The Christmas Switch Review: ★★★½☆ (3.5/5)
The Christmas Switch is a cozy, charming sister story with a fresh take on burnout and routine. The plot is familiar, and one big choice by Mathilda may put some viewers off.
Rating: ★★★½☆ (3.5/5)
Genre: Holiday Romance Comedy
Language: Swedish
Director: Adam Pålsson
Cast: Felice Jankell, Happy Jankell, Christian Fandango, Celie Sparre, Anastasios Soulis
Original Title: Bara till jul
Not every Christmas film needs snow globes and a talking reindeer. The Christmas Switch, called Bara till jul in Swedish, takes a quieter road. It is now streaming on Netflix, and it is based on the book Christmas in St. Anna by Eleonor Sager. The holiday is more of a backdrop than the main point, and that comes as a nice change.
The story follows two sisters who live very different lives. Mathilda, played by Felice Jankell, lives in a small town and is set to inherit the family shop. She is looking for an affordable home with Jonas, her partner of more than ten years, played by Anastasios Soulis.
On paper, she has it all sorted. In truth, she feels stuck. She has always wanted to see the world, but she keeps her dreams on the back burner and does what everyone expects.
Her sister Freddie, played by Happy Jankell, lives in Stockholm and loves the fast, party-filled city life. But her job is wrecking her health. The heart rate monitor on her watch shoots up with every deadline and sudden change at work.
After a health scare, she has to go back to her hometown on sick leave. She then encourages Mathilda to try a job in Stockholm, and the two sisters swap homes. Soon, both start to see what they have been missing.
The best thing about the film is the sisters themselves. Felice and Happy Jankell are real-life sisters, and it shows. Their fights, jokes, and soft moments feel true, and the film is built on that bond.
Felice shows how unhappy Mathilda is with just her face and body language, long before she says a word. She plays Mathilda with a doe-eyed wonder as she discovers new things, and it is her charm that makes the character easier to like by the end.
Freddie’s story is the stronger one. Slowing down is hard for someone who runs on adrenaline, and the film shows that trapped, restless feeling well.
Many of us could learn from her journey. She also reconnects with an old love, Emma, played by Celie Sparre, and her romance feels healthier and more balanced than her sister’s.
Mathilda is the problem for some viewers. She never talks honestly with Jonas, and that lack of communication sinks their relationship. Later, she makes a serious mistake that is hard to forgive, especially after her new love interest, Oliver, played by Christian Fandango, reveals he has been hurt in the same way before.
The film explains her path well, but some people may tap out right there. Fandango makes Oliver friendly and free of ego, which makes him the perfect rom-com golden boy, though some may disagree with how their story ends.
The look of the film is cosy too. Ari Willey’s warm lighting gives the screen a soft glow, and the colder tones stand out nicely as winter sets in. Adam Pålsson directs with a light hand, and he knows this is not meant to be a mind-bending film. It aims for warmth and delivers it.
Of course, you have seen this story before. Two sisters swap places, romance sneaks in, and it all gets sorted before the holidays, much like The Holiday or The Princess Switch. The stakes are low, and the film does not try to reinvent the genre. If you want something deeper, it may let you down. But for a night on the sofa, it does the job.
If you want more to watch this season, our The Gospel of Christmas review covers Tyler Perry’s musical holiday film. For something with more bite, try our The Body review, and for a quick thriller, read our Blind Game review.
The Christmas Switch is predictable, but it is warm, sweet, and easy to enjoy. It makes a good one-time watch with family.
The Christmas Switch is now streaming on Netflix.