| Christmas As Usual | |
| Director: | Petter Holmsen |
| Producer: | Espen Horn Kristian Strand Sinkerud Jenny Victoria Jærn |
| Starring: | Ida Ursin-Holm Kanan Gill |
| Cinematography: | Matthew Weston |
| Music: | Johannes Ringen |
| Studio: | Motion Blur Film Production Co |
| Distributor: | Netflix |
| Runtime: | 98 minutes |
| Country: | Norway |
| Language: | Norwegian English |
Christmas As Usual (Norwegian: Så var det jul igjen) is a 2023 Norwegian romantic comedy film directed by Petter Holmsen starring Ida Ursin-Holm and Kanan Gill.
The film is based on the true story of Holmsen's sister, a Norwegian, and her relationship with an Indian, whom she brings home for Christmas Eve. The film was released to negative reviews.[1]
On December 1 in Los Angeles, Jashan proposes to Thea. She accepts the proposal and invites Jashan to spend Christmas Eve with her family in Telemark. After Jashan arrives, there is a culture clash and Thea tells Jashan that she will wait for the right time to tell her mother Anne-Lise about their engagement. For Jashan, the Christmas trip is a roller coaster of emotions as he learns about Teeny Tiny Christmas (December 22), Thea's family is not used to his Indian food, disrupts Thea's niece while she sings in church, and learns about Jørgen, Thea's neighbor who had a relationship with her for five years.
The real Thea and Jashan (Mia Holmsen and Akshay Chawdhry) cameo as themselves at the end of the film.
A critic from NRK P3 wrote that "The film's uncomfortable mood also blocks the Christmas spirit for far too long, but viewers who persevere will get a version of postcard Christmas cheer and nods to "Love Actually" eventually. Even for a Christmas streaming movie lover, 'Then it was Christmas again' becomes too thin a soup spread too thick".[2] A critic from Vink wrote that "This new Norwegian Christmas comedy follows a well-known and beloved recipe. But it is not particularly funny".[3]
A critic from Decider wrote that "SKIP IT, if anything, just to show solidarity towards Jashan. #JusticeforJashan. You deserve better, king".[4] A critic from Ready Steady Cut wrote that "Other than the weird plot and content, the film is nicely shot and there are some comedic moments that allow Christmas as Usual to be a nice, easy watch. However, it is not going to be a Christmas film I suggest watching every year — once will be enough".[5]
A critic from Times Now rated the film 1 out of 5 stars and wrote that "The film does have a few amusing moments, but that's not enough to tide the viewer through the rest of the mess. You're better off catching an actual Bollywood romance instead".[6] A critic from The Times of India rated the film three out of five stars and wrote that "Christmas As Usual is not a great film but it's not without its merits. Moments of genuine amusement pepper the film, making it an option for those seeking a light-hearted Christmas film this festive season".[7]