There are some things only a true Hallmark movie fan can understand. Like the beauty of a small town, the magic of Christmas or you know, how when two people work on a project together, it’ll sometimes (let’s be honest, always) end in romance, even if they hate each other in the beginning.
Themes like grief, the holidays, starting over and love are Hallmark movie staples. Just as Hallmark actresses Candace Cameron Bure, Meghan Markle and Lacey Chabert are. (Cameron Bure is in 20, Markle is in two and Chabert is in 22.)
With Hallmark releasing close to 100 movies per year, there are a lot of small-town films to love. Even with all those made-for-TV titles released annually, we’ve managed to round up the 30 best Hallmark movies of all time.
Fallen Angel (2003)
Terry McQuinn (Gary Sinise) returns to the house where he grew up after his father passes away with the intention of taking care of his father’s estate. But in true Hallmark fashion, Terry feels compelled to stay and eventually, he reconnects with his past life, changing his current life forever.
The Note (2007)
The Note follows Peyton Macgruder (Genie Francis), a journalist who finds a note after a fatal airplane crash. Believing the note was written by one of the passengers, Peyton searches for answers and ultimately, who the note was intended for. It’s certainly a somber one, but it’s well-done and worth the watch.
The Lost Valentine (2011)
Jennifer Love Hewitt and Betty White?! That cast should have you sold already. But in case you needed more, The Lost Valentine—based on a novel of the same name—follows the story of Caroline Thomas (White) whose husband Navy Lt. Neil Thomas is declared missing in action when his plane goes down over the Pacific. The last time Caroline saw her husband, he was waving goodbye to her in Union Station as he left to serve in World War II. Now, for the past 65 years, Caroline has returned on the anniversary of the loss to pay tribute to her husband. Hewitt comes into play as the journalist Susan Allison, who hears of Caroline’s story and vows to investigate Neil’s mysterious disappearance.
Let It Snow (2013)
Starring Cameron Bure, Jesse Hutch and Alan Thicke, Let It Snow takes place at Snow Valley Lodge, which was recently acquired by Falcon Resorts. Falcon Resorts executive Stephanie Beck (Cameron Bure) spends the week before Christmas at the resort, preparing to rebrand the property. It’s there she meets property guide Brady Lewis (Hutch), the son of the two retiring property owners selling Snow Valley. They butt heads at first and Stephanie starts out hating everything about the resort, but soon, Stephanie has it all: Christmas spirit and a head-over-heels romance. Now, there’s just one thing to figure out: Should Snow Valley Lodge be rebranded entirely or should Stephanie stick to Snow Valley tradition? Cute, heartwarming and loveable—everything a holiday Hallmark movie should be.
The Color of Rain (2014)
After both Gina Kell (Chabert) and Michael Spehn (Warren Christie) lose their spouses and coparents to their children, Gina and Michael bond over a familiar grief. Having both lost their loved ones to cancer, both families form a friendship and ultimately, Gina and Michael begin falling for each other. (As if we didn’t see that one coming!)
When Sparks Fly (2014)
Before Markle married into royalty, she starred in a few Hallmark movies including 2014’s When Sparks Fly. Markle plays a journalist named Amy Peterson, who’s over the big city life, frustrated with her surface-level boyfriend and stunted at work. But when she gets sent back to her hometown on an assignment involving her parents’ fireworks business, she falls into planning her childhood friend’s Fourth of July wedding (to none other than Amy’s ex-boyfriend, played by Christopher Jacot). But as she wedding-plans, sparks literally and figuratively fly. Are the sparks also flying between Amy and her ex, Hank? The same Hank who’s planning to marry her hometown BFF?
Related: The Best Movies of 2019, Ranked
A Royal Christmas (2014)
If there’s one thing Hallmark movies love more than Christmas, it’s Christmas with some royal flair. In Royal Christmas, starring Chabert, Jane Seymour, Stephen Hagan and Katie Flynn, main character Emily Corrigan (Chabert) finds out her thoughtful European boyfriend, Leo, is actually a prince and heir to the throne in Cordinia. Um, what?! In comes Queen Isadora, who’s not too thrilled about her son dating a common seamstress from Philadelphia. But as if adjusting to her newly royal surroundings isn’t enough of a burden, Emily gets tossed one more curveball: Leo’s ex-girlfriend Duchess Natasha gets a Christmas invite from Queen Isadora.
Northpole: Open for Christmas (2014)
Starring Lori Loughlin, Bailee Madison and Dermot Mulroney, Northpole: Open for Christmas is all about the magic of Christmas. Mackenzie Reed (Loughlin) inherits her aunt’s hotel, but decides to sell it before the holidays. While renovating the place to prep it for the sale, elves magically arrive to help and together, they discover the many meanings of Christmas.
A Country Wedding (2015)
A fan-favorite among so many Hallmark movie viewers, A Country Wedding brings together a famous country singer and the sweetheart from his youth. Poised to marry a Hollywood star, but stunted in his songwriting creativity, Bradley (Jesse Metcalfe) starts to fall for Sarah (Autumn Reeser) when she inspires him to write again. As his wedding day gets closer and closer, Bradley starts to wonder if he’s with the right woman. And if he’s not, what should he do about it? Hallmark lovers, get ready to swoon!
All of My Heart (2015)
Chabert is back as Jenny in All of My Heart. A caterer, Jenny inherits half of a house, then has to learn how to get along with the house’s co-owner, a hard-headed Wall Street guy. Working together as co-owners to restore the home they both half-inherited, feelings—obviously!—start to blossom.
A Bone to Pick: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery (2015)
Are you even a true Hallmark movie fan if you haven’t watched the Aurora Teagarden Mystery series? Starring Cameron Bure, Aurora Teagarden is essentially Hallmark’s own Veronica Mars. A librarian-turned-sleuth, Aurora Teagarden learns how to use her knowledge from her days at the library to solve murders. It starts when her friend Jane tragically dies, leaving Aurora everything. Aurora feels compelled to investigate Jane’s murder and hopefully, save anyone else from being killed.
Love, Again (2015)
A hair’s breadth away from getting a divorce, Chloe (Teri Polo) and David (Paul Johansson) mutually agree to keep their failing relationship hush-hush while helping their daughter plan her wedding. But, naturally, as they help prepare their daughter for her upcoming marriage, things change between them and they decide that maybe it’s worth working on their own. Can they find Love, Again?
Autumn Dreams (2015)
Autumn Dreams has everything you could want out of a Hallmark movie: high school sweethearts, a small town and of course, marriage drama. High school sweethearts Annie (Jill Wagner) and Ben (Colin Egglesfield) elope and have plans to move to the big city; however, Annie’s parents have a different plan and get the marriage annulled. Time jumps fifteen years and both Annie and Ben are engaged, but not to each other. The once-couple is forced to reconnect when they find out their annulment was never actually finalized. They reconnect to sign papers and get divorced, but they quickly realize they have more in common than they thought, even after more than a decade apart.
Harvest Moon (2015)
No Christmas necessary in this Hallmark movie, as autumn-time in the countryside is as romantic as the holidays ever could be. City gal Jen Stone (Jessy Schram) goes rural when her family unexpectedly goes bankrupt. Jen plans to help out her father, who recently purchased a pumpkin farm in the hopes of making back the money he’s lost. There, Jen meets Brett (Jesse Hutch), the pumpkin farm manager who’s not exactly team Jen right away. But, Jen has a plan and while it does involve saving the pumpkin farm and earning back her dad’s investment, it may also entail falling in love under a—you guessed it!—harvest moon.
Real Murders: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery (2015)
She’s back! This time, Aurora Teagarden (Cameron Bure) is distraught after learning a member of her Real Murders Club has been murdered in an almost copycat way to the murder the crime club is studying next. Is the killer someone from her club? As more innocent people are murdered, Aurora works overtime to bring the killer to light, even if it’s a friend.
The Flower Shop Mysteries: Mum’s the Word (2016)
Abby Knight (Brooke Shields) is a widowed New York City lawyer returning to her small hometown to open a flower shop. After her friend becomes the main suspect in a murder, Knight and her friend pursue the killer and answers. If you’re a lover of mysteries and flower puns, you’ll for sure enjoy Mum’s the Word.
Dater’s Handbook (2016)
Markle makes her Hallmark return in Dater’s Handbook as Cassandra Barber. Cassandra is always picking the wrong guy to date, so she turns to a professional for some romantic help. Dr. Susie, a relationship expert, has just written The Dater’s Handbook and Cassandra reads it like gospel, following every step religiously. Now that Cassandra has two men competing for her love and affection, who will she choose? George (Jonathon Scarfe) or Robert (Kristoffer Polaha)?
Unleashing Mr. Darcy (2016)
Are you a fan of Pride & Prejudice? 2016’s Unleashing Mr. Darcy is a modern take on the classic story. Elizabeth Scott (Cindy Busby) is lost in her own life with no direction, but when given the chance to professionally show her dog at the New York dog show, she takes it. She then meets Donovan Darcy (Ryan Paevey), one of the show’s judges. He’s rude, selfish and off-putting, but the more they get to know each other, the more they might just hit it off.
Three Bedrooms, One Corpse: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery (2016)
Hallmark has made a whole lot of Aurora Teagarden Mystery movies and while not all of them are standouts, Three Bedrooms, One Corpse is a particularly good one. Once again, Aurora finds herself in a situation that’s life-or-death and the body count just keeps increasing.
A Dash of Love (2017)
Falling in love? Over food? Sounds soooo Hallmark. Aspiring chef Nikki Turner (Jen Lilley) gets her big break when she’s given the opportunity to work as an assistant at her favorite restaurant. Things start off rocky between Nikki and the kitchen’s executive chef Paul Dellucci (Brendan Penny) in A Dash of Love. And once they get chummy, Nikki discovers something terrible about her idol and it affects both Nikki and her newfound beau.
Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Higher Ground (2017)
Signed, Sealed, Delivered is another popular Hallmark Movies & Mysteries franchise that’ll have you following along, playing “Whodunnit?” Starring Eric Mabius, the TV movie focuses on Oliver and his investigation team as they search for answers when they find a love letter years after it was written. Will you figure out the mystery before Oliver does?
Love Locks (2017)
Love Locks is a Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation that stars real-life couple Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O’Connell. Lindsey (Romijn) comes back to Paris after 20 years and reunites with her first love (O’Connell). What’s not to love about revisiting love in Paris?
Christmas in Evergreen (2017)
A standout Hallmark holiday movie, Christmas in Evergreen will put you in the Christmas spirit even if you watch it in July. Veterinarian Allie Shaw (Ashley Williams) wishes on a snowglobe that this will be her most perfect Christmas ever; well, it doesn’t really work in the way she hopes, and she soon finds herself snowed in without her boyfriend as a storm closes down the airport. When she meets a doctor and his daughter, Allie starts to realize her wish might be coming true, just in a very different way than she originally thought.
The Beach House (2018)
Chad Michael Murray, anyone? Another Hallmark Hall of Fame feature, The Beach House has a star-studded cast included CMM, Andie MacDowell and Minka Kelly. Cara (Kelly) isn’t happy with her out-of-control life, so she flees to Lowcountry to see her mom. As she works to repair the family beach house, a terrible storm threatens the lives of local sea turtles. Saving animals, uncovering truths and of course, the hunk and a half that is Chad Michael Murray—what more could you want?
Related: Candace Cameron Bure Is Disrupting the Empty-Nester Image, and Has Big Plans For Her Less-Fuller House
Christmas at Pemberley Manor (2018)
Christmas at Pemberley Manor is the proof that Christmas miracles can come true…at least in the movies. In this TV flick, Jessica Lowndes portrays Elizabeth Bennett, an event planner from the city who travels to a small town where she’s been hired to plan their holiday festival. Add one persnickety millionaire (Michael Rady, AKA the Greek hottie from Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) who plans the festival with her, and you’ve got a recipe for falling in love during the holidays.
Hope at Christmas (2018)
When Sydney (Scottie Thompson) and her daughter Rayanne look for a brand new start after Sydney’s divorce, the town of Hopewell, North Carolina seems like the perfect opportunity. Sydney, who spent holidays there with her grandparents as a kid, plans to only return to push the restart button and sell her family home, but between the magic of Christmas and the magic of a small hometown, Sydney soon finds herself swooning. Mac (Ryan Paevey) is an elementary school teacher who moonlights as a Santa Claus and Sydney soon realizes he’s everything a “good man” is supposed to be. Should she go for it?
A Winter Princess (2019)
Chris McNally and Natalie Hall star in A Winter Princess, an adorable story about a Princess named Carly (Hall), who works at a ski resort incognito. She works with the ski resort owner’s brother, Jesse (McNally), to plan the 50th anniversary celebration of the resort and you can guess what happens next.
Parade Daily
Celebrity interviews, recipes and health tips delivered to your inbox.
Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: A Game of Cat and Mouse (2019)
In A Game of Cat and Mouse, Aurora is the center of the mystery, as a criminal starts messing with her by leaving clues at crime scenes. Everyone is a suspect, even the people closest to Aurora. When the cruel game starts to get more serious, with the next crime alluding to murder, Aurora has to kick it into full gear and figure it out once and for all.
Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: An Inheritance to Die For (2019)
Aurora has to solve a murder that’s pretty close to home in An Inheritance to Die For. There’s a lot on the line: the estate, a whole lot of money and of course, justice. Aurora enlists the help of her new love, Nick (Niall Matter), the Real Murders Club members and of course, her mother (Marilu Henner).
Crossword Mysteries: Abracadaver (2020)
Crossword Mysteries stars Chabert as Tess Harper, the New York Sentinel Crosswords editor. Half-editor and half-sleuth, Tess teams up with NYPD detective Logan O’Connor (Brennan Elliott) to solve the mysterious death of a magician who dies in the middle of a stage performance. At first, it looks like a magic trick gone wrong, but upon closer inspection, they realize it’s a sinister situation.
Love movies? Check out 25 of the best action films on Netflix right now.
Let’s block ads! (Why?)
