Sometimes, you don’t feel like watching groundbreaking, genre-bending movies that will make you question everything. Instead, you just want laid-back, cozy movies that will make you feel good and guarantee a happy ending. And there’s nothing wrong with that!
When that mood strikes, you can’t go wrong with Hallmark. These sweet movies may be a tad formulaic, but they have consistently improved over the past few years.
The movies on this list all feature strong female leads who step up to the plate to make their dreams come true. What more can you want?
Need more recommendations? Then check out the Best New Movies on Netflix, (HBO) Max, Hulu, Amazon Prime and More, the Best Movies on Amazon Prime Video Right Now, the Best Movies on Hulu Right Now and 4 Underrated Movies on Netflix in April 2025.
It’s always a treat to see Dolly Parton, but it’s an even greater pleasure to see her in a sweet Christmas rom-com. Christmas at Dollywood is about a big-city event planner (Danica McKellar) who goes home to Tennessee to oversee the Christmas celebration at Dollywood. The operations manager Luke (Niall Matter) thinks he can handle the event just fine without her.
Their back-and-forth is fun and charming, playing on all the “small town guy, big city girl” tropes you love without getting too predictable. But the real star of the show is the setting. If you’ve ever been curious about Parton’s fantastical amusement park, this movie is the perfect preview. A performance by Parton herself is just the icing on the cake.
As you probably know, Meghan Markle was an actress before she began her Hallmark-worthy relationship with Prince Harry. In Dater’s Handbook, the now-duchess plays Cass, a type-A woman who starts using the titular handbook to try to fix her dating life. While changing her personality appears to be effective in scoring her dates, can Cass really be happy if she isn’t being herself?
There’s a sweet message at the center of this rom-com, and Kristoffer Polaha (Wonder Woman 1984, Jurassic World: Dominion) shines as Cass’s true love, Robert. The evolution of their relationship feels more natural and real than one might expect of the cheesy genre. It also does an excellent job of skewering the self-help industry in a way that’s sure to earn a few laughs.
The first in a series of five movies (and counting), Crossword Mysteries: Riddle Me Dead follows Tess (Lacey Chabert), a crossword puzzle editor, and Logan (Brennan Elliott), a detective. When a man is found murdered at an art gallery with a crossword puzzle, Tess realizes there are clues hidden within the puzzles that may reveal the murderer. But Logan isn’t eager to accept help from a civilian.
Mystery lovers and puzzle people, this series of movies was made for you. It’s produced by New York Times crossword editor Will Shortz, so the cruciverbal bona fides are legit. The chemistry between Chabert and Elliott is magnetic, and the puzzle-filled format will have you on the edge of your seat.
Whether you’re a Chiefs football fan, a Travis Kelce/Taylor Swift shipper, or just a lover of Christmas rom-coms, this one’s for you! Alana (Hunter King) is a Chiefs superfan determined to win the “Fan of The Year” contest for her family. Derrick (Tyler Hynes) is the Director of Fan Engagement charged with making the selection. As Alana goes above and beyond to prove her devotion to the team and give her family the perfect Christmas gift, Derrick realizes the family connections he’s missing in his own life.
Holiday Touchdown features cameos by Travis’ mom Donna Kelce, coach Andy Reid and other Easter eggs for the Chiefs fans. But even if those references aren’t up your alley, you’ll enjoy the sweet message of the importance of family and tradition. You’ll love the witty dialogue and fun banter. And who knows? You might just come away a football lover.
OK, now this is a premise you’ve never heard before: a beekeeper named Eva (Margaret Clunie) discovers an ancient fresco while rescuing a hive of honeybees. Archaeologist Austen (Andrew Walker) thinks it might be the clue to discovering a long-hidden treasure. Despite his fear of bees, he realizes they might be key to the mystery, so he recruits Eva to help him with the treasure hunt in Malta. It’s Romancing The Stone with an ecological twist and a message about the importance of protecting our pollinators.
Filmed on location in Malta, the scenery is swoon-worthy and the romance between the leads is sweeter than honey. When the couple goes on a romantic stroll through the small island, you’ll be transported right along with them.
The leads of Crossword Mysteries take on different characters in this fun legal rom-com. Mark (Brennan Elliott) and Dana (Lacey Chabert) are a happily married couple with great careers as lawyers. But when they find themselves representing opposing parties in the highly publicized divorce of two reality TV stars, work starts to bleed into their home lives. It’s a fun premise that feels a bit more grounded than your typical Hallmark fare.
Fans love seeing a happily married, supportive couple struggle with the real problems of work-life balance and the decision to start a family of their own. As the tension rises and the couple realizes neither of their clients is willing to budge an inch on their settlement, they have to get creative to work things out.
The first in another mystery series, Murder She Baked follows Hannah Swenson (Alison Sweeney), a small-town baker who is horrified to learn that her local milk delivery man has been murdered. She quickly involves herself in the investigation led by hunky Detective Mike Kingston (Cameron Mathison). Though the chemistry between Hannah and Mike is flirty and fun, Hannah is a wonderfully independent character who is happy being a single businesswoman. Her confidence, passion and skill make it fun to watch her and Mike catch killers.
The best part of these movies? (There are 11 and counting.) They all feature a recipe you can bake at home yourself after the mystery has been solved. Justice is sweet, but chocolate chip cookies are sweeter!
