Review: Unpacking Netflix’s “The Knight Before Christmas” – Update

Ah Netflix, you do love your movie title puns. First we had Falling Inn Love, where two people work to restore an inn together and fall in love. Now, we have The Knight Before Christmas, which features a knight who is on a quest that he needs to complete by – you guessed it – the night before Christmas.

As you might expect, I did not have high hopes going into the movie, but alas, I have emerged with an entirely different opinion. This might shock you, so best hold on to your chair. I think that The Knight Before Christmas might be the best Christmas romance movie Netflix has churned out. Keep in mind we’re working with a low bar here, which includes offerings like A Christmas Prince, The Princess Switch and Holiday In The Wild.

To enjoy The Knight Before Christmas, you need to put your brain aside – suspension of disbelief is integral here. Firstly, a knight from the 1300s wouldn’t speak the way he does. Yes he uses overly formal language and is extremely verbose, but that’s really how someone might imagine a knight from the time would speak – definitely not historically accurate. If we consider writers from the time, like Chaucer, then the English truly wouldn’t be anything like what we got.

Vanessa Hudgens’ character Brooke also allows a strange man to stay in her house. She did knock him down with her car, which she feels bad about, nevertheless, she has no idea who this man is and what he is capable of. I mean, he turns out to be rather sweet and handy in the kitchen, but she could not have known this from the start. Like I said, switch off the part of your brain that indulges in skepticism and doubt, and enjoy this movie for what it is.

So what does this movie have? Quality romance and an engaging leading man in Josh Whitehouse, who plays Sir Cole. He is absolutely earnest and completely delivers as a knight who is of pure heart. Hudgens and Whitehouse have believable chemistry together, and we can see Brooke gradually thawing out her heart and allowing herself to fall for him. The shirtless scene might have helped a little, I suppose.

The Knight Before Christmas actually has some humorous and light-hearted moments, mainly through Sir Cole’s awe at everything 2019 has to offer. As in all their Christmas romance movies, Netflix is great at promoting themselves. The two actually Netflix and chill at one point, though it’s mostly just Netflix binge-watching without the ‘chilling’, if you catch my drift.

The broader message of the film is also a commendable one. The Knight Before Christmas wants us to spend our Christmas thinking about how fortunate we are, and push ourselves to help those who aren’t so lucky. This is a sentiment that both Brooke and Sir Cole share, which are ideals we could use a little more of in our world today. The movie also seems to be critiquing the confusion that is modern dating, lamenting the loss of the steadfast virtues of the past. Sir Cole has to go on a quest and fulfill it in order to prove himself worthy of the lady he is engaged to, while Brooke’s previous boyfriend cheated on her, which is a far cry from worthiness.

The film isn’t saying we are doomed when it comes to romantic relationships, just the slight nod that chivalry doesn’t have to be dead just because women have gained agency and independence. Brooke is perfectly capable, but it is nice to have someone to depend on and look to for support when required. We could all be a little more like Sir Cole in our romantic dealings. Don’t worry, you won’t have to dress up as a knight, unless you want to.