Every year, as soon as the calendar hits November and the festive decorations start creeping into stores, everyone begins curating their holiday watchlists. People argue over the classics like Elf , Home Alone, The Grinch, or whether Die Hard counts as a Christmas movie. But for me, my holiday season isn't officially underway until I queue up a specific 2020 romantic comedy on Netflix: Holidate.
I have been watching this movie every single holiday season since it first dropped in 2020. Over the last six years, it has quietly evolved from a random weekend stream into a core part of my annual Christmas watching experience.
The Perfect Antidote to Holiday Sap
If you aren't familiar with the premise, Holidate follows Sloane (Emma Roberts) and Jackson (Luke Bracey), two single strangers who are utterly exhausted by the societal and familial pressures that come with the festive calendar. After a chance meeting, they strike a platonic pact to be each other’s fake plus-ones—a "holidate"—for every major celebration throughout the year, keeping things strictly casual until real feelings inevitably start to mess with the contract.
What makes this movie such a repeatable joy is its tone. Holiday movies can easily fall into the trap of being overly saccharine or intensely cheesy. Holidate leans completely the other way. It’s chaotic, self-aware, and packed with genuinely good, irreverent humor. It mocks the exact tropes it eventually fulfills, making the witty banter between Roberts and Bracey feel incredibly fresh every time I watch it.
Why It’s My Go To Comfort Re Watch
There is an effortless, easy to watch quality to this film that makes it perfect for the busy holiday season. Because the narrative moves from New Year's Eve to Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, and all the way back around to Christmas, it feels like a fast paced, colorful journey through a whole year of celebrations.
Six years later, it hasn't lost an ounce of its charm. While I’ll always love the nostalgic childhood classics, my Christmas tradition isn't complete without wrapping up in a blanket, and letting Sloane and Jackson navigate their holiday chaos all over again.
If you haven’t added it to your yearly rotation yet, do yourself a favor and stream Holidate on Netflix this season. It might just surprise you and become your new favorite tradition, too.
Out of 10 Popcorn Kernels, I give it an 8.
