From Best. Christmas. Ever! to EXmas, Should You Add These To Your Watchlist?
It’s time to discover the true meaning of Christmas! From festive frenemies to holiday killers (and even an appearances from Santa!), Pop Culture Planet’s Kristen Maldonado breaks down what new Christmas movies are worth your time.
Best. Christmas. Ever!
Cast Brandy in all the holiday movies!
Every year at Christmas, Jackie sends out a humblebrag of a holiday newsletter about everything her family has accomplished for the year. When fate brings Charlotte to Jackie’s doorstep, she is determined to prove her friend’s life isn’t as perfect as it seems. Meanwhile, their kids are on a quest to find out if Santa is real.
Best. Christmas. Ever! delivers on what it promises! Brandy and Heather Graham perfectly complement each other in this layered holiday tale. They explore their character’s strained female friendship with care and nuance and balance each other well. These over-the-top Christmas shenanigans will make you grateful for what you have and for the people around you… with a pinch of Santa’s magic too. The cherry on top? We get to hear Brandy sing “Let it Snow” and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” which makes it worth every second.
Best. Christmas. Ever! is streaming now on Netflix.
EXmas
This has to be one of the cutest holiday movies of 2023! Robbie Amell and Leighton Meester star opposite each other in EXmas as a couple who were formerly engaged and have since broken up. Now it’s the holiday season and she still really loves his family so, when he has to work, they invite her to spend the holidays with them. He ends up coming home to surprise them and the two must battle it out to see which one of them the family wants to stay for Christmas.
I know, it sounds like a wild premise, but they set it up very well. The whole ensemble, from our two leads to his family, really have a lot to do and they’re so much fun. There’s a lot of heart in here as they tap into different holiday traditions with a fresh humor. Robbie Amell is as likeable as ever and he and Meester have a magical chemistry together. I have to give a shout out to director Jonah Feingold because I've really enjoyed his movies lately. I loved At Midnight earlier this year and this movie as well. He does a great job telling these really endearing and charming romantic stories. I definitely recommend adding this one to your holiday rotation.
EXmas is streaming on Amazon Freevee.
It’s A Wonderful Knife
It’s A Wonderful Life meets Scream in the new holiday slasher It’s A Wonderful Knife. It comes from the team behind Tragedy Girls and Freaky and tells the story of Winnie who saved her town from a psychotic killer on Christmas Eve. A year later, she's still haunted by this tragedy and wishes that she was never born. She finds herself magically transported into a nightmare-ish parallel universe where she never existed, she never stopped the killer, and things are worse than ever.
From the Northern Lights to a weird mind control reference to the reveal of the killer, I just could not take this film seriously. The way the story came together and even the way that it was shot felt very cheesy and cheap. While it has a nice message of how important your life is and the worth you have as an individual, there are other holiday movies more worth your time.
It’s A Wonderful Knife is playing in theaters.
The Santa Summit
Three best friends paint the town red and white during the annual Santa Summit. This is their chance to reunite after a few stressful months while also searching for a cute Santa that got away.
This fast-paced holiday romp brings a fresh young energy to the Hallmark Channel with vibes of Blockers or The Night Before. Hunter King, Amy Groening, and Stephanie Sy have an adorable friendship in the film, while King and Benjamin Hollingsworth have quick chemistry. They pack in a ton of festive activities, including line dancing, sledding, a reindeer costume-clad “Dasher” cab driver, and even a silent disco. All that in a journey for Jordin and Luke to find each other after a missed connection. Along the way they find love, friendship, and get into the festive spirit.
Catch The Santa Summit on Hallmark Channel.
