For the 2025 season Hallmark Channel produced 24 new holiday films, and streaming platforms like Netflix and Hulu released comparable titles. Two Virginia Tech scholars, Sarah Ovink and Rose Wesche, explored why audiences continue to prefer these formulaic romantic comedies.
Wesche, an associate professor in human development and family science, emphasizes predictability. She refers to a 2022 study in The Journal of Popular Television that identified three driving reasons: celebrating the season, escaping everyday troubles and busy lives, and enjoying wholesome stories that end happily. Repetitive, foreseeable plots are soothing—Wesche compares them to a warm cup of cocoa—and they let viewers relax because the outcome is clear.
Ovink, an associate professor in sociology, highlights cultural norms: mainstream American culture often supports marriage and family, and holiday films provide a "cozy, happily-ever-after fix." Families with different views may still gather to watch a lighthearted Hallmark movie together. Both experts describe the films as a snow-globe perfect world: problems are tidy and usually resolved within a 90-minute runtime. Wesche also stresses escapism: these films can improve mood and offer "just the bit of positivity" people need to counter stress or loneliness, with plot elements—like a high-powered author trapped in a Scottish castle at Christmas or a snowman coming to life as a naïve, conventionally attractive handyman—that differ from many viewers' real lives.
Source: Virginia Tech
Difficult words
- formulaic — following a repeated, predictable structure or pattern
- predictability — the quality of having a known or expected result
- escapism — seeking distraction and relief from everyday problems
- wholesome — pleasant and morally uplifting or family-friendly
- mainstream — representing the dominant attitudes or trends in society
- norm — an accepted way of behaving in a societynorms
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Do you like films with predictable, happy endings? Explain your reasons and give an example.
- How might watching a lighthearted holiday film help people who feel stressed or lonely during the holidays?
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