Netflix’s “Holidate” is the perfect modern twist to Hallmark Christmas movies

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Photo Courtesy of Google Images. Fair Use laws allow for the use of official movie posters in publications.

Awtry Massa, Staff Writer

Imagine having a date for every single holiday but only contacting each other for that specific holiday. This is the reality for main characters Sloane and Jackson, played by Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey, in the movie “Holidate”.

This Netflix rom-com hit was directed by John Whitesell and released on Oct. 28. Aside from Roberts and Bracey, other cast members include Kristen Chenoweth as Aunt Susan, Manish Dayal as Faarooq, Francis Fisher as Elaine, and many more. 

In the movie, Sloane personifies a “cool girl,” someone who sneers at feminine expectations and stereotypes. She doesn’t care what people think of her. After Sloane has a single nightmare-like Christmas at home and Jackson has an even worse Christmas with his new girlfriend and her crazy family, the two meet at a return-counter at the mall. The two strangers agree to be each other’s “holidate,” meaning they’ll be each other’s dates for every holiday for as long as they’re single. The rest of the movie takes us through the following year, stopping at New Years Eve, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and back to Christmas. The two eventually catch feelings along the way.

The actors chosen fit their roles perfectly. Emma Roberts especially played her role as Sloane flawlessly by first acting very rebellious and like she didn’t care, but ending up acting very sweet and charming in the end. Surprisingly, this is Emma Roberts first Netflix movie.

The scenery went really well with the movie. For every holiday the backgrounds were decorated so well and festive, demonstrating each holiday to a tee. The holiday music added to the entertainment of the movie and definitely kept the audience hooked into the storyline.

The plot was extremely believable.  The movie went through every single holiday of the year, carefully explaining what the two did to celebrate. This movie has left people wanting the same thing that Sloane and Jackson had throughout the movie. A date for every single holiday, sounds perfect right?

Overall, the movie “Holidate” was extremely funny and entertaining. Seeing Sloane and Jackson go from complete strangers, to becoming best friends, to catching feelings for each other was very heartwarming. It was cute and romantic, but still kept the audience laughing throughout the movie due to their very relatable personal problems

I would rate this movie 4.5/5 stars. It was a really good movie and I would 100% watch it again, although it does follow the trope of a traditional rom-com movie. The audience could definitely anticipate the two falling for each other as soon as they become each other’s holidate in the beginning of the movie. I would recommend this movie to anyone who is 15 or older considering this movie is rated TV-MA. If you’re looking for a good holiday movie to watch this season I would definitely recommend watching “Holidate”!