The 10 Best Netflix Holiday Rom-coms 

Netflix has become the ultimate destination for holiday rom-coms, delivering festive cheer with a side of romance.

The streaming service continues to add all kinds of romantic comedies to its catalog. And while some feel like total cheese fests (in the best way possible), others have actually managed to capture a magical mix of holiday spirit and heart. From snowy love stories to royal romances, here are 10 Netflix holiday rom-coms that’ll make you want to grab a hot cocoa and hit play.

The Princess Switch (2018)

Netflix

In this double role, Vanessa Hudgens plays a baker from Chicago and a duchess, who bump into each other and decide to switch lives. It’s completely ridiculous, but that’s exactly why it works. Chicago baker, Stacy, learns she’s got way more princess energy than she thought, while Duchess Margaret discovers life’s sweeter without all the royal rules. The best part isn’t even the predictable romance – it’s watching both women realize they’ve been playing it way too safe in their own lives. Netflix knew they struck gold because they turned The Princess Switch into a trilogy. Honestly, who hasn’t dreamed about discovering they’re secretly royal?

A Christmas Prince (2017)

Netflix

An aspiring journalist goes undercover at a palace to get dirt on a playboy prince, which sounds like the plot of every holiday movie ever – but wait. What makes this one special is how our girl Amber starts out thinking she’s writing the story of her career and ends up actually finding her voice instead. Between awkward horse-riding scenes and palace intrigue, she stops trying to be what everyone else wants. When she finally comes clean about who she is, it’s not just to the prince, it’s to herself. The movie was so popular it spawned two sequels and basically kicked off Netflix’s whole holiday rom-com empire.

Let It Snow (2019)

Netflix

Let It Snow follows a group of high school kids during a Christmas Eve snowstorm in their small town.  Julie’s dealing with college decisions and a sick mom, while Dorrie’s crushing on a cheerleader who only acknowledges her in secret. The magic here is how messy and real it all feels – perfectly weaving the wonder of the holiday season with heartfelt relatable stories. 

Holiday in the Wild (2019)

Netflix

When Kate’s husband dumps her right before their “second honeymoon,” she decides to go to Zambia alone. Instead of moping around, she discovers her inner veterinarian and falls in love with elephant conservation. The romance with Rob Lowe’s Derek is super cute, but it’s also sweet seeing Kate rebuild her life by doing something meaningful. This one stands out because it’s not just about finding love – it’s about finding purpose. Plus, the elephants are real, and the conservation message doesn’t feel preachy.

Holidate (2020)

Netflix

Emma Roberts stars in this charming rom-com about two people who make a pact to be each other’s pretend dates for the holidays but end up unexpectedly falling for one another for real as they spend more time together.  These two disasters spend more time roasting each other than falling in love, but that’s what makes the movie work. It’s refreshing to see holiday movie characters who aren’t perfect and say what we’re all thinking about holiday traditions. The humor’s actually funny, not just Hallmark-movie awkward.

Operation Christmas Drop (2020)

Netflix

Operation Christmas Drop is based on a real Air Force tradition, which makes it a lot cooler than most made-up holiday movie plots. A congressional aide, Erica, heads to Guam to shut down an Air Force base’s Christmas tradition of dropping supplies to neighboring islands. She tries to be as tough as she can but soon begins to realize there’s more to life than climbing the DC ladder. The tropical Christmas vibe is a nice change from all the snow and sweaters. Plus, any romance that involves humanitarian aid missions and military cargo planes feels way more legit than your typical coffee shop meet-cute.

Single All the Way (2021)

Netflix

In Single All the Way, Peter drags his best friend Nick home for Christmas to pretend they’re dating. But unbeknownst to him, his family’s already ten steps ahead and knows the two are headed for romance. The brood feels like an actual family, with Jennifer Coolidge stealing every scene she’s in as the weird aunt.  The film captures the struggle of being single during the most couple-y time of year, and how two friends’ platonic pact unexpectedly blossoms into the real deal.

Love Hard (2021)

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After getting catfished, Natalie ends up helping the guy who catfished her win over the girl whose photos he used, which sounds awful but somehow works. The movie calls out rom-com clichés while being a rom-com itself. There’s this whole running debate about whether “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie that’s pretty funny. Plus, any movie that acknowledges how brutal online dating is gets points for honesty. The real love story is Natalie figuring out what she actually wants versus what she thinks she should want.

Falling for Christmas (2022)

Netflix

In her comeback film, Lindsay Lohan plays a spoiled hotel heiress who gets amnesia and ends up being taken care of by a hot widowed dad who runs a struggling lodge. Sure, it’s predictable, but watching Lohan get back to her comedy roots is great. And the scenes of her trying to do basic tasks like making a bed are genuinely funny. There’s something satisfying about watching a rich girl learn to be a normal person, even if it takes a bump on the head to get there.

The Knight Before Christmas (2019)

Netflix

Any movie that sends a medieval knight to modern-day Ohio through a time portal has got to be fun. Vanessa Hudgens plays a science teacher who’s totally over love until Sir Cole literally crashes into her life. The fish-out-of-water scenes are hilarious – watching this knight figure out cars and microwaves never gets old. What makes it work is how they don’t try to explain the time travel and just go with it. It’s completely bonkers but in the best possible way. Plus, where else are you going to see a knight learn about Netflix?