A Naija Christmas (2021)

Rated: TV-14

Genres: Comedy, Family, Romance

Synopsis: A mother’s Christmas with – and the grand prize that comes with it – sets off a fierce competition between her sons.

Review: Naija means Nigerian. I enjoyed seeing some aspects of another culture. The first half of the movie was very slow and quite boring.  The way the mom manipulated her sons really irked me. I liked the ending for the boys but it’s a movie I won’t watch again. 

Scoring: 2

Nantucket Noel (2021)

Rated: G

Genres: Romance

Starring: Sarah Power and Trevor Donovan

Synopsis: Christina learns of a developer who is planning to tear down the wharf that is home to her toy store.  Tensions rise as she falls for the developer’s son, Andy.

Review: It felt like a Hallmark Christmas version of You’ve Got Mail. Of course we have a sweet little girl and some other characters to maintain the kindness factor. It’s not blow your mind amazing but it’s sweet and worth watching. 

Scoring: 3.5

A Nashville Christmas Carol (2020)

Rated: G

Genres: Drama, Romance, Musical

Starring: Jessy Shram, Wes Brown, and Wynonna Judd

Synopsis: Vivienne is a workaholic TV producer in charge of a country music Christmas special.  She is on the verge of accepting a job in LA and her childhood sweetheart has returned.  This prompts the ghost of her recently deceased mentor to warn her of the dark future her current path is taking her to.

Review: A nice story about stripping away all the things we do to avoid our feelings. There aren’t lots of surprises but it’s sweet. Lots of Christmas and music in this movie. The way they handled the Christmas future ghost was a new twist.  This will be extra fun for country music fans.  

Scoring: 3

A Nasty Piece of Work (2018)

Rated: TV-MA

Genre: Drama

Starring: Molly Hagan, Natalie Hall, Kyle Howard, Dustin Milligan, Julian Sands, and Angela Sarafyan

Synopsis: The boss of a private equity company invites a couple of his employees over to a Christmas party that turns out to be an intense competition for a promotion.

Review: This is apparently part of a series called Into The Dark but I’ve never seen it.  At first I thought this story was amusing.  Then is just became monotonous and boring.  I was waiting for it to end.  The actors did an amazing job.  It’s just sad that they were given this script.  It also had a really dumb ending.

Scoring: 1

Nativity 3: Dude Where’s My Donkey?! (2014)

Rated: PG

Genres: Comedy, Family, Musical

Starring: Marc Wootton and Martin Clunes

Synopsis: The pupils of St Bernadette's and the madcap Mr. Poppy are back! When their new teacher Mr. Shepherd loses his memory as well as Archie the Donkey, it's up to them to save the day and reunite him with his fiancée Sophie in New York. Prepare for a race against time, fantastic flash mobs and plenty of Christmas fun on their greatest adventure yet.

Review: This was just as charming and fun and the first two. They make the children shine and Mr. Poppy is as funny and loving as ever. A great family film. 

Scoring: 3.5

Nativity Rocks! (2018)

Rated: PG

Genres: Comedy, Family, Musical

Starring: Simon Lipkin and Daniel Boys

Synopsis: The staff and students of St Bernadette's Primary School in Coventry audition for a place in a rock-musical competition.

Review: This was my least favorite of the films but I still enjoyed it.  I missed the original Mr. Poppy and they don’t showcase the kids as much.  The storyline of the father and son who fled Syria and the multiculturalism of the school children were relevant and a nice touch. It’s still silly and corny like the others and is a good family film.

Scoring: 3

The Nativity Story (2006)

Rated: PG

Genres: Drama, Religion

Starring: Keisha Castle-Hughes

Synopsis: A drama that focuses on the period in Mary and Joseph's life where they journeyed to Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus.

Review:  It’s hard to tell this story and make it seem authentic and realistic but they achieved it. It’s done in a way that’s sensitive to the religious content. 

Scoring: 4

Nature Cat: A Nature Carol (2019)

Rated: G

Genres: Animation, Fantasy, Musical

Synopsis: Nature Cat is visited by the Nature Past, Present, and Future.

Review: Despite being geared for younger children, I found it enjoyable.  It is a little silly which is perfect for little ones.  I liked that the theme was the true meaning of Christmas rather than less is more.  I also liked that rather than ghosts, he was visited by friends in spirit form.

Scoring: 3

Navigating Christmas (2023)

Rated: G

Genres: Family, Romance

Starring: Chelsea Hobbs and Stephen Huszar

Synopsis: Recently divorced Melanie and her son Jason visit a remote island for Christmas, only to find themselves running a real working lighthouse where she connects with the curt but cute owner.

Review: I had low expectations based on the commercials and I was delightfully surprised. It was a great story, and the actors did a wonderful job. It had a decent amount of Christmas, but the characters were what really got me. 

Scoring: 4

Never Been Chris’d (2023)

Rated: G

Genres: Comedy, Romance

Starring: Tyler Hynes, Pascal Lamothe-Kipnes and Janel Parrish 

Synopsis: Best friends, Naomi and Liz, return home for the holidays and simultaneously enter a love triangle when they both reconnect with their high school crush, Chris Silver.

Review: I expected this to be mostly about the romance but the focus was more on the friends. It was very refreshing. They were rediscovering themselves as a pair and as individuals. I also appreciated the touch of Hanukkah. This was one with so many things going on I’ll have to watch again. 

Scoring: 3.5

Never Kiss A Man In A Christmas Sweater (2020)

Rated: G

Genres: Family, Romance

Starring: Ashley Williams and Niall Matter

Synopsis: Maggie, a single mom, is facing Christmas alone until Lucas become an unexpected house guest.

Review: While this has the feel of Hallmark romances, it’s got a lot of originality and some extra heart. The children are so amazing and add that spirit and fun. Matter and Williams are amazing as always. It’s human and relatable, all the way to the end when Lucas goes back outside to get his suitcase. One I’ll watch many times. 

Scoring: 4

A New Christmas (2019)

Rated: PG

Genre: Drama

Starring: Prashantt Guptha and Grace Wacuka

Synopsis: A woman visiting New York City at Christmas helps a grieving man rediscover the magic of the holidays.

Review: This movie would be better if KB was likable. From the beginning he is horrible to his wife and was cheating on her. I also don’t like how the story flips back and forth and throws in too many concepts about culture. It lacks focus. I like Kioni, though.  This movie has won a lot of awards and acclaim so you may want to check it out.

Scoring: 1.5

A New Diva’s Christmas Carol (2022)

Rated: TV-14

Genres: Comedy, Fantasy

Starring: Ashanti, Mel B, and Robyn Alomar

Synopsis: Aphrodite became famous for singing the love song of the era, but now hates the song. She is visited by three spirits who take her on a journey of Christmas past, present, and future. 

Review: It’s the familiar Christmas Carol with a twist. The three spirits are with her the whole time. They’re trying to move up because if they fail they’re stuck in Brooklyn. It was really entertaining. 

Scoring: 3

A New Husband For Christmas (2020)

Rated: PG-13

Genres: Comedy, Religion

Starring: Iona Anderson, Braxton Angle, and Krista Banks

Synopsis: Stan and Kelly Stevenson seem to be more committed to growing apart rather than growing together.  Their friends are caught in the middle of divorce conversations during one of the most joyous seasons of the year.

Review: Another horrible low budget, bad script horrific acting, it’s painful to try to sit through movie.  It’s so bad I can’t begin to explain it.  If I didn’t feel I had to sit through the whole thing in order to write this I would’ve stopped five or ten minutes in.

Scoring: 1

A New Lease on Christmas (2021)

Rated: NR

Genres: Fantasy, Romance

Starring: Claire Coffee and George Stults

Synopsis: A single real estate agent falls for a handsome coffee shop owner only to discover that the job she just took requires her to evict him from his shop.

Review: This movie starts out so slowly.  I think some of the poor acting was to blame.  Luckily Claire Coffee and the story made up for it.  I actually got interested and it even kept my attention when the whole Santa magic/everything magically resolves quickly part happened.

Scoring: 2.5

A New Orleans Noel (2022)

Rated: PG

Genres: Family, Romance

Starring: Keshia Knight-Pulliam, Brad James, Patty LaBelle, and Tim Reid

Synopsis: Follows Grace and Anthony, who despite having gone to college to study architecture together, are too different, but things between them change after both are hired to work on the same place and end up celebrating Christmas together.

Review: I love this movie. The focus on family is so special. The only real negative is I believe Keshia was pregnant and they kept trying to hide it which was distracting. There’s some New Orleans culture but the spirit of love and family are at the forefront. 

Scoring: 3.5

New Year’s Kiss (2019)

Rated: NR

Genre: Romance

Starring: Erin Karpluk and Robin Dunne

Synopsis: A creative director swears off dating in ordr to focus on a major Christmas ad campaign

Review: I like the story and Karpluk and Dunne do a fantastic job.  Add in a mysterious Santa for rom-com magic.  The story tends to skip around where they need to focus and really delve into the characters and the music is horrible.  There’s very little Christmas in it and the title doesn’t fit the movie.  If you can get past that, it really is a fun movie.

Scoring: 3

A New York Christmas Wedding (2020)

Rated: TV-MA

Genres: Drama, Romance

Starring: Chris Noth and Nia Fairweather

Synopsis: As her Christmas Eve wedding draws near, Jennifer is visited by an angel and shown what could have been if she hadn't denied her true feelings for her childhood best friend.

Review: This movie lacked focus. Was it about a woman seeing her life if she made different choices, was it about handling your future in laws, was it about accepting your sexuality, was it about coping with death, or was it about how the churches handle gay marriage?  It was so scattered it didn’t allow for the viewer to become emotionally involved. Sadly, the ending was the best part. It had purpose and emotion. You just have to sit through the rest to get to it. 

Scoring: 2

Next Stop, Christmas (2021)

Rated: G

Genres: Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Romance

Starring: Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Chandler Massey, and Lyndsy Fonseca

Synopsis: Angie is determined to spend Christmas alone but her usual commuter ride turns into a Christmas train that drops her off in her hometown in 2011.

Review: I have to say when it started it seemed a little too predictable and similar to other movies. As it went on it took on a life of its own. I enjoyed not knowing exactly what the ending would be, other than it would be a happy one. Great casting especially having Lloyd and Thompson from Back To The Future.

Scoring: 4

The Night Before (2015)

Rated: R

Genres: Adventure, Comedy

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogan, and Anthony Mackie

Synopsis: On Christmas eve, three lifelong friends spend the night in New York City looking for the Holy Grail of Christmas parties.

Review:  This movie can be summed up in two words, Seth Rogan. It’s got the same feeling as all his other buddy films. It’s goofy and a little odd. If you like Rogan's movies you’ll enjoy it. 

Scoring: 3

The Night Before Christmas (1994)

Rated: NR

Genres: Animation, Fantasy

Starring: Cam Clarke

Synopsis: A young orphan boy and his cat discover the true spirit of Christmas.

Review: A very sweet movie.  The mouse is very funny.  When they start with “’Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a,” they cut to the mouse stirring his pudding on the stove.  Lots of little touches like that to provide humor that even adults will like.

Scoring: 2.5

The Nightmare Before Christmas (2010)

Rated: PG

Genres: Animation, Fantasy

Starring: Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, and Catherine O’Hara

Synopsis: Jack Skellington, king of Halloween Town, discovers Christmas Town, but his attempts to bring Christmas to his home causes confusion.

Review:  Another Tim Burton movie that’s so bizarre you’ll either love it or hate it. It’s half Halloween and half Christmas. It’s become an annual tradition for many but might be frightening to very young children. 

Scoring: 4

The Night Before The Night Before Christmas (1993)

Rated: PG

Genres: Family, Fantasy

Starring: Jennifer Beals and Rick Roberts

Synopsis: When Santa sets off on his Christmas duties a day early, he crashes into the Fox family's house, ends up with amnesia, and loses his magic sack of presents.  He needs help! But the Fox family are a modern and broken family. Can they help him?

Review:  This movie seems to be a watered-down version of other Christmas movies. It’s okay but I didn’t really enjoy it. 

Scoring: 2

The Night They Saved Christmas (1984)

Rated: NR

Genres: Drama, Family, Fantasy

Starring: Jaclyn Smith and Art Carney

Synopsis: A mother and her three children find themselves on a journey to the North Pole where they are asked to intervene in her husband’s oil rigging company before the company’s dynamiting destroys the North Pole.

Review: You have to go into this remembering it was a made for TV movie and it’s from 1984 so it’s much simpler than a movie made for the theater.  I’m not sure young children will understand the concept of oil rigs and dynamiting to get through the ice to the oil but they may not care.  They get to see Santa, Mrs. Claus, elves, and the North Pole.  Santa even answers the questions they have about how he does his job.  It’s a sweet story for families.

Scoring: 3

The Nine Kittens of Christmas (2021)

Rated: G

Genres: Comedy, Family, Romance

Starring: Kimberley Sustad and Brandon Routh

Synopsis: Zachary and Marilee are thrown back together at Christmas when they’re tasked with finding homes for a litter of adorable kittens.

Review: I wasn’t sure how they’d capture the magic of the first movie but they did. It was amazing. The story, the chemistry, and plenty of Christmas. All the adorable kittens didn’t hurt either. Definite must see.  I’m hoping they do a third movie.

Scoring: 4