Bria Lou Reviews

  It's Blogmas day 12! I always try to choose something a bit special for Day 12, as it's my birthday. But for this year, I had actually planned a different film, but that film ended up being so disappointing I ended up switching it for this one instead, as I liked this one much more! When a family accidentally switch bodies, their journey to find their way back to themselves ends up bringing them closer to each other. I liked this movie. It wasn't my favourite, but it's definitely a fun one to watch. The cast is great (the film stars Jennifer Garner, Ed Helms, Emma Myers, Brady Noon and Rita Moreno), and the characters are really likeable, and only get moreso as the film continues. It's not the most original plot, but setting it at Christmas definitely gives it a hit of originality and makes it feel fresh. It's well-written and funnier than I expected. And while some of the humour comes across as quite juvenile and cringey, some of it works well. My biggest gri...

It's Blogmas day 11! This film had a really interesting, explicitly Hallmark-y premise, and I was really looking forward to seeing it! Hired to decorate a penthouse on 5th Avenue over Christmas, Eva (Kathryn A Davis) is surprised to learn that she will be sharing the penthouse with its owner, writer Lucas Blade (Olivier Renaud). But can her bubbly personality bring him out of his slump? I loved this! For any booktube/tok fans, this is the grumpy/sunshine trope and it's done so well here! I loved the main characters from the beginning and was rooting for them almost immediately. It was really lovely watching them get to know each other. This is perfect if you want a generic lifetime-esque movie that's actually an enjoyable watch. The only negative I have about the film is that, because not much happens, it can feel a bit longer than it is. But I didn't mind spending more time with this couple. They're adorable. Overall, watch this one if you're in the mood for a ...

It's Blogmas day 10! I will admit, the thing about this film that caught my eye was Sarah Drew. I love her in Grey's Anatomy, and I always love seeing her in other movies. I didn't really know what the film was about other than that she was in it. After the death of her father, MacKenzie (Sarah Drew) works hard to keep the 'Reindeer Games' tradition alive. But when her high-school crush Chase (Justin Bruening) returns home, sparks fly between the pair. I didn't like this one as much as I wanted to. It takes a while for the film to have a discernible plot, and when it did become about her potential romance with her crush, it just wasn't that interesting. The characters are fun and enjoyable to watch, but they're also a bit two-dimensional, which can often be the case in Lifetime movies. One of the main plot points is the 'Reindeer Games' themselves, and while you can see that they may be fun to actually take part in, they weren't that fun to w...

It's Blogmas day 9! Of course, there's always an obligatory Netflix original to review during Blogmas, and this year there's two! Here's the first one. Fed up with receiving over-the-top Christmas letters from her friend Jackie (Brandy Norwood), this year Charlotte (Heather Graham) tries to prove that Jackie's life isn't as amazing as it seems. I liked the premise more than the execution, but I still enjoyed it.  I really liked most of the characters. Even the ones that were supposed to be unlikeable I found something interesting in them. The cast was great and played their characters really well. The film is filled with Christmas music and decorations that make you feel really festive. In terms of the actual events of the film, it's definitely one of the more realistic Christmas movies. There's nothing outlandish or unrealistic (until the end), though that also means not a lot of fun. Overall, this film had some really heart-warming, sweet moments. It...

It's Blogmas day 8! This wasn't originally on the Blogmas list, but after seeing the trailer I definitely had to add it! When Graham (Robbie Amell) comes home for Christmas, he discovers that his family are already celebrating with Ali (Leighton Meester), the ex that broke his heart. I really liked the original premise of the movie, and while it wasn't as festive as I wanted to be, I still had a really enjoyable time with it. I liked all the characters almost immediately - Graham's family are all really fun to watch, and you can understand why Ali wanted to spend Christmas with them. The two main characters have a really interesting dynamic that's enjoyable to watch. They have great chemistry. At times the film feels more like a family drama than a festive Christmas movie. It's definitely one that you could probably watch at any time of year. Overall, this is a very enjoyable movie. I would have liked it to be more Christmassy, but it's still definitely wort...

  It's Blogmas day 7! I feel like a masquerade-themed movie is essential Christmas viewing, so I definitely had to add this one to this list. When Julianne (Erin Agostino) is mistaken for her boss while attending a masquerade party, she keeps up the ruse to help her boss impress an aloof businessman (David Lafontaine). This wasn't the best masquerade movie I've ever seen. Though I will say it's one of the most festive movies of Blogmas so far. 8 minutes in and there was a Christmas tree and decorations in the background of every shot, and this continued for a long time. The main couple didn't have a lot of chemistry, and it was hard to imagine them getting together. It moves really slowly and not much happens, including much in the way of romance. It actually becomes a bit boring after a while. I never really cared that much about the actual story. Being invested in the couple would have saved the film, but sadly they didn't really give us anything to root for. ...

It's Blogmas day 6! I've been meaning to watch this movie for years. When it's time to plan Blogmas I always go to Disney+ to see the Christmas selection, and every time I've seen this movie there are always ones that look more interesting, but this year was the first time I really understood what it was about. I loved the premise and couldn't wait to watch it! After dying on the way home from an amazing first date, Jess (Aisha Dee) is stuck with unfinished business, waiting to move on to the afterlife. I really liked this movie. So far it's probably my second-favourite of Blogmas, but it's definitely the best-written and probably the best-made movie of Blogmas so far. The characters were likeable and the main leads had great chemistry right off the bat. The plot was really original. I was waiting for it to become generic and boring and it never did! Of course, there were a couple of cliché moments, but that just added to the charm. I was actually interested...