The holiday movie schedule is longer than Santa’s naughty or nice list. Just when you think you’ve seen them all, a whole crop of new films is announced. Plus, as the genre becomes increasingly popular, there are always new networks jumping into the Christmas movie game. To help you power through the last leg of the holidays, these are all the best Black films of the season.
All I Didn’t Want For Christmas – VH-1
Premieres: Dec. 7, 8 p.m. ET/PT
Cast: Gabourey Sidibe, Loretta Devine, Kel Mitchell, Karen Knox, Andrew Bushell
Emily Harris is not doing great. In a desperate attempt to improve her life and make this Christmas not totally suck, Emily writes a letter to Santa. Fortunately, and unfortunately, her wine-soaked wishes start coming true. P.S. She definitely doesn’t remember most of what she wrote in the letter, so she is in for some uncomfortable surprises. Which eventually leads to some Christmas-fueled soul searching about what she actually wants/needs.
First Impression: You had me at Kel as one of Santa’s elves!
A Christmas Fumble – OWN
Premieres: Dec. 12, 9 p.m. ET
Cast: Eva Marcille, Devale Ellis, Jenny Itwaru
An ambitious crisis manager is assigned a new client, a popular sports anchor who turns out to be her ex-boyfriend. She’s determined to stay professional, but old feelings resurface as they work together to rebuild his tarnished image before Christmas.
First Impression: Nicole seems like a cool, smart, independent woman. I hope they don’t have her act stupid over a man who doesn’t deserve her.
A New Diva’s Christmas Carol – VH-1
Premieres: Dec. 14, 8 p.m. ET/PT
Cast: Ashanti, Vivica A. Fox, Eva Marcille, Robin Givens, Mckenzie Small, and Mel B
Aphrodite was made famous back in the day for performing THE timeless love song of the era. The song that everyone plays at their weddings, in every sappy commercial for diamonds or rings or puppies or soldiers coming home. It made her a ton of money, but Aphrodite HATES this song. She’s now the meanest judge on Pop The Question but her life changes when Brianna, becomes the breakthrough contestant, exuding love and purity. When Aphrodite reluctantly becomes her mentor, she does everything possible to steer her away from love and love anthems and so is visited by three spirits who take Aphrodite on a journey through love (and Christmas) past, present and future to try and shake her out of her funk and let love back in!
First Impression: This cast is stacked full of divas, which makes it a must watch! I really hope there’s some connection to Vanessa Williams’ 2000 classic A Diva’s Christmas Carol.
The Great Holiday Bake War – OWN
Cast: LeToya Luckett and Finesse Mitchell
Pastry school rivals Brianna and Julian meet years later in a TV baking competition. Their past complicates things as both compete for the $50,000 grand prize.
First Impression: The story feels familiar, though I’m not sure if that’s good or bad yet.
A Wesley Christmas – BET+
Premieres: Nov. 3
Cast: Dorien Wilson, Jasmine Guy, Terrence Carson, Loren Lott, Terayle Hill, Mike Merrill
Adult siblings Chris, Todd, and Cydney Wesley travel to their childhood home to celebrate Christmas with their parents and the entire Wesley family. With everyone together and all their physical and emotional baggage in tow, the annual Wesley family holiday promises to be a festive, hot-mess of a Christmas with life-changing impacts on the whole family.
First Impressions: A less star-studded This Christmas.
All Saints Christmas – Hallmark Channel
Premieres: Nov. 6 at 8 p.m.
Cast: Ledisi, Roger Cross
Lisette is a popular R&B singer who’s getting ready to travel home to New Orleans for Christmas. When the media mistake a photo of her with her music producer ex as an engagement announcement, her family insists that he join her on the trip.
First Impression: This can go one of two ways. Either she and the ex fall in love again, or she meets someone new and has to keep up the charade while trying to date the new guy.
The First Noelle – BET+
Premieres: Nov. 10
Cast: Novi Brown, LaLa Milan, Todd Anthony
After twenty years of friendship, Terrance and Noelle finally decide to date each other but ultimately break up when Terrance moves to London for work. Now that Terrance is back in Atlanta for Christmas with his new girl, also named Noelle, our lead is determined to get him back and say goodbye to being friend-zoned forever.
First Impressions: I really hope we don’t have to spend the whole movie watching this woman chase a man who clearly just wants to be friends.
Christmas on Mistletoe Lake – Lifetime
Premieres: Thursday, Nov. 10 at 8 p.m.
Cast: Genelle Williams, Corey Sevier and Hattie Kragten
Every Christmas, Reilly Shore picks a random spot on the map to take an adventurous trip. This year, that destination is the quaint hamlet of Mistletoe Lake. As she arrives, Reilly discovers that the town’s lone bed & breakfast is full due to the town’s annual Christmas Harbor Festival. When 12-year-old Emma invites Reilly to stay on her dad’s boat, she learns that Emma’s dad Raymond Mitchell is selling his boat and can’t participate in the festival. Saddened, Emma enlists Reilly’s help to convince Raymond to enter into the festival so they can have one last perfect Christmas on Mistletoe Lake.
First Impressions: This has everything you want in a Christmas movie. Small town Christmas festival, check. Adorable kid with a sad single parent, check. Free spirit who finally finds a home, check.
Christmas Party Crashers – BET+
Premieres: Nov. 17
Cast: Skye Townsend, Jaime Callica, Cocoa Brown
When two grifters meet after crashing the same millionaire’s Christmas party, they agree to work together to achieve each other’s “mission,” not knowing that they would find something more than money or fame – true love.
First Impressions: Criminals who turn over a new leaf at Christmas only works if the criminals are likable, so fingers crossed.
Inventing the Christmas Prince – Hallmark Channel
Premieres: Nov. 18 at 8 p.m.
Cast: Tamera Mowry-Housley, Ronnie Rowe Jr.
Shelby is about to quit her job as a rocket engineer when her daughter becomes convinced that her Scrooge-like boss, Evan, is the Christmas Prince from a story Shelby invented years ago.
First Impressions: I don’t think Evan will actually be the Christmas Prince, because this is Hallmark not Lifetime. However, I do appreciate them branching out from bakery owner, magazine editor and fashion designer for the lead character’s job.
The Christmas Clapback – BET+
Premieres: Nov. 24
Cast: Nadine Ellis, Porscha Coleman, Candace Maxwell, Kara Royster, Eltony Williams, Brandon Sutton, Lisa Arrindell
Every year the three Miles sisters, Jasmine, Kira, and Tisha, battle each other for a chance to win the neighborhood Christmas Church Cook-Off competition. But when Aaliyah, the vivacious Social Media Influencer, enters the competition, the sisters must choose to rise together, or fall divided.
First Impressions: Black people know that church cook-offs are basically The Hunger Games. Yes, everyone is there for the Lord, but they also really want that trophy. I hope this movie reveals how hilariously off the rails these events can go.
Holiday Hideaway – BET+
Premieres: Nov. 24
Cast: Camille Winbush, Vivica A Fox, Leonard Earl Howze, Rodney Van Johnson
Carly is the queen of holiday celebrations, but her mistletoe misstep sends her running to a Holiday Hideaway that teaches her the importance of family, forgiveness and fighting for love.
First Impressions: If Carly is the “queen of holiday celebrations,” shouldn’t she already know the true meaning of Christmas?
The Sound of Christmas – BET+
Premieres: Nov. 24
Cast: Ne-Yo, Serayah, Draya Michele, Michael Bless, Alijah Kai
A down-on-her-luck music teacher leads a wealthy widower away from his gold-digging girlfriend and back to love and music during the Christmas holidays.
First Impressions: Let’s be honest, we’re only watching this one for the music.
Faith Heist: A Christmas Caper – Bounce
Premieres: Nov. 26 at 8 p.m.
Cast: Jonathan Langdon
This sequel to the popular Bounce Original movie Faith Heist finds Pastor Benjamin (Jonathan Langdon) and his motley crew of congregants locked in the local mall on Christmas Eve. A fearsome team of armed thieves break-in to rob the mall and all the money raised by the church for a Christmas charity. Unable to flee or signal for help, the pastor and his friends realize it’s up to them to battle the crooks and save the mall–all before Christmas morning.
First Impressions: So it’s Home Alone for Black folks?
Rolling Into Christmas – BET+
Premieres: Dec. 1
Cast: Rhyon Nicole Brown, Donny Carrington, Brandee Evans, Gary Dourdan
Two childhood sweethearts who shared a passion for roller skating are reunited 15 years later during the holidays, forcing them to question their love and life choices.
First Impressions: Christmas and roller skating is the chocolate and peanut butter of holiday movies. Why did it take so long for us to get a film with both?
The Holiday Stocking – Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
Premieres: Dec. 3 at 10 p.m.
Cast: Nadine Ellis, B.J. Britt, Karon Riley, Tamala Jones, Mykelti Williamson
RJ is a new angel, who is given the chance to address his one regret, that he didn’t help his sisters reconcile while he was still alive. Returning to earth as a stranger, he gets each of them to revive the Holiday Stocking, their parent’s old tradition to encourage charity at Christmas.
First Impressions: The stories with angels helping humans fix their lives are always guaranteed tearjerkers.
A New Orleans Noel – Lifetime
Premieres: Saturday, Dec. 3 at 8 p.m.
Cast: Keshia Knight Pulliam, Brad James, Patti LaBelle and Tim Reid
Grace Hill and Anthony Brown could not be more different. Despite having gone to college to study architecture together, their lives took them on completely separate paths. But when they’re both hired to work together on the home of Loretta Brown—a New Orleans praline icon—the two find themselves stuck working together at Christmas…and butting heads over more than just architecture. When Anthony and his family discover that Grace will be celebrating Christmas alone, they invite her to take part in their traditions and their celebrations. Soon, fiercely independent Grace begins to learn the importance of family and community, while modern Anthony learns to embrace tradition and the magic of Christmas. And when Grace is offered a new job far away from New Orleans, she’ll have to decide if she’ll leave or follow her heart. Whoopi Goldberg is a producer.
First Impressions: I really hope New Orleans at Christmas is a major character in the story. I’m a sucker for anything set in New Orleans.
A Miracle Before Christmas – BET+
Premieres: Dec. 8
Cast: LeToya Luckett, Romeo Miller, Keith David, Demetrius Shipp Jr, Paula Jai Parker and Porscha Coleman
With a little help from an angel, Mercedes Wright, a fast-talking popular relationship therapist with all the answers when it comes to fixing everyone else’s marriage, must now use the magic of Christmas to find the secret to save her own.
First Impressions: I hope Mercedes isn’t portrayed as a workaholic who always puts her family second. It’s annoying when they constantly present successful women that way.
Kirk Franklin’s The Night Before Christmas – Lifetime
Premieres: Saturday, Dec. 10 at 8 p.m.
Cast: Naturi Naughton, Luke James, Kirk Franklin and Lorea Turner
Caught in a blizzard on Christmas Eve, estranged mother and daughter Journee and Nia are forced to take refuge inside a church where a handful of also-trapped parishioners are reeling from the cancellation of their annual holiday concert. The spirit of the season takes hold as Journee and Nia weather the wintry storm together with the other churchgoers, including handsome youth pastor Adam and a heavenly music teacher, who motivate the mother and daughter to reconcile their differences through music, faith, and love. With the help of this unlikely yet spirited group of strangers, Journee and Nia band together to help the church salvage not only their holiday traditions but also their show-stopping Christmas day performance, despite the raging storm outside.
First Impressions: Though it sounds like the story may be a little heavy-handed, you know the music will be good.
A Blackjack Christmas – BET+
Premieres: Dec. 15
Cast: Dawnn Lewis, Charmin Lee, Adam Lazarre – White
A story of two sisters-one who migrated to and built a nice life in the U.S., while the other stayed behind in their native Jamaica. When addiction threatens to tear the family apart, the sisters find their way back to one another and rebuild their bond.
First Impressions: This sounds like a tearjerker that you don’t want to watch alone. Make sure you have a buddy to help you through the emotional reunion scene.
Holiday Heritage – Hallmark Channel
Premieres: Dec. 16, 8 p.m.
Cast: Lyndie Greenwood, Brooks Darnell, Holly Robinson Peete
Ella returns to her hometown to mend fences with her fractured family. With the help of Griffin, her ex-boyfriend, she encourages her family to celebrate Christmas and Kwanzaa and to heal their past wounds before it’s too late.
First Impressions: This is Hallmark Channel’s first time showcasing Kwanzaa, so expect a lot of scenes explaining the holiday in easy-to-understand tidbits.
A Christmas Gift – BET+
Premieres: Dec. 22
Cast: Blue Kimble, Noree Victoria, Javon Johnson, Victoria Rowell, Aaron D Spears, Nadia Simms, Tiffany Snow, Marc Jones, Cayen Martin
In a failed attempt to cancel Christmas, the McKenzies find themselves ultimately navigating through unexpected guests, secrets, and revelations that will have a lasting effect on their families.
First Impressions: Come on, you know we can’t get through the season without someone trying to cancel Christmas.
The Snowball Effect – UP TV
Premieres: Saturday, Dec. 24, at 7 p.m.
Cast: Anjali Khurana and Landon Moss
Rival meteorologists tracking a massive snowstorm in the town of Mistletoe must work together to get home in time for Christmas.
First Impressions: I never promised that they would all be winners.
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