I Believe in Santa Review: This holiday film is such an exhausting watch that it stamps out your Christmas spirit

1.5/5

Story: All is well between Lisa and Tom until the latter makes the big reveal- that he believes Santa Claus is real!

Review: I Believe in Santa is yet another Christmas holiday film from the Netflix stable and this one, too, is no different from the rest of the other films in the genre. There are the cliches of Christmas spirit, two people who are polar opposites falling in love with each other and why this time of the year is a magical one and one needs to celebrate it with our loved ones. And, I Believe in Santa, directed by Alex Ranarivelo and written by John Ducey, tries to push its point too hard.

The plot revolves around Lisa (Christina Moore), a single mother and a columnist for a website, and Tom (John Ducey), a lawyer in Denver, Colorado. Lisa believes that July 4th is the best holiday in the US because it doesn't involve cooking a turkey for six hours or putting in all the hard work to prepare for Christmas amid the snowfall. On the other hand, Tom loves Christmas, a tad too much. But just like many of the romantic comedies, diametrically opposites attract and fall in love with each other. Until, Tom spills the beans that he believes in Santa Claus!

Yes, Tom, the legal expert, actually believes that there is a man who lives in the North Pole and hand-delivers gifts for children during Christmas. In fact, he even tries to explain why he is real and one should have faith in the unknown. Tom seems and behaves like a child in adult's clothes, who is all about the magic of Christmas.

When Lisa asks him to take a break from the relentless holiday activities, he actually feels upset like a child! And even when the relationship seems to be in danger of falling apart, Tom ensures that he doesn't miss the reindeer ride! There is the typical Christmas celebration checklist, too- lighting of the Christmas tree with an acapella performance, sleigh ride, baking Christmas goodies and being part of Christmas carols - an attempt to make a non-believer of the festival believe in its magic.

And after the big reveal, the film slips into a relationship drama where two people of opposite beliefs try to work on their relationship. Though Christina and Tom are real life couples, somehow the magic doesn't seem to translate on screen. In fact, they seem uncomfortable with each other and their contrasting characters only make it worse. Lisa and Tom's friends, Sharon (Lateefah Holder) and Assan (Sachin Bhatt) are the typical archetypes who have nothing else to contribute other than constantly back up their friends and be around with them. In fact, in one of the scenes, Assan tells Lisa that Tom accepted him despite his different religious beliefs and maybe Lisa, too, gives him a chance.

The film is written in such a way that the makers want you to empathise with Tom's character, but it gets too annoying after a point that you begin to pity him. I Believe in Santa tries to make you believe in the Yuletide spirit, so much so, that you actually end up feeling exhausted! This is a holiday film that's best avoided.

Verdict: Skip it if you can!