Can a platonic pact to survive holiday pressure lead to genuine romantic love?
In short: The 2020 romantic comedy Holidate explores the modern dilemma of singlehood during festive seasons. Tired of familial judgment, two strangers agree to be each other's plus-ones for every holiday of the year. What begins as a strategic arrangement to avoid awkward questions soon spirals into a complicated, unexpected emotional journey.
Directed by John Whitesell and written by Tiffany Paulsen, Holidate follows Sloane Benson and Jackson, two individuals who meet by chance while returning unwanted gifts after Christmas. Sloane, a workaholic weary of her mother’s matchmaking attempts, and Jackson, an Australian golfer exhausted by clingy dates, strike a pact to act as each other's platonic partners for holidays. The film, which features a cast including Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey, draws its title from the contemporary American practice of creating sniglets—neologisms for phenomena that lack a formal name.
The narrative structure relies on the cyclical nature of the calendar, moving through various holidays including Valentine's Day, July 4th, Halloween, and Thanksgiving. As the pair navigates these events, their initial boundaries blur. A pivotal moment occurs on July 4th when Jackson suffers an injury, leading him to doubt his worthiness for Sloane. Subsequent conflicts, such as a disastrous wedding encounter and a misunderstanding following a Halloween party, test their resolve. Despite these hurdles, the film concludes with a public reconciliation at a shopping mall, leading to a series of happy endings for the ensemble cast.
Released on Netflix on October 28, 2020, the film achieved significant viewership, with Netflix reporting that 68 million households had watched it by January 2021. Despite its commercial success, critical reception was mixed. Rotten Tomatoes assigned the film an approval rating of 45%, with critics noting that while the film’s self-aware take on rom-com tropes is refreshing, it is often undermined by a questionable premise and vulgar humor. Metacritic echoed this sentiment, awarding it a score of 44 out of 100, reflecting a polarized response to its execution of the genre's familiar beats.
Production for the film began in May 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia, with a score composed by Dan the Automator. The film's success highlights the enduring appeal of holiday-themed romantic comedies, even when they lean into formulaic structures. By framing the pressure of singlehood as a shared social burden, the film taps into a relatable cultural anxiety, ultimately suggesting that the most unexpected connections can arise from the most calculated arrangements.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Holidate
- Also: Wikidata — Holidate · CC0
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