Happiest Seasons is the rom-com Christmas movie we all need right now and it’s now streaming on Hulu.

Meeting your girlfriend’s family for the first time can be tough. Planning to propose at her family’s annual Christmas dinner – until you realize that they don’t even know she’s gay – is even harder. When Abby (Kristen Stewart) learns that Harper (Mackenzie Davis) has kept their relationship a secret from her family, she begins to question the girlfriend she thought she knew.

Christmas movies have been around for some time now with Lifetime, Hallmark, and Netflix having a huge selection of holiday films to get people in the Christmas spirit, and now Hulu can add themselves to that list with their new film Happiest Seasons. Director Clea DuVall brings some queerness to an admittedly straight format, which gives this film some interesting originality.

The movie stars Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis as Abby and Harper, a lesbian couple who is visiting Harper’s parents for the holidays. What Harper has failed to mention is that she hasn’t come out to her family yet, which causes drama throughout the film as Abby has to hide the true nature of their relationship for five days. 

Happiest Seasons does feel predictable at times and does follow the format of all holiday films, but that is what makes it so fun to watch – it just goes to show that a broad, crowd-pleasing film can happen with queer characters at the center of the story. 

What I found interesting about this film is that even with its laugh-out-moments, it feels incredibly honest in its depiction of how hurtful Harper’s secrecy can be, and it gets into a very painful and emotional spot as the film reaches its conclusion. 

Overall, Happiest Seasons an exceptional addition to the list of holiday films, and hopefully this film will open the doors for more stories with queer characters at its center. Happiest Seasons is a holiday rom-com that believably captures the range of emotions tied to wanting your family’s acceptance, being true to yourself, and trying not to ruin Christmas. 

What did you think of the movie? Sound off in the comments.