When Christmas season comes, loads of movies and songs drop in. However, not every movie lives up to its expectations because some are extremely dumb and pointless. Surprisingly, the Mexican movie, A Not So Merry Christmas aka Reviviendo la Navidad, released on December 20, 2022, did give out a good plot and enhanced the true meaning and joy of Christmas. Directed by Mark Alazraki, A Not So Merry Christmas is about a long-face man who gets a big lesson to become the loving and kind man he should be.
The official Netflix description of the movie reads as: “A curse is placed on grinchy Chuy, who wakes up to find he’s lived a full year but is doomed to remember only Christmas Day. Every year. From now on.” The main cast of the movie includes, Mauricio Ochmann, Ana Brenda Contreras, Manu NNa, María Rojo, José Sefami, Romina Poza, Paola Espinosa, Bastian Calva and Kaled Acab. The movie runs about an hour and a half, and is available in Spanish and English language.
– A Not So Merry Christmas Review Does Not Contain Spoilers –
The movie starts off with a wonderful dance routine where we can see the three kings vibing, plenty of Mother Marys dancing, Joseph and Mary romancing in one corner, people dressed as animals performing stunts, sexy elves grooving with the kings and Good lord, the main protagonist, Chuy spoiling their moment.
It is very evident right from there that this man, Chuy, is definitely a hater of Christmas and wishes to do anything to get rid of it. The movie proceeds with him denying his birthday cake, getting pissed at his family members and driving up to a bar instead of spending time with his entire family. It is at this particular bar, Chuy encounters his Diva godmother who casts a spell on him. Things change right from here!
Time Loop and Lesson
I loved how the movie didn’t make Chuy experience the same Christmas Eve again and again but made him experience every year’s Christmas Eve. Gradually, he ages and witnesses all the people around him age as well. Yet, this man never changes but just wants to get rid of the spell.
Of course, as expected in the end, he realises it was built up neatly. The ending is predictable but it doesn’t seem boring. Some good things need to be reminded of again and again even if is something we all know.
Hilarious and Emotional
I love movies that give a good laugh and have the potential of making me cry. The movie featured many funny dialogues which were smooth and weren’t forced. The fact that many supporting roles gave their best shot at making the plot hilarious yet emotional made the movie note-worthy. The main takeaway from the movie is the message of how family is important and it was delivered wonderfully. But to not make it too emotional, the jokes that were added rightly and balanced the flavour of the movie.
The LGBT+ Aspect
This is actually pretty new, especially when we talk about Christmas movies. The fairy godmother was purposely termed a diva godmother because it was acted by a man. He identified himself as a Diva godmother, dressed up flashy like drag queens and also mentioned how he has a boyfriend. Moreover, Chuy’s son also comes out as gay, and that particular story had a major significance in the character development of Chuy.
A Not So Merry Christmas: Final Thoughts
To sum it up, A Not So Merry Christmas is a decent fun-packed family movie that delivers the real joy of Christmas and family’s power. I loved how the realization of Chuy was gradually built with the help of the people around him and their changes. While his reason behind hating Christmas was a little valid, he still failed to give a shot at changing it. He kept denying others’ emotions and kept only his life as the focus.
If you wish to spend time with your family and share a meaningful time, watch A Not So Merry Christmas on Netflix.