Review

Movie Review: My Norwegian Holiday
Subtitle: "When Christmas, Norwegian Charm, and Way Too Much Holiday Magic Collide in the Most Hilariously Predictable Way."

“My Norwegian Holiday” is Hallmark’s latest attempt to prove that if you take a perfectly charming small-town Christmas setting, add in some unexpected holiday mishaps, sprinkle in a bit of way-too-perfect romance, and top it all off with some surprisingly festive Norwegian traditions, you’ve got yourself a Christmas classic… well, at least predictably classic. If you’ve ever wondered, "What if a woman fleeing holiday chaos in the big city ends up in a Norwegian village where everyone is way too festive and definitely not going to let her escape the Christmas spirit?"—then this movie is exactly what you’ve been waiting for.

The plot follows Catherine (played by Brooke D’Orsay, who could win an award for “Most Likely to Be Overwhelmed by Christmas”), a super-efficient businesswoman who absolutely cannot stand the holiday season (because, of course, she’s way too busy for Christmas). She’s had way too much family drama and is definitely not interested in some quaint holiday escape. But when she gets sent to a Norwegian town to deal with an unexpected crisis, Catherine is immediately greeted by way too many Christmas decorations, way too many festive locals, and, of course, a very charming local man (played by Niall Matter, because what’s a Hallmark Christmas movie without the “perfect guy” who’s also way too charming for his own good?).

Enter Henrik—the town’s unofficial holiday coordinator (because, of course, in small towns, there’s always someone who has a title no one else knows about). Henrik is absolutely smitten with Christmas and can’t understand why anyone would be as grumpy as Catherine when it comes to the holidays. He’s too busy with Christmas planning to deal with someone trying to avoid all the magic, but guess what happens? He gets stuck working with Catherine on some “holiday project” because nothing says “Christmas miracle” like making someone who hates Christmas fall head over heels for it. Naturally, Catherine and Henrik are definitely not going to fall in love—except they totally do, because this is Hallmark, and we all know how it goes.

The comedy in this movie comes from Catherine’s utter disbelief that she’s somehow gotten tangled up in the most festive, over-the-top Christmas village in Norway. Whether it’s getting roped into a Christmas decorating contest (because no one can say no to the overly-enthusiastic villagers), accidentally wearing a costume for a Norwegian holiday parade she’s not prepared for, or having every single small-town person act as if she absolutely needs to be filled with holiday cheer, watching Catherine try to survive this Christmas takeover is utterly hilarious. She’s like the Grinch trying to make it through a Hallmark Christmas village—and you just know she’s about to fall in love with both the town’s charm and Henrik’s way-too-adorable holiday spirit.

And then there’s the romance. Every time Catherine and Henrik “accidentally” spend too much time together—whether it’s accidentally decorating gingerbread houses, sleigh riding in way too much snow, or getting stuck in a tiny cozy cabin because of a snowstorm—you can practically hear the Christmas carols playing. They spend most of the movie pretending they’re not falling for each other, and every awkward moment they share only makes it more obvious that they’re way too into each other to keep denying it. You know they’re going to end up together—the only question is how many holiday traditions are they going to accidentally destroy before it happens?

The grand finale? Predictably magical, of course. After way too many Christmas mishaps, way too much holiday magic, and way too many romantic misunderstandings (because who doesn’t get confused in a small-town Norwegian holiday paradise?), Catherine and Henrik finally admit they’ve been in love the whole time. They share a perfect Christmas kiss under way too many twinkling lights, surrounded by way too many snowflakes and, naturally, way too much mistletoe. Everyone cheers because this is Hallmark, and nothing says "I love you" like a snowstorm and a perfectly timed kiss.

“My Norwegian Holiday” is the ultimate Christmas rom-com packed with way too many Christmas traditions, way too much holiday magic, and a romance so obvious that even the Norwegian reindeer are cheering for them. If you love watching way too many holiday mishaps, over-the-top Christmas magic, and a romance that’s as predictable as the snow falling on Christmas Eve, then grab your coziest blanket, a mug of hot cocoa, and get ready for a movie that will have you laughing, swooning, and maybe even planning your own Norwegian holiday escape—if only to find a place that’s as festively charming as this one. 🎄❄️💋