Review

Movie Review: Holiday Date
Subtitle: “Fake Boyfriend, Real Awkward Family Dynamics, and More Plaid Than a Lumberjack Convention.”

Holiday Date is what happens when Hallmark takes the tried-and-true “fake relationship” trope and douses it in enough holiday cheer to make even the Grinch crack a smile. It’s a festive rom-com filled with misunderstandings, mistletoe, and just enough cringe-worthy moments to keep you laughing between the heartfelt sighs.

The story follows Brooke (Brittany Bristow), a big-city woman with a very specific problem: she’s supposed to bring her boyfriend Ethan home for Christmas, but he dumps her at the last minute. Her solution? Hire a random actor, Joel (Matt Cohen), to pretend to be Ethan so her family doesn’t realize she’s been single for 15 minutes. Because what could possibly go wrong with this completely foolproof plan?

Joel, being a struggling actor, says yes because... plot. He shows up to Brooke’s idyllic small-town home ready to play the role of "Perfect Boyfriend," but there’s one little problem—Joel is very bad at pretending to be Ethan. He doesn't know a thing about Brooke’s ex, and his improvisation skills are as subtle as a flashing Christmas sweater. Watching Joel bluff his way through family traditions while Brooke nervously side-eyes him is peak Hallmark comedy.

The humor comes in full force as Brooke’s overly involved family starts to suspect something’s off about Ethan 2.0. Joel’s attempts to fit in include:
- Mistaking Christmas tree decorating as an extreme sport.
- Trying (and failing) to remember obscure family stories about “that time in Vermont.”
- And delivering impromptu monologues about the true meaning of Christmas like he’s auditioning for A Christmas Carol.

Brittany Bristow plays Brooke with just the right mix of frazzled energy and holiday cheer, while Matt Cohen’s Joel is the perfect blend of charming and clueless. Their chemistry grows naturally through shared moments of baking cookies, decorating the tree, and dodging suspicious relatives. By the time they stop pretending and start actually falling for each other, you’re already rooting for them like it’s the fourth quarter of the holiday season.

Let’s not ignore the real stars of the movie: Brooke’s family. They are so aggressively warm and festive that you almost feel bad for Joel having to keep up with their constant enthusiasm. Whether it’s her mom’s insistence on capturing every moment in a scrapbook or her dad’s penchant for surprise snowball fights, they’re the kind of family that makes you think, “Wow, I’m tired just watching them.”

Of course, no Hallmark movie is complete without unintentionally hilarious moments, like:
- Joel absolutely failing at pretending to know how to ski, despite claiming to be a pro.
- The fact that Brooke’s family somehow doesn’t notice Joel’s total lack of Ethan-ness for most of the movie.
- And the heartwarming (but cheesy) climax where Joel gives a big speech about how pretending to be Ethan made him realize he wants to really be in Brooke’s life. Cue the tears. And the snow. Because there’s always snow.

Final Verdict: 4/5 fake boyfriends. Holiday Date is the perfect mix of laugh-out-loud awkwardness and classic Hallmark romance. It’s predictable, but in the best way, with just enough chaos to keep things interesting. Watch it with your most festive pajamas, and maybe keep a hot cocoa handy—because by the end, you’ll definitely be craving a warm holiday hug of your own. 🎄🎭❤️