In news that has seriously hurt my heart, the first reactions to Last Christmas are out, and they are really not great.
According to The Guardian, the film that stars Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding attempts to recreate the magic of Love Actually, but falls short.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film is sitting with a 47 per cent rating from critics with the largest criticism being that the bold plot twist doesn’t land. It’s also been called clunky and cliche.
The public has been a little more forgiving with the audience score sitting at 81 per cent at the time of writing.
Being co-written by Emma Thompson (who also featured in Love Actually), hopes were high for this seasonal film but it appears it’s failed to make the intended impression on critics so far.
It’s disappointing to hear, considering the stellar cast – Emma Thompson and Emilia Clarke especially – and the sweet concept. But 2019’s answer to Love Actually, this film (seemingly) is not.
Christmas films are a tricky business. There really are only a handful that have managed to establish themselves as fan favourites. So attempting to re-create the magic of a charming classic like Love Actually is never going to go down well.
On the other hand, walking into a holiday film featuring someone like Emma Thompson and expecting it to deliver the same experience as one of the most popular holiday flicks of all time is just asking to be left disappointed. Classic films, especially those that come with a big serve of nostalgia, will do that.
So I suppose the take-away here is if you want to see Love Actually, go watch that film (like I have every single Christmas since forever). If you’re checking out Last Christmas, go in expecting something that will probably be very nice but just won’t leave you feeling quite as many feels.