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It’s Hallmark Christmas Movie Season! Here Are the Best New Films to Warm Up Your Holidays

AARP’s Hallmark expert culls the season’s crop of 40 brand-new holiday films, because we know you can’t possibly watch them all (or can you?)


spinner image kevin mcgarry and kairo ryan ellis build a snowman in the hallmark channel movie checkin it twice
(Left to right) Kevin McGarry and Kairo Ryan Ellis in "Checkin’ It Twice."
Paulina Stevens/Hallmark

Heat up the hot cocoa and light a fire, because Christmas is here! Or at least Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas is, continuing through the holiday season. This season we’re getting 40 new Christmas and Hanukkah movies across Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries.

It’s not just about cozy little Vermont towns anymore: International adventures are one of the highlights of this year’s lineup, taking viewers to France in Joyeux Noel (Oct. 29, 8 p.m. ET), Australia in Christmas Island (Nov. 11, 8 p.m. ET), Germany in A Heidelberg Holiday (Nov. 12, 8 p.m. ET), Scotland in A Merry Scottish Christmas (Nov. 18, 8 p.m. ET), England in Christmas in Notting Hill (Nov. 25, 6 p.m. ET), and Norway in My Norwegian Holiday (Dec. 1, 8 p.m. ET).

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Additionally, Hallmark Movies Now will stream two original movies of its own this year, An Ice Palace Romance and Rescuing Christmas. Subscribers to the Hallmark Movies Now service ($5.99/month) will get access to those two premieres, some early releases and even extended versions of some old Hallmark Christmas favorites.

We know it can all be overwhelming, so mark your calendar for these best of the best new Hallmark holiday movies to fill your season with good cheer. (And don’t forget the Hallmark Movie Checklist App and Widgets to keep track of all the movies you want to watch and get reminders!)

Checkin’ It Twice

Countdown to Christmas kicks off this year with Checkin’ It Twice, a hockey romance (very popular over on TikTok these days). Moments after breaking up with their significant others, real estate executive Ashley and minor league hockey pro Scott bump into each other in a small-town airport gift shop. Little do they know they’ll be seeing each other later, because Scott is staying in Ashley’s family’s guest house. Growing closer as they enjoy holiday activities together, they’re forced to choose between their careers and love when they each get offered a job promotion.

Watch it: Checkin’ It Twice on Hallmark Channel

Ms. Christmas Comes to Town

Hallmark Movies & Mysteries kicks off its Miracles of Christmas lineup with fan favorites Barbara Niven, 70, and Brennan Elliott starring in a heartwarming tale about a shopping channel host known as Ms. Christmas. After receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis, Ms. Christmas sets out on a multicity adventure to spread Christmas cheer before her farewell broadcast.

Watch it: Ms. Christmas Comes to Town premieres Oct. 26, 8 p.m. ET on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries

Flipping for Christmas

Busy real estate agent Abigail has taken a break from her job with a large property development company to help her sister with the “simple flip” of an inherited house. Unfortunately, co-beneficiary Bo isn’t on board with their plan to sell, instead wanting to turn the house into a bed and breakfast. Just as they begin to work together, Abigail’s employer discovers some prime real estate nearby that threatens to ruin the town and their budding relationship.

Watch it: Flipping for Christmas premieres Nov. 3, 8 p.m. ET on Hallmark Channel

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A World Record Christmas

Charlie is a boy on the autism spectrum determined to set a Guinness World Record by stacking 1,400 Jenga blocks on Christmas Eve. His mother and stepfather decide to organize a fundraiser where the townspeople can donate to decorate a Jenga block, with all proceeds going to support kids with autism. This heartwarming holiday tale was inspired by a real story.

Watch it: A World Record Christmas debuts Nov. 16, 8 p.m. ET on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries

A Merry Scottish Christmas

For the Party of Five fans out there, Scott Wolf and Lacey Chabert play brother and sister once again this year in A Merry Scottish Christmas. Playing estranged siblings, they travel to Scotland together to reunite with their mother, uncovering a big family secret. 

Watch it: A Merry Scottish Christmas premieres Nov. 18, 8 p.m. ET on Hallmark Channel

Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up

There are always a few good sequels during Countdown to Christmas, and this year we get a second movie in the Haul Out the Holly universe. Wes Brown and Lacey Chabert are ready for their first Christmas as a couple, but they’re not prepared for the holiday royalty moving in down the street. The competition is on this Christmas on Evergreen Lane!

Watch it: Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up premieres Nov. 25, 8 p.m. ET on Hallmark Channel

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A Biltmore Christmas

Ready to step back into Hollywood’s Golden Age? Shot on location at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, A Biltmore Christmas features a time-traveling screenwriter (Bethany Joy Lenz) sent back to the set of a famous Christmas movie shot in 1947 at the Biltmore House. Time travel Christmas movies are always a favorite of Hallmark viewers, and combining this one with the magic of the Biltmore at Christmas makes it a must-see this holiday season. 

Watch it: A Biltmore Christmas premieres Nov. 26, 8 p.m. ET on Hallmark Channel

spinner image The cast of "Christmas on Cherry Lane" dining together at a dinner table.
Allister Foster/Hallmark

Christmas on Cherry Lane

Good Witch fans will be excited to learn that Catherine Bell, 55, and James Denton, 60, star alongside one another again as one of three couples navigating turning points in their lives, from marriage to expanding their families. Mean Girls fans will welcome Jonathan Bennett as part of a gay couple (Hallmark has two films this season featuring queer storylines).

Watch it: Christmas on Cherry Lane premieres Dec. 9, 8 p.m. ET on Hallmark Channel

spinner image Vic Michaelis talking on a phone in the Hallmark movie "Round and Round."
Vic Michaelis stars in "Round and Round."
Craig Minielly/Hallmark

Round and Round

Hallmark has included a Hanukkah movie annually the past few years, and this year is no exception. Round and Round is a new take on Groundhog Day, with our protagonist Rachel reliving her parents’ Hanukkah party over and over. Can the “nice boy” her grandmother is trying to set her up with help her escape the time loop?

Watch it: Round and Round premieres Dec. 10, 8 p.m. ET on Hallmark Channel

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