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Hallmark Channel may have already launched its Countdown to Christmas programming, but on October 28, 2023, NBC’s legendary comedy sketch show “Saturday Night Live (SNL)” aired a “Hallmark Horror” spoof of the network’s rom-coms, perfect for the weekend before Halloween.
Social media exploded with reactions to the parody trailer for “A Stab At Love,” featuring a couple played by “SNL” guest host (and stand-up comedian) Nate Bargatze and “SNL” cast member Chloe Fineman, who fall for each other despite his intention to kill her.
Here’s what you need to know:
Viewers Say They Want ‘SNL’ Hallmark Parody to Become a Real Movie
In SNL’s spoof, Bargatze plays a murderer named Mark who’s surprised when his next would-be victim, played by Fineman, turns out to be his old friend Kelsey from high school. They greet each other warmly, like nothing sinister is happening, and she proceeds to fall head over heels for her “high school crush turned hometown killer,” the voiceover says, eventually declaring her love for him at an apple orchard — of course.
“SNL” inserted many Hallmark movie tropes in the trailer, including Kelsey returning from New York City to visit her small town, called Autumn Hollow. The old friends also share a necessary meet-cute moment in which they bump heads and giggle. And as Kelsey chats about the situation with her girlfriend, played by cast member Punkie Johnson, Mark stands and waves sweetly from a corner of the apple orchard’s shop — but fully masked and still holding a knife.
As the scenes play out, the voiceover says, “We cornered the market on Christmas, why not Halloween, cause the only thing female viewers like more than romance is murder.”
Viewers flooded social media to applaud the spoof, with many noting how much they loved the tagline — “Only on Hallmark, where boo means boyfriend” — and other tongue-in-cheek jabs. Others said they would watch the movie in a heartbeat.
One tweeted, “No stop bc I would 100000% watch ‘A Stab at Love’ on Hallmark Horror 😹😂”
Another wrote, “I would watch A Stab At Love on Hallmark Horror channel. It’s just crazy enough to work.”
Horror author Wendy Dalrymple, whose books include “My Halloween Romance,” posted an Instagram video about the spoof and said, “If you guys know me, you know this is absolutely my jam.”
‘SNL’ Has Parodied Hallmark Movies Multiple Times
This is not the first time “SNL” has spoofed Hallmark movies. In December 2019, guest host Scarlett Johannsen starred in a skit about a “holiday matchmaking show” called “A Winter Boyfriend for Holiday Christmas,” in which game show host Emily Cringle, played by Aidy Bryant.
In the game show, Johannsen played contestant Lauren, who had to choose between three Hallmark hunks. Brian, who works at a Christmas tree farm, Prince Simon of “Caucasia” or Nick St. Claus who insists he’s not Santa despite working with elves in the “gift industry.”
In December 2017, actor James Franco starred in another “SNL” Hallmark parody when he was the guest host. In the spoof, he played Chris Bearstick, a “Canadian handsome” actor who stars, unpaid, in two Hallmark Christmas movies — “Yes, Santa” and “Prince Santa.”
The sketch got cut from the live show, according to The Hollywood Reporter, but made the rounds on social media. Glamour called the skit a “pitch-perfect spoof of every single Hallmark Christmas movie ever made.”
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