Review

Christmas as Usual: The Eggnog That Keeps on Pouring

If you've ever wondered what it would be like to merge the comforting predictability of your favorite sweater with a splash of festive newness, "Christmas as Usual" is your yuletide concoction. Imagine every Hallmark movie you've ever seen - then throw in a reindeer who might just be moonlighting as a lawyer.

This 2023 gem, despite its name, shouts anything but "usual" in your face like an overenthusiastic Christmas caroler who's misplaced their pitch. The film artfully marries the familiarity of Hallmark holiday movies with a plot twist that suggests the screenwriters might have indulged in a tad too much spiked eggnog.

Our protagonist, Jenny, is a big-city baker with a secret that everyone knows: she can't bake. But thanks to small-town magic, a handsome gingerbread architect, and a suspiciously wise elderly neighbor who might actually be Santa, Jenny finds that love (and her baking skills) were just a montage away.

"Christmas as Usual" offers all the trimmings you'd expect from Hallmark holiday movies, including a snowball fight that mysteriously concludes without anyone losing an eye. Plot spoilers? Please, let’s not kid ourselves; this is predictability at its holly-jolliest. Still, the comedy lies in the delightful clichés and how the film leans into them with such commitment you'd think they were auditioning for the role of 'most independent snowflake.'

So grab your cocoa, pull on those fuzzy socks, and prepare to laugh at all the right moments. Whether it's that Christmas-hating lawyer-reindeer or the inevitable last-minute airport dash, "Christmas as Usual" proves that, in the world of holiday movies, 'usual' is just a base coat for merry madness.