AtaraxiaThe Merry Gentleman is Netflix’s new Christmas comedy that everyone seems to be talking about. Curious to discover the subject of so many articles, I decided yesterday to watch this freshly released film. And what a disappointment. As a passionate lover of Christmas books and movies, this one ranks among the worst offerings of recent years.
I’ll admit, Christmas movies are typically great entertainment during this season, especially in December. But this one is neither entertaining nor enjoyable, and in several ways, it’s downright awkward. Not to mention that it recycles a storyline that completely sidelines women. This somewhat disappointing story is far from being the movie of the year.
For those who haven’t seen it, the film follows Ashley, a dancer for the Jingle Bells troupe, who, after more than 12 years of loyal service, gets fired because… she’s too old (barely 30!). She decides to return to her hometown, where her parents, who run a bar, are on the brink of bankruptcy. The family must gather over $30,000 before Christmas to save their business. So far, nothing out of the ordinary, until Ashley concocts a new Christmas show—100% male—to convince the agency to grant them more time. The troupe is called The Merry Gentleman and performs nightly until Christmas, offering a mix of male striptease and Christmas cheer. When one of the dancers sprains his ankle, he’s replaced by a family friend and bar patron—a man in his fifties.
What message are we supposed to take from this? A man over fifty doing a striptease is acceptable, but a woman barely thirty dancing is not?
Skeptical, I continued watching the film, which, as expected, ends like all good Christmas movies. Except in this one, the bar is saved thanks to women supposedly swooning over men awkwardly dancing half-naked on a small town stage.
Honestly, what makes a good Christmas movie in my opinion (a love story, snow, decorations, and, most importantly, Christmas) is sidelined in favor of these awkward performances by men trying—and failing—to make their show somewhat interesting.
Even the storyline isn’t well-developed. At one point, we see a supposedly impossible choreography meant for four dancers fall apart when the fourth sprains his ankle. The show is allegedly “saved” when the fifty-year-old steps in. But it quickly becomes clear that this plot device is poorly thought out, as the choreography, which they claim is impossible with just three dancers, could easily work if they knew their positions by heart.
In short, this film does not represent the best of Christmas movies, especially compared to Happiest Season (read our article about it here), which takes a much more progressive approach and features a lesbian couple.
The Merry Gentleman is an awkward misfire that we could’ve done without this Christmas. It’s particularly regrettable given that Netflix has also released another Christmas movie, Our Little Secret, which stands out as one of the best films to watch this December (we cover it in another article)
In the end, neither the concept nor the execution of this film is remarkable—especially since the Christmas theme isn’t well-integrated. The movie could easily have been set in summer. For me, The Merry Gentleman is one of Netflix’s major Christmas misses and is unlikely to become a staple we revisit in years to come.
The film’s only positive point? Bringing together Aunt Zelda (Beth Broderick) from the original Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Theresa Russo (Maria Canals Barrera) from Wizards of Waverly Place in one movie. Beyond that, it’s hard to understand the public’s interest in this colossal misstep during the cheerful Christmas movie season of 2024.
