Lindsay Lohan’s return to the acting world is officially in full swing, with the arrival of her new festive movie Falling For Christmas.
The Netflix original debuted on the streaming platform on Thursday morning, and with it came a wave of reviews which, believe it or not, are actually pretty positive.
Alright, it doesn’t sound like anyone should be holding their breath when Oscars season rolls around next year – but then again, we all know what we’re getting when we settle in to enjoy a Netflix original Christmas film, don’t we?
What we are particularly happy to see is that the Mean Girls star herself has received some pretty glowing reviews, with some calling this the beginning of a potential “Lohanaissance”.
Check out what the critics have had to say below…
“It’s a promising step for a possible “Lohanaissance” […] and it feels like the perfect seasonal gift, seeing her wield the skill and wit for which she’s widely known whilst craftily fashioning a character whose journey towards a second chance at life genuinely delivers the goods.”
“It’s a story of reinvention for an actor trying to do the same. It mostly works a treat. Lohan’s performance is perky and agreeable, a shimmer of that old Mean Girls (or, hell, Parent Trap) charm dancing around her for the first time in a while. I’d happily watch her in more after this—though preferably in something a bit meatier than a Hallmark knock-off.”
“Even if she’s not your primary draw, you will come away from Falling for Christmas in love with Lindsay Lohan. After all she’s been through, she somehow hasn’t lost the ‘it’ factor that made her star shine so brightly all those years ago [...] Whether or not you fall for Christmas is debatable, but you will certainly fall for Lindsay Lohan.”
Digital Spy (4/5)
“Falling for Christmas has more heart than [A Castle For Christmas], and a lot of this is down to the sincerity with which Lohan approaches her character – which has hints of Lohan’s true self – and the ways in which she seeks to make her own way in the world. If this is the start of the Lohanissance, we can’t wait to see where it goes next.”
RogerEbert.com (2.5/5)
“Veritable Christmas classics are like antique glass ornaments passed down from generation to generation and placed every year with care on the family tree [...] Falling For Christmas is more like a reusable ribbon bow. It’s not great. It’s nothing special. But you can keep it year after year and place it on presents as long as you have scotch tap – or Lohan’s irrepressible charm – to hold it together.”
IndieWire (B-)
“The ending of Falling for Christmas is pure It’s a Wonderful Life, and how wonderful it is that Lohan is back in Hollywood, just in time for the holidays.”
Collider (C)
“Is Falling for Christmas in itself a good film? No. It looks like it was made on the cheap, it reuses jokes and has a completely unoriginal plot. But, is it an hour and a half of Christmas fun that can be enjoyed on a cold evening with friends? Absolutely […] I couldn’t help but feel a bit emotional at seeing someone who was so targeted and tormented by the press, every ounce of their life scrutinised, doing what they’re best at again.”
New York Post (1/5)
“Lohan being hopelessly one-note doesn’t help. Her chemistry with Overstreet’s Jake is barely palpable. The thing about these cookie-cutter holiday movies [...] is that they aspire to badness. They’re made for millennial mockery.
“If Falling for Christmas simply fleshed out Sierra more, and made us believe she was in love with Jake, not just grinning at everybody, we’d have a movie. Instead, it’s a predictable stunt.”
“If you’re going to do an Overboard knockoff that slides into the generic sludge of sentimental holiday-season rom-com, then at least find a couple of leads with the charisma and chemistry to pull it off.”
“Falling For Christmas isn’t a Hallmark Channel original, but it certainly resembles one… If this is the standard we’re dealing with, I’d rather have amnesia.”
Falling For Christmas is available to stream now on Netflix.