Some may argue that it’s still too early to start thinking about Christmas, but Netflix doesn’t seem to think so, having just published the first of its new batch of holiday films.
Holidate is a romantic comedy with the tagline “Find Your Perfect Plus-One,” starring Emma Roberts of American Horror Story.
It’s full of holiday fun, and it’ll be a fantastic warm-up for the slew of new Christmas movies set to reach Netflix this year.
Holidate is directed by John Whitesell and written by Tiffany Paulsen that will be released in 2020. Emma Roberts, Luke Bracey, Jake Manley, Jessica Capshaw, Andrew Bachelor, Frances Fisher, Manish Dayal, and Kristin Chenoweth are among the cast members. On October 28, 2020, Netflix released the film.
Read on to learn everything there is to know about the new Christmas movie, including what it’s about and whether or not it’s any good.
Holidate Release Date
The film was released on Netflix on Wednesday, October 28th, much ahead of schedule for Christmas.
Casting of Holidate
Emma Roberts stars as Sloane in Holidate, with Australian actor Luke Bracey playing her ‘holidate’ Jackson (Home and Away, Hacksaw Ridge).
Frances Fisher (Watchmen), Jake Manley (The Order), Jessica Capshaw (Grey’s Anatomy), and King Bach (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before) join the supporting cast as Sloane’s mother.
Plotline of the Holidate
Sloane Benson (Emma Roberts) is a young woman living in Chicago who despises the holidays because of her family’s disapproval of her being single. Sloane’s mother, Elaine (Frances Fisher), is always trying to hook her up with a new man, much to her chagrin.
Jackson (Luke Bracey), an Australian golfer, is stuck with a woman and her family with whom he has no desire to pursue a meaningful relationship. His date grows enraged with him in Evanston, Illinois, because he failed to bring her a Christmas present, and he leaves frustrated.
After Christmas, Jackson and Sloane meet for the first time, and he pretends to be her boyfriend to prevent more difficulty from her family. They both conclude that being each other’s “holidates” from now on is safer, and they agree to stay together. They stumble across her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend on Valentine’s Day, and Jackson takes advantage of her by pretending to be him.
After spending Saint Patrick’s Day and Easter with Sloane’s family, the two gradually become genuine friends. They get drunk and probably have sex on Cinco de Mayo, but they have no recollection of what happened the next morning. When her mother hints at the possibility of the two of them developing into an actual couple they humour her.
Jackson has become quite close with Sloane’s family and is good friends with her brother York. While setting off firecrackers, Jackson blows part of his finger off and Sloana is forced to drive him to the hospital to have it reattached. They get high at the hospital and run into Farooq (Manish Dayal), a doctor Sloan’s mother tried to set her up with.
At a Halloween party, Sloane and Jackson meet for the first time. Sloane is enraged because Abby kissed Jackson’s friend Neil despite the fact that she is married. Jackson takes her back to her apartment and looks after her till the next morning, when they have sex. Later that day, Wally had a heart attack, and Sloan and her aunt Susan rush him to the hospital. Susan ultimately admits to Farooq that she is in love with him, and the two kiss.
Sloane is still hesitant to speak to Jackson in the film, but her family urges her to pursue a relationship with him. The mall choir assists her in gaining his attention by providing her with a microphone. She declares her love for Jackson in front of hundreds of people, and the two embrace. The end credits reveal that all of the couples are still together, and that Wally and Sloana’s mother, as well as Neil and Carly (Jackson’s first date), have begun dating.
Read more: After We Fell: Release Date Confirmed – Know More About Plot | Cast |Where To Stream
Is It Any Good, According to The Holidate Reviews?
So far, the film’s reception has been mixed, with critics calling it predictable and pointing out a lack of chemistry between the love protagonists.
The film is defined as “in the bland no man’s land between being sharp enough to appeal to adults (à la Bridesmaids) and mild enough to watch with the entire family” by Polygon, and The LA Times compares it to “opening the same present over and over.”
Meanwhile, The AV Club describes it as “broad, unsubtle, and seems engineered to be half-watched with a phone in hand,” but admits that it “finds a distinct humorous spark that keeps it zipping along.”
Of all, a few negative reviews haven’t stopped people from watching prior Netflix holiday films — just look at the success of The Christmas Prince, for example.
What Is the Purpose of Holidate?
Sloane, a young lady who despises the holiday season since she is constantly unmarried, is the protagonist of the film.
During the film, she makes a deal with Jackson, a man in a similar situation, that they will be each other’s date for every joyous event – only for them to fall in love.
“Sloane and Jackson despise the holidays,” according to the official Netflix blurb. They are constantly unmarried, seated at the children’s table, or forced to go on awkward dates.
A Romantic Comedy Franchise Is One of Netflix’s Favorite Genres
If there’s one thing Netflix excels at, it’s releasing four more versions of a romantic comedy you enjoyed viewing on a rainy afternoon. A Christmas Prince and The Princess Switch, two popular titles that have or will become trilogies, are examples of this. In the same number of years, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and The Kissing Booth each spawned three films. It’s possible that the question isn’t so much when Holidate will receive a sequel as it is when it will become a trilogy.
Read more: Girls On The Third Floor – Plot | Cast| Reviews
Trailer for Holidate
Holidate trailer video is available to everyone. Please see the below link and click on it.
From Wednesday, October 28th, 2020, Holidate will be available to view on Netflix. Looking for something to watch that isn’t a movie? Visit our Netflix TV Guide for more information on the finest Netflix shows and movies.
Stay Tuned to Keeperfacts for more updates.