It’s that time of year again, when we deck the halls, wear ugly sweaters, over indulge on the food and drink, and watch holiday-themed movies. Sure there are the traditional classics that are a must every year, but this year there are quite a few new movies premiering that are going to make this season a bit more jolly and gay.

See below for the BUZZpick worthy binge-watching from the safety and comfort of your home.

Christmas On The Square (Netflix)

Christmas On The Square follows small town “Scrooge” Regina Fuller (Christine Baranski) as she’s visited by a rhinestone-bedazzled angel (Dolly) who guides her on a musical journey of redemption. Will this stingy property owner evict the entire town of Fullerville on Christmas Eve, or will her greed give way to the Christmas spirit?

Dash & Lily (Netflix)

Opposites attract at Christmas as cynical Dash and sunny Lily trade messages and dares in a red notebook they pass back and forth around New York City. Limited Series, Season One available now.

A New York Christmas Wedding (Netflix)

As her Christmas Eve wedding draws near, Jennifer is visited by an angel and shown what could have been if she hadn’t denied her true feelings for her childhood best friend.

Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special (Apple TV)

“Faced with a holiday cheer crisis, the North Pole knows there’s only one person who can save the day: Santa Claus’s great friend, Mariah Carey. Combining musical performances” from Carey, Ariana Grande and Jennifer Hudson, “dynamic dancing and groundbreaking animation, the undisputed Queen of Christmas jumps into action to create a holiday spectacular to make the whole world merry.

Dashing in December (Paramount)

Peter Porte stars at Wyatt who returns to his home (which is his mother’s ranch) from the Big City for the holidays to try to convince her to sell the place. There, he finds himself falling for Heath (played by Pablo Di Pace,) a ranch hand who loves the ranch that Wyatt hopes to convince his mother to sell. The film also includes new original songs from Cody Belew (Hang Your Hat On My Christmas Tree), Fancy Hagood (Christmas Kiss) and Styles Haury (Christmas All Alone). Limited Series, Season One available now.

Cup of Cheer (Amazon Prime)

Cup of Cheer is  a new satirical Christmas movie from local filmmaker, Jake Horowitz, that was filmed in both downtown Toronto and Orillia, pokes fun at the classics by using well-known plot points in an over-the-top or outrageous way. In a comedic shakeup of every cheesy Christmas movie, a big city journalist goes to a small town for the holidays and finds herself in an unlikely romance with the owner of a struggling hot cocoa shop.

 

Happiest Season (Hulu)

Meeting your girlfriend’s family for the first time can be tough. Planning to propose at her family’s annual Christmas dinner — until you realize that they don’t even know she’s gay — is even harder. When Abby (Kristen Stewart) learns that Harper (Mackenzie Davis) has kept their relationship a secret from her family, she begins to question the girlfriend she thought she knew. Happiest Season is a holiday romantic comedy that hilariously captures the range of emotions tied to wanting your family’s acceptance, being true to yourself, and trying not to ruin Christmas.

I Hate New Year’s (Tello Network)

When rising music star Layne Price (Dia Frampton) heads home to Nashville for New Year’s Eve to break her writer’s block, she discovers that sometimes you find inspiration—and love, with a little mystical intervention. At Layne’s Los Angeles manager’s insistence, she reluctantly visits mysterious fortune teller Zelena (Candis Cayne), whose flamboyant advice she misconstrues. Heading home to Nashville for New Year’s Eve, a holiday she hates, Layne hits the town with BFF Cassie Holmes (Ashley Argota). While Cassie plans to finally confess that her feelings have evolved into more than friendship, Layne is too focused on “bumping into” her elusive ex to notice. But sometimes you find inspiration and love—with a little mystical intervention—where you least expect it. I Hate New Year’s was filmed in Nashville and features a high-energy, original soundtrack by two of today’s most-successful songwriter’s.

The Christmas Set Up (Lifetime)

Hugo, a New York corporate lawyer and his best friend Madelyn head to Milwaukee to spend the holidays with his mom Kate, who is also in charge of the local Christmas celebrations. Ever the matchmaker, Kate arranges for Hugo to run into Patrick, Hugo’s high school friend and secret crush, who has recently returned after a successful stint in Silicon Valley. As they enjoy the local holiday festivities together, Hugo and Patrick’s attraction to each other is undeniable and it looks as though Kate’s well-intentioned Santa-style matchmaking is a success. But as Hugo receives word of a big promotion requiring a move to London, he must decide what is most important to him.

The Slutcracker (Online)

For something far from traditional, The Slutcracker is a retelling of The Nutcracker, Tchaikovsky’s famed 1890s ballet, “Casse Noisette”, or “The Nutcracker”, in fabulous feminist form. The Slutcracker brings together ballet dancers, burlesque performers, hula hoopers, belly dancers, and so many others with interests in flamenco, hip hop, pole, acting, and myriad dance forms.While the story has been altered to chronicle Clara’s sexual empowerment, the original structure of the ballet has been well-preserved and remains true to its artistic integrity. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, this year’s rendition of The Slutcracker has been moved to an online streaming platform. Slutcracker: The Movie, featuring archival footage from the 2019 season interwoven and edited into cinematic format, is available for audiences across the globe to watch from the comfort of their own home.

The Climb (Sony Pictures/VOD)

This one takes place over the holiday season, and is a fun little bromance flick between two friends that spans several years.

The Prom (Netflix) 

While not specifically Christmas themed, it is being released before Christmas, and it is a Ryan Murphy production, so it is gay and counts! A group of down-on-their-luck Broadway stars shake up a small Indiana town as they rally behind a teen who just wants to attend prom with her girlfriend. Starring:Meryl Streep, James Corden, Nicole Kidman.

About the Author

Bryen Dunn is a freelance journalist with a focus on travel, lifestyle, entertainment and hospitality. He has an extensive portfolio of celebrity interviews with musicians, actors and other public personalities. He enjoys discovering delicious eats, tasting spirited treats, and being mesmerized by musical beats.