“Well, by that logic, only things that you comprehend are possible.”

Sir Cole

My sister jokingly referred to Netflix’s two-year old Christmas movie as a “classic” and she has a point insofar as it typifies the tropes of modern cookie-cutter Christmas films: mismatched romantic leads, a local community drawing together, and a dash of holiday magic. Admittedly, the magic doesn’t usually involve a time travelling medieval knight displaced to present day America but the entire premise was clearly spun from the (excellent) titular pun. Vanessa Hudgens could fuel these roles with natural charm that doesn’t become overly saccharine. The most bizarre aspect of the production is the utter lack of chemistry between the leads — it would sink any romcom but here the inoffensively sweet individuals are enough to keep us on side. In deploying its low budget to seek generalised broad appeal, The Knight Before Christmas is shooting for mediocrity, a target that it squarely hits. It might make you feel good, it’s certainly unlikely to make you feel worse.

5/10