CRISTIANA VLADESCU / CONTRIBUTOR

With a chill filling the air, the holiday season has arrived and the yearly  saga  of  holiday  movies has begun to take over the homes of millions. Big-name brands  such as  Hallmark, an entertainment network that was originally a postcard company, and Netflix, a streaming service, have become known for their holiday movies. Both of these brands have garnered a reputation for producing “cheesy” holiday films. 

In  2009, Hallmark began its holiday movie journey with the series “Countdown to Christmas.” Since then, it has become an annual  event  that uses a combination of new and old films broadcasted all throughout the day, every day, in the weeks leading up to Christmas. In a similar fashion,  Netflix creates new holiday movies that fill subscribers’ feeds each  year. This year, Netflix will be releasing five original movies, each entering the streaming service weekly until Christmas day. 

“I’ve  seen  some good   Netflix  originals, but  then  again I’ve  also  started some that I can’t finish,” USD first-year Bethany  Tate said. “I feel like  you  can  always  tell  when  Netflix made the movie — there’s just something  about  it. You feel  like, ‘this  isn’t a masterpiece,’ but it’s still  alright  enough to watch.” 

This massive influx of holiday movies has become a case of quantity over quality. With these films being produced at a rapid speed for consumers, some have noticed a lack of depth, originality and emotional resonance that makes earlier holiday classics timeless. 

“I feel like most new Christmas movies have the same plot,” Tate said. “Like it’s always about saving Christmas, and even all the titles are super weird too, but I still enjoy watching them because I like to cringe. I do a try-not-to-cringe challenge with these movies, since I watch them a lot with my sister. The acting especially is always awful in these movies, and I feel like that’s kind of almost charming because it’s so bad, but I can’t stop watching it. Like I said, all the plots are the same. There’s two love interests who find a way to each other even when they start off fighting.” 

Though some find these new festive films suitable enough for their holiday enjoyment, others have a strong disdain for them. One of Netflix’s most recently released Christmas movies is titled “Hot Frosty,” which was watched 16 million times in the first five days of release. “Hot Frosty” follows a magical snowman that comes to life and was popular on social media due to its cast, including actors such as Lacey  Chabert, Dustin Milligan and Craig Robinson.

 The Netflix original, ‘Hot Frosty’ was released this year amongst many others. Photo Courtesy of @netflix/X

Some USD students expressed that they are drawn to these movies because of the actors which may play a role in the success of  these cheesy holiday movies.

“Usually Netflix originals are terrible, but I do watch them when they have an actor or actress that I know,” USD first-year Heidi Robinson said. “And I’m like, ‘Oh I like this person so I’m going to watch this.’ It may be cheesy but I don’t know, maybe it adds to the holiday factor. But overall, they just aren’t that great. I never turn on the Hallmark channel, instead I use Netflix … I actually hate Hallmark. It’s treacherous. I kinda die inside everytime I watch one little scene since these movies have unrealistic stuff. It’s fake, with a common theme of holiday spirit & love that just doesn’t feel real … They are terrible. I don’t want to watch awful movies. I want to watch good Christmas movies.”

While many of these new, cheesy Christmas movies are appearing on a variety of platforms, there is  still  a large love for the older Christmas movies from the ‘90s-2000s. Some students say that these older movies often have satisfying, comfortable endings that bring the film to a joyful conclusion. This feeling of security keeps viewers coming back to rewatch year after year, with movies such as “Home Alone” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” appearing on IMDB’s Top 100 Christmas Movies of all-time list. 

“I definitely love older Christmas movies more,” Robinson said. “I like the old vibe, since they are more nostalgic. Even though you weren’t even born at the time, you can feel like you’re a part of it. My favorite old Christmas movie is called ‘The Family Man,’ that’s a really good one. My Dad loves ‘A Christmas Story,’ that one is funny so we watch it all the time. I feel like a lot of newer Christmas movies are kind of the same. Or it’s just not as nostalgic. The acting for me, I can’t, I cringe every time. They just don’t hit the same because Hallmark acting is terrible since the whole plot is expected, and you’re just left bored.”

Christmas and other holiday movies are frequently used to bring friends and families together to share joyful moments while watching a heartwarming story. Oftentimes, viewing these movies becomes a household tradition for people each year, with the desire to get into the holiday spirit.

“If I’m sitting down with my family and we’re having like a Christmas movie night, then we’ll turn on Netflix or another platform that has a Christmas movie we wanna watch,” Tate said. “But if we’re doing stuff around the house and we just want something on, then we might go to one of the Hallmark channels. It’s always such a nice feeling watching them with my friends and family, especially in the comfort of my home.” 

For many, Christmas is a time of nostalgia and is often spent with family and friends. From decorating the Christmas tree, drinking hot chocolate and opening advent calendars, the entire month of December acts like a pre-holiday in a way. Many people have that one particular Christmas movie they are fond of and look back on it with a swelling heart of joy.

“There’s too many [Christmas movies] to choose from, but maybe ‘The Polar Express’,” Robinson said. “Not because of how good it is, but because of the nostalgic factor. Because in elementary school you would watch it with your class and get popcorn and a cup of hot chocolate, and that would be all you would do for the day. I look forward to watching it every year because of that.”

The animated Christmas film, ‘The Polar Express,’ was released in 2004. Photo Courtesy of @popbase/X

The holiday season goes by fast, but with Christmas movies, both old and new, it’s a time of entertainment best spent with family and friends. While opinions differ, watching a heartfelt  festive  film  is  an  activity many can agree on and enjoy. It   has  become  a  prominent way to celebrate the holidays.

The nostalgic elements of the original ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ claymation bring viewers back every year. Photo Courtesy of @genesee_theatre/Instagram