Review

Movie Review: Round and Round
Subtitle: "When Christmas, Family, and Way Too Many Misunderstandings Collide in the Most Hilariously Predictable Way."

“Round and Round” is Hallmark’s latest holiday movie that proves you don’t need to travel to the North Pole to get wrapped up in way too much holiday magic, romantic misunderstandings, and a plot that’s as predictably sweet as a cup of hot cocoa. If you’ve ever wondered, “What if a small-town Christmas involved a mysterious holiday tradition and way too many holiday mishaps that make you wish you could skip straight to the ending?”, then this movie is exactly what you’re looking for.

The plot follows Lily (played by Amanda Schull, because obviously she’s the perfect fit for “busy woman who’s definitely not interested in Christmas”), a successful, high-strung woman who’s been avoiding holiday cheer like it’s the last piece of pie at the Christmas dinner table. She’s way too focused on her career to worry about things like Christmas cookies, family traditions, and random holiday mysteries—until she’s forced to return to her small hometown for a family reunion and, of course, to figure out why her mom is suddenly obsessed with a “holiday spinning wheel tradition” (because every small town has one quirky Christmas tradition that no one fully understands).

Enter Matt (played by Chris McNally, because who else could play the charming guy who’s way too excited about Christmas and totally going to fall in love with Lily?). Matt is so into Christmas that he practically lives for holiday traditions, and he’s about to drag Lily into a “round-and-round” family mystery involving way too many holiday spins, “Why Christmas lights should never be tangled” type misunderstandings, and a “spin the wheel” holiday game that will change everything—which, of course, means it’s way too confusing for Lily.

The comedy in this movie comes from the utter chaos that is the “round-and-round” holiday tradition, which is definitely not as simple as it sounds. Whether it’s getting stuck in a Christmas tree farm maze, accidentally spinning the wrong wheel at the local Christmas carnival, or dealing with way too many awkward moments involving holiday games, Lily and Matt are thrown together into a whirlwind of way too much Christmas magic. The whole town is way too obsessed with these “spinning wheel traditions”, and the more Lily tries to avoid the whole mess, the more Christmas mishaps she ends up in.

And then, of course, there’s the romance. Every time Matt and Lily try to “pretend” they’re not into each other, you can practically hear the Christmas carols in the background. Whether it’s accidentally spinning into each other while setting up the town’s oversized Christmas display or getting way too tangled in a string of Christmas lights during an ill-fated holiday decorating competition, the chemistry between them is way too obvious. Every time they accidentally brush against each other or share awkward holiday kisses under the way-too-perfect mistletoe, you’ll be grinning, eye-rolling, and probably swooning—because you know exactly where this is headed.

The grand finale? Predictably heartwarming as always. After way too many spinning wheels, way too many holiday misunderstandings, and way too much Christmas magic, Lily finally realizes that Christmas isn’t about trying to get things perfect—it’s about embracing the chaos and finding love along the way. Of course, this realization comes just in time for a perfect Christmas kiss under the twinkling lights of a holiday display so charming it’s borderline ridiculous—because, let’s be honest, this is Hallmark, and nothing says “Christmas miracle” like the perfect kiss with the perfect person in front of way too many Christmas decorations.

“Round and Round” is the ultimate Hallmark holiday movie: way too many Christmas mishaps, way too much holiday magic, and a romance so obvious you could see it coming from a mile away. If you love family traditions, romantic misunderstandings, and a predictable holiday movie that will leave you laughing at the chaos and swooning at the romance, then grab your coziest blanket, a mug of cocoa, and get ready to experience a movie that will have you grinning, laughing, and maybe even spinning into the holiday spirit yourself. 🎄💋✨