Review

Movie Review: Check Inn to Christmas
Subtitle: “When Love is Checked in, and Family Feuds are Checked Out.”

Check Inn to Christmas is a Hallmark holiday masterpiece that takes the classic “Romeo and Juliet” trope, swaps swords for snow, and adds a sprinkle of small-town rivalry so intense it makes the Hatfields and McCoys look like they were just debating pie recipes. It’s part romance, part family drama, and 100% covered in festive cheer.

The story follows Julia (Rachel Boston), a big-city lawyer who returns to her hometown for the holidays, only to get caught up in the long-standing feud between her family’s inn and their rivals, the Masons. Enter Ryan Mason (Wes Brown), the charming, flannel-clad son of the enemy, whose only crime is looking entirely too good while hanging Christmas lights. Despite their families’ ongoing war over who can out-inn the other, Julia and Ryan find themselves teaming up to bring holiday cheer to their tiny town. Because nothing says romance like sneaky tree-decorating espionage.

Rachel Boston’s Julia is smart, sweet, and somehow not too busy being a lawyer to spend her entire holiday embroiled in this festive feud. Wes Brown’s Ryan is peak Hallmark boyfriend material: rugged, kind, and able to deliver heartfelt speeches about love and tourism. Together, their chemistry is undeniable, even when they’re awkwardly dodging their families’ side-eye at every town event.

The feud between the B&B-owning families is hilariously over-the-top. They compete over everything: Christmas decorations, cookie recipes, and who can have the most aggressively festive front porch. It’s petty, it’s absurd, and it’s exactly what you want from a movie where Christmas tree sabotage is treated like a felony.

Unintentionally funny moments abound, such as:
- The fact that Julia’s very important lawyer job is completely forgotten the moment she steps into town.
- The Mason and Crawford families’ ridiculous level of holiday competitiveness, which feels less like a feud and more like an Olympic event sponsored by Home Depot.
- The scene where Julia and Ryan unite the town with a heartfelt Christmas speech, as though they’ve just brokered world peace.

The romance is as predictable as a snowstorm in a Hallmark movie, but that’s part of the charm. Watching Julia and Ryan navigate their forbidden love while dodging Christmas wreaths and disapproving relatives is delightful. By the time they share their big moment—under twinkling lights, of course—you’ll be grinning like a kid on Christmas morning.

The town itself is a winter wonderland straight out of a snow globe, complete with a holiday festival that conveniently forces Julia and Ryan into romantic proximity at every turn. The supporting characters, from the nosy neighbors to the meddling relatives, add just the right amount of small-town charm and comedic relief.

Check Inn to Christmas is everything you’d expect from a Hallmark holiday movie: heartwarming, predictable, and dripping with festive cheer. It’s the kind of movie that makes you want to book a cozy inn, wear flannel, and resolve a long-standing family feud with cookies and Christmas carols. So, check in, sit back, and enjoy the ride—it’s one holiday reservation you won’t regret. 🎄🏨❤️