‘Last Christmas’ is this year’s holiday rom-com you shouldn’t miss out on

Okay, first thing’s first: Mr. Henry Golding, I never knew you could get more charming than you already are. 

“Last Christmas” doesn’t just help this actor go past the one-movie stint tag, it solidifies his status as a leading man. Here Golding plays another good guy, Tom Webster. There’s just something so real and moving about his kindness and chivalrous ways that feel so genuine. Genuine enough to lend itself to the characters he portrays and gives these personalities more clarity.

Thanks to Golding, Webster is suspiciously too perfect. He’s equal parts handsome and mysterious, showing his different perspectives on the mundane. There probably wasn’t a moment Golding’s face was flashed on the big screen that I didn’t gush over—and you can’t blame me. While Tom is disconnected from the rest of the world (he keeps his phone in the cupboard), he does show up randomly to create moments worth remembering.

While the Golding and Emilia Clarke tandem didn’t really seem to have much chemistry to get a romantic film going, these two rom-com leads make it work. In a surprisingly heartwarming portrayal of two star-crossed lovers, they fashion “Last Christmas” as no other than the season’s must-see film.

Paul Feig’s Christmas film feels familiar and formulaic, yet leaves you with a fun and endearing movie experience. Kate (played by Clarke) is a screwup in more ways than one. She’s not making it out as a theater actress, is constantly pushing her family away and is homeless just a few weeks before the holidays. Kate’s the type of character we can all relate to at some point of our lives, just hoping for that one strike of luck to turn everything around.

I have never expected Clarke to sing and pull through. But I also didn’t such a predictable movie to still have a satisfying ending. Something about Golding and Clarke just invites you to root for their romance despite their awkwardness and cheesiness on screen.

It’s the perfect film for the season. It’s a heartwarming and honest tale of selflessness and reconciliation.

In the film’s interesting turn of events (don’t worry, I won’t spoil its plot twists), “Last Christmas” also shifts its tone and focus in just a matter of seconds. You begin to realize that this isn’t a story of finding the one that completes you with the constancy of their company, it’s a reevaluation of what’s important. A story that zooms in on the subtle complexities of self love.

Photos courtesy of Universal International Pictures. “Last Christmas” is now showing in cinemas nationwide.