Hallmark holiday movies are here, and fully in bloom during the holiday season. Over the years, these films have become very similar to one another. It seems each one is the same exact plotline with little differences. This plotline consists of one character (who happens to usually be female) who usually has a job in the big city. This character returns to their family home for the holiday. Soon after arriving, the character reunites with their childhood crush/ex/friend. Over the holiday the two become close again. Then all the sudden it’s time for the main character to return back to the big city, and possibly the fiance that is waiting for them there, but at the very end of the movie the character decides to stay and have a relationship with their childhood friend. 

Not every Hallmark movie is that exact format, but each one seems to have at least one of the mentioned components above. Sophomore Sienna Gilchrist said, “they all have the same plotline, they used to be more rare though.” This is added evidence how Hallmark is falling off. 

Another sign of how Hallmark movies are on their downfall is the lack of students who know about them. Only one out of four students had seen a full movie, and none could remember the name of the movie. The issue with Hallmark movies is the fact that each one is so predictable that it makes watching the movie less enjoyable. Take, for example, horror movies. Horror movies are adrenaline inducing, suspenseful and can strike curiosity in its viewer. It is much easier to remember a movie that had some strong emotional impact or connection to you (whether it’s fear, joy, temporary grief or even confusion) than a movie with no distinct difference from its counterparts. It is reasonable to infer that Hallmark movies, unlike dramatic or suspenseful productions, also don’t connect to the viewer emotionally and keep them interested. Usually, when you watch a movie that keeps you engaged and interested, your body releases a hormone called endorphins, which also boosts your production of dopamine, and makes you feel happy and enjoy the movie. Hallmark movies are on a decline in popularity, which is probably a result of their repetitive plot which can become boring and meaningless over time. This means Hallmark movies do not induce a fluctuation in dopamine and endorphin levels, hence making the holiday tradition less and less popular every year.  

Something that is good to think about is whether Hallmark was ever really that popular. “Popular” in Hallmark movie terms is different from “popular” Home Alone terms. It seems it’s always just been a side movie option. Most people when looking to watch a Christmas film think of “Elf,” “Grinch” etc. No one ever says their first choice is Hallmark. These movies have never had a time where they blew up in popularity. So essentially people who moderately liked them or just liked them less and less.