5 Perfect Hallmark Romcoms For A Cozy Date Night In

No other network embodies romance like the Hallmark Channel does. Their Countdown to Christmas series, a collection of new Christmas movies released yearly, has gotten viewers in the festive spirit since it started in 2010. Nowadays, their repertoire extends far beyond the winter holidays. They have a movie for every season or occasion, including Valentine's Day, summer vacation, and even the Fall harvest. If it's a romcom you're in the mood for, Hallmark is the place to be.

The channel has released hundreds of feel-good movies, ranging from topics that deal with families finding their way back to each other to dealing with and healing from grief. While some of their films, especially on the "Movies and Mysteries" channel, tend to have a more bittersweet storyline, some of Hallmark's best movies are just plain fun. They share an important message of love, and these movies are made for watching with a loved one, preferably on a cozy date night.

The Hallmark Channel is best known for its Christmas movies, but they also produce romcoms celebrating every holiday throughout the year, and perhaps the second-most popular celebration for love is Valentine's Day. In 2021, Hallmark took a hint from fans of Jane Austen and released "Playing Cupid," an adaptation of Austen's novel "Emma." The story follows middle school teacher Kerri Fox (Laura Vandervoort) and single dad David Martinez (Nicholas Gonzalez), who become the victims of David's daughter's matchmaking scheme after she's assigned a project to create her own business at school. This film follows the trend that Hallmark has started with adapting many of Austen's iconic novels into modern rom coms, such as 2016's "Unleashing Mr. Darcy," based on "Pride & Prejudice" and 2019's "Sense, Sensibility and Snowmen," based on "Sense and Sensibility."

The modern take on a classic matchmaking story did wonders for this movie, elevating it past the repetitious "daughter sets up her dad with her teacher" plot. David's daughter building a matchmaking business as her school project is creative, and using it on her dad and teacher as her first clients adds a layer of sweetness to their romance. Set against a Valentine's Day backdrop, this story has the perfect amount of humor and cheese to make it a sweet journey around the most romantic holiday.

Many viewers love watching Hallmark movies to celebrate specific holidays, but sometimes the film's focus is the story being told and not the backdrop on which they're set. This is the case for the sweet love story featured in "All For Love" from 2017. Romance author Jo (Sara Rue) has landed in a tough spot with her publisher after she made 73 factual errors in her previous novel about firefighters. To better research her next book featuring a military veteran, Jo joins a military boot camp run by her publisher's Navy Seal brother, Colin (Steve Bacic). The two start to lower their respective walls and open themselves up to the possibility of love again.

The unique plot of "All For Love" is a deviation from the standard Hallmark formula that many of their films fall under; it sets up the story to feel more authentic and slightly different than most of the channel's other movies. Rue and Bacic's chemistry is also a plus, as the two characters butt heads at first but slowly bond over their shared heartbreak and fall in love. Since this movie doesn't revolve around a specific holiday or celebration, it's perfect for any time of year when you want a break from reality, with charm and comedy to boot.

Lacey Chabert is one of the most popular actresses on the Hallmark Channel, with a whopping 30 films under her belt since her debut on the channel in "Elevator Girl" in 2010. The movies she's starred in range from summer to winter, but one of the more popular holiday movies Chabert has appeared in is "A Royal Christmas" from 2014. Chabert plays seamstress Emily Taylor who falls in love with grad student Leo, played by Stephen Hagan, who happens to be Prince Leopold of Cordinia. Emily is whisked away to spend Christmas with Leopold's family, but his mother, the Queen, has a hard time accepting that her son has fallen in love with a commoner.

While "A Royal Christmas" is another movie in the long list of royal romances on Hallmark, this one feels different in its own right. Since Emily and Leopold are already in love at the film's start, viewers get to see them tackle problems together instead of just watching them fall in love. It contains the perfect amount of cheesiness without going overboard, and the cast of loveable characters, from the castle staff to the other royals, is hard to beat. Add in fun Christmas activities in an obscure European country and a grand holiday ball at the end of the film, and it makes for the perfect festive movie.

There are certain actors that Hallmark strikes gold with, and Paul Campbell is one of them. He's grown into a staple on the channel and even found a writing partner in fellow Hallmark darling Kimberley Sustad. The two penned "Three Wise Men and a Baby" together, which became one of the most popular Hallmark Christmas movies ever. But before his success at writing, Campbell wowed in another unique movie on the channel; 2015's "Surprised By Love," playing opposite Hilarie Burton. Burton plays Josie Mayfield, a strict businesswoman who, despite trying to convince her parents to like her boyfriend, finds herself reconnecting with her high school ex, Maxwell Gridley (Campbell). While her parents want her to pick the right man in their eyes, Josie is determined to fall for Mr. Wrong.

As the second Hallmark movie Campbell starred in, viewers could see how his charm and sincerity made him one to watch on the channel. The concept of the main character falling in love with Mr. Wrong makes this movie unexpected and sweet as Josie learns to follow her heart instead of her head. She learns to stand up for herself and what she wants, conveying a strong message to viewers and making the romance between Josie and Gridley that much better.

It wouldn't be a Hallmark Channel round-up if we didn't include at least one more Lacey Chabert movie. With her superb acting and ability to draw audiences in, it's hard to pick a favorite of the films she's starred in, but "Love, Romance and Chocolate" from 2019 is a standout. Featuring Chabert as Emma Colvin opposite Will Kemp as Luc Simon, the actors play chocolatiers who team up to compete in a competition to cater an impending Belgian royal wedding. The movie was considered one of Chabert's best, and not only because of the connection between the actors.

A movie centered around chocolate makes for the perfect Valentine's Day film, but what makes this movie stand out is that it was actually filmed on location in Belgium. Featuring real tourist attractions in Bruges, Brussels, and Ghent, crafted the perfect background for Chabert and Kemp's characters to fall in love while bonding over sugary sweetness. The beautiful setting sets this film apart and offers an escape as viewers watch Chabert try her hand at chocolate work and attempt to find the perfect flavor combination while realizing that Emma and Luc make the perfect team.