I swapped Shudder for Hallmark+ for a week – and a silly rom-com about a ghost warmed my dark heart
When I think of the best streaming services and what I’d recommend to others, Hallmark+ is not on that list. I’d largely written it off due to its reputation for cheesy movies riddled with clichés and ridiculous plots.
If you hadn’t guessed already, I hate the vast majority of romantic comedies, and Hallmark+ was my personal idea of hell, so it wasn’t a subscription I’d ever tried out.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m partial to watching the odd bad Christmas movie with my friends to make fun of if it’s on TV, but the idea of regularly watching these kinds of movies makes my skin crawl.
But I do enjoy a challenge, so I decided to swap my horror streaming service, Shudder, for Hallmark+, which offers a 7-day free trial. That was enough time for me to conduct this experiment and see if I could find a movie I enjoyed.
To my surprise, I did.
Why I fell in love with 3 Bed, 2 Bath, 1 Ghost
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If you’re wondering if I picked this title because it had a ghost in it, you’d be right. It seemed fitting that I watch something with supernatural elements, even if it wasn’t going to scare me the way some of the best horror movies do.
Admittedly, “3 Bed, 2 Bath, 1 Ghost” is a silly title, but you have to hand it to them; it does draw you in. Immediately, you know that this is going to involve a house and a ghost, often the makings of a good horror, but this time it was a romantic comedy instead.
I’m willing to be proven wrong, and I can admit I had a really great time with this movie. I often brush romantic comedies off because I prefer things that shock me or take twists and turns, but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this film.
The plot follows a realtor named Anna who realizes one of the homes she’s meant to sell is inhabited by a 1920s ghost called Ruby who refuses to leave. This roadblock is, of course, frustrating, but the two women realize they have something in common.
They both left their fiancés at the altar, which leads Ruby to believe that if she can help Anna rekindle her love, she’ll gain the closure she needs to finally move on.
I know, this plot is silly, and it’s the kind of thing I’d usually hate, but I must admit, this is a really well-acted, sweet movie, and it made my week of Hallmark+ titles much more bearable.
I also found out that the two leads, Julie Gonzalo and Chris McNally, are a real-life couple, likely why the chemistry is so good here. I loved watching these two navigate a complicated situation, aided by a very unlikely cupid to bring them back together.
If you are the kind of person who already loves a Hallmark movie, 3 Bed, 2 Bath, 1 Ghost will likely be perfect for you, but I’m even going to start recommending it to people who usually don’t watch them.
It’s perfect if you need a lift and something lighthearted. As much as I’ve enjoyed diving into all the new horror movies in August, I can’t deny that I had so much fun watching a very different kind of ghost story.
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