Are you someone who jumps into the Christmas season in early November or do you wait until after the famous Thanksgiving Day parade? I normally start listening to Christmas music right before Thanksgiving and begin working on my shopping list a few days after, but if you’re like me waiting until December, this year I’m jumping on the bandwagon and doing my first ever Christmas movie review. There’s something about the happy movies of the season on television and streaming services that welcome Christmas in their own way. Netflix’s Love Hard premiered last Friday, one of their first Christmas movies for the season and after watching the trailer I decided early or not, this year, I had to talk about this movie, so if you’re in the mood for the Christmas season and all the feels, then you’re in the right place.
Netflix’s “Love Hard”: Christmas Movie Review
This particular Netflix movie puts a modern and somewhat relatable twist on the struggles of dating and falling in love. Love Hard, follows a Los Angeles writer, Natalie, played by Nina Dobrev, (The Vampire Diaries), who has been unlucky in love, specifically when it comes to online dating. Natalie’s experiences are one disaster after another, so much so, her job is writing a disaster dating column. When Natalie connects with Josh, she’s convinced her luck is about to change, so flies out to meet him as a surprise and realizes that she’s been catfished. To make it up to her, Josh agrees to help her land the guy whose photos she used in exchange for helping him with his family in return.
Though this movie is taking place during Christmas, in my opinion, it doesn’t need to. Other than the Christmas caroling which happens to a degree in at least 90 percent of Christmas movies and a select few other activities we associate with Christmas, the movie has little to do with the holiday itself. The is filled with moments that make you want to laugh, cringe and shake your head and the situations that these characters find themselves in throughout the movie. If you are looking for fun movie to watch with a small dose of dating horror stories than you should definitely get comfortable on the couch and hit play for this not quite Christmas movie.
If you haven’t seen the movie yet, and are considering it, you should stop here because there are (SPOILERS) ahead.
Related: 15 Movies To Watch This Christmas Season
Although I sympathize with Natalie being catfished and wanting to meet the “fake josh” aka Tag, played by Darren Barnet. I was annoyed that it took her so long to figure out that she wanted actual Josh ,played by Jimmy O. Yang, the whole time. I mean throughout the movie, it’s hinted to the audience the whole time, when their rock climbing, stealing newspapers, and a few others, but then again if they didn’t do that maybe the movie would have been as long. I do like how she apologized to him though by using his favorite movie and he responded using hers, it was cutesy, the right vibe for the movie. Nevertheless I would’ve liked to see a bit more of the moments after they got together.
What does Kerry think of the real Josh? What becomes of his candle making hobby turned business? What does she write about at work now that her disaster dating days are finally over? I mean they could have included a Christmas element by making it a one year later moment as a few of the movies have done. When I first watched the trailer, my first thought was oh cool a fun movie about the pitfalls of dating, that’s new. Of course, like any other feel good movie it was funny and had a happy ever after, but it was cute, worth the laugh and one of the movies you wouldn’t mind having on in the background during the holiday season. Overall cute movie for Netflix to add to its holiday line-up.
Well that wraps up my first Christmas movie review. Have you seen Netflix’s new movie Love Hard, what did you think of it? Would you recommend another Netflix Christmas movie, let me know with a comment below.
~Kimberly
