With a star-studded cast made up of industry icons, Best. Christmas. Ever! burst onto the screen just in time for the 2023 Christmas. Starring industry giants Heather Graham, Brandy Norwood, Matt Cedeño, and Jason Biggs in the main roles, the film was an instant hit upon its debut. Best. Christmas. Ever! received massive love from viewers and occupied the hot list on Netflix after its November release. However, reviews from critics are mostly average.
Best. Christmas. Ever! was directed by Mary Lambert, known for her contributions to the horror genre. Meanwhile, this festive romantic comedy is not the first Christmas film under Lambert’s directorial projects. Revolving around two women on the verge of losing a longtime friendship due to insecurities, the film explores the dangers of envy and jealousy in friendships. In addition to the great life lessons, Best. Christmas. Ever! is funny and sad at the same time. In all, not taking anything for granted is the biggest lesson from the plot.
Best. Christmas. Ever! Plot
Loaded with meaningful sentiments, Best. Christmas. Ever! revolves around two former college best friends Charlotte Sanders (Heather Graham) and Jackie Jennings (Brandy Norwood) who rediscover their strengths by taking away the obstacles standing in the way of their friendship. For Sanders, Christmas is that time of the year when she feels unsatisfied with her life. The inferiority complex is heightened by the dreaded annual newsletter from her dear friend Jennings. The letter which always incites envy and criticism in Charlotte highlights all of Jennings’ and her family’s wonderful accomplishments for the year.
While the frenemies have mapped out Christmas for their annual battle for supremacy, fate has other plans for both families. The Sanders find themselves on the Jennings’ doorstep after Sanders’ son Grant (Wyatt Hunt) messed with the GPS. Now snowed in and forced to spend Christmas with the Jennings, Sanders set out on a mission to prove that her friend’s life isn’t as perfect as she portrays. In the end, they learn to be grateful for the little things, especially as the year comes to an end. On the other hand, the children are on a separate mission to expose Santa’s secrets.
Meet The Best. Christmas. Ever! Cast and Crew
One remarkable thing about Best. Christmas. Ever! is the star-studded cast made up of iconic stars who rose to fame in the 1980s and 1990s. The cast is led by Heather Graham as Charlotte Sanders who is stuck on feeling inferior when she compares her life to that of her college bestie whose life seemingly appears perfect. Brandy Norwood portrayed Sanders’ friend Jackie Jennings, the beautiful accomplished woman with a happy home and a hunky husband. Essentially, Graham and Norwood portray two lifelong frenemies who have been fighting a cold war for years unbeknownst to their families. Their onscreen partners are played by Jason Biggs as Rob Sanders who has big dreams and Matt Cedeño as the hunky Valentino with drool-worthy looks.
Wyatt Hunt who is no stranger to Christmas films portrayed Grant Sanders while Abby Villasmil played his onscreen sister Dora Sanders. Madison Skye Validum portrayed Jennings’ daughter Beatrix Jennings. Completing the cast are Nadia Sine as Rose McCaffrey and Janet Lo as Keiko. The cast ensemble and performance received mixed reactions from critics and viewers.
Who Made The Holiday Film?
Written by Todd Gallicano and Charles Shyer, Best. Christmas. Ever! was directed by Mary Lambert who is known for her works in the horror genre such as Pet Sematary (1989), Urban Legends: Bloody Mary (2005), and The Attic (2007). Lambert also directed the 2021 Christmas film A Castle for Christmas. Charles Shyer and Falling for Christmas producers Steve Berman, Bryan Bordon, Jimmy Townsend, and David Wulf executive produced Best. Christmas. Ever! Also part of the crew are composer Jeff Rona, cinematographer Graham Robbins, costume designer Emerson Alvarez, editor Jeffrey Wolf, and production designer Diane Millett among several others.
Where To Watch Best. Christmas. Ever!
Best. Christmas. Ever! has been available for streaming on Netflix since November 16, 2023. The festive piece was an instant hit on the streaming platform, debuting at #1 on Netflix and #2 globally behind David Fincher‘s The Killer. Best. Christmas. Ever! also raked in a whopping 22.3 million hours from 16.3 million views on the streaming platform. Nevertheless, the film garnered mostly unfavorable reviews from aggregator websites like Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic. Reviews from viewers also show mixed reactions.
Follow Us
