The holiday themed romcom was written by Hailey DeDominicis and directed by Stephen Herek. It has a bigger budget feel than other cheesy Netflix movies. Perhaps it’s an increase in the production value or just the star power of Lohan herself. The tagline from Netflix calls it a “witty rom com with more twists than a candy cane” which is pretty accurate. But watching I couldn’t help but think of a better one: Meet the Parents (at Christmas).
The Plot
It’s Christmas, and Avery (Lindsay Lohan) is meeting her boyfriend’s family for the first time. Cameron (Jon Rudnitsky) has a zany family, led by his mother Erica (Kristin Chenoweth).
Cameron’s younger sister, Cassie (Katie Baker) is also revealing her significant other to the fam. Unbeknownst to Avery, Cassie’s new beau Logan (Ian Harding) is her ex whom she hasn’t spoken with in a decade after a falling out. Avery and Logan decide to keep their former relationship a secret from the rest of the family, hence the title of the film. There are other twists, but I won’t spoil them.
“Our Little Secret” follows an oft used formula. Pitting two former lovers together in a new situation. Confined to Cameron’s house for the holidays, we already know what’s going to happen. The current partners will be tarnished. And Avery and Logan will reconnect by the end of the movie. What’s fun is the journey of how they will get there.
You Don’t Mess with the Lohan
Lindsay Lohan is mastering the art of a comical adult characters. Don’t take things too seriously and maintain a constant degree of charm. Avery is navigating an awkward situation, new boyfriend in front of old boyfriend. All the while trying to win over Cameron’s mother. One of the funniest scenes has Avery accidentally consuming THC gummies before she’s doing a reading at church. As previously stated, it parallels “Meet the Parents” in many ways.
Ian Harding has a great chemistry with Lohan. The viewer will like the Logan character and be rooting for him from the start. He was in love, she wasn’t ready. The falling out wasn’t totally his fault, and his actions in the aftermath are understandable. Avery teases Logan for dating the much younger Cassie. Logan tries to help Avery win over Erica. It never goes according to plan. I read that Lohan and Harding filmed scenes out of order to maintain verisimilitude of the awkward situations. And it works.
Kristin Chenoweth is a seamless fit as an overbearing hard to please mother. A funny bit is the display of yearly family portraits hanging in a hallway, with Erica’s image being the only one that never ages. It fits with other roles Chenoweth has played. “It’s like a horror movie.” Avery whispers when she sees them.
I also liked Jake Brennan as Callum, the youngest sibling. He serves as a cog in the wheel, supplying the THC gummies and being the first to find out about Avery and Logan’s past.
“Our Little Secret” is another great one. Lohan demonstrates the art of cheese with a funny and well-rounded story. Available only on Netflix, it’s a perfect watch for the post-Thanksgiving weekend.
