Hey friends,
Merry Christmas! I am flying off for student exchange soon, and I have been isolating myself for nearly a week now. At this point, the PCR test I am taking before departure is probably the most important test of the year! I am kidding, but seriously though.
I started my annual binge on Christmas movies earlier this month. This time, I did not rewatch my favorites. Instead, I watched a bunch of films that I have never picked up before.
Since it is the holidays, I thought we could keep this week’s newsletter lighthearted and review some Christmas movies! In my world, the bar for Christmas movies is shockingly low. All it needs to do is be festive and exude positive vibes. Even if these movies are relatively trashy, I usually still stick through until the credits roll.
Today’s read: A quick review of Christmas movies!
1. The Princess Switch 3 - Romancing the Star
The Princess Switch series started three years ago. In the movies, Margaret and Stacey are doppelgangers played by Vanessa Hudgens. The second movie introduces Fiona, a troublemaker, and yet, also the doppelganger with the most depth to her character. I love her accent, wardrobe, and the jazzy music that plays whenever she struts into a room.
In Romancing the Star, a priceless Christmas relic is stolen. Margaret, Stacey, and Fiona are on a mission to retrieve it. This year, the focus is on Fiona, and Netflix did their best to rehab her character after making her into a villain earlier.
The entire series is a hit or miss, and I admit it is one of the trashiest holiday movies on Netflix. However, it is a guilty pleasure that I indulge every year. It is becoming a tradition for me in some ways, and I wonder how long this series could go on.
Rating: 3/5
2. A Castle for Christmas
I went into this one not particularly impressed because the castle in question is grand but nothing to gush over. It’s not the stuff you see in fairy tales and probably will never inspire a Disney movie. However, this movie surprised me, and I grew to love it.
A writer falls out of favor with her fans when she kills off a beloved character in her novel. The main character reminds me of Sophie Kinsella with her Shopaholic series that never seems to end. In hindsight, she probably is modeled after Kinsella. And well, her name is Sophie, too.
Hounded by angry fans, Sophie escapes to a castle in Scotland that features heavily in her grandfather’s stories. There, she puts in an offer to buy the castle. Although they have some initial disagreements, Sophie eventually falls in love with the Duke who owns the castle.
While I am not convinced by the romance, the relationship Sophie has with the other townspeople more than makes up for it.
Rating: 4/5
3. Single All the Way
I seldom watch trailers, and I went into this movie without any expectations. Peter is about to return home for Christmas, alone, after yet another breakup. Peter convinces his best friend, Nick, to accompany him as his fake boyfriend. Along the way, Peter and Nick come to terms with their romantic feelings for one another.
I adore the chemistry between the characters. Even Peter’s family fills me with warm, fuzzy feelings. I highly recommend Single All the Way this Christmas! At least, stay until the point where Peter does a Britney Spears dance for My Only Wish (this year).
Rating: 4.5/5
4. A Boy Called Christmas
In a world before Christmas, Nikolas sets off on a mission to find the village of elves, Elfhelm. Spoiler alert, Nikolas finds the village, but he is not welcomed after a prior bad encounter between the elves and humans. Nikolas eventually befriends the elves and brings the joy of Christmas to the people in his village.
While the movie is not bad, nothing stands out to me in particular. I thought there would be a greater sense of adventure when Nikolas ventures into the unknown, but nope.
Rating: 3/5
5. A California Christmas: City Lights
I have never started a Christmas movie that I dropped halfway, but this year’s California Christmas is a disaster. I remember watching and liking last year’s California Christmas that tells a story of a corporate heir who tries to acquire farmland. And what a surprise, he falls in love with the owner of the farm.
This year, they both return to San Francisco, and this point is as far as I got before I dropped it. The side story of the ranch manager and his fantasies with the intern threw me off, and I backed out of the movie almost immediately. A California Christmas is a no for me.
Rating: 1/5
6. Love Hard
Love Hard came out early in this holiday season, but I never got round to watching it until Christmas Eve. Natalie is an online writer whose disaster dates provide fodder for her writing. Natalie meets Josh on a dating app, and she flies out to meet him only to find that she had been catfished.
Josh and Natalie strike a deal where Josh introduces Natalie to the man in his profile pictures while Natalie pretends to be Josh’s girlfriend until Christmas day.
I expected to cringe throughout the movie, but I love the cutesy romance that blossoms between Josh and Natalie. The iconic Love Actually scene with the fake Christmas carolers is overdone but still comes across as sweet and swoon-worthy in Love Hard.
The movie that I thought I would like the least this holiday season is easily one of the best Christmas movies this year!
Rating 4.5/5
I do not know what draws me to cheesy Christmas movies that I otherwise would never love. Perhaps, the festive spirit makes everything better, or the happy endings that are always bound to occur put a smile on my face. I guess a good dose of comedy helps, too.
Alright, that’s all for now. It’s Christmas Day and I will probably find more Christmas movies to devour or finish the book that I am currently reading. Maybe both.
So, what is your favorite Christmas movie of all time?
Let’s talk soon!
Sincerely,
Ming
PS: Three days to Canada, and I am bubbling with excitement!
PPS: I compile all my favorite Christmas jingles in this Spotify playlist
Thanks for these recommendations. Good luck with the test and happy holidays!