Review

A Yearly Dose of Cozy Chaos

Sub The Perfect Blend of Heartfelt Clichés and Unexpected Belly Laughs

If you've been curating a collection of Hallmark holiday movies that's as bottomless as your aunt's fruitcake recipe, then 'This Time Each Year' is the festively wrapped present that will have you humming Christmas carols and chuckling in delight. This 2024 cinematic confection serves up your classic Hallmark movie charm but with a delightful twist—a script that seems to have been kissed under the mistletoe by a comedian.

Picture this: the film opens with our protagonist, Jane Garland (yes, like the Christmas decoration), who has returned to her quaint hometown where everyone somehow knows how to bake award-winning pies and construct structurally sound gingerbread houses. For those playing Hallmark movie bingo, the opening scene is your "Bingo!" moment. However, just as you're settling into your predictable plot expectations, the movie takes a left turn quicker than Santa's reindeer avoiding a no-fly zone.

Jane, with the charisma of a snowflake (no two responses the same), bumps into her high school sweetheart, now a dashing meteorologist. But instead of down-to-earth, Hallmark-level small talk, they engage in hilarious meteorological banter that would leave even the Grinch grinning. It turns out, their town experiences an annual strange weather phenomenon reminiscent of the weirdest cousin in your Hallmark holiday movie family gatherings.

Cue ample opportunities for slapstick antics involving runaway snowmen, a rogue reindeer with a penchant for dramatics, and a cookie bake-off that transforms into a grand spectacle of sugary chaos. At one point, a misunderstanding over a Christmas tree delivery turns into a scene worthy of a buddy cop film—think slapstick comedy with a heartfelt pursuit of true Christmas spirit.

Will Jane and Mr. Weather Channel discover the secret behind their small town's frosty traditions and rekindle their romance beneath falling snowflakes? Will the townspeople realize that blue Christmas lights do look better than the lime green atrocity Jane's well-meaning mom keeps pushing for?

In 'This Time Each Year,' every Hallmark movie trope arrives right on time, yet it veers off the predictable snow-laden path just enough to have you giggling like you've had a bit too much eggnog. It's a holly-jolly rollercoaster where heartfelt mush meets the mischievous elves of laughter. If you need a festive film that's both comfortingly familiar and refreshing in its merrymaking, then this charming blend of clichés and comedy is the seasonal delight for you.