Review

Movie Review: Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up
Subtitle: "When Christmas Lights, Family Drama, and Way Too Many Holiday Mishaps Collide in the Most Hilariously Chaotic Way."

“Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up” is Hallmark’s latest holiday flick, and if you’ve ever wondered, "What if decorating for Christmas was more complicated than it had any business being?"—then this movie is the perfect mix of way too much holiday spirit, family dysfunction, and too many Christmas lights to count. It’s the holiday chaos you didn’t know you needed, wrapped up with way too many mistletoe moments and a lot of holiday magic that may or may not involve a decorating disaster of epic proportions.

The plot follows Nina (played by Lacey Chabert, because of course), a woman who’s already had enough of the holidays and is just trying to enjoy her simple Christmas traditions—but, of course, it’s Hallmark, so nothing goes as planned. She’s living in a small town, and this year, she’s forced to participate in the annual town Christmas decorating competition—because, naturally, the town is obsessed with making every Christmas celebration just a little too extravagant. Think way too many twinkling lights, giant inflatable snowmen, and way too many over-the-top Christmas displays that are practically begging for disaster.

Enter Matt (played by Tyler Hynes, the classic Hallmark leading man who’s always way too charming for his own good), who’s the grumpy town official tasked with ensuring that everyone is competing fairly and that no one is going too far with their holiday decorations. He’s definitely not interested in holiday cheer—he’s more of a “don’t-decorate-the-tree-until-Christmas-eve” kind of guy—and naturally, he ends up paired with Nina in the most predictable Christmas decorating disaster ever. The chemistry between these two is as obvious as the way-too-over-the-top decorations in their small town, but watching them pretend they’re not totally falling for each other is pure holiday gold. Every time Nina and Matt accidentally bump into each other under a too-big garland or share a laugh over a decorating disaster, you’ll be laughing and cringing at how adorable they are.

The comedy here is all about the chaos—because when Christmas lights are involved, you know it’s going to go wrong. The entire town is way too involved in Nina’s decorating plans, from the nosy neighbor who insists on giving her way too many Christmas ornaments to the family who’s convinced that their holiday traditions are the most important thing on earth. The Christmas decorating competition quickly spirals out of control, with way too many neighbors getting involved in way too many ways. There’s a giant snow globe incident, a mishap involving fake snow that leads to way too much slipping, and an epic lights malfunction that would make Clark Griswold look like a minimalist. Watching Nina and Matt try to get things back on track is like watching someone decorate a tree in a windstorm—chaotic, but you can’t look away.

And of course, there’s the romance. Nina and Matt’s “we’re definitely not into each other” routine is as predictable as the Christmas lights coming on at the exact right moment—but it’s also utterly delightful. Every time they accidentally share too much hot cocoa or get stuck in a giant wreath together, you’ll be grinning because it’s just too easy to see where this is going. Of course, there’s the classic “awkward kiss under the mistletoe” (because what Hallmark movie is complete without one?), followed by a perfect Christmas confession in front of way too many holiday decorations.

The grand finale? Predictable yet totally heartwarming. After too many decorating disasters, way too much family interference, and way too many perfectly timed Christmas mishaps, Nina and Matt realize they’re totally in love, the town realizes that Christmas isn’t about over-the-top decorations, and a few too many holiday miracles happen to bring everything back together. The final scene is, of course, under the twinkling lights of a Christmas tree that’s way too perfect for this much chaos—because it’s Hallmark, and nothing is ever too perfect for a Christmas movie.

“Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up” is the ultimate mix of Christmas chaos, way too much holiday spirit, and a romance so obvious you can almost hear the Christmas carols playing in the background. If you enjoy watching way too many Christmas disasters, too many family traditions, and a romance that’s as adorable as it is predictable, then grab your coziest blanket, a plate of Christmas cookies, and get ready for a holiday movie that will leave you laughing, swooning, and maybe decorating your house with way too many Christmas lights. 🎄💡💋