christmas with you movie review

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Stream It or Skip It: ‘Christmas with You’ on Netflix Casts Aimee Garcia and Freddie Prinze Jr. In a Holiday Version of ‘Marry Me’

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Christmas With You
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Netflix’s holiday content continues with Christmas With You , a star-crossed romance between a falling pop star (Aimee Garcia) and a high school music teacher (Freddie Prinze Jr.). Do these two make beautiful music together, or should you spend Christmas with another movie?

CHRISTMAS WITH YOU : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Aimee Garcia ( Lucifer ) plays Angelina Costa, a pop music superstar on the level of a Beyoncé — or at least she was. After a catastrophic TikTok mishap, Angelina suddenly looks out of touch and like she’s coasting on a back catalogue of hits. That’s when she’s gifted an ultimatum from her label: record a hit Christmas single or else . Angelina, desperate for any validation, decides to drop in on a superfan (Deja Cruz) that she saw on Instagram the night before. This turns out to be the right move because superfan Cristina’s dad Miguel (Freddie Prinze Jr.) is a music teacher — and he has an unfinished song that he’s been working on for fun in his spare time. And since Angelina and her manager Monique (Zenzi Williams) can’t drive back to NYC in a snowstorm, why not spend the night turning an after school project into a potential holiday hit…?

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Okay, this one is the Marry Me of the holiday season. Not only is it about a pop music mega-lebrity dating a teacher, but Garcia’s character toured with J. Lo when she was 15. Coincidence ? I mean, probably, but the similarities are very much there.

Performance Worth Watching: Relative newcomer Deja Cruz lights up every scene she’s in with starstruck optimism — that is, when she’s not crying on command in scenes about her dead mother. She’s got the range, and playing Miguel’s daughter Cristina lets her show it off. Also, Falling for Christmas , A Gingerbread Christmas , Christmas with You — what’s with all the single dads and dead moms this year?

Memorable Dialogue: Angelina explains her latest diet to Monique: “It’s when you only eat lettuce, but you alternate by day the kind of lettuce you eat. It’s much more exciting than it sounds. Mo — the transition from arugula to spring mix makes your whole week.”

A Holiday Tradition: Every year, Costa performs at the Greatest Gift Foundation’s A Christmas to Remember Gala Fundraiser. Foundation, Christmas, gala, fundraiser — yep, checks all the boxes.

Two Turtle Doves: ‘Tis the season for holiday movies about pop stars and musicians. Hallmark’s In Merry Measure (out now) followed a pop star’s trip back home and her showing the high school choir a thing or two… alongside her old rival. There’s also Holiday Harmony on HBO Max (Nov. 24), which is about a songwriter’s hope of competing and winning in a song contest — but then she gets stuck in a small town. And then in CBS’s When Christmas was Young (Dec. 18), a Nashville music manager needs a hit song and, of course, falls hard for an up-and-coming songwriter.

Does the Title Make Any Sense?: Uh, no , because the song that Angelina and Miguel write is titled “Christmas Without You.” What gives??

Our Take: Christmas With You is a hard movie to really give a “take” on, I’m finding — primarily because I believe that these kinds of movies should be judged based on what they set out to accomplish rather than comparing them to the entirety of cinema. What does a viewer want when they choose to put on Christmas With You ? They want to be charmed by the performances, swoon over the romance, and be dazzled by the Christmas-iness of it all. If there are a few laughs and even just one legitimately surprising twist, that’s a bonus. So, does Christmas With You deliver?

Aimee Garcia definitely delivers, as she always does. She pretty much steals every scene she’s in in every project she tackles, and that includes Lucifer — a show starring a literal handsome devil. But Freddie Prinze Jr. isn’t able to match Garcia’s energy. There’s a similar vibe at work here as in Falling for Christmas with Lindsay Lohan. Unless you were one of the few who watched the Punky Brewster revival on Peacock, you probably haven’t seen Prinze in live-action in a decade or more (albeit for much more family-friendly reasons than the ones that have kept Lohan offscreen). But Lohan gives Falling for Christmas her all and delivers the kind of over-the-top, campy excellence that you want in a Netflix holiday movie. Prinze’s character, a widowed father and music teacher, doesn’t give him much to play with and he ultimately is just kinda there.

That makes the romance itself a tad under-developed. Garcia and Prinze are fine together (remember how Garcia can do pretty much no wrong onscreen?), but the film takes such a huge leap regarding their relationship for the final act’s obligatory “she was being selfish all along” moment that I had to rewatch a scene three times in order to figure out why Miguel and his daughter Cristina suddenly felt betrayed by Angelina.

As for the Christmas-y wonder… there are lots of decorations and lights — Miguel’s halls have been thoroughly decked — but there’s something off about the production that makes everything feel sub-Hallmark. The lighting is so bright and flat that it doesn’t make the decorations glow so much as just show us that they are there.

All that is to say, Christmas With You is 2/3rds of a perfectly fun watch, primarily due to Garcia and Cruz — and the movie has such a pure heart that it feels super Grinch-y to hate on it. But even though these movies all follow the same melody, it works because that melody is catchy as hell. Unfortunately there are a few jarring moments towards the end of the movie that make you wonder if the CD is skipping.

Our Call: SKIP IT — but a light skip it. We want to support Aimee Garcia and are waiting for her to get the classic Christmas movie she so deserves.

Aimee Garcia

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‘Christmas With You’ Review: Freddie Prinze Jr. Returns to Rom-Coms in This Holiday Treat

A singing sensation in need of a new tune and a stifled single father in need of a key change form a decent duet in Netflix’s seasonal offering.

By Courtney Howard

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As sweet, sticky and snappy as a candy cane, “ Christmas with You ” provides a refreshing, sugary boost to any Netflix subscriber’s cinematic diet. This holiday offering, centered on a burnt-out pop star searching for creative inspiration and finding love, welcomes its co-star Freddie Prinze Jr. back to rom-coms, a genre from which he’s been absent for the past two decades. It also delivers unexpected seasonal delights with authentic, universal appeal. The ease with which it packages comedic hijinks and poignancy allows specifics of Latin American culture to shape and broaden its genuine emotional impact. And what a lovely gift that turns out to be.

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Director Gabriela Tagliavini finds the narrative’s strong rhythmic pulse almost immediately in the flashy opening credits, which showcase her heroine’s singing strength and fortitude. She even brings the razzle-dazzle to the interstitials between scenes, utilizing New York City landmarks all aglow and small town suburbia’s cozy winter chill. Incorporating cultural heritage — from scenes that feature food to those that fete special traditions — augments the rich, heartening thematic underpinnings and character design.

Technical craftsmanship also earns its place as a stocking stuffer. Tagliavini and editor Michael Jablow have a proper grasp on the picture’s energetic ebbs and flows, cutting with comedic beats in mind and knowing precisely how long to hold on the sentimental ones. Despite a noticeable flattening of the imagery’s depth and dimension (an all-too-common quality with films of its ilk on the streamer), Wing Lee’s production design is bursting with life, where a teen bedroom tangibly feels lived-in and the family’s dining and living rooms are decked out in twinkly-lit holly jolly.

Screenwriters Paco Farias, Jennifer C. Stetson and Michael Varrati cleverly build in searing sentiments about legacy and longevity in the business, shown through the prism of the evolving, supportive relationship between two female artists. But they forget to properly develop Cristina and Miguel, instead front-loading and back-loading their conflicts, respectively, and wrapping those conflicts up in a too-tidy bow. Cristina’s conundrums, primarily involving asking a cute boy to her quinceañera, are dealt short shrift. Also, she’s only impacted by the death of her mother for about 5 minutes in the first act, in a tender but fleeting bonding moment between her and Angelina. It’s not clear what Miguel’s obstacles are until the third act, when he blurts them out in clumsy exposition.

Garcia turns in a humorous and heartfelt performance, palpably felt in the comedic stylings as well as the more melodramatic chords played. There’s also a playful naturalism to her scenes with Williams, who’s this film’s stealth MVP with her perfectly on-point reactions and charisma. Though as written, Miguel is sadly a little one-note, Prinze imbues the character with a warmth and likable vulnerability. Together he and Garcia create a good amount of chemistry to sell the creative partnership and, later, the love story.

“Christmas with You” is a holiday trifle for sure, but there’s enough to feel satiated — if just temporarily — by the festivities on display. Marking a nice return to form for a star sorely missed from the genre he helped usher into the pop culture zeitgeist, the film displays spirit and soul as infectious as a pop song. And despite being highly orchestrated, this little ditty is catchy.

Reviewed on Netflix, Nov. 15, 2022. Running time: 89 MIN.

Production: A Netflix release of a GMT Films production. Producer: Lucas Jarach, German Michael Torres. Executive producers: Eric Brenner, Kerri Hundley.
Crew: Director: Gabriela Tagliavini. Screenplay: Paco Farias, Jennifer C. Stetson, Michael Varrati. Camera: Stefan Czapsky. Editor: Michael Jablow. Music: Pancho Burgos-Goizueta.
With: Aimee Garcia, Freddie Prinze Jr., Deja Monique Cruz, Gabriel Sloyer, Zenzi Williams, Socorro Santiago, Lawrence J. Hughes, Nicolette Stephanie Templier.

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‘Christmas With You’ Review: Pop-Rocking Around the Christmas Tree

Aimee Garcia plays a pop star scrambling to write a holiday hit in the insipid rom-dram “Christmas With You.”

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Two people sit in front of Christmas lights at a piano smiling at one another while one sings.

By Ben Kenigsberg

When watching the dullest, most formulaic Netflix fodder, you may find it necessary to fixate on an odd element simply to stay invested. By far the sturdiest component of “Christmas With You” is Freddie Prinze Jr.’s hair. Who sculpted it to such a disconcerting spike? Did it time-travel from the late 1990s? Does gravity apply to it?

Weather seems to exert an only intermittent influence in this insipid holiday love story, directed by Gabriela Tagliavini and set in the run-up to Christmas — at least in theory. Early on, the screenwriters summon a snowstorm to strand the protagonist. But the outerwear in Manhattan looks conspicuously light, nor is there much visible breath. Admittedly, it has been a warm year, and climate change, much more than Prinze’s hair, is something to ponder too.

The movie stars Aimee Garcia, who also sings the big songs, as a pop superstar named Angelina. People keep telling Angelina that she’s becoming irrelevant. Her self-esteem wounded, and up against a deadline to write a Christmas song, she and her tireless personal assistant (Zenzi Williams) pay a surprise visit to a teenage fan, Cristina (Deja Monique Cruz), who charmed Angelina on Instagram. Cristina’s music teacher father (Prinze) turns out to be pretty good at songwriting. He also makes great pozole and has that prominent hair, which no one once remarks upon.

The plot evokes an uninspired retread (or inversion) of “Notting Hill,” and a synopsis bears more than a passing resemblance to that of this year’s Jennifer Lopez vehicle “Marry Me,” which I missed. Owen Wilson supplied the hair.

Christmas With You Not rated. Running time: 1 hour 29 minutes. Watch on Netflix.

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Christmas With You Reviews

It really is a very sweet movie, and the music is … listenable!

Full Review | Dec 17, 2022

A cheesy yuletide musical/romance story that's uninspired and dull.

Full Review | Original Score: C | Dec 16, 2022

Christmas With You is the realistic, emotional alternative for people who just want to feel like the holidays can still be a magical time, even in the very real world we live in.

Full Review | Dec 4, 2022

This predictable holiday romance lacks chemistry or much real emotion, but it's pleasant enough.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Nov 28, 2022

Garcia and Prinze are so likable that it’s satisfying to see them spend an hour or so of screen time figuring out what the audience knows right away.

Full Review | Nov 25, 2022

Even though I'm absolutely excited to see Freddie Prinze Jr. on my screen again, I wish it was in a better movie.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/10 | Nov 24, 2022

It’s got some flaws that will likely keep it out of the year’s Top 10 Christmas movie charts, but it’s refreshingly warm and sweet like a nice mug of hot apple cider.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Nov 23, 2022

Sadly, Christmas With You falls into the “bad” category, never quite finding that niche beyond its lack of chemistry and stiff dialogue.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Nov 18, 2022

Christmas With You isn’t going to win an Academy Award but will win your heart. It’s the right kind of corny holiday cheer that hits the seasonal assignment.

Full Review | Nov 18, 2022

Even though these movies all follow the same melody, it works because that melody is catchy as hell. Unfortunately, there are a few jarring moments towards the end of the movie that make you wonder if the CD is skipping.

The film shines when it comes to its messaging of putting yourself out there and women supporting women. Unfortunately, the original music isn’t very strong.

Not even Santa Claus can save Christmas with You, and he wasn’t invited to make an appearance in this cheerless reminder that sometimes it’s better to have a Silent Night than a crappy movie.

Full Review | Original Score: D | Nov 17, 2022

Christmas With You tells a sweet romance with great chemistry between Freddie Prinze Jr and Aimee Garcia, but what sets this romcom apart is its focus on family and the importance of embracing culture.

Full Review | Nov 17, 2022

It’s cheesy in all the right places and serious in very few, but Christmas With You is reliably sweet and sincere when it needs to be.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Nov 17, 2022

By far the sturdiest component of “Christmas With You” is Freddie Prinze Jr.’s hair. Who sculpted it to such a disconcerting spike? Did it time-travel from the late 1990s? Does gravity apply to it?

Christmas With You could hardly be a more generic title, and the 90-minute bundle of anodyne cheer lives up to its vanilla promise.

It's a holiday trifle for sure, but there’s enough to feel satiated — if just temporarily — by the festivities on display.

Home » Movies » Movie Reviews

Christmas with You review – Aimee Garcia and Freddie Prinze Jr make music and find love at Christmas

A cross between Marry Me and Music and Lyrics , but with a Christmas twist, this won’t win awards, but Christmas With You passes the time very nicely and charmingly.

We review the Netflix film Christmas With You, which does not contain spoilers.

There’s a point around a third of the way through Christmas with You , the latest Yuletide concoction to be unleashed this year by Netflix , where you might be questioning just how it is that Freddie Prinze Jr ‘s character Miguel is able to pay for his electricity bill. If the credit sequence with its depiction of a Christmas-flavored New York doesn’t already scream out to you that ‘this is a Christmas film,’ then the large number of decorative lights that surround the interior alone of the house that Miguel and his family live in will certainly do so.

Of course, it’s a question that is never even raised within the film, and to be fair, nobody is going into Christmas with You wanting to ask those questions. Like so many romantic comedy dramas that take over our streaming services and television schedules this time of the year, any notions of realism are vanquished as soon as the upbeat New York City-set opening credits begin.

Those opening credits introduce us to Angelina ( Aimee Garcia ), a successful pop star struggling in an era of social media and upcoming younger talent who only has a week to write and produce a hit Christmas pop song. Discovering a video online from a younger fan named Christina ( Deja Monique Cruz ), Angelina decides to surprise Christina in her hometown, meets her family as a result, and ends up writing a hit song with Christina’s dad Miguel . Will Angelina and Miguel find love with each other amongst their songwriting? It’s a rhetorical question, let’s be honest.

Following only a week after the premiere of Falling for Christmas , the heavily hyped latest in the Brad Krevoy universe of Christmas movies, Gabriela Tagliavini brings a more gentle and refreshingly Spanish flavor to her film in comparison to the white privilege fantasies that one gets with Krevoy’s productions. Make no mistake, this still takes place somewhat 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, which makes these types of Christmas films weirdly fascinating this year in terms of them being released during the cost of living crisis. Declarations of love are just around the corner and the streets are snowy and picturesque, but it’s still a world away from the castles, fictional royalty and opulence within every inch of the production design that populates the likes of A Christmas Prince or The Princess Switch .

Instead, Tagliavini’s movie finds charm and joys in the minutiae of the lives of its characters, most prominently in the quinceañera that it builds up to in the final act, itself subverting the notion that the song that is being written throughout the film will be the third act set-piece, which instead acts as a catalyst for the drama that will take the movie to its upbeat conclusion. It’s a nicely different notion for a film in a sub-genre that is frequently criticized for portraying Christmas in all too caucasian ways, usually adorned with red and white jumpers.

Christmas with You is not going to be an award winner, but it is a nicely charming concoction that does the cheesy Netflix Christmas thing in such a way that you can’t help but enjoy the charms. Garcia and Prinze Jr are a lot of fun, have nice chemistry and at ninety minutes it passes the time nicely, and while no Christmas movie cliche is left unturned, it plays the hits in an entertainingly enjoyable way.

What did you think of Christmas with You? Comment below.

Article by Eamon Hennedy

Eamon Hennedy joined Ready Steady Cut in September 2022 as a Film and TV writer. Coming from Northern Ireland, Eamon calls himself a “Film and Television” buff, fuelled by his addiction to coffee.

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Christmas with You (2022)

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