by Allie Gemmill, Collider
Perhaps it’s because I’ve lost total control of my life or perhaps it’s because I need some human connection, but either way, the trailer for Netflix’s Holidate (which looks like the lovechild of an unholy union between the Hallmark Channel and Nicholas Sparks) has me sold. Let me see Emma Roberts and (checks notes) Luke Bracey of Point Break remake fame fall in love! And let me see that love bloom out of a slow-burn, year-long flirtation sesh as these two impossibly hot adults pretend to be a couple at various holiday functions!
Okay, let’s back it up and break it down because I just threw a lot at you. The Holidate trailer teases one of the most algorithm-friendly rom-com plots imaginable. Overworked and single Sloane (Roberts) keeps getting ribbed by family and friends about finding a man (isn’t that always the case?). Sloane happens upon a prime opportunity to stop nosy loved ones from hassling her when, after a lifetime of awkward dates, she meets Jackson (Bracey), a perpetually single dude who she convinces to be a platonic plus-one for all of the holiday-specific events she’s going to attend in the coming months. Because the algorithm demands it, Sloane and Jackson’s platonic dates soon give way to deeper feelings — and one completely wild Dirty Dancing callback — that have them taking a second look at their unique arrangement.
In addition to Roberts and Bracey, Holidate stars Frances Fisher, Kristin Chenoweth, Andrew Bachelor, and Jessica Capshaw. Holidate is written by Tiffany Paulsen (Nancy Drew, 2016’s Adventures in Babysitting) and directed by John Whitesell (Big Momma’s House 2).
The Holidate arrives on Netflix on October 28. Watch the official trailer below. For more, find out what new movies and TV shows are coming to Netflix in October.
Executive Producer/UPM: Jenny Hinkey
Producer - Additional Photography: David Grace
Costume Designer: Helen Huang