Nobody goes right into a Netflix Christmas rom-com and expects to have their world shattered by the sheer magnitude of inventive integrity that’s laid out earlier than them. These are normally low cost, superficial, and stiffly-written tales of middle-class white individuals getting swoony (however by no means, ever having intercourse) in a small, snowy city. Nonetheless, that doesn’t imply you’ll be able to’t derive any enjoyment out of them. Vanessa Hudgens has change into a face of yuletide romance for the streamer, and whereas her fantastical twist, The Knight Earlier than Christmas, is as American cheese as you may get, the odd romance between her small-town trainer and a 14th-century British knight is well worth the cringe. One other poster woman for this part of Netflix’s catalog is Lindsay Lohan. When it was first introduced that the star would headline 2022’s Falling for Christmas, it was met with widespread pleasure, much less for the plot or completed venture however as a result of Lohan was staging one thing of a comeback. However it turned out that we had each proper to be excited in regards to the film itself, with it being an ideal mix of humor, romance, and Lohan’s star energy.

Lohan’s newest vacation romance for the streamer, Our Little Secret, appears to assume it’s barely above its twee comrades in that it has extra of an edge, specializing in a sequence of embarrassing fake pas for its two leads (Lohan and Ian Harding) somewhat than creating a gushing romance between them. It catches itself in the midst of the Christmas spectrum. It by no means has the usual of writing to put it alongside the likes of The Household Stone (of which it is vitally reminiscent), but it surely doesn’t absolutely let itself get misplaced within the oogey-gooey Hallmark romance that all of us faux to hate. This center floor makes it a stiff, poorly written comedy that’s considerably saved by the performances of its two leads.

‘Our Little Secret’ Stars Lindsay Lohan and Ian Harding as Exes

The film’s recurring situation of bypassing very mandatory backstory is straight away obvious. We’re requested to put money into the childhood friendship turned romance between Logan (Harding) and Avery (Lohan). As a substitute of seeing their relationship blossom all through their teenagers and 20s, we get a fast animation recount with narration from Avery’s father (Henry Czerny). The 2 fall in love and are by one another’s aspect by way of school, new jobs, and the demise of Avery’s mom. It cuts to live-action in 2014 when Avery is leaving for a job in London, and in a bid to make her keep, Logan phases a really ill-timed proposal that nobody, not even their households, thinks is the correct transfer. It ends in an explosive argument and breakup, and the 2 don’t speak for practically a decade.

Within the current day, Avery is a high-flying enterprise marketing consultant, and Logan is a property developer whose artistic integrity is diminished by his money-hungry boss. Avery is courting Cam (Jon Rudnitsky), an emotionally distant mama’s boy, and Logan is in a relationship with the superficial Cassie (Katie Baker). They’re each spending the vacations with their companions’ household and whereas Avery is sweating over assembly Cam’s overbearing mom, Erica (Kristin Chenoweth doing greater than your entire supporting solid put collectively), that’s the least of her worries. It isn’t till they’re face-to-face at a Christmas get together do they understand that Cassie and Cam are siblings.

Avery must impress the mom from hell, so she begs Logan to maintain their little secret. A buddy of the household (Tim Meadows) has a enterprise provide for Logan so the 2 make a deal: Logan will assist Avery look good in entrance of the household if she’ll assist him together with his enterprise proposal. From there, it’s a sequence of Avery attempting to cover a sequence of fuck ups from Erica (which make for the film’s most entertaining moments) whereas the previous flames slowly understand there would possibly nonetheless be a hearth burning in spite of everything this time.

‘Our Little Secret’s Dialogue Is Stiff and Robotic

I’d be remiss to evaluate Our Little Secret with out spotlighting one of many weirdest selections I’ve seen a film make in a while. It’ll take you many minutes to get your head across the confounding opening credit to Calvin Harris’s “Summer time” (the proper tune to open a Christmas film!), which feels the necessity to spotlight the main cultural occasions of the previous decade and but ignores essentially the most impactful occasion of the century. Sure, we’re proven how Past Meat has taken grocery shops by storm and Netflix’s shameless self-marketing all for the film to utterly ignore the Covid pandemic. If you wish to give this film a good shot, do your self a favor and skip this complete sequence.

Our Little Secret does have an inherently enjoyable concept at its core, but it surely’s not one sturdy sufficient to bypass the film’s blatant disregard for dialogue. In essentially the most dramatic moments, whether or not it’s a personality admitting to infidelity or professing their timeless love for somebody, Hailey DeDominicis forgoes any try and make these characters speak like actual people. Conversations that might’ve made for humorous exchanges are diminished to one-sided cellphone calls or not proven in any respect. When it seems like a personality ought to have a whole monologue, they’re requested to do a Princess Di look of melancholia just for their scene accomplice to nod in understanding. That’s nice that you just get it, however the viewers might do with not less than a couple of sentences!

Lindsay Lohan and Ian Harding Give Nice Performances However Do not Have Romantic Chemistry

Regardless of the fabric doing nothing to assist their performances, Lindsay Lohan and Ian Harding are simply the most effective issues about this movie. Lohan is channeling her Imply Ladies efficiency in that almost all of Our Little Secret sees her stepping into essentially the most ridiculous conditions and scrambling to attempt to cowl them up. With Erica as her Regina George, Lohan performs Avery as equal elements uptight and petrified of what individuals consider her (in a really related vein to Sarah Jessica Parker’s lead in The Household Stone) and sort of an fool who’s adopted by embarrassment and misfortune each which method she turns. From getting excessive at church to consuming an ungodly quantity of cookies and blaming it on Erica’s canine, Avery’s awkwardness and plenty of indiscretions are extra pleasant to observe than absolutely anything else the film presents.

Ian Harding is principally taking part in Fairly Little Liars ’ Ezra once more (however fortunately not making a minor the item of his affections) and it really works effectively inside the chaos of the script. When issues get a bit too ridiculous and slapstick, Ezra’s Logan is the affable, grounded, and charming supply of practicality that brings the movie again all the way down to earth. It’s unlucky, then, that these two nice performances can’t be used to generate what each romance film lives or dies on: chemistry.Our Little Secret may need been capable of commit itself to being a greater comedy if it didn’t revolve round their romance. The movie’s blowing by of their shared historical past which is continually referred again to makes it troublesome to put money into them getting again collectively. Their love story is totally unearned and regardless of the 2’s sparring and at-odds dynamic making for some amusing moments, it at all times feels overwhelmingly platonic.

Nothing could be mentioned for the remaining solid as they fill in a few of the most underwritten characters the streamer has ever delivered to life, aside from Chenoweth. It’s a task made for her and regardless of the subpar writing, she sinks her tooth and makes this one-dimensional villain right into a depraved delight. (That pun counts as my every day train of holding area.)

Our Little Secret fails as a romance and as a film that includes dialogue that resembles actual life. Nonetheless, it very a lot succeeds in being a showcase for Lindsay Lohan’s comedic timing and Ian Harding’s pure charisma. A film that sees the pair taking part in siblings attempting to outlive the shenanigans of a vacation household reunion would certainly use their skills to larger impact. Compared to Lohan’s inaugural Netflix romance, wherein she has some palpable chemistry with Chord Overstreet, Our Little Secret received’t provide the swoony romantic attract that all of us crave this time of 12 months. Come for Lohan, keep for Harding, and watch till the top for Kristin Chenoweth — all whereas ignoring a few of the most robotic dialogue your ears ever heard.

Our Little Secret involves Netflix on November 27.

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