If you missed the initial installment of the Your Christmas or Mine series, fear not. This lively romantic comedy sequel, available on Prime Video, offers the comforting familiarity of a feature-length British television Christmas special – perfect for those moments when you’re squabbling over the last Malteser in the Celebrations tub. Asa Butterfield and Cora Kirk reprise their roles as James and Hayley, a couple navigating their final year at university. James, a pleasant posh fellow, is matched with Hayley, a working-class girl from Huddersfield. In a previous Christmas misadventure, they accidentally spent the holiday apart, each with the other’s family. This year, they plan a festive getaway on the ski slopes, attempting to merge their distinct clans. Cue the expected hilarity – or more accurately, sitcom-style mishaps and culture-clash clichés.
True to the classic Christmas movie formula, the story kicks off with an airport sprint as James and Hayley rush to catch their flight. Waiting at the gate is James’s aristocratic dad, played by Alex Jennings (The Crown), who effortlessly outshines most of the cast. He’s accompanied by his new American girlfriend, Diane, portrayed by Jane Krakowski (reminiscent of her self-centered socialite role in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt). Diane is a self-help guru with a New York Times bestseller and a penchant for dropping names (“Like I said to Elon…”). Each character is painted with broad strokes: Hayley’s mum and dad, played by Angela Griffin and Daniel Mays, are down-to-earth northerners with sizable personalities and even bigger hearts, not to mention their matching family Christmas jumpers packed in Tesco carrier bags.
Predictably, a hotel mix-up unfolds, with the group from Huddersfield finding themselves in a luxurious 5-star Alpine resort, while the aristocrats end up in a less-than-ideal Airbnb with a goat. This mix-up provides Diane, the American girlfriend, with one of the film’s most amusing lines: “We’re staying in the dark ages! What’s for dinner? Bubonic plague.” However, beyond these occasional gems, the script is largely flavorless – a buffet of forgettable banality.
