A Castle for Christmas (2021)

Netflix

Director:

Mary Lambert

Writers:

Ally Carter

Kim Beyer-Johnson

Starring:

Brooke Shields

Cary Elwes

Blurb:

To escape a scandal, a bestselling author journeys to Scotland, where she falls in love with a castle – and faces off with the grumpy duke who owns it.

Review:

I was surprised how much I enjoyed A Castle for Christmas. I love these types of movies but so often you can tell the budget was nonexistent. Scenes get cut, makeup is horrible, the dialog is awkward, and set decorations are minimal. A Castle for Christmas probably had a higher budget than other Christmas romance movies, but I’m sure it wasn’t huge, and most went to the stars. Still, they used their budget wisely and it showed.

It’s hard to do a romance with an “older” couple. It can come often as overly sentimental and all about companionship. People of all ages fuck. Chemistry adds a LOT to a romance movie and Shields and Elwes had it.

A Castle for Christmas also had the addition of wish fulfillment. Shields was a successful author with a loving daughter, she befriended an entire village, and she bought a castle. Then she winds up with freaking Westley. You could not get much better than that. Christmas romance needs that in the story. While the world is burning around you and the holidays are stressing you out seeing someone on-screen live the life you’d like while also having to overcome “small” hurdles is its own kind of therapy.

Netflix has been delivering these holiday romance movies for a few years now and I hope they continue. I need them. I look forward to them. My only complaint is I want MORE.

4/5