Christmas With You Review: Do Angelina and Miguel Find Love for Christmas?

By Madhav Gupta On Nov 29, 2022

You might wonder how Miguel, played by Freddie Prinze Jr., can pay for his power bill roughly a third of the way through Christmas with You, the newest holiday production to be released by Netflix this year. The abundance of holiday decorations that surround the interior of the home where Miguel and his family life will undoubtedly signal to you that this is a Christmas movie if the credit sequence with its picture of a Christmas-themed New York didn’t already.

It’s a question that is never even brought up in the movie, and to be fair, no one goes into Christmas with You wanting to ask those questions. Any kind of realism is destroyed as soon as the peppy New York City-set opening credits begin, just like so many romantic comedy dramas that dominate our streaming services and television schedules this time of year.

With just a week to develop and record a successful Christmas pop single, Angelina (Aimee Garcia), a popular pop diva who is suffering in the age of social media and up-and-coming younger talent, is introduced to us in those opening titles.

When Angelina (Deja Monique Cruz) finds a video from a younger fan named Christina (Deja Monique Cruz) online, she decides to surprise Christina in her hometown. As a result, she meets Christina’s family and ends up producing a hit song with Miguel, Christina’s father. Will Angelina and Miguel discover love while writing songs together? Let’s be honest; the question is rhetorical.

Ending Explain

In contrast to the white privilege fantasies that one gets with Brad Krevoy’s productions, Gabriela Tagliavini’s film has a more gentle and refreshingly Spanish flavor. It was released just one week after the premiere of Falling for Christmas, the highly anticipated newest entry in the Brad Krevoy universe of Christmas movies.

Do not misunderstand, this still somewhat takes place in a fantasy world where everyone and everything is either upper class or middle class and nobody has much to worry about in terms of their finances.

FIRST LOOK: Christmas with You starring Aimee Garcia and Freddie Prinze Jr.

Coming to Netflix on November 17th. pic.twitter.com/qsOAWxCDe4

— What’s on Netflix (@whatonnetflix) August 30, 2022

However, this year’s release of these types of Christmas movies during the cost of living crisis makes them strangely fascinating. The streets are icy and lovely, and declarations of love are just around the corner, but it’s still a long way from the castles, fictitious aristocracy, and extravagant production design that characterize films like A Christmas Prince or The Princess Switch.

As opposed to this, Tagliavini’s film finds charm and happiness in the small details of its characters’ lives, most notably in the quinceanera that it builds up to in the final act. This subverts the idea that the song that is being written throughout the film will be the third act set piece and instead serves as a catalyst for the drama that will bring the film to its happy conclusion.

It’s a very original idea for a movie in a genre where Christmas is frequently attacked for being overtly caucasian and being celebrated with red and white sweaters.

Christmas With You, starring @RealFPJr and @Aimee_Garcia, arrives on Netflix November 17. pic.twitter.com/FaUmFC9qXP

— Netflix (@netflix) October 19, 2022

Christmas with You won’t win any awards, but it’s a pleasantly endearing production that does the cheesy Netflix Christmas thing in a way that you can’t help but appreciate the charms. While every Christmas movie cliché is used, Garcia and Prinze Jr. are a lot of fun, have nice chemistry, and the 90-minute film passes the time nicely. It also plays the hits in an entertainingly enjoyable manner.

Will There Be a Sequel to “a Christmas Story”?

A Christmas Story Christmas, with Peter Billingsley reprising his role as Ralphie, is the legendary holiday film’s long-awaited sequel as a result of its popularity.

The Events of a Christmas Story Christmas Take Place in What Year?

When Ralphie’s narration of the narrative fades and is replaced by Jean Shepherd from the original movie, it is made clear that the story is actually about Christmas 1940.