Starring: Lacey Chabert, Dustin Milligan.
The plot: A widower, Cathy (Lacey Chabert, the queen of Christmas movies), magically brings a snowman to life in the body of a hot man (Dustin Milligan). In time, his innocence and joie-de-vivre help to heal her broken heart.
The verdict: Hot Frosty has all the makings of a campy, cheesy Christmas movie. Lacey Chabert—forever to be known as Gretchen Wieners from Mean Girls—commands the screen with warmth, while Dustin Milligan plays the part of a (slightly idiotic) snowman-turned-man to perfection. Come for the cozy diner scenes, which will definitely make you crave a warm bowl of soup or toasty stack of pancakes; stay for the many (tasteful) close-up shots of abs. There is even a whole small-town crime subplot, if you need a little edge to your Christmastime fare.
Safe bet: Meet Me Next Christmas
Starring: Christina Milian, Devale Ellis, Kofi Siriboe, all of Pentatonix (?).
The plot: Layla (Christina Milian) meets James (Kofi Siriboe) at an airport lounge and becomes convinced he is the man of her dreams. They make a pact to meet, for some reason, at a Pentatonix concert one year from then, on Christmas. But when the day actually comes, Layla cannot seem to secure a ticket to said concert. Cue a whirlwind search across New York City.
The verdict: I have missed Christina Milian since becoming obsessed with her “Dip It Low” music video circa 2004, so it was a thrill to see her on the big screen again. The snowy New York City setting is fun, even if you can clearly tell it was filmed in Toronto. The Pentatonix soundtrack—and, like, lots of screen time from the band members, who are basically co-stars of the film—is both a vibe and totally absurd. (The film paints the Pentatonix concert as the hardest-to-get ticket in town; do with that information as you will.) Still, the main men are hot, and the fashions are festive. Definitely add it to your watch list. Especially for the scene in the drag club, where we get a Priyanka cameo. You betta werk!
