Directed by John Whitesell, Holidate has been shredded by critics for being yet another predictable romantic comedy. Various reviews have commended lead performers Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey for their on-screen chemistry, yet the overall direction seems to be the film's biggest problem. Holidate was written by Tiffany Paulsen and released in October 2020 on Netflix.
Holidate takes place in Chicago and follows the blossoming romance between Sloane (Roberts) and Jackson (Brace). The protagonists meet shortly before New Year's Eve and decide to attend a party together, but only for the sake of appearances. Sloane pushes back against Jackson's subtle advances, but agrees to accompany him for further holiday events. The faux couple naturally grows closer, leading to the inevitable conflict that will either drive them apart for good or inspire a proper romantic relationship. The Netflix Christmas movie co-stars Andrew Bachelor, Jessica Capshaw, and Kristin Chenoweth.
As of now, Holidate has a 45 percent Tomatometer score at Rotten Tomatoes, with the audience score mirroring the official review grade at 46 percent. Critics acknowledge that the TV-MA humor gives the story some edge, and that the central leads do their best with the rom-com material, but the general consensus is that the Dirty Dancing homage that's at once charming yet still entirely unoriginal, and the love story doesn't have enough magic to transcend all of its wink-of-the-eye and self-aware humor (a recurring trend for modern romantic comedies). Here's the most snarling criticism of Holidate:
"Holidate is -- hmm, I need a new word, some kind of portmanteau, to describe how bad it is. I know! It's horriflix."
"The best thing that "Holidate" has going for it is that Roberts and Bracey do have great chemistry, but they just don't have a story or a script that can do it justice."
"Holidate falls in the bland no-man's land between being sharp enough to appeal to adults (à la Bridesmaids) and tame enough to watch with the whole family."
"Holidate distinguishes itself only through its reliance on boorish slapstick, exaggeration and vulgarity."
"Holidate does not have a single authentic moment, appealing character, or genuine laugh."
Holidate on a rapidly-changing world, at least when executed lazily. Based on the collective Holidate reviews, there are plenty of ers out there in the world. Here are some positive takes on Whitesell's film:
""Holidate" won't change your mind about the tread-worn challenges of romantic comedies, but its leads leverage their charms nicely."
"Like so much of Netflix's quantity over quality output, Holidate is broad, unsubtle, and seemingly designed to be half-watched, phone in hand. Yet within that framework, it finds a unique comedic spark that keeps it zipping along."
"The movie surprises on almost every level, breaking a number of contemporary rom-com rules along the way thanks to Tiffany Paulsen's self-aware screenplay."
"Like all Netflix rom-coms, Holidate has a quirky and promising premise, but what sets it apart from some more recent debacles is that it actually pulls this off."
Holidate may not become a streaming sensation, but there's enough comedy and star power to keep locked-down Netflix subscribers entertained for 103 minutes. If anything, it's a strong showcase for the screenwriter Paulsen, who will surely process the sharpest and turn around something better in the coming years.
