BLACKSBURG, Va. – Every year, holiday rom-coms garner millions of views across all streaming platforms, with some of the most popular ones coming from the Hallmark Channel. Hallmark even produced 24 new films for its 2025 holiday lineup!
Virginia Tech experts Sarah Ovink, an associate professor of sociology, and Rose Wesche, an associate professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science, dove into why audiences continue to watch these movies every holiday season.
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Wesche attributed some of the appeal to audience fantasies of “ideal relationships, an ideal world, and a happy holiday season.”
“The answers fell into three themes: celebrating the season; escaping the troubles of the world and their busy lives; and enjoying a wholesome story with happy endings. In addition to these themes, the repetitive, predictable plots make them comforting to watch, warm and sweet like a cup of hot cocoa on a snowy night.”
Rose Wesche, associate professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science at Virginia Tech
Ovink saw the movies as reinforcing the norms and values of mainstream American culture.
“Families gathering at the holidays may disagree on politics or pecan vs. pumpkin pie, but they can gather around the family TV to enjoy the lighthearted fun of a holiday-themed Hallmark movie. These movies present a snow-globe perfect world where we can vicariously enjoy all the holiday sparkle with none of the mess, and all problems are solved within a 90-minute run time.”
Sarah Ovink, associate professor of sociology at Virginia Tech
Above all, the movies are positive, lighthearted fun.
“In many cases, the plots are far from the average person’s experience, such as a high-powered author being trapped in a Scottish castle at Christmas or a snowman coming to life as a naïve, conventionally hot handyman. Escapism allows people to immerse themselves in an alternate reality, which provides temporary relief from holiday stressors.”
Rose Wesche, associate professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science at Virginia Tech