Your Christmas or Mine 2

Set a year after the first film’s events, Your Christmas or Mine 2 follows James (Asa Butterfield) and Hayley (Cora Kirk) as they once again try to enjoy Christmas together, this time heading to Austria with their families. Unfortunately for the group, yet another travel mishap takes place, and the two families end up stuck at the wrong destinations with each other’s luggage. Unlike last time, this swap resolves itself in a day or so, but that’s just enough time for some important social wires to get crossed, creating a web of miscommunication and mixed signals that threaten to ruin Christmas for a second time.

One of the previous movie’s biggest flaws was its hesitance to engage with the potential for comedy and drama afforded by its unique premise, pulling its punches in a way that resulted in an unfulfilling and underdeveloped story. This reluctance is all but gone in the sequel, with Your Christmas Or Mine 2 feeling far more confident in pretty much every aspect of its storytelling.

It fully leans into its miscommunication-heavy plot, facilitating some Christmas cracker-worthy jokes and gripping relationship drama. There’s also an intelligent balance of gags and pathos, with the movie being careful to ensure that none of its many moving parts overstays their welcome.

This reinvigorated narrative is bolstered by more ambitious writing that allows the talented cast to bring even more of their A-game to the production than they could in the previous instalment, which had a script that felt like it was holding its actors back somewhat. This time, Butterfield and Kirk get to really show off their acting chops as the leading duo, bringing new complex dimensions to their characters with some powerful performances and great chemistry.

It’s amazing what a difference a couple of years has made for the team behind Your Christmas or Mine?, who have ironed out many of the previous piece’s significant flaws to make an infinitely more compelling Christmas movie that finally earns its place under the tree. The improvement between films stands as a testament to committing to the bit, and the newfound confidence on display in this sequel is a genuinely heartening festive treat.

Umar Ali

Your Christmas or Mine 2 is released on Prime Video on 8^th December 2023.

Watch the trailer for Your Christmas or Mine 2 here: