{"id":133621,"date":"2025-11-13T21:35:12","date_gmt":"2025-11-13T21:35:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/133621\/"},"modified":"2025-11-13T21:35:12","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T21:35:12","slug":"netflix-just-added-its-first-new-holiday-movie-of-2025-and-its-pure-millennial-nostalgia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/133621\/","title":{"rendered":"Netflix just added its first new holiday movie of 2025 \u2014 and it’s pure millennial nostalgia"},"content":{"rendered":"

With Halloween in the rearview and Thanksgiving prep underway, Netflix is now rolling out its annual slate of new holiday movies, and first up is \u201cA Merry Little Ex-Mas,\u201d a movie that combines so many seasonal rom-com cliches that it borders on parody. However, these elements are presented with such an earnest sincerity that it\u2019s highly reminiscent of a Hallmark flick.<\/p>\n

This new tinsel-covered romantic comedy also serves as pure nostalgia bait for millennial viewers with Alicia Silverstone (star of \u201cClueless\u201d), Olivier Hudson (series regular on \u201cDawson\u2019s Creek\u201d) and Melissa Joan Hart (\u201cSabrina the Teenage Witch\u201d herself) leading the cast list. I suspect these known names might be enough to convince Netflix viewers to watch along.<\/p>\n

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But when it comes to \u201cA Merry Little Ex-Mas,\u201d it\u2019s a matter of managing your expectations. If you\u2019re looking for a fresh holiday rom-com that breaks beyond the boundaries established by countless other Christmas-themed movies, you won\u2019t find that here. But if you\u2019re looking for a seasonal stream that makes for suitable fodder when wrapping gifts or hanging fairylights around your home, it\u2019s warm and watchable.<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

What is \u2018A Merry Little Ex-Mas\u2019 about?<\/p>\n

A Merry Little Ex-Mas | Alicia Silverstone & Oliver Hudson | Official Trailer | Netflix – YouTube
\n\"A<\/p>\n

Watch On <\/a><\/p>\n

Katie (Alicia Silverstone) and Everett (Oliver Hudson) are a former married couple, nine months separated and on the verge of finalizing their divorce (though they prefer the Gwyneth Paltrow-coined term \u201cunconscious uncoupling\u201d). They plan to spend one last Christmas together with their combined family unit before going their separate ways.<\/p>\n

But these plans for one last holiday spent together with their (now grown-up) kids are thrown into turmoil when it\u2019s revealed Everett has a new girlfriend (Jameela Jamil), and Katie becomes a Grinch shade of green with jealousy. Over the course of the season, the two try to navigate their new dynamic, while at the same time, some old feelings start to resurface.<\/p>\n

Should you stream \u2018A Merry Little Ex-Mas\u2019 on Netflix?<\/p>\n

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\"(L-R)\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Amanda Matlovich \/ Netflix)<\/p>\n

Between its cast list of late 90s\/early 2000s stars and numerous dated pop culture references (a British character arrives on the scene in full Hogwarts attire, Katie tells her kids to “#LightenUp” when they react with disinterest), \u201cA Merry Little Ex-Mas\u201d feels like a direct-to-DVD holiday movie from two decades ago that Netflix just happens to have dug up and decided to release in 2025. There is certainly nothing new or shiny on display here.<\/p>\n

No prizes for guessing how things conclude, and the journey to get to the predictable endpoint is a collection of genre tropes from a sledding mishap to picking out a tree. The movie even exists in a fictional town seemingly designed around the season, called Winterlight. The type of small town where every single home, shop and town square is decked out in so many twinkling lights it seems the residents have raided the Walmart<\/a> decoration aisle. How Winterlight survives during the rest of the year is a mystery.<\/p>\n

Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.<\/p>\n

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\"(L-R)\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Amanda Matlovich \/ Netflix)<\/p>\n

At one point, Jameela Jamil’s Tess even quips that she feels like she’s “in one of those American movies” about a big-city girl arriving in a “charming wintry town” and falling in love over the holiday. It’s clearly supposed to be a meta<\/a> joke about “A Merry Little Ex-Mas” itself, but it’s a rare moment of self-awareness \u2014 the rest of the Netflix original sticks to a bland playbook.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s really not much more to say about \u201cA Merry Little Ex-Mas.\u201d It has a few charming moments, many worn-out jokes that land with more of a groan than a chuckle, and a commitment to seasonal spirit that Christmas obsessives would likely call cute, but I\u2019d label grating. It\u2019s another Netflix holiday movie that I doubt anybody will be adding to their annual watchlist, but if you want a dose of sugary seasonal sweetness, it\u2019s at least inoffensive.<\/p>\n

This flick also represents the start of Netflix\u2019s holiday movie season, with plenty more seasonal flicks on the way, including \u201cJingle Bell Heist\u201d (Nov. 26) and \u201cMy Secret Santa\u201d (Dec. 3). And if you can\u2019t wait to stream more movies perfect for this time of year, Netflix recently added 27 Christmas movies and shows<\/a> to its content library.<\/p>\n

Watch “A Merry Little Ex-Mas” on Netflix<\/a> now<\/p>\n

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