Netflix had five new original Christmas films to offer fans this year and, yes, some were better than others.
In fact, some were wildly better than others. So, if you haven’t had a chance to watch all five yet — or if you perhaps have, and just want to see if you agree with us — we went ahead and did so, and have figured out the definitive ranking of the films.
Save for “Goodbye June,” which releases on Christmas Eve and will be evaluated then, you can find Netflix’s Christmas movies below, ranked from worst to best.
Fair warning, there will be some spoilers ahead!
A Merry Little Ex-Mas
“A Merry Little Ex-Mas” starts out by openly poking fun at the mold of typical Christmas movies. Our protagonist admits she was a career woman just starting to get successful when she fell in love with the man who would be her husband, and moved to a small town called “Winterlight” to be with him.
She then immediately notes that she’s been unhappy for years, having given up her entire life to become a stay-at-home mom who really had no help because her husband prioritized his job as a doctor over being home. So, they’re getting divorced and she’s moving to Boston! Love that for you!
Except, no she’s not, because her husband finally figured out how terrible he was to her — thanks to a beautiful new girlfriend, who he is equally terrible to — and got jealous of her new love, and eventually won her back. Despite his offer to move to Boston with her, she rejects it, and decides to stay in the small town that trapped her.
In all, this movie pokes fun at the formula before rigidly following it. It is…frustrating, to say the least.
My Secret Santa
Off the bat, “My Secret Santa” gets points for being an original Christmas movie concept. It may not be an original concept in general — “Mrs. Doubtfire” and “She’s the Man” have both done it before, and better — but what other Christmas movie has a woman pretending to be a man playing Santa in order to help fund her kid’s dream snowboarding camp?
It’s especially delightful that Alexandra Breckenridge leads this movie, considering she herself was in “She’s the Man.” She’s not a villain this time though; she’s the leading lady, and Breckenridge proves she has the juice to be one (which we’ve known).
The problem is, the casting is off everywhere else. Tia Mowry, beloved by fans, is somehow the villain in this movie, which is odd in itself. What’s more odd is that her triggering event is being passed over for a job she rightfully deserves, in favor of her boss’ scandal-prone son. If you ask me, it’s the most valid crashout.
That son is played by Ryan Eggold, who is lovely, but a bit too earnest to be believable as a bad boy. “My Secret Santa” is just kind of an odd duck.
“Jingle Bell Heist”
If you like the “Now You See Me” films, you might have a good time with “Jingle Bell Heist.” No, Olivia Holt and Connor Swindells aren’t playing magicians, but they are playing thieves who use their exceptional sleight of hand to steal from deserving, rich a–holes.
There are a few false starts to the actual concept of this film, and it’s certainly predictable, but Holt and Swindells carry it a long way. When Lucy Punch shows up doing her always-glorious Lucy Punch thing, the movie really starts cooking with gas.
It has real heart to it, if a painfully underutilized Punch and Peter Serafinowicz.
“Champagne Problems”
Color me surprised that this tops the list — at least for now — too, considering how cookie-cutter it seems at first glance. But “Champagne Problems” is a legitimately fun watch.
Much of that is thanks to Minka Kelly and Tom Wozniczka, who, in a shocking twist, actually have some chemistry! It’s not shocking that they specifically do, but in some of these more recent movies, it feels like filmmakers have forgotten that romantic leads actually need to have chemistry. It felt like thought was put in here.
But more than that, “Champagne Problems” feels legitimately earnest. The corniness and clichés work because they lean into them organically; it doesn’t feel like they were shoved in just to check boxes of a Christmas rom-com.
The best part of this movie, though, is 100% the side characters. Roberto is our king, but Otto is a close second.
TBD: Goodbye June
As we mentioned above, “Goodbye June,” doesn’t release until Christmas Eve. The movie stars Dame Helen Mirren, Toni Colette and Kate Winslet, and marks the directorial debut of Winslet. The film was in fact written by her own son.
We expect that “Goodbye June” is going to be the tearjerker of Netflix’s offerings this year, as Mirren stars as “an ill yet quick-witted mother who orchestrates a final farewell.” We’ll keep you posted on where it lands in comparison to the rest of these movies.
