Ranking Netflix’s Holiday Movies From Least to Most Cringe

Holiday films on Netflix run the gamut from some of the most enjoyable films on the platform to some of the most cringeworthy films we’ve ever seen. Netflix isn’t always celebrated for its original content, but series like Stranger Things and The Crown have proven that the streaming service has legs. With the holiday season upon us, Netflix has been dabbling in every festive genre: family-friendly films, screwball comedies, sappy romances, and Hallmark-esque classics. 

Sometimes they hit the mark. Other times, they completely miss. We all want some Christmas magic, but the line between cringe and magical is a very thin one. So, we’ve ranked Netflix’s holiday movies from least to most cringe.

Least Cringe: ‘Let It Snow’ (2019)

This teen film in the style of Love Actually is evocative of Empire Records, but with a Christmas twist in the modern-day. The realistic storylines, queer romance, heightened emotions, and hilarious dialogue make it arguably the best holiday movie on Netflix and therefore, the least cringe.

‘Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square’ (2020)

If this was a ranking of least to most camp, Christmas on the Square would definitely take the crown for the campiest. But this is about the cringe factor, and Christmas on the Square is anything but. Dolly Parton and Christine Baranski? Sure, the story is silly, but it’s about the music, the dancing, and the magic of Christmas.

‘Love Hard’ (2021)

We’ve all been in a situation where we fall for someone on a dating app, only for them to be someone entirely different. Of course, Love Hard takes it a step further than catfishing, but Jimmy O. Yang’s charming curmudgeon is so lovable that we love this movie… hard.

‘Falling for Christmas’ (2022)

We will never complain about Lindsay Lohan’s return to the screen. Sure, Falling for Christmas reads like a Hallmark film, but it knows exactly what it is. Its self-awareness and the fact that it stars Lindsay Lohan make it way less cringe than expected.

‘Holidate’ (2020)

Sure, Holidate has a very predictable ending. But the journey is what counts! Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey’s chemistry along with the fun dialogue make Holidate an enjoyable movie. And it’s not too cringey!

‘Holiday in the Wild’ (2019)

Kristin Davis’s Christmas film starring opposite Rob Lowe is sappy, romantic, and barely Christmas-y, since her character, Kate, spends the holidays in Africa. It has a bit of the white savior dynamic and some cheesy dialogue, but it’s not the most cringe.

‘Best. Christmas. Ever!’ (2023)

We love the cast, but Best. Christmas. Ever! falls short of doing anything particularly funny or entertaining. The twist at the end is emotional but not surprising, and the characters we’re supposed to empathize with aren’t the most likable. All of this together makes Best. Christmas. Ever! pretty cringe.

‘Single All the Way’ (2021)

We love a queer Christmas story, but the idea that one has to be in a relationship to be happy over the holidays is so overdone. And this plays on the stereotype that gay guys who are friends with one another should just date … by proving it true! Even still, it’s a cute film and less cringe than Netflix’s pure Hallmark-esque movies.

‘A Christmas Prince’ Trilogy (2017, 2018, 2019)

The Christmas Prince films are enjoyable enough thanks to Rose McIver in the starring role and her character’s relationship with the sassy Princess Emily. However, the dialogue is not original or always realistic, and the plot of the undercover journalist falling for her subject is too familiar, which makes the whole trilogy pretty *cringe.*

‘The Princess Switch’ Trilogy (2018, 2020, 2021)

For some reason, Vanessa Hudgens is the queen of Netflix Christmas films, and apparently, there are a million Vanessas in the world of The Princess Switch. We don’t know how many people are that identical, but the entire premise of the film is so silly that it’s hard to look past, making the trilogy almost the most cringe on Netflix.

‘Christmas Inheritance’ (2017)

Christmas Inheritance has all the makings of a cringe Christmas film. From the contrived and cheesy plot of having to deliver a Christmas letter with just $100 and anonymity to the unsurprising character arc, this film is almost as cringe as it gets.

Most Cringe: ‘The Knight Before Christmas’ (2019)

Aside from making a pun on The Night Before Christmas for no apparent reason, The Knight Before Christmas just doesn’t make sense. Why would a knight need to find his true love in a time completely different from his own? And how does that make him a knight? Plus, the chemistry between Vanessa Hudgens (again) and Josh Whitehouse is laughable. It just doesn’t make sense! And the Christmas “magic” is pointless, which makes it as cringe as possible.