Last Christmas–Is It Worth the Watch?

Hopes were high for the latest holiday movie to reach theaters — Last Christmas, starring Game of Throne’s Emilia Clarke and Crazy Rich Asian’s Henry Golding. The movie appeared to be a refreshing break from traditional romantic comedies; however, after the movie’s release, viewers, including ourselves, were ultimately left with mixed feelings.

Trailers displayed a plot seemingly based on the two main characters’ relationship, yet they failed to place importance on the myriad components that held equal relevance. Kate, a young woman in her 20s, struggles with balancing her retail job at a Christmas shop while half-heartedly attempting to get roles in singing auditions. But her job is just the beginning of Kate’s complicated life: years before, she underwent a heart transplant and would later spend her days suffering from the mental effects and destroyed familial relationships as a result of the surgery. Along the way, she meets Tom (Henry Golding) and starts falling for him, which leads Kate to find her purpose, turn her life around, and live for the betterment of others.

Quite honestly, the beginning of the story was hard to follow, in turn making the message behind the film hard to grasp. The movie incorporated an overwhelming amount of insight into the characters’ platonic and romantic relationships, a few of those not even including Kate. We’ll admit that it was heartwarming to see Kate’s boss find real love; however, it wasn’t necessary and distracted viewers from the main focus of the story. 

By the end of the film, everything fell together as the plot took an incredibly unexpected turn. SPOILER ALERT: Tom was Kate’s heart donor the whole time, and not actually alive. Though cliché — especially considering it followed the exact words of the hit song “Last Christmas” — we can say that it made the movie more enjoyable. Everything suddenly made more sense, and in the end, Last Christmas touched upon mental health in a unique way.

We give credit to each actor, as their work was impeccable. With a more clear storyline, the movie as a whole could have made a better lasting impact on viewers.