I love Christmas time. There is a certain joy and magic that fills the air during the holiday season. The festive music, lights, snow, and classic Christmas movies guarantee you’ll get in the holiday spirit!
But every holiday season I also find myself swarmed by a plethora of cheesy ‘boy meets girl and falls in love’ Christmas romance movies with little to no substance. For years I wished for a time I could watch a Christmas movie with representation for the LGBTQ+ community.
Within the last decade, films like Carol and Happiest Season have breached the predominantly heterosexual Christmas romance movie space and given us a genre that reflects who we are, and for that, I am thankful.
Check out these queer Christmas movies this holiday season!
Carol (2015)
Written By: Phyllis Nagy
Starring: Cate Blanchett & Rooney Mara
Where to Watch: Tubi, Amazon, Apple
Synopsis: While working at the doll counter of a department store, naïve Therese (Rooney Mara) comes face to face with a sophisticated woman, Carol (Cate Blanchett), by chance.
Happiest Season (2020)
Written By: Clea DuVall
Starring: Kristen Stewart & Mackenzie Davis
Where to Watch: Hulu
Synopsis: Harper (Mackenzie Davis) brings long-time girlfriend Abby (Kristen Stewart) home for Christmas. Harper tells Abby right before they arrive that she still hasn’t come out to her family and they both must pretend to be straight for the week.
Let it Snow (2019)
Written By: Laura Solon, Victoria Strouse, Kay Cannon
Starring: Liv Hewson & Anna Akana
Where to Watch: Netflix
Synopsis: Dorrie (Liv Hewson), who works at Waffle Town, tries to juggle work, her best friend and the closeted cheerleader, Kerry (Anna Akana), that she hooked up with and pretends not to know her when she comes into the diner with her friends. When a snowstorm hits the small rural town on Christmas Eve, Dorrie and her high school friends become trapped at the diner, forced to confront their friendships and love lives.
Christmas at the Ranch (2021)
Written By: Christin Baker, Julie Anton
Starring: Amanda Righetti & Laur Allen
Where to Watch: Tubi, Peacock, Amazon, Apple
Synopsis: When Haley (Laur Allen) returns home during Christmas to help save her family’s ranch, she falls for the female ranch hand, Kate (Amanda Rightetti).
Under the Christmas Tree (2021)
Written By: Michael J. Murray
Starring: Elise Bauman & Tattiawna Jones
Where to Watch: Lifetime, Hulu, Amazon
Synopsis: Government worker Charlie (Tattiawna Jones) is tasked with securing a Christmas tree for the annual tree lighting ceremony at the state’s capital. When she finds the perfect tree on the property of Alma (Elise Bauman) and her family, she uses her charm to persuade them to sign over the tree.
A New York Christmas Wedding (2020)
Written By: Otoja Abit
Starring: Nia Fairweather & Adriana DeMeo
Where to Watch: Netflix, Amazon, Apple
Synopsis: Jennifer (Nia Fairweather) is visited by an angel right before her Christmas Eve wedding to show her what life would have looked like if she hadn’t denied her feelings for her childhood friend, Gabrielle (Adriana DeMeo).
Season of Love (2019)
Written By: Kathryn Trammell
Starring: Dominique Provost-Chalkley, Janelle Marie Rodriguez, Jessica Clark, Sandra Mae Frank, Emily Goss, Laur Allen
Where to Watch: iTunes, Amazon
Synopsis: A group of women connect over love and friendship during the holiday season.
