Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
‘A Merry Little Ex-Mas’ is on Netflix.
A small-town couple decide to ‘consciously uncouple’ and get a divorce, but with Christmas around the corner, they try to be amicable and spend the holiday season with their kids. However, things get a little awkward when the husband flanks a hot new girlfriend on his arms. Are the sparks still there between the old flames? Or will they be able to move on?
Directed by Steve Carr, and written by Holly Hester, ‘A Merry Little Ex-Mas’ is a familiar, predictable, boring Netflix Christmas romance, with very little chemistry between lead couple Alicia Silverstone and Oliver Hudson, who play primary protagonists.
Alicia is Kate Holden, the town’s handywoman, and environmentalist, who left her big city dreams to settle down with her doctor husband Everett Holden (Oliver Hudson). They have two children together, a teenage son, Gabriel (Wilder Hudson) and an older college-going daughter, Sienna (Emily Hall), who happens to be dating a Harry Potter fanatic.
What’s kind of refreshing about ‘A Merry Little Ex-Mas’ is how relaxed the kids are about the whole divorce situation. They don’t bat an eyelid when their dad starts dating someone else (Jameela Jamil), or when their mom casually arrives with a random hot guy called Chet (Pierson Fode) as her plus-one.
Nearly all of the film’s supposed drama, and even more supposed comedy, hinges on Kate being unable to cope with Everett’s new girlfriend. Her solution? Force-feed the family a set of new Christmas traditions and throw a low-grade tantrum whenever things don’t cater to her nostalgia. It’s very easy to guess where the story is headed.
Alicia Silverstone’s take on the quirky, environmentally conscious mom who loves handmade gifts and thrift-store shopping is occasionally charming, but far more often just annoying. She brings her usual line delivery and mannerisms along for the ride, which makes Kate feel less like a character and more like recycled Alicia Silverstone persona in festive costumes.
Outside of a few decent moments and some aggressively festive cinematography soaked in reds, greens, and Christmas glitter, ‘A Merry Little Ex-Mas’ has nothing new to say. It’s short, yet somehow exhausting enough to take me two days to finish. When Netflix’s Jingle Bell Heist comes off as the better holiday watch, you know things have gone wrong.
Rating: 3 on 10. ‘A Merry Little Ex-Mas’ is streaming on Netflix.
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