Home Movie Reviews Falling For Christmas Review: Lohan Dazzles In By-The-Numbers Christmas Rom-Com

The movie doesn’t put much effort into drawing in its audience because they are already there, eager to watch the return of Lindsay Lohan.

A disastrous meet-cute, a freak accident, temporary amnesia, and Christmas — these are the characteristics of the average Hallmark Christmas classic. Still, Hallmark doesn’t have the one and only Lindsay Lohan in its arsenal. Netflix has that pleasure. Lohan has had a rough life since becoming a bona fide superstar. Her star power has persisted despite her personal troubles, and her talent is unwavering as her filmography proves she is a star. Her best efforts can be found in comedies, thus making Falling For Christmas the perfect vehicle for a comeback narrative.
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Falling for Christmas follows spoiled, selfish heiress ​​Sierra Belmont (Lohan), who loses her memory after a freak accident on the slopes with her boyfriend, Tad Fairchild (George Young). A kind single father, Jake Russell (Glee alum Chord Overstreet), who runs a family-owned ski lodge, finds her and helps her out. This serendipitous union will not only bring them together, but it will be Sierra’s saving grace.

Related: Is Falling For Christmas Lindsay Lohan’s Official Comeback?

Lindsay Lohan and Chord Overstreet in Falling for Christmas

At the heart of it, Falling For Christmas is innocuous. It is less entertaining than Netflix’s other attempts, but it isn’t a complete wash. The movie has fun with its callbacks to Lohan’s previous work, such as Just My Luck and Mean Girls. However, it doesn’t do anything spectacular with Lohan. It also takes a strange detour following Sierra’s boyfriend’s silly shenanigans, which takes time away from Sierra’s ordeal and her relationship with Jake. It is valuable time lost that could have gone towards Sierra’s amnesia and her attempts at being “normal,” since she is unaware that her life as an heiress has made her ill-equipped to handle a myriad of tasks. The core relationship also suffers due to a lack of development. Chord Overstreet is woefully miscast as a romantic partner for Lohan, but that could have been mitigated with better writing and time spent building up his character.

Hallmark has built an empire of movies like this — overly sentimental Christmas fare with romantic pairings that burn as hot as the lukewarm milk left out for Santa. However, fans of these movies aren’t returning for quality storytelling and tolerable acting. They return for the coziness, the casual sweetness that will always get one in the right mood, but there is very little about Falling for Christmas that is magical. The script is inflexible, yet effective in its attempt to weave an endearing tale of a selfish heiress regaining her humanity. The performances and directing are stiff at times and awkward in others. The movie doesn’t put much effort into drawing in its audience because they are already there, eager to watch the return of Lindsay Lohan.

Lindsay Lohan Falling for Christmas

Falling For Christmas strikes very similar chords, and doesn’t stray from the very beaten path. Its familiarity is almost smothering, leaving Lohan, who is capable of so much more, left to grasp at air. Her efforts are admirable, and her talent is undeniable, but she is often left alone to carry the audience’s interest and attention. Lohan’s skill and talent are too big for such an unambitious project. However, Overstreet is more than ready to match the movie’s energy.

Sadly, Jake is almost a joke of a character, a complete archetype that is as hollow and superficial as this film genre’s forced sentimentality. His lack of, well, everything makes it hard to enjoy this film thoroughly. Lohan carries so much of the emotional weight and is also the only charismatic actor in the film. Overstreet has none of the charm or talent required to be a rom-com leading man. He is bland and outshone at every turn. In fairness, he is at the same level as this production, which offers the bare minimum. Ultimately, Jake is indicative of just how lazy this film is and illustrates that Lohan deserves better.

Falling For Christmas was the best comeback film for Lohan; it could have been better quality, but it is better than nothing. She’s in her element, and her natural charisma is illuminated, partially by how uninteresting her costar is. The script and overall production leave much to be desired, but with how low expectations usually are, this one is okay. Tolerable is the word that best describes this Christmas flick, and that is because Lohan is the lead.

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Falling for Christmas released on Netflix November 10. The film is 93 minutes long and is rated TV-PG.