Holiday-themed rom-coms are one of our favorite parts of the holiday season, but after you watch enough of them you start to notice some odd trends…

In this compilation, we’re diving back into some of our takes on holiday romantic comedies! First, we’re analyzing how films like Love Actually, The Holiday, The Merry Gentlemen, Hot Frosty and more provide a romantic, formulaic escapism that can be comforting and enjoyable to watch, but how these kinds of films can also work to uphold old-fashioned ideas and outdated stereotypes. Then we’re unpacking how some modern holiday rom-coms are making great strides in breaking these old patterns! Finally, we’re taking a closer look at one of the most iconic Christmas rom-coms of all time: Love, Actually. While it *seems* romantic on the surface, the film actually has a lot of really weird messages about love and relationships…