In times of political uncertainty and societal upheaval, many Americans are turning inward. Not in retreat—but in search of something steady, familiar… maybe even a little bit magical.
For a growing number of people, that refuge comes not from the latest prestige drama on a streaming service or true crime podcast—but from Hallmark Holiday movies.
Yes… Hallmark.
Those two-hour slices of emotional predictability are often set in snow-dusted towns with names like Mistletoe Falls or Evergreen Ridge. Where the local diner serves up homemade pie, the bookstore never closes, hot cocoa is always on offer, and the biggest conflict is whether the town Christmas pageant will go on as planned.
It’s easy to dismiss them as formulaic. Because, well… they are.
And that’s the point.
In an era of relentless headlines and the often-dizzying pace of modern life, Hallmark movies offer a kind of emotional ballast. A reliable script in a world that feels increasingly unscripted.
The plots are familiar. The endings? Happy—always. And while that may not reflect reality, it speaks to something deeply human: the desire to believe that, even when things fall apart, they can come back together. Two people find their way through misunderstandings, missed chances, or personal heartbreak—and by the final scene, they’re not just smiling, but in love. Together.
I came to Hallmark during the COVID pandemic— a time of great uncertainty and despair. When the days blurred together and the news never seemed to let up, these simple, comforting stories offered a small but powerful sense of relief. They didn’t ask much of me—just to sit still, and believe that kindness could still shape the world.
And for many viewers, those heartwarming resolutions feel even more real when they take place against a backdrop that, frankly, looks like home.
A surprising number of Hallmark movies are not just set in New England—they’re filmed here, too. Picturesque Connecticut towns like Mystic and Essex often stand in for those fictional holiday hamlets. Their steepled churches, white picket fences, and colonial storefronts serve as the perfect canvas for holiday magic.
And it’s not just a December phenomenon.
According to Nielsen, this past Christmas in July programming block brought in 12.6 million unique viewers.. It ranked among the highest-rated television for key female demographics. Each weekend in July, the new movies ranked as the No. 1 most-watched entertainment cable program on their release dates.
So, nostalgia, it turns out, isn’t seasonal. And neither is the craving for comfort.
For many, Hallmark movies aren’t about escaping reality… they’re about pausing it. Creating a world where misunderstandings are resolved over gingerbread and love always wins.
Critics may roll their eyes at the simplicity of the films. But in a world that often feels like a series of unsolvable problems, sometimes the greatest comfort lies in knowing exactly how the story ends.
David Thomson is a Professor of History at Sacred Heart University.