Here's round six of my 2025 Christmas movie reviews. This batch was all over the map, which made it an interesting one. Some worked better for me than others, but there were a few real highlights here.
31. An Alpine Holiday ★★☆☆☆
An Alpine Holiday follows two estranged sisters who reunite to honor their grandmother’s final wish by traveling to the French Alps for Christmas. As they retrace a meaningful trip from her past, they work through old tensions, reconnect as sisters, and make space for unexpected romance along the way.
This movie was fine, but it didn’t really hold my interest. The setting was beautiful and different, but I’ve realized that travel-adventure Christmas movies don’t quite work for me. They tend to lose some of the warmth and cozy charm I look for during the holidays.
I did like the core idea — two sisters coming together to honor their grandmother’s final wish — and there were some genuinely sweet moments as they learned to better understand one another. Still, despite those highlights, the movie never fully pulled me in and ultimately felt forgettable, and it also didn’t feel especially festive.
32. A Grand Ole Opry Christmas ★★★★☆
A Grand Ole Opry Christmas centers on Gentry Wade, who gave up her music career dreams decades ago after her father’s death. When the Grand Ole Opry invites her to honor her late country star dad at their Christmas celebration, Gentry is forced to confront her past. A bit of holiday magic sends her and her longtime friend Mac back to Christmas 1995, giving Gentry the chance to reconnect with her father, revisit unfinished dreams, and discover a romance she never expected.
This movie really worked for me. I love country music, and being immersed in the Grand Ole Opry setting — along with the cameos from country music stars — immediately brought the story to life. The two leads (Nikki DeLoach and Kristoffer Polaha) are also some of Hallmark’s strongest, and their chemistry felt natural and easy.
I especially enjoyed the time-travel element and watching Gentry reconnect with her dad. Those moments were genuinely touching without feeling overly heavy. The romance was believable, the country-music storyline was engaging, and the movie struck a nice balance between heartfelt and fun. All in all, this was a memorable one that I thoroughly enjoyed!
33. The Christmas Cup ★★★☆☆
The Christmas Cup follows Kelly, a Marine sidelined by a knee injury who returns home for the holidays uncertain about her future. At her family’s urging, she agrees to coach her hometown team in their annual Christmas Cup competition against a rival town. With help from the local fire captain, Kelly reconnects with her community, rediscovers her love of leadership, and begins to rethink what it really means to serve.
This was a fun movie overall. I really enjoyed the festive Christmas competition and the warring neighboring towns. It had a strong small-town feel and focused heavily on family, friends, and community.
There was also more depth here than I expected. Kelly’s struggle with her injury and the possibility of leaving the Marines added weight to the story, especially as she wrestled with what that loss would mean for her identity. The lead actress was quite good and carried that emotional arc well. The lead actor was a little less strong but still decent, and I enjoyed the romance between them.
The training scenes and buildup to competition day were humorous and entertaining, and the movie struck a nice balance between lighthearted holiday fun and a more meaningful storyline.
34. Christmas at the Catnip Cafe ★★★☆☆
Christmas at the Catnip Cafe follows Olivia, a marketing executive who inherits half of a small-town cat café just before the holidays and plans to sell it to fund her dream condo. Her plans are complicated when she meets Ben, the veterinarian who owns the other half and is deeply committed to the café’s role in the community. As they work together to plan Christmas fundraisers, Olivia begins to see the café, the town, and her priorities in a new light.
I liked this movie. Even though I’m much more of a dog person, the cat café setting was fun and unique. I also really like Paul Campbell, and it was nice to see him in a slightly more serious role than the more comedic ones I usually associate him with.
The enemies-to-lovers dynamic was enjoyable to watch unfold, and the chemistry between the leads felt natural. The acting was solid overall, and I stayed engaged watching Olivia’s character arc and gradual shift in priorities. I also appreciated the community-focused storyline, which added warmth and depth to the movie.
35. She's Making a List ★★☆☆☆
She’s Making a List imagines a modern twist on Santa’s Naughty or Nice system, now run by a consulting firm that uses data and formulas to make the calls. Isabel, one of the firm’s top inspectors, is assigned to evaluate an 11-year-old girl just before Christmas. When she grows close to the girl’s widowed father, Isabel begins to question the rigid rules of her job and whether holiday magic can really be reduced to an algorithm.
This movie had a cute and unique premise, but it didn’t really come together for me. The chemistry between the romantic leads was lacking, which was disappointing given that they’re both Hallmark regulars I usually enjoy. Lacey Chabert was pretty good, and Andrew Walker wasn’t bad, but his character came off as oddly oblivious and a bit doofy, and I didn’t fully buy him in the dad role in this one.
The movie also leaned into magical realism, which isn’t really my preference, and I didn’t love the fourth-wall-breaking narration where Isabel occasionally talked directly to the camera. There were also some plot inconsistencies that pulled me out of the story, like how Charlie seemed to know she was being evaluated without a clear explanation.
That said, the cast was solid overall, and even the child actor was surprisingly good. Still, despite the strong lineup and a clever idea, the movie lacked a cozy, festive feel and never fully clicked for me.
35. Single on the 25th ★★★★☆
Single on the 25th follows Nell, who finds herself unexpectedly spending Christmas alone after her family cancels their holiday plans. Determined to make the most of it, she embraces a solo Christmas while teaming up with her neighbor Cooper, a happily unattached single. As they help each other navigate the season, their friendly partnership begins to turn into something more, forcing both of them to confront what they really want from love, connection, and themselves.
What a fun movie with a great cast! I’ve seen both leads (Lyndsy Fonseca and Daniel Lissig) before and really enjoy them, and they were well matched here. I liked watching their relationship evolve naturally from slightly annoyed neighbors, to tentative friends, to something deeper. The progression felt natural and earned.
I also enjoyed the supporting cast, the Christmas bucket list–style activities Nell plans, and the soft humor woven throughout. The movie did a nice job highlighting strong friendships and family connections, along with meaningful character growth. At its core, it’s about learning to be okay with where you are in life — including being single at Christmas — and that message landed well for me.
The movie managed to be warm, light, and fun while still feeling genuinely sweet. As a nice bonus, the story was inspired by the song “Single on the 25th” by Lauren Spencer Smith, who also makes a cameo performing it, which felt like a thoughtful touch rather than a gimmick. I've been a fan of hers for quite some time, so that was pretty cool. All in all, this was a really solid movie!
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