My Secret Santa Review: A desperate, unemployed single mom lands a job as Santa Claus at a resort under false pretences but finds herself falling for the owner’s handsome son, leading to a complicated situation.
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My Secret Santa Movie Director
Mike Rohl
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My Secret Santa Netflix Cast
Alexandra Breckenridge, Ryan Eggold, Tia Mowry, Diana Maria Riva, Madison MacIsaac, Barry Levy, Adam Beauchesne, Dominic Fox, Nathan Kay, William C. Vaughan
The film has a runtime of 90 minutes.
My Secret Santa Review
Christmas is just around the corner, and that’s apparent from the barrage of Christmas movies that we are being subjected to this month. Right after Oh. What. Fun., viewers can now just jump to Netflix to watch My Secret Santa, a rom-com surrounding another struggling single mother who comes up with a crazy idea to land a job and invariably makes the worst decision to fall in love at said job. It’s like people just don’t have any self-preservation if movies are to be believed!
The film is feel-good and warm, and sometimes finds some humorous bits to leave you with a smile on your face. A young woman disguising herself as an old man to get a job as Santa Claus is nothing short of insane, and I found it amusing in an impossible sort of way. Taylor is all about sacrifice and tries to do whatever it takes to give her daughter a good holiday season, which is sweet and hopeful.
The film itself is light and airy and clearly doesn’t take itself too seriously. The 90-minute runtime doesn’t demand a lot of (if any) thinking to be done and makes for a comfortable, forgettable watch. It’s familiar and uncomplicated, and if you like cheesy holiday films with some charm, this will be enjoyable for you.
However, let’s be real – My Secret Santa isn’t trying to be anything more than that. It’s a predictable and trope-heavy film that we are used to seeing almost every year during the holiday season. Secret identities, risk of exposure, and doing something outlandish for their children are familiar tropes that we see almost every day. Sure, that’s a comfort in that familiarity, but hardly anything beyond that.
Thus, it also doesn’t help that there is hardly any depth to any of the characters. We learn a few things about the protagonists, but everyone else is just there to push the film forward and nothing more. I didn’t find the romance to do anything more than just exist, and the subplots are equally uninteresting. If you’re looking for something more thoughtful or layered, this one leaves a lot to be desired in that sense.
I think my biggest problem was with the romantic element because I just didn’t believe in it at all. The lightweight conflicts and the non-existent stakes are hardly explored, and the romance feels flimsy. I mean, sure, the falling in love part is expected, but it’s hardly anything beyond that. And, personally, I find it ironic that a single parent desperate enough to turn themselves into an old man would put everything on the line to romance the owner’s son. I don’t buy it.
Final Thoughts
My Secret Santa clearly doesn’t want to be anything more than just another holiday film with feel-good vibes. There’s hardly anything more than that, and if you like lighthearted and generic comedy movies for some entertaining moments, then this will be a good one to watch. Otherwise, skip this generic film with abundant tropes.
What are your thoughts on My Secret Santa? Let us know in the comments below!
Also Read: Jingle Bell Heist Review: An Enjoyable, Different But Slow Holiday Flick