*This article contains minor spoilers for the movie, “Falling for Christmas” on Netflix*

The 2022 film “Falling for Christmas” is a new, holiday rom-com that aired on Netflix on November 10. The movie follows the story of a spoiled heiress to her father’s extremely successful hotel, Sierra (Lindsey Lohan), who ends up in the comforting care of a sweet and humble man, Jake (Chord Overstreet), his daughter, Avy (Olivia Monet Perez), and Avy’s grandmother, Alejandra (Alejandra Flores), after a grueling ski accident where she supposedly lost all of her memory. In her journey to finding out who she is, she creates lifelong connections, joyful memories and learns what it means to finally be an independent woman.

Viewing “Falling for Christmas” was definitely a rollercoaster of emotions. It is safe to say that the film is very hallmark-esque, with its cheesy romantic scenes, Christmas atmosphere, and humor that is so cringy that it is amusing.

While the plot was entertaining and the unlikely lovers storyline was captivating, there were also scenes that were extremely painful to watch. This, though, is definitely expected from this genre of film, so it does earn some defense.

Whether this movie was “good” can definitely be debated. It was overall pleasant to watch, however, the humor and some of the character personalities made it hard at times. For example, cliche jokes used in this movie like Jake saying “this couldn’t be safer” to a couple he is giving a sleigh ride to, and then the metal rim falling off, seems extremely overdone and not amusing.

Also, there are some scenes that came across as though they were supposed to be funny, but are actually meant to be striking and emotional. Such as the scene where Sierra is sliding down the hill on her skis, where she crashes into a tree, which seemed more playful than it was shocking.

Another aspect of the humor was the wacky and overexaggerated portrayal of certain situations. This can be seen when Sierra and her new fiancé, Tad, are taking a million selfies for his social media after their engagement on the top of a hill moments before they are both knocked down and separated in the accident. Another instance of this is when there is a montage of Sierra attempting and failing at doing normal, everyday tasks such as making her bed, doing her laundry, and making her own breakfast.

Although there were aspects of the film that were not very impressive, the ridiculousness of it all was enjoyable from time to time. Admittedly, the humor being cheesy wasn’t completely atrocious, and it was laughable for a good amount of time. Something that was particularly favorable was the plot. It was as original as it can get with this genre, and the execution was not completely awful. Additionally, the scenes that were being set were very aesthetically pleasing from the Christmas events being shown, to the luxury hotel, all the way down to the cozy holiday lodge. The Christmas aspect really set the tone for the romance especially and enhanced the comforting atmosphere. 

Moving on to an analysis of the main characters: Sierra, Jake, Alejandra and Tad. To begin, Sierra, played by Lindsey Lohan, goes from being a selfish girl who only really cares about herself to a humble and independent woman as the movie progresses. In the film, we see the aftermath of Sierra’s skiing accident and how it changes, and shapes, her character. Lindsey Lohan did a really great job depicting her character. In a way, she took on the role of playing two completely different characters and she knocked it out of the park, which is definitely admirable.

Secondly, Jake, played by Chord Overstreet, is a down-to-earth character who can deal with hardships like it is nothing. In the beginning of the movie, the audience sees Jake as a well-mannered, respectful man who seems happy. However, as the story progresses it is revealed that Jake really is carrying much more than he allows people to see. This created the emotion that this film desperately needed. Chord Overstreet took this character and completely made it his own. His portrayal of the raw emotions Jake was dealing with not only made the character come alive, but it also made the character more relatable. 

Next, Alejandra, played by Alejandra Flores, Jake’s former mother-in-law and grandmother to his daughter, Avy. Much like Jake, the audience gets to see Alejandra deal with the loss of her daughter, Bianca (Avy’s mother). Imagining what it must feel like to love a child is heartbreaking. There is a scene in the film that was particularly notable, where Alejandra is looking through an old photo album of her daughter. This scene was spine-chilling and provided much more depth to the character. Alejandra is the token joyful grandmother, but Alejandra Flores made this character unique to the story and had some of the best acting in the whole movie. 

Lastly, Tad, played by George Young, is the self centered, clout-chasing fiance of Sierra. Tad was unarguably the most annoying character in the film. He was very full of himself and conceited and it truly was not satisfying to watch on screen. With all of that being said, though, George Young deserves an award for bringing the character to reality. Tad is meant to be unlikeable, and Young did just that. Although his scenes were not favorable, the acting was exactly spot-on.

In conclusion, “Falling for Christmas” was definitely an interesting watch, and would be perfect for fans of hallmark Christmas movies, rom-com lovers, and people who just really love cheesy films. This movie has earned its rating of 3.5/5 stars because it was definitely flawed in the writing department but also definitely satisfactory to view.

Once again, “Falling for Christmas” can be seen on Netflix, so if it sounds up your alley, go give it a watch!