Harry Potter is somehow more relevant than ever. The property’s claim to fame, of course, is the book series that never seems to go out of style. However, the titular character’s adventures on the page are only the tip of the iceberg. There’s also a movie series with eight entries, each more epic than the last. Landing the lead roles in the franchise gave Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint successful careers in an industry that typically chews up child actors and spits them out. After catching lightning in a bottle the first time around, many people believe Warner Bros. is asking for trouble with its upcoming HBO Max reboot.
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Trying to recapture the magic of the Wizarding World might seem like the powers that be are just trying to cash in on a major property that’s lain dormant for a few years. But there’s at least a slight chance that the new iteration brings something new to the table. And it’s not like the world is going to shy away from more Harry Potter content, as it’s currently eating up all that it can. In fact, one of the most popular movies on Netflix features a bizarre connection to the fantasy franchise.
Currently sitting near the top of Netflix’s Top 10 movies list, one spot behind Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, is A Merry Little Ex-Mas, a Hallmark-style movie about a woman, Kate (Alicia Silverstone), trying to keep her family together for one last holiday before she goes through with her divorce. However, in typical rom-com fashion, the plan goes awry when Kate’s ex (Everett Holden) shows up and brings his new girlfriend (Jameela Jamil) along.
The theme of accepting family, no matter what form it takes, is present throughout all of A Merry Little Ex-Mas. Kate has to be vulnerable with her ex’s new partner, even if she’s not her biggest fan. Unfortunately for Kate, that’s not even her biggest challenge, as there’s another character that grinds her (and everyone else’s) gears endlessly.
A Merry Little Ex-Mas Gives Harry Potter Fans a Bad Name
Kate discovers the unintended consequences of spending time with her children: their “better” halves. It turns out that her daughter (Emily Hall) is dating a man named Nigel (Timothy Innes), who loves Harry Potter more than just about anyone in the world. He models his look after the iconic wizard, yells out spells on a frequent basis, and tosses in a reference to the series whenever he can.
As easy as it would be for A Merry Little Ex-Mas to leave Nigel out on an island, the movie instead decides to have him make up for his Harry Potter-based transgressions by becoming a team player. The development is a welcome one, as it drives home the fact that heroes can come from anywhere, even a bad cosplay that gets old after only a few minutes.
A Merry Little Ex-Mas is streaming on Netflix.
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