The new holiday movie “A Hollywood Christmas,” starring Josh Swickard (“General Hospital”) and Jessika Van, premiered on December 1 on HBO Max, and it is quite impressive.
In “A Hollywood Christmas,” Jessica (Jessika Van) is a young, up-and-coming filmmaker in Hollywood who has made a name for herself directing Christmas movies.
When a handsome network executive Christopher (Josh Swickard) shows up threatening to halt production on her latest movie, Jessica’s assistant, Reena (Anissa Borrego), points out the irony: Jessica isn’t just trying to save her Christmas movie, she’s actually living in one!
Jessica must now juggle all the classic tropes—actors falling in and out of love, a wayward elf dog, and her own stirring romantic feelings for her perceived nemesis—in order to get her movie and her life to their happy endings. Without giving too much away, this is a Christmas rom-com that should be checked out.
Jessika Van will melt your heart with her raw, honest, and heartfelt performance as Jessica, where she embodies what the holiday spirit is all about. Josh Swickard delivers as the heartthrob executive Christopher. Kudos to the cast for a job well done and to screenwriter John Ducey for penning this realistic and relatable script.
Alex Ranarivelo did a neat job with its direction and he helped bring the film to life in an authentic and organic manner. It’s a movie within a movie and in many ways, it is a poignant “love letter to Christmas romantic comedies.” “A Hollywood Christmas” is worth more than just a passing glance, and it is definitely a keeper.
