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Culture > Entertainment

Why You Need to Watch Netflix’s ‘Best. Christmas. Ever!’ ASAP

Maggie Seidel
The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Brown chapter.

Netflix’s newest Christmas film installment is the ideal appetizer to your palette of classic holiday favorites. Director Mary Lambert portrays the comparison-ridden elements of holiday cards and, through comedy, demonstrates the damaging desire to have ample achievement to celebrate when Christmas Eve strikes midnight this year. 

The first scene begins with an over-the-top holiday card that recounts a litany of groundbreaking achievements of the Jennings family. In a comedic twist of fate, Charlotte, the protagonist, and mother of the Sanders family, gives the task of driving directions to her young son, who decides to input the Jennings’ family home address into Charlotte’s phone. Thus, the Sanders family arrives at the Jennings family home to celebrate Christmas instead of the Sanders’ original family Christmas plan. Once Charlotte arrives, her worst nightmares are confirmed: Jackie, the ex-girlfriend of her husband, Rob Sanders, does indeed have the life she purports via her annual, perfect Christmas cards. 

The plot unfolds into a charming, comedy-filled, and wise portrayal of the hallmarks and downfalls of the Christmas season. Throughout the film, however, we learn that the pressure surrounding Christmas is human-made. Rob consistently sheds light on the comparison trap in which Charlotte resides while staying at the Jennings’ picturesque and festive abode.

Ultimately, we are reminded that as the holiday season approaches, we need not feel pressure to present our past year as perfect. Instead, we are meant to celebrate the time we can spend with family and friends who fill our mugs of hot chocolate with warmth, sweetness, and consistency. 

Not only does Best.Christmas.Ever! cleverly spotlight the tendency to glamorize the holiday season, but it also effectively portrays the positive elements of Christmas: connection, family, and joy. As Thanksgiving elapses and Christmas cards travel to your mailbox in their splendid state, the greatest remainder of this film is that the outcome of your Christmas does not depend on metrics or standards presented by those messages you receive. The best way to celebrate Christmas is not by internalizing external messages but by externalizing internal joy. 

Maggie Seidel

Brown '26

Maggie Seidel is the President of the Her Campus at Brown chapter. In this role, she oversees and recruits new members and writers, produces content for Pinterest and Instagram, manages the calendar, editorial process, and brand partnerships, leads weekly meetings and outreach, and contributes weekly articles. Maggie studies International & Public Affairs and Entrepreneurship, and she is a current junior. She is also a chair on the executive leadership team of Brown University's Women in Business, a teaching assistant for an entrepreneurship class at Brown, and a member of Kappa Delta sorority. Her Campus is Maggie's place of happy. She also loves to play tennis, celebrate holidays of any and all kinds, curate new Pinterest boards, and enjoy a leisurely weekend brunch and cup of warm coffee.