[Best. Christmas. Ever! Review Netflix]A Christmas movie that is not cheerful makes me feel worse than good.

Best. Christmas. Ever! In Netflix’s first Christmas movie of 2023, every Christmas, Jackie sends a newsletter showcasing her seemingly perfect family life to old friends. This makes Charlotte, her college friend, feel bad. However, Charlotte, along with her husband Rob and their family, arrives at Jackie’s home just a few days before Christmas. Charlotte takes the opportunity to prove that a ‘perfect’ life may be a lie. With determined efforts to expose Jackie, Charlotte almost destroys the Christmas celebrations of both families, leaving them shattered.

Best. Christmas. Ever! Review (No Spoilers)

A Christmas movie with a less-than-cheerful theme that, to make matters worse, feels even more dismal. The protagonist, Charlotte, played by Heather Graham, portrays a woman with a struggling career who has to endure the annual boasting of her old friend. Fate leads her to stay at their home, prompting her to seek ways to expose her friend’s pretentious facade throughout. On the other hand, the friend’s life is portrayed as picture-perfect, with a wealthy partner, a muscular husband, and a brilliantly intelligent daughter, creating a portrayal of a family that seems too good to be true. The narrative makes it feel like such families don’t exist, leading viewers to empathize with Charlotte’s small moments of jealousy. The tone of the movie leans heavily in this direction, with a comedic subplot attempting to lighten the mood but ultimately contributing to the overall negative perception. Even Charlotte’s husband can’t tolerate the situation, intensifying the emotional downturn. The film’s attempt at humor falls short, making it arguably the worst Christmas movie to watch

Even in the latter half of the story, attempting to rectify Charlotte’s earlier missteps seems overly simplistic compared to the depth of the mistakes made in the first half. However, the film introduces a more serious element towards the end, unveiling the hidden aspects of Jackie’s life, including the resolution of the mystery behind the initial letter. This adds depth to the narrative and allows the film to have a bit quality in the realm of Netflix Christmas movies, which often rely on repetitive plots released every year, becoming quite monotonous. At least in this case, it helps soothe the hearts of viewers.

In addition to the adult characters, there’s also a subplot involving the children of both families attempting to prove the existence of Santa Claus, as they suspect their parents of deceiving them. They embark on a quest for small pieces of evidence, injecting a somewhat whimsical element into the story. The script plays with irony, It’s quite ironic that the intelligent daughter, who seemingly knows everything, still has to search for proof of Santa’s existence. Towards the end, the narrative weaves the adult and children’s storylines together, the end with an overly unrealistic. This seems aimed at reinforcing the belief in Santa Claus for the kids, following the formulaic success of such films. this subplot is unnecessary, as the story in the main plot could have concluded .

Another downside is the portrayal of Heather Graham as a mother figure who seems overly inept and almost too pathetic. From being called charmless to displaying jealous tendencies, her character is depicted as an engineer who loses her job, a characterization that doesn’t quite align with her usual roles. On the other hand, Brandy Norwood , a woman of color, plays a contrasting role intentionally, creating a stark difference that almost seems to touch on racial stereotypes. This intentional contrast may not sit well with viewers seeking the typical lighthearted Christmas movie experience.

The summary is that it’s a Christmas movie that doesn’t feel Good. The first half is filled with jealousy and unnatural elements in Heather Graham’s character. The second half attempts to remedy the mistakes made in a too straightforward and boring way. The characters lack charm from children to adults. However, there are small good moments towards the end that are serious and different from the typical repetitive Christmas movies that Netflix produces, which can be somewhat refreshing.

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