Review

Movie Review: Next Stop, Christmas
Subtitle: “When Time Travel Meets Holiday Romance and Awkward Family Christmas Dinners.”

Next Stop, Christmas is Hallmark’s latest attempt to answer the age-old question: What if you could travel back in time and redo every Christmas gift, family argument, and awkward first kiss? Spoiler: You'd still end up with the same embarrassing family photos, but maybe you'd find love in the process.

The movie follows Angie (Lyndsy Fonseca), a successful woman in her 30s who, on a magical Christmas train ride, finds herself transported back to her 20s. Suddenly, she’s reliving the best (and not-so-best) parts of Christmas, but this time with the knowledge of what’s about to happen, including a few unspoken feelings for her old flame, the ever-charming Jack (Chad Michael Murray). Naturally, she has to navigate old family dynamics, save a few romantic missteps, and make some holiday decisions that are probably better than the year she’s currently living in—because Hallmark movies have time travel AND second chances, duh.

Lyndsy Fonseca’s Angie is delightfully relatable as a woman who’s trying to juggle family, career, and a mild existential crisis (who isn’t?) while trying to figure out how to make her past a little less… awkward. Chad Michael Murray’s Jack is pure Hallmark perfection: handsome, sensitive, and just perfect enough to make you wonder why you didn’t notice him 10 years ago. Their chemistry is delightful, especially as Angie struggles to keep her cool while playing the “I know how this ends” game.

The humor in the movie comes from Angie’s attempts to meddle in her own past while trying to avoid spoilers. Whether she’s trying to fix a cringe-worthy family dinner or subtly nudging Jack toward love without giving the whole time-travel thing away, it’s an amusing rollercoaster of nostalgia and “oops, I shouldn’t have said that” moments. Watching her try to undo all her previous romantic mistakes while pretending not to have the answers is like watching your best friend try to redo a group project—you’re not sure how it’ll turn out, but you know it’s going to be entertaining.

The family dynamics are hilariously over-the-top, with the classic mix of meddling parents, festive misunderstandings, and a dash of sibling rivalry for good measure. The holiday traditions—complete with overdecorated trees, chaotic gift exchanges, and enough food to feed a small army—are the perfect backdrop for Angie’s holiday crisis. Oh, and let’s not forget the Christmas train itself, which is probably the most magical (and questionable) mode of time travel known to mankind.

By the time the movie reaches its big “life-changing” moment (hint: it involves a kiss, snow, and possibly a future that looks suspiciously like the present), you’ll be invested in Angie’s journey and rooting for her to get it right. Spoiler alert: she does, because that’s how Hallmark movies work.

Next Stop, Christmas is a delightful, humorous ride through the past, present, and future of holiday love. It’s perfect for anyone who’s ever wanted to relive their favorite Christmas memories, fix a few things, and maybe kiss someone under the mistletoe just once more—especially if that someone is Chad Michael Murray. Grab your cocoa, hop aboard the Christmas train, and enjoy this festive time-traveling romance. 🎄🚂❤️