Virgin River star dominates Netflix with ‘charming’ new rom-com

The new movie, which also stars Ryan Eggold (New Amsterdam), follows a determined single mother who, in the hopes of sending her daughter to snowboarding camp, disguises as a man in order to land a job as a seasonal Santa at a luxury ski resort. But complications arise when she starts to fall for her boss.

Madison MacIsaac as Zoey and Alexandra Breckenridge as Taylor in My Secret Santa (Diyah Pera/Netflix)

This fun, light-hearted rom-com is the perfect watch for Virgin River fans looking for their next fix of Alexandra Breckenridge while awaiting season seven. While the film isn’t the most memorable Christmas film, according to viewers and critics, it’s been hailed as an easy watch, and well worth tuning into for those needing a little festive cheer. Plus, look forward to some 90s nostalgia as the plot echoes that of the 1993 comedy Mrs Doubtfire, which stars Robin Williams as a divorced father who disguises himself as an elderly female housekeeper in order to spend time with his children.

What is My Secret Santa about?

The festive film comes from The Princess Switch director Mike Rohl, a veteran of the genre who is known for his work on Hallmark series such as When Calls the Heart and Signed, Sealed, Delivered.

The story follows single mother Taylor (Breckenridge), who is desperate to make ends meet when her daughter gets accepted into an elite snowboarding camp at Sun Peaks ski resort. With the help of her pals, Taylor creates prosthetics to disguise herself as an older man so that she can land a job as the resort’s Santa.

Ryan Eggold plays Matthew (Diyah Pera/Netflix)

When she meets Sun Peaks’ charming manager, Matthew (Eggold), sparks begin to fly. “But will her Santa-suited deception keep her from truly connecting with Matthew?” asks the synopsis.

What are viewers and critics saying about the film?

Taking to social media, viewers have praised the “charming” rom-com, with one person writing: “My #MySecretSanta is such a cute movie! In love with #Ryan Eggold,” while a Virgin River fan highlighted Breckenridge’s performance, adding: “Alexandra Breckenridge has already proven her emotional range in Virgin River, so seeing her step into the lighter, more playful tone of My Secret Santa is genuinely refreshing.”

Meanwhile, a third viewer added: “This was a fun movie that didn’t take itself too seriously. It’s entertaining and although it may not win any Oscars, it had some good laughs and a heartwarming story.”

The festive film is available on Netflix now (Courtesy of Netflix)

Elsewhere, the film received mixed reviews from critics, who compared the plot to that of Mrs Doubtfire.

Collider called the movie an “unimaginative” ripoff of the 1990s film, while Decider also made comparisons between the two movies, adding that the Netflix flick is a “little less believable”. — Nicky Morris

My Secret Santa is available to stream on Netflix now.