What I’m Watching This Holiday Season: Festive Escapes, Film Gems, and a Few Guilty Pleasures
This holiday season, I’ve been recovering from surgery, which means I’ve had a lot of quality time with my couch, cozy blankets, and an ever-growing watchlist.
As someone with a degree in theater and film, I can’t help but analyze what I watch.
I like to watch the acting choices, I pay attention to the writing, the set design and the overall tone.
The purpose of a fun, holiday movie is just to entertain so I try not to pick too deeply when I am enjoying a movie or a series. Basically, I like to pick it apart and if I still enjoy it after the picking then I consider it a piece of entertainment worth watching.
For me, especially since I have been slowed down this season, is just to escape. Bonus points to the show if it makes me feel good, indulge in a cathartic cry and gold star if I get to laugh.
If you’re looking for something new to watch — or just want a laugh at my strong opinions — here’s what’s been playing on my screen this season. I’m linking my YouTube reaction videos throughout so you can watch me unpack these in real time.
So, here’s my 2025 holiday watchlist: a mix of heartwarming holiday stories, funny surprises, and one series that made me say “why did this get made?” more than once. I’ll link my YouTube reactions under each title so you can watch me process them in real time.
If you’re after that “holiday movie marathon” energy, here are a few new to me holiday shows. Which of these shows have you seen and what do you think?
A Christmas Contract
The Christmas Contract
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This show was released in 2018.
As a southern girl myself, I found the premise really cute. The show is set in a small town in Louisiana.
A detail that I found kinda funny when I was watching was a scene where one time the leading lady looks at her phone to read a text, but you can tell that the actress is looking at the phone upside down because the charging port was at the top.
Aside from a few editing misses like that, I really enjoyed this show.
It was a sweet story and I ended the show hoping that my daughter could meet a guy like Jack Friedman. The cheese score was very high on this one, but I enjoyed every cheesy minute of it. If you liked a show like Steel Magnolias, you might like this show.
A Cowboy Christmas Romance
A Cowboy Christmas Romance
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While I can enjoy a cheesy show, this one was not for me. I love the idea of a Cowboy Christmas, but when the horseback riders keep getting on and off their horses from the wrong side, let’s just say… I can’t go there. Adam Senn, the actor who was cast as Coby Mason must have been cast to be the “Cowboy Candy” of the show, but not even his abs could save this show. I found the writing to be poor and the editing on the show horrible. I would skip this show unless you want to see how far your imagination can be stretched. When I see a former cowgirl running around the farm in her flat brimmed “influencer hat” from 2020, my imagination can’t go that far.
Oh What Fun
When I saw the trailers for the show Oh. What. Fun. I knew that this was going to need to be watched this season.
The premise is Claire, played by Michelle Pfeiffer, is an exhausted, overworked and overlooked mom that wants to try to make Christmas magical for her family all while trying to keep up appearances for the neighbors. However in the process she loses herself and her sanity in the process. This was a really cute premise, but I think that the script got away from the message.
I would like to give this show a special nod for having a small, but present nod to tennis. I always like giving my favorite sport a bit of a salute.
This first half of the movie was delightful. It was relatable and the characters were enjoyable and sympathetic. It started going off the rails for me when it just stretched too far. I think that the overworked, and overlooked mom could be a really interesting character to explore. But in this movie, it was missing the heart. I hope someone will pick up this kind of story and try again.
Secret Santa
As a fan of the series, Virgin River, I was really excited to watch the 2025 Netflix show, My Secret Santa. It is a feel good show, that reminded me a lot of the show, Mrs. Doubtfire. Alexandra Breckenridge plays Taylor Jacobson, a single mom that is trying to help her daughter fulfil her dreams of going to a snowboarding academy. I thought that the show was really cute, even if it was a huge stretch in imagination.
Honorable Mentions
*Holidate – a fun but raunchy holiday. It was fun, but I am glad I didn’t watch this one with my kiddos.
*Last Christmas – A movie with the title of my favorite Christmas song. This movie came out in 2019. It has a heartwarming theme, but tear jerking as well. All in all, I did enjoy this movie, but it was a teary one.
*Mistletoe Mixup – I chose this one because it was filmed in my hometown of Midway, Utah. It was fun to see local places in the show. The script seemed rushed. I’ll admit, I fast forwarded through a lot of this show.
Classic Christmas Comforts
If you are looking for classic, modern holiday movies, here are some of my favorites.
- The Holiday: The premise is so sweet. I love the writing and talent in this show. The locations for both the England and the LA settings are perfect. It’s impossible to pick one favorite thing about this movie, but for me it is a toss up of the cute first kiss between Law and Diaz and Mr. Napkinhead. Both involve Jude Law, the whole cast is so strong and that is saying a lot because who would ever think that Jack Black would be able to be a romantic leading man, especially when the other lead is Jude Law? Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet round out the cast to make one of my all time favorite Christmas movies.
- Love Actually: Another Christmas movie that warms the heart. There are several threads of the script and they all are woven together to create this beautiful and heart warming story. Watch closely, there is a thread involving Martin Freeman that you only see in some cuts of this movie. I love this show and think about it often throughout the year. This is a good sign of a great Christmas show.
- Elf: One of the sweetest and funniest Christmas movies of all time. This is one that everyone in my family can enjoy.
My Takeaway
Being forced to slow down for a bit gave me a rare chance to really enjoy, not just consume. I’ve appreciated the artistry behind even the most glittery of holiday films, but I’ve also laughed at the spectacular misses. That’s part of the fun: storytelling that makes us feel something, even when it’s imperfect.
So whether you’re in it for the classics, the new releases, or the cultural curiosities, I hope this guide (and my reactions) help you find your perfect holiday watch.
Pop some popcorn. Grab a blanket. Let’s press play.
P.S. It is not Christmas themed, but the reunion show for Secret Lives of Mormon Wives was released on Dec 3rd. I have been watching that show (should I really admit to that?) If you would like to see my reaction, here is the link to that
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I would love to know what your favorite shows are that you are watching!
About the Author
Katri is a certified tennis junkie, wife, mother, brand curator, book lover, sports lover, and enthusiast for living life. She shares her way of living through content creation and curation across multiple brands including Katrii.com and Tennisyellow.com. Katri lives by the mantra, “Do whatever it takes to keep things fun.” katri@katrii.com
Love all,
Katri
