This Is Not A Christmas Movie

(Dit is geen kerstfilm)

Synopsis:

In the run-up to Christmas, a family completely misses the point in trying to be good. Brechtje, the mother of the family, gets cancelled by everyone, without understanding why. Her husband, Martijn, falls in love with his younger colleague, but true love can’t be denied (or so he thinks). Justus, the son-in-law, gets lost on a Don Quichotesque quest for his masculinity. While Jos, the middle child, changes the world around with her tolerance and open mindedness – until her girlfriend wants to have a threesome. And all of that happens just before their annual Christmas dinner.

Quick Thoughts:

I truly did not know what to expect when starting “This Is Not A Christmas Movie” – but by the end, I couldn’t stop laughing! Let’s get the obvious out of the way: it’s a queer holiday film because Jos is a lesbian and her partner Louise is bisexual. Plus there’s a interesting class regarding adult preceptions about children and sexuality that is absolutely queer! However the beauty of this holiday film is that just about everyone has to face a rather major social and ethical struggle and how they deal with it ends up both shocking and surprising everyone – including themselves!

I particularly enjoyed how cancel-culture quickly explodes contrasted how society reacts, although I’m not quite sure that the lesson there was really learned in the end. This is a film that will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions – and if you’re anything like me, you’ll be laughing at the end as well. Definitely a must-watch queer holiday film, especially if you’re after something different than the 1,000+ other Hallmark-esque romcoms!