Review

Movie Review: Sealed with a List
Subtitle: "When Christmas, Celebrity Drama, and Way Too Much Holiday Chaos Collide in the Most Hilariously Predictable Way."

“Sealed with a List” is Hallmark’s latest holiday spectacle, and it’s exactly what you’d expect from a movie that combines Christmas, celebrity drama, and way too many holiday misunderstandings. If you’ve ever wondered, “What if a famous actress and a regular person who definitely doesn’t care about Christmas got thrown together in a holiday film where they accidentally fall in love while navigating Christmas chaos?”—then this movie is your holiday wish granted.

The plot follows Rachel (played by Aimee Teegarden, who’s basically a Hallmark pro at playing the “girl who’s too busy for love but accidentally falls for someone anyway”), a successful actress who’s been way too focused on her career to care about anything like family traditions or Christmas spirit. After being forced to take a break from her hectic filming schedule, she heads to a small town for some quiet holiday time—but of course, nothing says “peace and quiet” like a whole lot of Christmas drama and way too much family chaos that definitely wasn’t in her holiday plans.

Enter Jake (played by Andrew Walker, because let’s face it, no Hallmark Christmas movie is complete without the “charming local guy who’s just way too cute for his own good”), a small-town guy who couldn’t care less about Rachel’s celebrity status but just so happens to be perfect for her in every way (because obviously). Jake is definitely not impressed by the fact that she’s famous—he’s more concerned with making sure his small-town Christmas traditions are followed to a tee, especially when it comes to the town’s holiday list of “Christmas tasks” that everyone needs to complete before the big Christmas celebration. This includes things like baking way too many cookies, decorating a way too big Christmas tree, and accidentally getting stuck in the snow together—you know, the usual Hallmark stuff.

Naturally, Rachel is way too distracted by her famous life to care about silly small-town Christmas traditions, but of course, as she’s dragged into the chaos of the list, she accidentally starts having fun and—surprise!—ends up falling in love with Jake.

The comedy comes from the absolute absurdity of Rachel trying to get through Christmas in a small town while sticking to her famous, glamorous schedule. From “accidentally” getting too involved in Christmas cookie contests (because you can’t just be a celebrity in a small town without everyone wanting a piece of your Christmas spirit) to too many awkward moments involving local family traditions she’s completely unprepared for, Rachel’s holiday experience is a hilarious disaster that’s only made better by Jake’s too charming attitude and his “this is how we do Christmas” mentality. Watching Rachel try to keep her cool while becoming the star of way too many holiday events is like watching someone try to keep a straight face while wearing a giant Christmas sweater—utterly chaotic, hilarious, and a little too perfect to ignore.

Then there’s the romance. Every time Rachel and Jake share a “we’re not falling in love” moment, you can practically hear the Christmas bells ringing in the background. Whether it’s accidentally falling into a Christmas tree or sharing a way-too-awkward kiss under a perfectly festive archway of twinkling lights, you’ll be grinning from ear to ear as you watch them pretend they’re not totally into each other. Of course they’re going to fall in love—this is Hallmark, after all.

The grand finale? Predictably magical as always. After way too many Christmas mishaps, romantic misunderstandings, and way too many holiday moments involving too much glitter, too many mistletoe moments, and a perfectly timed kiss under the town’s giant Christmas tree, Rachel and Jake finally realize that Christmas isn’t about being famous, sticking to schedules, or checking off a list—it’s about finding love in the middle of it all.

“Sealed with a List” is everything you expect from Hallmark: too much holiday chaos, way too many Christmas traditions, and a romance so obvious it might as well come with a red bow. If you love watching too many Christmas disasters, romantic misunderstandings, and a movie that proves that Christmas is all about embracing the mess, then grab your coziest blanket, a hot cup of cocoa, and get ready for a movie that will have you laughing, swooning, and probably checking your own holiday list for missing tasks. 🎄💋✨