It is officially that time of year again: Christmas movie season. Last year, I watched and reviewed the four new Netflix Original Christmas movies, and I decided to do the same this year. With six movies and two series, there are plenty to choose from in the Christmas department this year on Netflix. Do you want to know what is worth streaming and what is worth skipping? I watched them all to help you find out, in order of what I liked the least to what I liked the most.
- Holiday Rush
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Holiday Rush stars Romany Malco as a famous radio DJ who is suddenly fired, threatening to ruin Christmas for his four spoiled children. This is Netflix’s attempt to make a standard Hallmark Christmas movie, with a male protagonist to switch things up a bit. However, this movie really fell flat for me. It is marketed like a romantic comedy, but the romance is somewhat thrown together at the end, with a majority of the movie focusing on how the spoiled kids are mad that they have to sell their fancy house. I have no idea who the intended audience is, as sometimes it seems more for adults, and other times we see the protagonist talk out loud to Santa when he is alone. If you are in need of a pretty standard Christmas movie with family morals and musical themes, maybe give this one a try.
- A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby
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Ugh, here we go again. Since its first installment in 2017, the Christmas Prince Cinematic Universe (the CPCU for short) has expanded with a royal wedding and now a royal baby. I was very hesitant for this installment, as I was disappointed by A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding and was scared where the plot would take us with a baby on the way. To me, it seems like the creators come up with the title first and later realize they forgot about the plot. Then, they come up with a weird investigation that Amber needs to get overly involved in. This movie is no different: the newly appointed Queen Amber and King Richard are expecting their first child, but around Christmas, they host other allied royals in order to sign their treaty that has not been broken since the 1400s. When that treaty vanishes in the palace, they must figure out who stole it in order to prevent a curse! The last movie had a garish red and blue hue to it and thankfully that was corrected in this movie. However, this is another confusing and somewhat boring installment in the CPCU. The younger sister and her boyfriend are the best part of the whole movie and you cannot fight me on that fact. I would only recommend it if you enjoyed the first two movies. Now I am wondering: what could be next for the CPCU?
- Holiday in the Wild
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I think I would have enjoyed this movie much more if it had not been a Christmas movie (I know, I am shocked I said that too). Ignore any marketing for this: Holiday in the Wild really is a romantic comedy about a newly divorced woman who finds her calling working in an elephant sanctuary in Africa with Rob Lowe. This movie is very cute and would be perfect for all elephant lovers out there, but marketing it as a Christmas/holiday movie is kind of a scam. Sure, there are a couple of scenes where it is Christmas time, but it does not feel like a Christmas movie, and that is why it falls here in my ranking. It is fun to see Rob Lowe and his son, John Owen Lowe, act together. Beyond that, it is a simple rom-com. I would recommend it to elephant lovers on a lazy afternoon.
- Merry Happy Whatever
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Merry Happy Whatever is an eight-episode sitcom following Emmy Quinn as she brings her boyfriend home to meet her eccentric and often overbearing family. With Dennis Quaid, Bridgit Mendler and Ashley Tisdale, this series captured my attention when I saw it on Netflix. It is a simple sitcom that would be perfect for lovers of classic sitcoms with a laugh track, which is not something I would normally watch. After watching all eight episodes, I can say that this is a fun show with good character development that sets up a potential for a second season. This show is appropriate for all seasons but also has a good holiday feel, unlike Holiday in the Wild. I think it would be a good show to turn on at home with family while you prepare for the holidays as it is appropriate for most audiences.
- The Knight Before Christmas
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Vanessa Hudgens is back at it again with another Christmas movie! The moment this movie was announced, I was very excited to see it. A medieval knight is transported to modern-day Ohio, where he meets a science teacher who attempts to help him figure out how to complete the mysterious mission he was sent on by a witch. Although this movie is not great in quality and falls into a lot of clichés, I had a great time watching it with my friend. Once again, we have a movie that is bathed in that blue hue that I hate but most people probably will not notice that. Here, we also see people watching a Netflix movie in a Netflix movie (a trend from last year)! I found it to be a strange choice that the lead’s name is Sir Cole as it sounds like they are calling him “circle” for the entirety of the movie. This was a fun, classic Christmas romantic comedy that was on par with 2018’s The Princess Switch.
- Let It Snow
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I have heard several mixed reviews of Let It Snow, but I had a great time watching it! I had very low expectations going into it, but I was surprised by how fun it was. I have not read the book that it is based on (Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances), and I have heard that the movie is a very different adaptation. It has a strong cast with Joan Cusack, Shameik Moore and Kiernan Shipka to name a few. It follows several high school students as they get stuck in a snowstorm on Christmas Eve. One of my few complaints was that there were a few too many characters and plots to follow to the point that some of the plots seemed to be forgotten or did not get a full conclusion. I would really like to know who came up with the nipple side-plot (if you watch it, you will understand) because I found it hilarious. Overall, this movie would be great for young adults who enjoy unconventional romantic comedies from time to time.
- Klaus
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This is the perfect movie to watch with the family this Christmas. Klaus is an animated family movie with a unique retelling of how Santa Claus came to be. Follow Jesper, a spoiled postman, as he is stationed in an eccentric town full of feuding families. In order to get out of the town, Jesper must create a successful postal company, and when he finds out that the mysterious Mr. Klaus has a talent for making toys for the unfortunate children of the town, Jesper forms a plan. This movie has the feeling of an instant classic with great animation, storytelling and voice acting talent from stars like J.K. Simmons, Joan Cusack and Rashida Jones. I would recommend this film to anyone in the need of Christmas spirit, especially families who want to see a fresh take on a classic story.
- Home for Christmas (Hjem til Jul)
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Stop what you are doing and go watch this show! Home for Christmas is a Norwegian drama-comedy series following Johanne, a 30-year-old nurse who is tired of constant pressure from family, friends and the whole world to be in a relationship. She finds herself entangled in a lie when she tells her family that she has a boyfriend and that she will bring him home for Christmas. Just wait: what follows is not what you would expect. This series shocked me with how fresh the concepts were, with a relatable protagonist, realistic scenarios and light-hearted commentary on dating in the modern world. I have not been able to stop telling people to watch this show just so they renew it for a second season (when you watch it you will understand why). This is the most mature title from this list, so I would recommend this show for adults who can understand the complications of being single around the holidays.
Netflix gave us a lot of new content this year, and with the few gems we were gifted, I think I can say that 2019 reigns supreme in Christmas content over last year. I hope you enjoy exploring these new titles this holiday season!