Holiday Rush is a Netflix Christmas rom-com, so you know exactly what you’re getting when you hit play. But don’t expect any magic or royalty in this one; Holiday Rush is a grounded movie, truly the only thing that really matters in a made-for-TV Christmas movie is the cast. You need A-list performers to sell the repetitive plots, light comedy, left-field reveals, and general schmaltziness. Those elements are damning in any other genre, but they’re what make this genre – a genre that people watch exclusively during the holiday season for escapist fun – work. So if all of the movies have the same plot (everyone always needs money!) and tone (Christmas is always the best time of year, period), the cast is where a difference can be felt. All that being said, there’s a sense throughout Holiday Rush that it could, or should, be better than it is. Netflix rom-coms probably have a tight filming schedule and don’t have the biggest budget; that radio station is just a room with some black curtains on the walls. Certain parts of the film meander with an improvised feel, like the camera’s lingering a few beats too long on a moment. The performances are all so snappy that they feel restricted by the movie’s hesitant pace. The movie is called Holiday Rush but we wish it was fast-paced! But the bottom line is definitely the winning performances from Martin-Green and Malco.

You can give it a watch, if you have nothing better to fill the time with!

– Compilation