Holidate Review

Sloane and Jackson hate being single on holidays where they face constant judgment from their meddling families. So, when these two strangers meet, they pledge to be each other’s “holidate” for every festive occasion in the year ahead.

Before we get into the movie, we have a scene with one of the movie HISTORY’s funniest one-liners.

‘You know me well enough to Cum in my mouth but not enough to get me a Christmas present.‘

We see our lead Sloane (Emma Roberts) home for Christmas, and she came home date-less. She witnesses her brother get married and her family excited, and yet again, she is upset and disgruntled.

Next, Sloane runs into Jackson, who hates holidays and the pressure that comes with not being in a relationship during them. Their dynamic and chemistry are noticeable as soon as they meet.

The single greatest theoretical moment of the year goes to the use of Ludacris’s ‘Move Bitch’. The music plays in the background as we fade into watching kids run down to grab Easter eggs during an Easter egg hunt.

Next, we dive into the holidays. As we transition into each holiday, Sloan and Jackson’s relationship grows and appears at all these holidays together.

Often romantic and holiday comedies are overwritten and bloated. Holidate was the polar opposite. Tiffany Paulsen’s writing is witty, charming, and hilarious. The jokes were placed to perfection, and the comedic scenes were layered well as well.

More on Roberts, she’s just a delight on the screen. She radiates energy, charm, confidence and her range within all her work continues to impress me. I’m ready to see her in more serious roles in the future.

Holidate is this year Last Christmas without the twist. It checks all the boxes from a romantic holiday comedy. It’s got excellent writing that makes you invest in the characters, it’s got many laughs, and it’s got fantastic chemistry from our leads.

The Verdict:

Holidate is the perfect romantic comedy for the Christmas season.

Jacob is a film critic and co-founder of the Music City Drive-In. He is a member of the Music City Film Critics’ Association and specializes in the awards season. You can find him on Twitter @Tberry57.