2024 Favorites!
I have fun every year with my Christmas movie binge, but I genuinely think 2024 was the best year yet. Netflix's offerings were truly delightful, and I had fun with every single movie I watched. I'll keep doing reviews of new rom-com content throughout the year, so keep an eye out for those emails. But for now, let's talk about the highlights of this year's movies! |
Christmas rom-coms have goofy plots aplenty, but the winner in this category has to go to Hot Frosty, the movie where a woman falls in love with a snowman, and that snowman has absolutely shredded abs. Lacey Chabert's puzzled look is the best in the game.
A honorable mention goes to A Merry Scottish Christmas, and not just because it features a woman who has been a secret Scottish duchess for forty years. No, the truly absurd part is the idea that the Scottish people would welcome Americans as their lordly masters. Child William Wallace, how could you?
Sure, it's probably fun the first time you have that ballroom dancing couple over for dinner. They have great stories, and at some point they'll get up and dance around the living room. So romantic! Then you realize that every single one of their stories is about dancing, like they literally do nothing but dance. And you find yourself moving your furniture for another "impromptu" performance and wondering, are the gonna do this every time? Yes. The answer is yes. Also, they drank all the eggnog last time, which was kinda uncool.
I'm not usually a Chad Michael Murray fan, but the craggy middle-aged version of him really worked for me in The Merry Gentlemen. Does it maybe have something to do with shirtless dancing? Yes, obviously. But it also has to do with his stubble and carpentry skills. We can work on his abysmal taste in jewelry.
Ian Harding, the male hero of Our Little Secret, may not be the sexiest of this year's crop. You don't even get to see one of his abs, let alone the smorgasbord available in other movies. But he's the best guy. He's hard-working, stable, kind, and game for hijinks. Other than his proclivity for public displays of affection, he's the most level-headed and even-tempered guy in any of these movies. This is how I know I'm getting old, by the way: I really go for the guys who look like they'd enjoy mowing a lawn.
Christina Milian and Devale Ellis managed to do something no other couple achieved this year: they genuinely made each other laugh on screen. They also had my favorite kiss of the season. They even seem to love Pentatonix an equal amount, and that amount is a lot!
Christmas sex jokes never go out of style! I can see myself watching this year after year. Sure, the skits are kinda cringey, but Sabrina Carpenter's outfits are so cute that it doesn't matter. This is perfect casual Christmas watching while you're wrapping presents or making cookies.
Best costumes✅
Best setting✅
Best actors✅
Best plot✅
This movie has been heavily praised in online rom-com forums, and the praise is well-deserved. It's romantic, clever, and original. It's a new favorite for me, and I think you'll like it too.
What's that? I forgot NEW YEAR'S EVE? That's because I don't know how to categorize it. I'm totally fascinated by how bad it is. I want my favorite podcasts to discuss it. I want to make my husband double-feature it with Love, Actually next year. At the same time, I absolutely cannot recommend it. It's so bad. No one should watch it, yet everyone should watch it. It's Schroedinger's rom-com. What should I watch next year? Let me know! |