
Top pick: “Dear Santa” (Dec. 4)
Originally intended to be released in theaters, “Dear Santa” is a documentary from IFC Films that shines a light on the “Operation Santa” program of the United States Postal Service. For the last 100 years, the USPS has enlisted community volunteers to help answer thousands of letters to Santa Claus, making children’s dreams come true nationwide. “Dear Santa” will be available to rent via on demand platforms starting Dec. 4.
Lifetime
Top pick: “Christmas on Ice” (available now)
Topping the list of Lifetime’s Christmas movie offerings is “Christmas on Ice,” which was filmed in Worcester in February. The plot follows a former pro figure skater named Courtney (Abigail Klein), who runs the city’s skating rink. When the mayor says he’ll have to shut the rink down due to budgetary reasons, Courtney contacts Noah (Ryan Cooper), a former pro hockey player and single dad who just opened a new indoor skating center. Together, they must save the rink and its annual holiday show. “Christmas on Ice” originally debuted on Lifetime on Oct. 23, and it’s available to watch online anytime with a valid cable login.
“Christmas Unwrapped” (available now)
“Forever Christmas” (available now)
“A Crafty Christmas Romance” (available now)
“Candy Cane Christmas” (available now)
“The Christmas Aunt” (available now)
“The Crafty Yule Blog” (available now)
“A Welcome Home Christmas” (Nov. 7)
“A Very Charming Christmas Town” (Nov. 8)
“Christmas on the Vine” (Nov. 13)
“Christmas on Wheels” (Nov. 14)
“The Christmas Edition” (Nov. 15)
“A Taste of Christmas” (Nov. 20)
“Feliz NaviDAD” (Nov. 21)
“Homemade Christmas” (Nov. 22)
“Dear Christmas” (Nov. 27)
“Merry Liddle Christmas Wedding” (Nov. 28)
“People Presents: One Upon a Main Street” (Nov. 29)
“The Christmas Listing” (Nov. 30)
“Spotlight on Christmas” (Dec. 4)
“Let’s Meet Again on Christmas Eve” (Dec. 5)
“Christmas Ever After” (Dec. 6)
“The Santa Squad” (Dec. 7)
“Inn Love by Christmas” (Dec. 11)
“The Christmas Setup” (Dec. 12)
“A Sugar and Spice Holiday” (Dec. 13)
“Lonestar Christmas” (Dec. 14)
“Christmas on the Menu” (Dec. 18)
“A Christmas Exchange” (Dec. 19)
“A Christmas Break” (Dec. 20)
Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
Top pick: “Love, Lights, Hanukkah!” (Dec. 12)
Of Hallmark Channel’s 23 new holiday movies, which air regularly at 8 p.m., “Love, Lights, Hanukkah!” is the rare title that explores holiday traditions outside of Christmas. As restaurant owner Christina (Mia Kirshner) prepares her restaurant for the holiday rush, she discovers that she is Jewish thanks to the results of a DNA test. The revelation leads her to a new family and a budding romance that unfolds over eight magical nights.
“Jingle Bell Bride” (Oct. 24)
“Christmas Tree Lane” (Oct. 24)
“Chateau Christmas” (Oct. 25)
“Deliver by Christmas” (Oct. 25)
“One Royal Holiday” (Oct. 31)
“Cranberry Christmas” (Oct. 31)
“On the 12th Date of Christmas” (Nov. 1)
“Holly & Ivy” (Nov. 1)
“Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Sweater” (Nov. 7)
“The Christmas Ring” (Nov. 7)
“Christmas with the Darlings” (Nov. 8)
“Christmas in Vienna” (Nov. 13)
“Meet Me at Christmas” (Nov. 14)
“A Timeless Christmas” (Nov 15)
“The Christmas Doctor” (Nov. 15)
“A Nashville Christmas Carol” (Nov. 21)
“The Angel Tree” (Nov. 21)
“The Christmas House” (Nov. 22)
“A Godwink Christmas: Second Chance, First Love” (Nov. 22)
“Heart of the Holidays” (Nov. 23)
“A Christmas Tree Grows in Colorado” (Nov. 24)
“Good Morning Christmas! (Nov. 25)
“Christmas by Starlight” (Nov. 26)
“Five Star Christmas” (Nov. 27)
“Christmas Waltz” (Nov 28)
“USS Christmas” (Nov. 28)
“If I Only Had Christmas” (Nov. 29)
“Christmas in Evergreen: Bells are Ringing” (Dec. 5)
“Time for Us to Come Home for Christmas” (Dec. 5)
“Christmas She Wrote” (Dec. 6)
“A Little Christmas Charm” (Dec. 6)
“A Glenbrooke Christmas” (Dec. 12)
“Christmas Comes Twice” (Dec. 13)
“Unlocking Christmas” (Dec. 13)
“A Christmas Carousel” (Dec. 19)
“Swept Up by Christmas” (Dec. 19)
“Cross Country Christmas” (Dec. 20)
“Project Christmas Wish” (Dec. 20)
Other channels
“A Royal Christmas Engagement” (Nov. 29, ION)
“A Christmas Surprise” (Dec. 5, BET)
“Marry Me This Christmas” (Dec. 6, Bounce)
“Christmas Together” (Dec. 6, ION)
“Christmas Dilemma (Dec. 6, TV One)
“Christmas on the Range” (Dec. 6, UPtv)
“A Christmas for Mary” (Dec. 8, OWN)
“The Christmas Lottery” (Dec. 12, BET)
“Beaus of Holly” (Dec. 12, ION)
“Toys of Terror” (Dec. 12, Syfy)
“The Christmas Sitters” (Dec. 13, ION)
“Cooking Up Christmas” (Dec. 13, OWN)
“Holiday Heartbreak” (Dec. 16, BET)
“Letters to Satan Clause” (Dec. 19, Syfy)
“First Christmas” (Dec. 22, OWN)
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