Netflix has become a stronger competitor for holiday audiences every year. Their romantic comedies aren't too far off from Hallmark's fare, but they also have some delightful movies for kids and families. In 2020, the streaming platform has still managed to unveil a line-up that subscribers look forward to viewing.
Ten new films are available this year, ranging from rom-coms and musicals to North Pole adventures and a special documentary. In 2017, A Christmas Prince was one of the most popular holiday films on the platform. Which of these could take its place?
The Princess Switch: Switched Again
The Princess Switch (2018) is a great companion piece for 2017's A Christmas Prince. Vanessa Hudgens is back for triple the fun in The Princess Switch: Switched Again. She reprises her roles from the first movie as Stacy De Novo and Lady Margaret Delacourt, Duchess of Montenaro. Margaret's cousin, Fiona (also played by Hudgens) arrives to shake things up for this holiday sequel.
Just Another Christmas
Just Another Christmas (Tudo Bem No Natal Que Vem) takes the concept of Groundhog Day (1993) and forces a man named Jorge (Leandro Hassum) to relive Christmas Eve over and over again, waking up perpetually only on that day.
The nightmarish fate occurs a year after Jorge falls one Christmas Eve. Jorge must get over his hatred of the holiday season to escape his endless loop of Christmas Eve.
Operation Christmas Drop
Netflix favorite Kat Graham plays Erica, a congressional aide auditing an Air Force base in the Pacific. Alexander Ludwig plays Andrew, a pilot who uses his skills to drop off gifts via parachute around nearby islands. While Erica wants to put an end to Andrew's base and Christmas traditions, she can't help but fall in love with the philanthropic pilot. It's a refreshing new twist on the rom-com genre that could rival A Christmas Prince.
Dolly Parton's Christmas On The Square
Dolly Parton already has a huge presence on Netflix with works like Heartstrings and Dolly Parton: Here I Am. Her newest project arrives just in time for the holiday season. Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square is a movie musical in which Parton is joined by Christine Baranski, Jenifer Lewis, Treat Williams, Jeanine Mason, and Josh Segarra. The film is quite a big event, featuring fourteen original Dolly songs and highlighting a special song from A Holly Dolly Christmas, her first holiday album in thirty years.
The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two
One year after the royal tale of A Christmas Prince, Netflix decided to deliver their own depiction of Santa Claus in The Christmas Chronicles (2018). Both the original and its sequel share the Home Alone magic of director and co-writer Chris Columbus. They also have Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn as the dynamic Claus duo. Kate (Darby Camp) returns to help Santa and Mrs. Claus, rounding out the story to make it an appealing family film for this year.
Alien Xmas
While it might not seem like huge competition for the Christmas rom-coms, Alien Xmas is a creative animated film about a tiny alien who is supposed to destroy gravity on Earth and steal everyone's presents. X comes from a pack of aliens bent on world destruction, but the extraterrestrial creature has the power to help save Christmas.
Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker
This movie is a must-see for the 2020 holiday season. Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker is a documentary about Debbie Allen, who coincidentally directs Dolly's Christmas on the Square movie. Debbie Allen is a prolific dancer, actress, director, choreographer, producer, and singer-songwriter.
The award-winning creator's Hot Chocolate Nutcracker production with her dance company will be on display in the new documentary, which is executive produced by Shonda Rhimes.
Angela's Christmas Wish
Three years after Angela's Christmas, Lucy O'Connell reprises her voice role as Angela in Angela's Christmas Wish. Angela sets out to reunite her family in Ireland for Christmas, even though her father is away working in Australia. The film is set in the early 1900s, and like its predecessor, it is based on the work of Pulitzer Prize-winning Irish author Frank McCourt (who wrote Angela's Ashes).
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
Forest Whitaker is Jeronicus Jangle, a toymaker whose apprentice betrayed him long ago. Phylicia Rashad plays Mrs. Jangle, Anika Noni Rose is daughter Jessica Jangle, and Madalen Mills is granddaughter Journey Jangle. With an all-star cast, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey musically reveals Jeronicus' renewed joy in making toys when his granddaughter shows an interest in the craft.
Holidate
Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey play Sloane and Jackson, two young adult singles who aren't ready to settle into serious relationships. Emma sits at the kiddie table without a date for Christmas on the same night that Jackson has a crazy Christmas date, complete with matching ugly sweaters and baby pictures. These simultaneous events and their bad presents lead both Jackson and Emma to return their gifts at the mall on the same day. They meet and realize that they could experience much happier holidays if they spent them together as "holidates," but they don't expect to fall in love in the process. Since it can be watched anytime of the year, this rom-com gives A Christmas Prince a run for its money.