The Lifetime Christmas movie Christmas on Ice is a feel-good movie about a former figure skater and a hockey player who work together to prevent the mayor from shutting down the local skating rink, and eventually, they fall in love. This is just one of the many new Lifetime and Hallmark movies with familiar storylines that are airing now to help people to relax and get into the Christmas mood. The feel-good plots are needed more than ever to help us hold high hopes during the coronavirus.

So, turn off the news and tune in alongside more than 1.7 million people who watch Hallmark movies, according to Business Insider. 

Freshman Gianna Procko has already watched several holiday movies this season.

“I think Christmas Hallmark movies are worth watching because they have a lot of holiday spirit and joy to them, which gets you relaxed and in the Christmas mood,” she said.

Freshman Tessa Coy said she likes Christmas movies, but does not like how predictable Hallmark movies are.

“I do like other network Christmas movies better because a lot of Hallmark movies are similar,” she said. 

It’s true. Just hearing the movies’ titles, you can predict what they’ll be about.  Jingle Bell Bride is about a wedding planner, Just my Type is about a pop culture writer, Christmas in Evergreen: Bells Are Ringing is about a woman who helps launch a historic museum in the town of — you guessed it — Evergreen.

But some people love the predictable plots. 

“The reliable Hallmark holiday movie plot formula takes us on an emotional journey that can be especially beneficial during the stress of the season — which keeps us coming back for more,” says Pamela Rutledge, a behavioral scientist director of the Media Psychology Research Center and Media Psychology faculty at the Fielding Graduate University. She also noted that the brain likes patterns which is what Hallmark movies have. 

Christmas movies have become so popular that more than just Hallmark and Lifetime are running them. Now, Netflix, Lifetime, Disney Plus, and Hulu all have a variety of them. 

Another reason people love Christmas Hallmark movies is because they’re always coming out with new ones. Releases this year include: 

-Country at Heart, about a country singer meeting a songwriter from Nashville. Their work together making a song gets complicated, but they end up falling in love. 

-Winter in Vail is about a woman named Chelsea who inherits a chalet in Vail, Colorado, and meets a man and they fall in love. 

–Christmas with the Darlings is about a woman who helps watch her boss’ orphaned nieces and nephew over the holidays.

-Lastly, Home Sweet Home is about a girl who doesn’t have a big social life and longs for real love. She ends up meeting a man who walks into her coffee shop. After they start talking, she discovers he runs a ministry that she decides to volunteer for, and they fall in love. 

Many of the Hallmark Christmas movies’ main characters are played by the same actors and actresses, which also makes them feel familiar. These include Lacey Chabert (Mean Girls), Candace Cameron Bure (Full House), Sam Page, and Danny Glover. 

Although, some people say this makes Hallmark movies seem to have the same actors and plot every movie, others find it comforting.

“My favorite thing about Hallmark movies is they all share holiday spirit and you always know the ending. They are all happy endings!” Freshman Maeleigh Darnell said.