The holiday season is upon up! There is no time of year more snuggly and cozy than Christmastime and the holiday season. From spending time with loved ones, decorating your home, baking sweet holiday treats, venturing out to check off all of those items on your shopping list, to gifting those bright, beautiful packages (and receiving them, too!), the holiday season is the perfect antidote for all of the stress built up over the year.
It seems like each year the holiday season comes a little earlier. Maybe it’s just because we notice these things more, or maybe it’s because the world just can’t wait for the holidays to start, but it seems like every year the stores are playing Christmas music and decking their halls long before Thanksgiving. Not that we’re complaining — we love the holidays! And one of the best parts is that our favorite new holiday movies set to release in 2022 are right around the corner. Whether you are a Lifetime purist or have converted to a Hallmark and Netflix junkie, there is something for everyone.
Read More »This year might be the best year yet for holiday TV movies. With some familiar faces returning to the screen and some new big stars as well, there are plenty of movies to binge-watch. So without further ado, here are some of the best new holiday movies to look forward to in 2022.
Falling For Christmas (Netflix)
This is the one that’s starring Lindsay Lohan and is pretty much at the top of everyone’s must-watch holiday movie list. In Falling For Christmas, Lohan is the wealthy heiress of a hotel chain — not the Hilton, but we get the reference — who goes on vacation and suffers an accident while skiing. When she comes to, she has no idea who she is. She sets up in the lodge to recover from her injuries, and that’s where she meets the handsome lodge owner that helps her find the true meaning of Christmas. Falling For Christmas premiers November 10 on Netflix and also features Chord Overstreet, George Young, Jack Wagner, Olivia Perez, Alejandra Flores, Chase Ramsey, Sean Dillingham, and Antonio Charity.
The 12 Days of Christmas Eve (Lifetime)
Each holiday season, we expect great things from Lifetime. And this year will not disappoint with The 12 Days of Christmas Eve, starring Kelsey Grammer and his real-life daughter Spencer Grammer. Kelsey is a divorced father who’s grown apart from his daughter. On Christmas Eve, he gets into a car crash and is given twelve opportunities to redeem himself and patch things up. So break out the tissues and get the popcorn ready because The 12 Days Of Christmas Eve premiers on November 26.
A Holiday Spectacular (Hallmark)
Hallmark has a strong foothold in delightfully sentimental holiday movies. A Holiday Spectacular is one of 40 new holiday movies that Hallmark will be rolling out in 2022. In A Holiday Spectacular, it’s 1958, and Ginna Claire Mason of Wicked fame stars Maggie a well-to-do young woman with dreams of being a dancer. She heads to New York City to pursue her dreams and meets Ann Margaret to help guide her along. A Holiday Spectacular features the actual Rockettes and premiers November 27 on Hallmark and Peacock.
A Hollywood Christmas (HBO Max)
Starring Jessika Van, Josh Swickard, Missi Pyle, Anissa Borrego, and Riley Dandy, A Hollywood Christmas features Jessica (played by Jessika Van) as a rising star Hollywood filmmaker that has a long list of credits directing successful holiday movies. When Christopher, the dashing network exec played by Josh Swickard, arrives ready to shut down production, Jessica must overcome the odds and her feelings for Josh to finish the movie. She realizes that not only is she trying to make a holiday movie, but she’s also living in one. A Hollywood Christmas premiers December 1 on HBO Max.
When Christmas Was Young (Paramount+)
Executive produced by legendary singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow, When Christmas Was Young stars Karen David, Tyler Hilton, Meghan Heffern, and Jordana Largy. When a highly successful music manager goes back to his hometown to secure the rights to a Christmas song that was written by an old flame, he faces more than he bargained for. With great holiday music throughout the movie, When Christmas Was Young will certainly be one of the best holiday movies in 2022 to keep you in the Christmas spirit.
Christmas with You (Netflix)
Starring Freddie Prinze Jr., Aimee Garcia, Grace Dumdaw, and Gabriel Sloyer, Christmas With You is another music-themed holiday movie in which a beloved pop star makes a young fan’s dream come true and unexpectedly finds love along the way. A cozy romantic comedy that hits all of the right notes, Christmas With You premiers on November 17 on Netflix.
Holiday Harmony (HBO Max)
Keeping in tune with the music-themed Christmas movies, Holiday Harmony follows Gail, a singer-songwriter, on her journey to compete for a career-making opportunity. But when she gets stuck in Harmony Springs, Oklahoma, with nowhere to go, she meets Jeremy and the two grow close. With his encouragement, Gail helps a group of kids perform at their own Christmas festival. However, if Gail is going to give herself the opportunity to see her dreams through, she must leave Jeremy and the kids behind. Starring Annelise Cepero, Jeremy Sumpter, and Brooke Shields, Holiday Harmony can be seen on HBO Max beginning November 24.
One Delicious Christmas (Discovery+)
Discovery+ is getting into the sappy holiday movie game and is doing some cross-promotion for good measure. In One Delicious Christmas, which premieres November 11, Vanessa Marano plays Abby, a restaurant owner, who hires a new up-and-coming chef played by Alex Mallari, Jr., to help pull the dying restaurant out of obscurity. And Food Network icon Bobby Flay stars as the food critic that can either make this a very merry Christmas or deliver coal this year. One Delicious Christmas also stars Kathy Maloney and Tom Kingsley.
The First Noelle (BET+)
Starring Novi Brown, LaLa Milan, and Todd Anthony and premiering on November 10, The First Noelle features Instagram-famous LaLa Milan as Noelle, a woman who ended her relationship with her boyfriend after he took a position across the pond in London. Now her boyfriend is back, and he’s brought his new girlfriend home to introduce her to friends and family. Oh, and she’s also named Noelle.
Hotel for the Holidays (Freevee)
New free streamer Freevee is getting into the holiday movie mix this year with its first-holiday special, Hotel For The Holidays, starring Madelaine Petsch, Mena Massoud, Max Lloyd-Jones, Kayleigh Shikanai, Jami Belushi, Neil Crone, and Jayne Eastwood. Massoud, who you may recognize as Aladdin in the 2019 live-action film, stars as a hotel chef that must endure an eclectic mix of partons during the holidays, and Petsch is the hotel manager and love interest that must make some tough decisions when a former European prince arrives and threatens to steal her heart. Hotel For The Holidays premieres December 2.
The Noel Diary (Netflix)
Starring Justin Hartley, Barrett Doss, Bonnie Bedelia, Treat Williams, Essence Atkins, and James Remar, the Noel Diary is another binge-able 2022 Netflix holiday movie to help put you in a cozy holiday mood. Jake Turner plays a famous author that returns home at Christmastime to take care of his estranged mother’s estate where he discovers a diary that holds some mysteries of the past. The Noel Diary premiers on November 24 on Netflix.
Spirited (Apple+)
Apple+ is entering the arena this holiday movie season with Spirited, a musical version of the Charles Dickes class tale, A Christmas Carol. In this megastar movie, Will Ferrell plays the Ghost of Christmas Present and chooses one soul in need of redemption on Christmas Eve. But this year, the pre-selected Scrooge turns out to be something other than your typical Scrooge. Ryan Reynolds stars as Clint Briggs, who forces the Ghost of Christmas Present to take a look in the mirror and reflect on his own past, present, and future. With musical numbers written by the composers behind the music in La La Land, Spirited should be an uproarious delight this holiday season and may prove to be one of the best Christmas movies in 2022.
Final Thoughts
Like all of the Christmas music that begins playing over the airwaves and at the mall and grocery stores, we know what to expect when it comes to wonderfully sentimental holiday movies. We can rely on their coziness, their family-friendly romance, and their silly antics year after year. And the Christmas movies in 2022 will not disappoint. So, curl up on the couch with some hot cocoa, a warm blanket, and your favorite holiday movie this season.
