Daily Expert News
No Result
View All Result
Tuesday, May 24, 2022
  • Login
  • Register
  • Home
  • World
  • Economy
  • Business
  • Markets
  • Arts & Culture
  • Education & Career
  • India
  • Politics
  • Top Stories
Daily Expert News
  • Home
  • World
  • Economy
  • Business
  • Markets
  • Arts & Culture
  • Education & Career
  • India
  • Politics
  • Top Stories
No Result
View All Result
Daily Expert News
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • World
  • Economy
  • Business
  • Markets
  • Arts & Culture
  • Education & Career
  • India
  • Politics
  • Top Stories
Home Uncategorized

Netflix holiday movies sorted, from treetops to lumps of coal

by Nick Erickson
December 3, 2021
in Uncategorized
130 3
0
Netflix holiday movies sorted, from treetops to lumps of coal
152
SHARES
1.9k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT


We’re back for our third annual ranking of Netflix’s new original Christmas movies, and the news is good: After last season’s drab vintage, Netflix is ​​back on track and improving its batting average. Still, it’s worth noting that while the top films are much better than their equivalents from last year, the bottom entries are much, much worse. (Note that more originals will come out after our deadline, but the biggest gifts have already gone down the chimney). Slight spoilers ahead.

Hulu scored last year with the lesbian romantic comedy ‘Happiest Season’ and now Netflix is ​​hitting back with a male version. This time, the lead doesn’t shy away from the right love interest (Team Riley Forever!).

Michael Urie stars as the single Peter, who dragged his roommate and best friend, Nick (Philemon Chambers), home for the holidays. Once settled in cozy New Hampshire, the famine turns into a feast as Peter is torn between two beautiful suitors – there are no bad guys in this film. One is his mom’s trainer, James (the Hallmark Channel hottie Luke Macfarlane), and the other is friend-zoned Nick, who had been hiding his true feelings.

Directed by Michael Mayer, “Single All the Way” is fast, funny and sweet without being tacky (the HGTV joke is gold). Kathy Najimy and Jennifer Coolidge, as Peter’s mom and aunt, deliver some particularly delightful twists – the rehearsal scenes for Coolidge’s Christmas pageant alone could have landed this film on the #1 spot.

Like “Klaus” (#2 on our 2019 ranking), this movie is a story of Santa origin, albeit a live-action story as opposed to animated. A poor Finnish boy, Nikolas (Henry Lawfull), goes in search of his father (Michiel Huisman), who left him to find the village where the elves live. Sure, that place can only be the stuff of legends, but since Nikolas has a talking pet mouse (voiced by Stephen Merchant), we know early on that anything is possible.

Based on a book by Matt Haig, “A Boy Called Christmas” knows that the best fairy tales have dark undertones, and it drops satisfyingly ominous accents: Dad is far from perfect; the angry kids hate Aunt Carlotta (Kristen Wiig, in too short a role) does something unspeakable to Nikolas’ beloved turnip pop.

Unfortunately, the movie never quite Roald Dahl on us — if only Tim Burton had directed it. But kids should enjoy the story, while their parents eat the sneaky jokes and fully appreciate Sally Hawkins’ astonishing performance as the elven leader Mother Vodol.

This romcom has such a sketchy premise that its spectacular recovery should count as an Olympic gymnastics achievement.

The biggest test is that viewers are asked not to hate Josh (Jimmy O. Yang) after he assaults Natalie (Nina Dobrev) by using a photo of his handsome friend Tag (Darren Barnet) on a dating app. Not only does Natalie quickly get over the switcheroo, she then agrees to pose as Josh’s girlfriend. The film’s main asset is Yang (Jian Yang in ‘Silicon Valley’), whose Josh seems miraculously sweet rather than creepy. Once that battle is won, “Love Hard” — which is funnier than most rom-coms and totally embraces some farcical craziness — can sell its central relationship convincingly. By the time Natalie and Josh do a duet on a memorable revised version of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” we’re firmly rooted for them.

Bonus (probably involuntary) Netflix callbacks: Natalie would be a Los Angeles 6 and a Lake Placid 10; in “Single All the Way” Nick is described as a 10 and Peter is a 10 in New Hampshire.

Sophie (Brooke Shields) is a bestselling American novelist who travels to Scotland to reconnect with her roots and impulsively decides to buy a quaint castle from her trapped owner, Duke Myles (Cary Elwes). Since this is not suspense, they fall in love and everything ends well.

The film delivers the usual romcom accessories, in this case a cute knitting circle that Sophie warmly welcomes, but it really depends on the chemistry between Shields and Elwes. Fortunately, these two have a comfortable, playful rapport that makes their ridiculous circumstances feel almost natural. Sealing the deal for Myles is his dog, Hamish, played by Barley, a natural who is more than ready to direct a spin-off movie. Barley is a 10 everywhere.

Netflix’s vacation all-star Vanessa Hudgens is back for the third installment of her trademark franchise, and this time everyone seems to have their eye on the clock, waiting for the ordeal to end.

As in the second film, Hudgens plays three parts, with the villainous Fiona coming to the fore in a feeble, nonsensical heist plot while Queen Margaret and Princess Stacy lurk in some castle and twiddle their thumbs (they must switcheroos with each other, but really, it’s Fiona’s show). It doesn’t matter who she plays, however, Hudgens appears to be knocked out for the first time in the “Princess Switch” saga. As for Sam Palladio’s Edward and Nick Sagar’s Kevin, all they have to do is smile and look handsome – welcome to the role of wife, gentlemen.

Bonus Netflix callbacks: Butler Frank De Luca and Chief of Staff Mrs. Donatelli have a cameo in “A Castle for Christmas,” where they book a romantic package at the local inn. Let the fanfiction begin.

A mother who works in a biscuit factory; a grandfather who is the real Santa Claus and has eleven helpers: what a fun, sweet holiday treat this Belgian film must be!

Sorry to blow your bauble, but “The Claus Family” is as leaden as a Liege waffle sitting on the counter at night.

Young Jules (Mo Bakker) hates Christmas and the young boy’s dejected nature pollutes the entire film, which has a slack pace and fails to execute the more festive scenes. When a factory “cookie revolution” makes for boring ratings, you have to wonder how on earth a director could screw up such a gimme scene.

And then there’s Jules’ grandfather, who is arguably the grimiest Santa ever. Unfortunately, it’s unclear whether this is a bold rewrite of the Christmas rules (imagine the script meeting in Belgium, “What if Santa was resentful of his job?”) or simply a poor execution.

John Cleese and Kelsey Grammer as estranged brothers. Elizabeth Hurley as a sassy vixen in tight lace-up pants. Now this is a promising cast!

Don’t fall for it.

Everything goes wrong during the family reunion in a British country house, and so does this aggressively hideous would-be comedy. At least Hurley looks like she’s having fun wringing every last drop from her awful role.

“Father Christmas Is Back” leans toward a strange mix of sentimentality and sourness, as all the members of the Christmas-Hope clan, for that’s their name, can’t stop bickering and insulting each other. Sure, the film rages for reconciliation, but here it feels even more contrived than usual at such a fare, as the hatred feels all too real.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Tags: coalDailyExpertNewsholidaylumpsmoviesNetflixsortedtreetops

Get real time update about this post categories directly on your device, subscribe now.

Unsubscribe
ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

Young Jugraj Singh beats hat-trick as India beats South Africa 10-2 in FIH Pro League Hockey | Hockey News
Uncategorized

Harmanpreet Singh scores four goals in India’s 10-2 smashing of South Africa in FIH Pro League Hockey | Hockey News

February 13, 2022
Review: An audition season begins at the Philharmonic
Uncategorized

Review: An audition season begins at the Philharmonic

February 13, 2022
Good way to good taste
Uncategorized

Good way to good taste

February 13, 2022
Good way to good taste
Uncategorized

Good way to good taste

February 13, 2022
What to cook this week
Uncategorized

What to cook this week

February 13, 2022
Sigal Barsade, 56, dies; Argued it's okay to show emotions at work
Uncategorized

Sigal Barsade, 56, dies; Argued it’s okay to show emotions at work

February 13, 2022
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Live updates: Russia invades Ukraine

Ukraine pledges ‘immediate investigation’ after video surfaced of soldiers shooting Russian prisoners

March 28, 2022
An Anaconda's Playdate With Dolphins Took a Strange Turn

An Anaconda’s Playdate With Dolphins Took a Strange Turn

May 2, 2022
'Better Call Saul' Season 6, Episode 2: Do the Hustle

‘Better Call Saul’ Season 6, Episode 2: Do the Hustle

April 19, 2022
And now the $200,000 facelift

And now the $200,000 facelift

May 3, 2022

Hello world!

0
NDTV News

IT startup Fareye aims to change Unicorn within a year, founder says

0
How did Stephanie Murphy, a holdout on Biden's agenda, help save it?

How did Stephanie Murphy, a holdout on Biden’s agenda, help save it?

0
How did Stephanie Murphy, a holdout on Biden's agenda, help save it?

How did Stephanie Murphy, a holdout on Biden’s agenda, help save it?

0
Biden's words about Taiwan leave allies in a tough spot

Biden’s words about Taiwan leave allies in a tough spot

May 24, 2022
Novak Djokovic criticizes Wimbledon's 'lose-lose' ban on Russian and Belarus players

Novak Djokovic criticizes Wimbledon’s ‘lose-lose’ ban on Russian and Belarus players

May 24, 2022
NDTV News

Why is Tata Steel’s share price falling?

May 24, 2022
An aerial view shows the city of Kherson, Ukraine, on May 20.

Pro-Moscow authorities in Ukraine’s Kherson region call for Russian military base

May 24, 2022
ADVERTISEMENT

Recent News

Biden's words about Taiwan leave allies in a tough spot

Biden’s words about Taiwan leave allies in a tough spot

May 24, 2022
Novak Djokovic criticizes Wimbledon's 'lose-lose' ban on Russian and Belarus players

Novak Djokovic criticizes Wimbledon’s ‘lose-lose’ ban on Russian and Belarus players

May 24, 2022

Categories

  • Africa
  • Americas
  • art-design
  • Arts
  • Asia Pacific
  • Astrology News
  • books
  • Books News
  • Business
  • Cricket
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Dance
  • Dining and Wine
  • Economy
  • Education & Career
  • Europe
  • Fashion
  • Food
  • Football
  • Gadget
  • Gaming
  • Golf
  • Health
  • Hot News
  • India
  • Indians Abroad
  • Lifestyle
  • Markets
  • Middle East
  • Most Shared
  • Motorsport
  • Movie
  • Music
  • New York
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • press release
  • Real Estate
  • Review
  • Science & Space
  • Sports
  • Sunday Book Review
  • Tax News
  • Technology
  • Television
  • Tennis
  • Theater
  • Top Movie Reviews
  • Top Stories
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized
  • Web Series
  • World

Site Navigation

  • Home
  • Advertisement
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Other Links

We bring you the Breaking News,Latest Stories,World News, Business News, Political News, Technology News, Science News, Entertainment News, Sports News, Opinion News and much more from all over the world

©Copyright DailyExpertNews 2022

No Result
View All Result
  • Contact Us
  • Home
  • Top Stories
  • World
  • Economy
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Markets
  • India
  • Education & Career
  • Arts
  • Advertisement
  • Tax News
  • Markets

©Copyright DailyExpertNews 2022

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.