Review

Movie Review: The Most Colorful Time of the Year
Subtitle: “When Color, Christmas Chaos, and Way Too Much Holiday Magic Collide in the Most Hilariously Bright Way.”

“The Most Colorful Time of the Year” is Hallmark’s latest holiday offering, and if you’ve ever wondered what would happen if Christmas was turned up to 1000% brightness, then this movie is your answer. It’s the holiday film equivalent of wearing every color in the crayon box at once, while simultaneously sipping a cup of way too sweet eggnog and accidentally spilling glitter on everything.

The plot follows Garrett (played by Kenny Wong), a grumpy Christmas skeptic who is just trying to survive the holidays without being too swept away by the Christmas magic. He’s had enough of the bright lights, over-the-top decorations, and too many people acting like Christmas is the only thing that matters. But when Garrett gets involved in the holiday cheer of his very colorful neighbor, Kelly (played by Jewel Staite), who’s absolutely obsessed with color-coordinating every Christmas decoration, his holiday world is flipped upside down—and probably sprinkled with glitter along the way.

Now, Kelly isn’t just your run-of-the-mill Christmas enthusiast—she’s a decorating dynamo who believes the only way to truly experience Christmas is through an explosion of color. Christmas lights? They must be multicolored. Christmas trees? Definitely neon tinsel. And don’t even get her started on the Christmas sweaters, which are more like fashion statements than anything “traditional.” Naturally, Kelly’s bright and bold approach to Christmas sparks an immediate clash with Garrett’s grinch-y preferences. Watching these two totally opposite personalities try to make the holidays work—while decorating a ridiculously colorful Christmas tree together—is like watching a slow-motion train wreck of chaos and Christmas spirit.

The humor here is absolutely delightful, especially as Garrett tries to begrudgingly get involved in Kelly’s Christmas color revolution—and, spoiler alert, it definitely doesn’t go smoothly. From over-decorated Christmas stockings that could double as the main attraction in a Christmas parade, to the world's most chaotic holiday lighting setup that totally lights up the entire street (in more ways than one), every step of the way is filled with ridiculously adorable and way too colorful Christmas disasters. Garrett’s attempts to remain the cool, neutral one while Kelly insists on adding yet another garish decoration will have you laughing in disbelief. It’s like watching someone try to keep their cool while being attacked by a blizzard of tinsel.

Of course, this being a Hallmark movie, there’s an inevitable romance. As Garrett is slowly (and I mean very slowly) pulled into Kelly’s sparkly Christmas world, they start to realize that maybe—just maybe—there’s more to Christmas than he thought. Kelly’s cheerful holiday spirit is infectious, and watching Garrett soften to the idea of celebrating in the brightest possible way is utterly charming. There’s the classic “I’m not falling in love with you, but I clearly am” banter, where every awkward interaction over too many colors turns into something more heartfelt (while way too many lights flash in the background). It's totally predictable, but it’s also so delightful you won’t even care.

The real star of the show, though, is the color. This movie is literally drenched in it. It’s as if the film’s set designers decided that Christmas could never be too much—and they were right. If you’ve ever wanted to see a snowman in neon green, or Christmas lights that look like a circus—this movie delivers in full force. It’s a color explosion, and you will either love it or need sunglasses to handle the brightness. Honestly, watching Kelly drag Garrett into her holiday color festival is a whirlwind of festive fun that’ll make you want to redecorate everything in your house in five different neon shades.

The grand finale? As expected, Garrett finally embraces the holiday spirit, realizing that Christmas isn’t just about “calm, traditional” decorations—it’s about finding the magic in the colors, chaos, and love that fill the season. And of course, there’s that predictable kiss under the ridiculously bright tree (which is, of course, more colorful than you ever thought possible), and the realization that sometimes, the most colorful thing of all is the love you didn’t see coming.

“The Most Colorful Time of the Year” is a laugh-out-loud, heartwarming, and ridiculously colorful holiday movie that will make you rethink your entire approach to Christmas decorations. If you’re someone who believes that Christmas can never be too bright, this movie is basically your holiday spirit personified. So grab your brightest sweater, a ton of glitter, and get ready to laugh through a holiday movie that is guaranteed to add way too many colors to your holiday cheer. 🎄🌈🎁