The Hallmark Channel has been the go-to place for holiday movies since its launch in 2001. Following the success of their 2009 “Countdown to Christmas” series, Hallmark continues to draw viewers in with new made-for-TV movies each year.
Between cheesy romances and modern spins on classic Hollywood Christmas movies, there’s plenty for fans to watch.
Along with the standard Hallmark movies, however, the company also released movies with interesting stories. We’ve rounded up five Hallmark movies that will take viewers on wild journeys.
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A very cheerful Mix-Up
A 2013 Hallmark movie A very cheerful Mix-Up has a questionable plot. Alice (Alicia Witt) runs the family’s antiques business and is engaged to a businessman named Will Mitchum (Scott Gibson). However, when she goes to her fiancé’s parents for the holidays, she ends up with a broken phone and lost luggage, which leaves her scrambling to find Will’s family. She runs into Will’s brother Matt and stays with his family.
A friend for Christmas
A friend for Christmas is one of the older Hallmark Christmas movies from 2004, but the story arc is just as strange. Starring Kelli Williams and Patrick Muldoon, the film focuses on Holly (Williams) who, 20 years ago at the age of 13, wished to find a boyfriend, suddenly finds an attractive lawyer named Ryan at her door. As the film’s description notes, “Will Kris Kringle himself fulfill his promise to Holly all these years later?”
Santa Switch
This Hallmark movie focuses more on Santa Claus (Donovan Scott) than on an overarching love story. Santa decides he needs a vacation and leaves his duties to a struggling man named Dan (Ethan Erickson). Similar to Christmas carolSanta’s assistant Eddie (Sean Astin) must help Dan prepare and learn the true meaning of Christmas.
Heavenly Christmas
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2016 Heavenly Christmas stars Sex in the cityKristin Davis as Eve, who becomes a Christmas angel after her sudden death. She is then tasked by another angel, Pearl (Shirley MacLaine), to help musician Max (Eric McCormack) overcome his life’s problems. If successful, she returns to Earth and resumes her relationship with Max, as Pearl reveals that she was actually just in a coma.
Santa Stakeout
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In a unique take on the Hallmark holiday romance, two police detectives (Tamera Mowry-Housely and Paul Campbell) pose as newlyweds to try to solve a series of robberies — all of which occur at Christmas parties. As expected, the lines between the fake relationship and the real one begin to cross.
