Happiest Season

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2:22

Happiest Season

PG-13

2020

1h 42m

Holiday

Romance

Comedy

LGBTQ+

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Popcornmeter

82%

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214 Reviews

72%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

This romantic comedy is about longtime lesbian couple Abby (Kristen Stewart) and Harper (Mackenzie Davis), who made plans to go home to the latter's family for the Christmas holidays. Aside from spending the yuletide season with Harper's conservative parents, Abby is also planning to spring a marriage proposal on Harper. Trouble begins, though, when she discovers that Harper hasn't come out as a lesbian yet to her family, leaving them clueless as to who Abby really is in her life. Co-written and directed by Clea Duvall. Co-starring Dan Levy, Victor Garber, and Mary Steenburgen.

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Critics Consensus

A jolly good time with heartfelt performances and more than enough holiday cheer, all you'll want for Christmas is Happiest Season.

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Paula Akpan

Time Out

Happiest Season is exciting, although perhaps less as a festive romcom than as a sign of things to come: stories that centre queer experiences.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 27, 2022

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Alison Willmore

New York Magazine/Vulture

Proving a conservative format can change is well and good, but there's also something to be said for just leaving it behind.

Feb 21, 2021

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Richard Roeper

Chicago Sun-Times

It's the movie equivalent of one of those specialty caffeinated holiday drinks like a Toasted White Chocolate Mocha or a Chestnut Praline Latte - a guilty pleasure filled with sweetness and warmth, but also an abundance of empty calories.

Rated: 2.5/4

Feb 21, 2021

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Sarah Vincent

Sarah G Vincent Views

Even if you hate rom coms or find Christmas movies too saccharine, “Happiest Season” may be for you. It is an entertaining, engrossing, glossy film even if the wrong couple ends up together.

Dec 31, 2024

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Francesca Steele

iNews.co.uk

This film feels fresh, because with a sleight of hand, it moves queer romance from its usual home in serious drama to festive romcom.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 10, 2024

Full Review

Dave Giannini

InSession Film

Happiest Season delivers everything you should expect. It is romantic, awkward, full of beautiful people, and offers several moments that are genuinely funny enough to make the audience more than chuckle.

Feb 20, 2024

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Emma D

May be worst movie Ive seen. Dont know why the heck Kristen Stewart agreed to do this film. The dialogue is awful and choppy. Harper is awful. The family is so rude. The plot doesnt flow at all. Its really all so bad, it doesnt even make sense and just left me confused who wrote this and why.. Why are the twins so despressed, theyre like 5 years old? Why are the parents constantly degrading their daughters? Why are Harper and Sloane so violent? So childish. The last 10 minutes of the movie make it all a bit better, but just not nearly enough to make the previous 95% of the movie bearable.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

08/27/25

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Cait H

The main lesbian pair is super toxic and have no chemistry. The family is just as bad and the only two characters in the film that seem to have any kind of relationship (romantic or otherwise) are Abby and Riley. They should've ended up together bc they are the only ones who actually seem to like each other. Honestly harper seems to hate Abby to put her through this and they aren't even that happy at the end.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

08/23/25

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ali P

Just another typical Christmas romance & family movie with a “lesbian” take. Plot is not great and story is not “heartfelt” at all… and a mean family will have their characters changed overnight? Adult siblings fighting for attention like that? The only touching part is what Daniel Levy said to Kristin Stewart out in the cold after the maniac family scene.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

12/27/24

Full Review

Sofie F

One of the better christmas movies on Netflix. Of course there is the typical trope of hiding a secret at christmas to your family and in real life it would be a red flag if your gf doesn't even admit she is your gf, so you should run and never look back, but this isn't the real world, but a christmas movie world, where even the worst of peopIe get it at the end and everything is good. Jane's character is really funny, by the way.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

12/26/24

Full Review

Tyler C

I truly believe that I havent seen a worse movie in my life. Dumbass plot, toxic relationships, and embarrassing dialogue.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

12/24/24

Full Review

Audience Member

horroriest season. can't believe such toxic family still existed in 2020. please give us lesbians a real Xmas movie!!!

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

12/23/24

Full Review

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Clea Duvall

Director

Kristen Stewart

Abby

Mackenzie Davis

Harper

Mary Steenburgen

Tipper

Victor Garber

Ted

Alison Brie

Sloane

Happiest Season: Clip - John on Coming out

3:11

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Happiest Season: Featurette - Meet the Cast

3:19

Happiest Season: Featurette - Making Of

3:05

Happiest Season: Featurette - Creating A Holiday Rom-Com

3:02

Happiest Season: Trailer 1

2:22

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Synopsis

This romantic comedy is about longtime lesbian couple Abby (Kristen Stewart) and Harper (Mackenzie Davis), who made plans to go home to the latter's family for the Christmas holidays. Aside from spending the yuletide season with Harper's conservative parents, Abby is also planning to spring a marriage proposal on Harper. Trouble begins, though, when she discovers that Harper hasn't come out as a lesbian yet to her family, leaving them clueless as to who Abby really is in her life. Co-written and directed by Clea Duvall. Co-starring Dan Levy, Victor Garber, and Mary Steenburgen.

Director: Clea Duvall
Producer: Marty Bowen, Isaac Klausner
Screenwriter: Clea Duvall, Mary Holland
Production Co: eOne, TriStar Pictures, Temple Hill Entertainment, Entertainment One, Hulu Originals
Rating: PG-13 (Some Language)
Genre: Holiday, Romance, Comedy, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 25, 2020
Runtime: 1h 42m

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