“Sana all may bebe!”
With peer and societal pressure or just because of Romantic films and stories, some people are longing to experience love and kilig. I mean, the majority of us, right? Wattpad, Korean Dramas, and other love stories. The standards of most teenagers or Gen Zs go around these.
In the heights of the pandemic restrictions when people weren’t allowed to go outside, I came across a movie I saw online while browsing on my phone almost 24/7. Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey starred as Sloane and Jackson in a RomCom film “Holidate” released in 2020. It had Christmas holiday vibes since the purpose of the movie was to show how one person could accompany another during the holidays—in this film, they used the Christmas holiday.
The movie started with Sloane being a hopeless romantic after going through a breakup and Jackson who just met the family of his, well, let’s just say, “someone.” The two met when they both went to a shop to exchange the gifts they received during the holidays. The cashier did not accept their returns and exchanges, though, and that’s why they sold the presents they received to a stranger at the line.
The two then spent some time together as strangers who both had grudges against romance until they went to a party together. Like most RomCom films, they spend time together until they eventually fall for one another. Like a slow burn.
The way Sloane is bitter about her love life makes some of her lines funny, but really, those lines were something you and your friends could use when talking about someone you don’t like. So, I guess it’s safe to say that the lines are ordinary.
Remember the time when you and your friends talk about each other’s love life or when you think of someone who’s either happy, heartbroken, in an it’s-complicated-thing? How you converse with your friends may actually be much funnier than what the film used. It’s something that could make you ask, did they use these lines to relate to other people or did they just not have anything better to say?
Their acting was fine—neither better nor worse than other films. Something normal in a film. Some say it’s too boring and some say it’s one of the best romcom films ever. Well, I would say it’s just something in between—like something in the middle, so, again, it’s just fine.
The settings, however, were GOOD and a vibe could be caught at a glance, like when Sloane entered their house that’s full of Christmas decorations that give off a warm yet active home vibe (you know when a house has a lot of classic Christmas decorations and bright lights) as well as the house Jackson entered that’s full of Christmas decorations that give off a hey!-we-are-a-fun-household vibe. The room that Jackson’s girl has was like a teenage girl’s—full of stuffed toys and girly things like dolls and tiaras; the color pink takes over the entire room.
It’s a good film to watch with family or friends for maybe 1-3x but becomes boring as it is predictable over time or when watched repeatedly. The plot is okay. There were no plot twists or something that could make you remember the film aside from that one term they used, the title itself, Holidate.
It is rated 16+ due to inappropriate lines and some sexual activities that aren't suitable for young viewers. Parental guidance is advised. It was actually in the first few minutes of the film that I got surprised by that one scene because at first, I thought that this movie is a family-friendly Christmas-themed one.
Although it feels exciting to meet a new person, befriend them, and who knows, maybe do cute and fun TikTok videos or go to aesthetically pleasing cafes together, having a partner must not be rushed. Sometimes, loneliness just randomly kicks in us like how sudden a wind could blow; but that doesn’t mean it’s necessary to grab a jacket right away to keep us warm. It’s still better to feel and take things slow so we’ll know what to decide.
So… Holidate this weekend, yes? To watch Holidate or to grab one, which do you prefer?
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