The Knight Before Christmas Review: A Worthy Addition to Netflix’s Holiday Roster

This review contains spoilers for the Netflix Original Movie The Knight Before Christmas.

Netflix’s The Knight Before Christmas breaks free from all the usual trappings of this genre to bring us a charming holiday romance grounded in its own humility.

If you thought last year’s The Princess Switch was a lot, get a load of the plot of Vanessa Hudgens’ latest holiday film. The story follows medieval knight Sir Cole (Josh Whitehouse) after a magical sorceress transports him to present-day Ohio. There he quickly finds himself thrown into science teacher Brooke’s (Vanessa Hudgens) modern-day world.

This festive rom-com follows in the footsteps of classic fish out of water tales like Enchanted and Elf, while delivering just the right amount of holiday escapism we need right now.

That being said, The Knight Before Christmas’ take on an age-old cliche is certainly no retelling.

The Knight Before Christmas might just have the most cliche plot you could imagine and it’s got the tongue in cheek title to prove it. Yet this film manages to carve its own mark on the Christmas genre by embracing the cheesiness of this ridiculous premise in unexpected ways.

This film does make common missteps trademarked to these kinds of cheesy Christmas flicks.

Brooke’s neighbour Allison is an unnecessary addition to the story and brings about a negativity that feels out of place. However, not nearly as out of place as her random disappearance moments later after she rejects herself for Cole and moves off-screen.

Of course, there is also that vague quest storyline to unpack. I mean it seems kind of cruel that Cole and Brooke falling in love would be the end of the quest and Cole would be sent back home. Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of the quest in the first place?

It’s best to remember not everything can be great with a movie like this. The fact that almost everything is great, from the characters to the plot, makes these missteps seem like a small hiccup in an otherwise wonderful holiday film.

This film puts a lot of pressure on its knight to charm the audience and given his ridiculous getup, it’s easy to expect the worse of Sir Cole. I mean he’s a 14th-century knight with a chunky amulet and the name Cole.

However, by knowing exactly what kind of movie this is, expecting the worst is how you find yourself pleasantly surprised — and Whitehouse is certainly a surprise.

The balance of creating a character like Cole who is just the right amount of over the top without being a ridiculous cartoon character is incredibly difficult. Yet The Knight Before Christmas makes pulling off such a feat look easy. 

Cole’s character is elevated by the comedic situation he finds himself in. Similar to Will Ferrell’s iconic character Buddy in Elf, Sir Cole is just the right amount of ridiculous for the story he finds himself in. This loveable goofball of a character may be lost in time but he is right at home on our screens.

Cole is still very much a two-dimensional character but the kind that you find yourself embracing for his quirky mannerisms and unwavering “fight me” attitude. He’s not an overkill romantic and that allows him to fall in love organically with Brooke.

The Knight Before Christmas does fall under the umbrella of holiday rom-coms but you’ll be surprised by how little traditional romance is actually present in this movie. The plot could easily have pushed Cole’s notions of courting on Brooke but instead, this film takes a much more untraditional approach to their love story.

It becomes clear in the first few scenes that this movie doesn’t need grand romantic gestures or labelled date nights because it has something much better — flirty banter.

Whitehouse and Hudgens have a quirky chemistry that amplifies the dialogue and brings out the fun nature of their onscreen relationship from the start. Their romantic developments feel organic thanks to a handful of wacky situations that push them closer together at every turn.

You can’t help but love their chaotic dynamic from the moment you witness Cole setting Brooke’s lawn on fire to roast a skunk.

The one aspect that sets this rom-com apart from all the rest this holiday season is its lack of forced conflict.

A rom-com that lacks any kind of couple squabble might as well be a Christmas miracle. And for someone that despises this kind of plot developing, it truly does feels like a miracle.

I think it’s rather commendable that The Knight Before Christmas is able to tell the story it needs to without any unnecessary drama. Not every couple has to overcome each other to be together, sometimes they have bigger issues to overcome like time-travel and their own sanity.

Cole isn’t your typical gentleman and Brooke isn’t your typical suitor. And that’s the best part because women don’t always want some perfect knight in shining armour to save them. Sometimes they just want some dorky man that bakes bread with beans in it and lets you ride their time-travelling horse.

The decision to have Brooke accept Cole for who he says he is despite her friends and basic common sense urging her to pop his fantasy bubble is this film’s most noble move. This premise could have gone in a completely different direction but instead, the film chose to pretend for one small moment that magic is possible, not improbable.

The comedic timing of this holiday film is even better. The script leans into the ridiculous situation and manages to come away with some laugh out loud bits. I mean with a title as punny as The Knight Before Christmas you come to expect some humour but you don’t expect to love it so much.

Most of the scenes involving Cole and modern-day technology succeed comedically thanks to Brooke’s panicked reactions and Cole’s incessant need to call the Amazon speaker Lady Alexa.

There are so many great moments that come to mind. There’s Cole hacking the Christmas decorations to pieces with his sword, his weird American slang that terrifies Brooke, and his brilliant idea to sample buns and spit them out onto the supermarket floor.

The best part of the movie might just be when Brooke hands her car keys to a guy that clearly doesn’t know how to drive and says, “It’ll be fine”. Cut to an officer trying to find the owner of the SUV parked on the main street sidewalk and it clearly did not go fine.

Hudgens is in her element as she guides this film to success with the help of the ever-charming Whitehouse. Nevertheless, these characters wouldn’t be quite as endearing without Brooke’s lovely supporting family.

Madison and her daughter Claire keep the plot on track and step in as the voice of reason when necessary. Sure, their glorified plot devices, but devices Brooke desperately needs to flesh her own character out.

The Knight Before Christmas isn’t perfect but it comes as close as a Christmas rom-com about a knight and science teacher can.

And if you, like me, struggle to find enjoyment is some of the more cringy titles from this genre. Start with this movie. The characters may be two-dimensional and the plot questionable, but you’ll find an opportunity to enjoy this film for what is — a much-needed escape from the constant sadness of network television.

Other Thoughts:

• That end credit scene has Marvel beat. I’m ready for a sequel and I’m ready for more Holiday Hudgensverse films.
• The opening scene of this movie is giving me serious Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2 vibes.
• The medieval music that plays every time Cole comes on screen is just enough if you ask me.
• A girl’s dream boyfriend disappearing in a puff of smoke is the most realistic thing to happen in one of these films.
• I need Hudgens’ coat collection from this movie ASAP.
• Why must these characters insist on walking around with bare iPhones? Is there a deal on Apple Care I’m unaware of?
• “What’s say we binge-watch together?” — Cole literally just asked her to Netflix and Chill.
• I feel this movie accurately depicts a reaction one would have after their kid finds a dog under the tree that they didn’t put there.
• Seriously, what was Allison’s purpose in this story?

 

What did you think of The Knight Before Christmas? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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The Knight Before Christmas is streaming now on Netflix.

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