Cover Photo By Vincent Yap
Cover Photo By Vincent Yap.

Single All the Way: A classic Christmas romcom with a fresh queer take


From last-minute breakups to continuous teasing from family members, Netflix’s new Christmas movie will make you relate with the struggle to find love that lasts the chills of December.


By Wallace Beltran | Wednesday, 22 December 2021

Directed by Michael Mayer, Single All the Way is Netflix’s latest Christmas offering that features all of what we expect from a cheesy romantic comedy this time of year. It was released globally on Netflix last Dec. 2.

 

The film follows Peter (Michael Urie), as he invites his best friend Nick (Philemon Chambers) to come home with him for the holidays and pretend to be his boyfriend. With only a few days left before Christmas, Peter’s family decides to help the two best friends realize the potential of a perfect holiday romance.

 

After a seemingly perfect blind date with bachelor James (Luke Macfarlane) set up by Peter’s mother Carole (Kathy Najimy), Peter and Nick are pressured to make decisions that could either level up their relationship into something more or lose their one-of-a-kind friendship.

 

A different kind of Christmas jingle

What makes this movie stand out from the array of similar romcom plots is the spotlight on a queer couple as the main romance. Despite this, however, the characters’ sexualities only really affect a small portion of the movie’s plot. It doesn’t delve on tackling LGBTQIA+ issues, thus, keeping the lighthearted energy throughout the film at a steady pace.

 

Immediately as the two leads interact for the first few moments, the chemistry between them hooks the audiences into a potentially cute couple. One might suggest that they’re a couple right away. As the film’s biggest strength, having James’ character into the mix as the perfect bachelor for Peter doesn’t come close to beating the leads’ compatibility.

 

Furthermore, when it comes to the rest of the cast, Jennifer Coolidge’s role as Peter’s theater-loving Aunt Sandy clearly stands out. Known for her eccentric performances in comedies, Coolidge has some of the film's funniest and iconic moments. Meanwhile, other characters also bounced off of each other nicely, delivering a fun cast of diverse personalities to watch.

 

The highs and lows

Although enjoyable, the film isn’t perfect at every single detail. There are some missed moments that could’ve been handled better such as the scene with Peter’s mother and her newfound knowledge on queer relationships that feature awkward line deliveries. This is also similar to Peter’s sister who doesn’t always sound like a seemingly likeable character.

 

Despite scenes that seem out of place, it doesn’t stray away from the energy it promised from the very beginning. It shines with every moment that gives its star characters the spotlight to have fun moments together. It keeps the audience waiting without ever doubting the possibility of a jolly ending. 

 

It all boils down to this: Single All the Way hits the bullseye as far as cheesy Christmas romantic comedies go. It’s a fresh take on a classic premise with great acting and especially, a memorable romance. It’s too early to say if it will become a classic movie to watch during the Holidays, but it sure does have what it needs to go far.

 

Single All the Way is streaming worldwide on Netflix, just in time for the holidays!