I believe in Santa review: A zany Christmas rom-com

‘I Believe in Santa’ is Netflix’s newest Christmas rom-com. The plot revolves around a couple’s disagreement over whether or not Santa exists.

Story

Lisa is a single mother, who is a writer by profession with strong opinions. She is someone who does not prefer Christmas at all. Christmas is a fairy tale in her eyes. She only believes in ‘Santa Claus’ for the sake of her daughter, Ella.

Tom is a lawyer by trade, but Christmas is very special to him. Tom is convinced that Christmas is one of the best holidays in the world after reading an article written by Lisa (though he is unaware that she is the author). His disagreement reflects greatly.

Lisa takes Ella to a fair for a dance event on the Fourth of July. Ella is temporarily disoriented at this fair. This is where Tom meets Ella and is eventually introduced to Lisa. From here, Tom and Lisa’s romance begins to bloom. During this time, Tom’s friend Assan and Lisa’s friend Sharon become close.

The ship sails smoothly for both Tom and Lisa until Christmas arrives. Tom’s apartment is lavishly decorated with Christmas ornaments, much to Lisa’s dismay. She is surprised to learn that Tom is a person who genuinely enjoys Christmas. It is something he thoroughly enjoys and celebrates. During a heartfelt conversation car ride back home, Sharon encourages Lisa to give Tom a chance and indulge in the Christmas fever.

However, the dealbreaker is the fact that Tom believes in Santa. Lisa refuses to adjust any further. Tom gradually loses his Christmas spirit, while Lisa is forced to write an article about Christmas.

Lisa is given the opportunity to speak with Assan in order to gain a better understanding of Tom’s beliefs. Assan explains to Lisa that some things are easier to put up with if one simply wishes to. In another subplot, Tom offers to help Ella build a sleigh for a sleigh race.

The story comes to an end after Ella wins the sleigh race, and Tom proposes marriage to Lisa. Lisa and Tom agree to continue believing in their idea of Christmas but will not allow it to affect their relationship.

Performances

The actors in ‘I believe in Santa’ have done a great job. Christina Moore, who plays Lisa, carries a strong persona on screen. She radiates as a confident lady, who stands her ground.

John Ducey, the actor who plays Tom, portrays the role of a carefree yet jovial lawyer. His professional side is not reflected on screen, but his festive side reflects a very childlike excitement.

Sachin Bhatt (who plays the role of Assan) and Lateefah Holder (who plays the role of Sharon) are brilliant supporting actors and act as great comic reliefs.

Positives

‘I believe in Santa’ upholds the Christmas spirit throughout. The ‘feel-good’ factor is eminent and radiates to the audience. It does absolute justice to the genre of the film.

The actors have done a wonderful job. They play very relatable roles, which is refreshing as a viewer.

The cinematography is a standout for this film. It captures the essence of Christmas in a warm fashion. To add to this, the music choices chosen for this movie are perfect if not more. All in all, the jovial aura is intact.

Negatives

The storyline tries too hard to be sentimental. The viewer is left wondering what exactly is the problem – is Lisa being too stubborn or is Tom being too childish?

The plot itself is somewhat weak if thought about in a practical sense. The existence or non-existence of Santa being the dealbreaker of a relationship is quite absurd.

It also gets confusing at one point. It is still very unclear as to why Tom adores Christmas as if it were his baby. Along with this, Lisa’s reasoning for strongly disliking Christmas is very vague.

Verdict

The ‘feel-good’ vibe alone is a good enough reason to watch this movie. The actors are a cherry on top as well. ‘I believe in Santa’ is a wacky Christmas film that retains some warmth in spite of its off-centre idiosyncracies.

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