The Hallmark channel and Valentine’s Day movies go together like chocolate and roses. It’s that perfect time of year to cuddle up under a blanket with a special someone, drink some tea or hot chocolate, maybe light a candle, and watch some sappy movie about love.
The Hallmark channel often gets a bad rap, but it really does have some worthwhile films, especially when it comes to Valentine’s Day. The following movies are surprisingly good, and if IMDb is anything to go by, they come highly recommended. Seek them out if you have the chance. These are the ten best Hallmark Valentine’s Day movies, according to IMDb.
Valentine’s Again - 5.7/10
Valentine’s Again is what would happen if Groundhog Day took place on Valentine’s Day instead of… groundhog day. In it, a lonely woman named Katherine is on her way home when she meets a gypsy (as you do). The gypsy then casts a spell on her, and Katherine is forced to relive the same day over and over again until she finds a suitable companion. It’s certainly a unique approach to the whole Hallmark Valentine’s Day movie, and it seems enjoyable enough. Maybe a little cliché and predictable, but fresh and intriguing enough to remain interesting throughout.
Valentine In The Vineyard - 6.3/10
Valentine in the Vineyard is the third installment in the In the Vineyard series. Maybe you’ve heard of it. The first, Autumn in the Vineyard, was released in October 2016, and the second, Summer in the Vineyard, in August 2017. In this installment, Nate and Frankie juggle the planning of Lexie and Marco’s wedding (which is scheduled to take place on Valentine’s Day) while tending to their vines and attempting to stifle any potential financial losses. It’s not bad, and leads Brendan Penny and Rachael Leigh Cook remain as captivating as ever.
All Things Valentine - 6.5/10
All Things Valentine stars Sarah Rafferty and Sam Page as Avery and Brendan, respectively. Sarah is a blogger who is fed up with the whole Valentine’s Day thing. She then meets Brendan, who seems like Mr. Right. That is, until she discovers that it was Brendan who had left nasty comments on her various blog posts.
She then begins questioning whether he is right for her after all. It serves as a surprisingly deep and thoughtful look at artificial online personas and the real dangers they may cause, and Rafferty and Page are a great couple with some cackling chemistry.
Very, Very, Valentine - 6.6/10
Very, Very, Valentine is like a reversed Romeo and Juliet. Well, one particular scene in Romeo and Juliet, anyway. Danica McKellar plays Helen, a botanist and proprietor of a floral shop. One night, her good friend Henry invites her to a masquerade ball. While there, she meets and falls for a masked man who fails to reveal his true identity. Left with no name or location and very few clues, Helen embarks on a romantic journey to find this mystery man. It’s a solid premise, and it contains a very sweet story that is sure to make your heart melt.
My Secret Valentine - 6.6/10
My Secret Valentine is known for starring Lacey Chabert, known primarily as Gretchen Wieners from Mean Girls. She plays Chloe Grange, a restaurant manager and heir to a hefty wine fortune. However, she doesn’t want anything to do with her father’s wine business, so upon retirement, he decides to sell to a company based out of New York. She then must juggle the man sent to finalize the deal and the mysterious person who is performing repairs on her family cottage. Great cast, a fun and complex script, and a gooey center. What’s not to love?
Valentine Ever After - 6.7/10
Cheesy title aside, Valentine Ever After is definitely worth a watch. The movie stars Autumn Reeser as Julia and Vanessa Matsui as Sydney, two rich and comfortable 30-somethings who decide to embark on a road trip. While on the trip, they get into some trouble in Wyoming and are forced to perform thirty days of community service. You can probably guess where the story goes from there. It’s a good story, and the leads prove commendable and enjoyable. It’s definitely one of the better Hallmark movies out there.
A Dash Of Love - 6.7/10
A Dash of Love is a food-inspired Valentine’s Day movie. Food and Valentine’s Day, what a perfect combination. This one concerns Nikki, a chef who lands a good job at a high-scale restaurant. While there, she befriends the executive chef, once again played by Brendan Penny.
However, the owner of the restaurant steals their recipes and fires them both to protect her secret. Hellbent on revenge, they open their own restaurant to prove themselves and steal the public attention away from their old boss.
Cooking With Love - 6.8/10
Despite the similarities in story and name, Cooking with Love is not related to A Dash of Love. This movie stars Ali Liebert as Kelly, a hard-working career woman who is too busy for a romantic relationship. She is a TV producer and helps run a cooking show for children called Little Gourmet. When the head chef is injured, a hotheaded and controversial chef named Stephen is brought in as the replacement. It’s a cute story, and it contains some surprisingly good acting from the children, who help imbue the story with even more charm and sweetness.
All Of My Heart - 6.9/10
All of My Heart again stars Lacey Chabert. In this one, she stars as Jenny Fintley, a caterer who inherits half of a country home. The other half belongs to a successful Wall Street trader named Brian Howell, played by Brennan Elliott. Despite their differences, the two are forced to work together to restore their joint home. Along the way (perhaps not surprisingly), they begin to develop feelings for each other. It’s another Hallmark winner, and Lacey Chabert again proves her capabilities as a leading romantic lady.
The Lost Valentine - 7.5/10
The Lost Valentine is a Hallmark Hall of Fame production, and it is arguably one of the best. It contains the always brilliant Jennifer Love Hewitt and Betty White, who plays the adorable and tragic Caroline Thomas. The TV movie was widely acclaimed, and Betty White even scored herself a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie. It’s everything you would expect from a Hallmark Hall of Fame production, and it’s far and away one of their better outputs.
