Movies like The Ex (1996)
The best movies like The Ex (1996) are A Merry Christmas Wish (2022), A Kiss Before Christmas (2021) and Picture a Perfect Christmas (2019). If The Ex hooked you with its tv movie, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
The Ex
Quick picks
- NewestHaul Out the Holly (2022)Released 2022
A Merry Christmas Wish (2022)
Janie, a rising marketing executive living in The Big Apple, returns to her hometown of Woodland Falls when her Great-Uncle Randall passes away. Randall has even arranged for his farmhand, Dylan to help at the event, which is being held in the farm’s sprawling barn. Aware that her Manhattan boyfriend is anxious for her to return to the city so the pair can jet off to a previously planned holiday on the beach, Janie begins to feel an unexpected emotional tug about living life in a more authentic, meaningful way.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisA Kiss Before Christmas (2021)
Ethan, always the nice guy, wakes up in a new reality at Christmas. Initially, he is enthralled with his new life but soon realizes that it's not what he thought it would be.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPicture a Perfect Christmas (2019)
An extreme-sports photographer returns home for the holiday to take care of her grandmother, only to have a neighbor grab her attention as he needs assistance watching his young nephew.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisChristmas at Castle Hart (2021)
Brooke Bennett goes to Ireland for Christmas to search for her Irish roots. While there, she meets Aiden Hart, Earl of Glaslough. Mistaken for an elite event planner, she’s hired to host his castle’s epic Christmas party.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHaul Out the Holly (2022)
Emily arrives home, hoping to visit her parents, only to discover that they are leaving on a trip of their own. As she stays at their house for the holidays, their HOA is determined to get Emily to participate in the neighborhood’s many Christmas festivities.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGhosts of Christmas Always (2022)
Katherine is a Ghost of Christmas Present and she must help one soul, Peter, rediscover his Christmas spirit. But this year has something unusual in store.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like this'Tis the Season to be Merry (2021)
Looking for a fresh angle to her book on relationships, Merry heads to snow-covered Vermont. She finds a new perspective and Christmas cheer with charismatic aid worker Chris.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Royal Nanny (2022)
Claire is an MI5 agent who goes undercover as the royal nanny. She must overcome the challenges of her assignment, like resisting the charms of Prince Colin, while keeping the family safe at Christmas.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCheck Inn to Christmas (2019)
Julia Crawley and Ryan Mason must unite their families during Crestridge's Centennial Christmas celebration in order to save their family inns from a chain resort.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMy Christmas Prince (2017)
Samantha, a dedicated teacher in Manhattan, returns to her home town of Maple Falls, Wyoming every year for Christmas. This year, she’s delighted when her boyfriend Alex, a European diplomat from the tiny country of Madelvia, decides to joins her. Samantha later discovers Alex is actually a prince destined for the throne, turning her entire world upside down. Realizing that staying with Alex means spending her life in the constant glare of publicity and giving up the job opportunity of a lifetime, Samantha must decide if she loves Alex enough to make the transition from teacher to royal – or will it be too big a leap
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisA Bramble House Christmas (2017)
While settling his father’s estate, Finn Conrad becomes suspicious as to why the man left a nurse $100,000. His dad knew her for less than two months before he died. Just before Christmas, Finn wants what to reclaim what he considers his family’s money, going undercover to investigate the bed and breakfast the nurse has recently taken over. When Finn meets Willa, he discovers she’s not a conniving gold digger at all, but a woman in need who put the money to good use. When she discovers his true identity, will it keep Willa from ever trusting him again?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHello (2022)
An emotionally unavailable flight attendant meets a potential love interest and later finds out that her "perfect guy" has ulterior motives. As the clock ticks down on New Year's Eve, she must fight to keep her murdered ex-boyfriend's secrets or find herself dead.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisChristmas at the Drive-In (2022)
Sadie Walker is starting over in her hometown of Chesterfield, New York, following a series of major life disruptions that include leaving her law practice after losing her biggest case and no longer being engaged.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisMarry Me at Christmas (2017)
Organizing a Christmas wedding is a true treat for bridal boutique owner Madeline Krug. She loves the challenge of finding the perfect dress for the bride and orchestrating an exquisite event. What Madeline didn’t expect was to be swept off her feet by the bride’s gorgeous brother, movie star, Jonny Blaze. Jonny came to the quirky town of Fool’s Gold to support his sister -- not to fall in love. Yet Madeline is the most extraordinary woman he’s ever met, and she finds the real Jonny even more captivating than her celebrity crush. Will the action star be brave enough to take on the role of a lifetime?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Christmas Kiss (2011)
Wendy Walton is the best designer in Boston... but no one knows it yet. Hoping to kick-start her career, Wendy has left work with the local theatre to take a job as an assistant to Priscilla Hall, the most prestigious designer in the city. Ms. Hall works Wendy around the clock, which is how Wendy finds herself trapped in an elevator late one night with an incredibly handsome stranger. Wendy and the mystery man share an impulsive, romantic, life changing kiss before the doors open and Wendy runs out, leaving him behind. The next day at work, Wendy answers the door to find the handsome gentleman standing in front of her.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCatering Christmas (2022)
A fledgling caterer, Molly Frost, is hired by Jean Harrison, the perfectionistic director of the renowned Harrison Foundation, to cater this year’s annual Christmas Gala dinner. Things get complicated when Molly falls for Jean’s nephew, Carson, 30s, a travel photographer with no desire to take over the family’s foundation… until his aunt assigns him to the task of making sure the catered dinner goes perfectly.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisChristmas in the Air (2017)
Lydia, a successful professional organizer, is constantly trying to grow her business, but even her ambition takes a back seat to love when she meets Robert, a frazzled widower with two young children. A toy inventor, Robert is asked to present his new Christmas toy line to a superstore. His challenge is he only has 12 days to get his life and his business in order. Talk about a Christmas rush! Lydia shows Robert that this task goes way deeper than messy junk drawers and encompasses every aspect of his life. While she’s intent on helping him straighten out details he had long ignored, Robert teaches the buttoned-up Lydia that messiness can be a delightful part of life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Hunchback (1997)
Based on Victor Hugo's famed novel, the story of Quasimodo, the deformed bell ringer of Notre Dame, and his unrequited love for the gypsy girl, Esmeralda.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisThree Wise Men and a Baby (2022)
Three brothers get the surprise of their lives when they are forced to work together to care for a baby over the holidays. As they slowly get the hang of things, they find themselves on unexpected journeys of self-discovery and begin to rebuild their relationships as brothers, as well as the damaged romantic and professional relationships in their respective lives…all while rediscovering their love of Christmas.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisChateau Christmas (2020)
Margot, a world-renowned pianist, returns to Chateau Newhaus to spend the holidays with her family and is reunited with an ex who helps her rediscover her passion for music.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Ex?
The closest matches to The Ex are A Merry Christmas Wish (2022), A Kiss Before Christmas (2021) and Picture a Perfect Christmas (2019). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Ex?
Start with A Merry Christmas Wish (2022), the closest match to The Ex.
What is the newest movie like The Ex?
Haul Out the Holly (2022) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there French movies like The Ex?
The closest matches are in other languages.
How are movies similar to The Ex chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Ex, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.