The 2024 Netflix calendar has been stuffed with fun Christmas flicks from stars like Lacey Chabert, Christina Milian and Chad Michael Murray, but it’s not really the holidays until Lindsay Lohan hits the Christmas movie schedule, right? Our Little Secret is the latest from LiLo’s partnership with one of the best streaming services, and critics were able to screen the project ahead of its November 27 release. Let’s see what holiday hijinks await.
Our Little Secret will see Lindsay Lohan’s Avery bump into her ex when she goes home with her boyfriend to spend their first Christmas together. The former couple choose to keep their history a secret from the other revelers. An impressive ensemble lends their talents, including Ian Harding, Kristin Chenoweth, Dan Bucatinsky, Judy Reyes and Lohan’s Mean Girls co-star Tim Meadows, but unfortunately, Variety’s Owen Gleiberman says that’s not enough to save this movie from being a full cringe-fest. The critic writes:
I’m perfectly capable of enjoying a cheesy Lindsay Lohan Netflix rom-com. Last year, I liked Irish Wish, and got tweaked for it. (I stand by the affection.) But Our Little Secret, Lohan’s new Christmas rom-com, is crumpled tinsel of a different order. I’m tempted to say that it achieves full Netflix cookie-cutter. I cringed, I grimaced, I said ‘No!…,’ I forced myself to stop looking at how much time there was left.
Johnny Oleksinski of the N.Y. Post disagrees with the above critic, but only so far as how much they enjoyed Irish Wish. The cringe was aplenty for Oleksinski, who said that while Lindsay Lohan’s two previous Netflix rom-coms were “atrocious,” Our Little Secret is merely “bad.” Hard pass, he says, rating the film 1.5 out of 4 stars:
Even [Kristin Chenoweth] can’t make logical sense of all the tonal strangeness of this film, directed by Stephen Herek. Although a quick summary would suggest that Our Little Secret is the simplest and most domestic of Lohan’s trilogy of terror, the devices that lead to its wrap-up are anything but Hallmark happy: A grandmother’s dementia and infidelity ending a long-term marriage. No laughs or tears at any of those downers — only cringes.
Emma Kiely of Collider gives the movie 4 out of 10, saying the movie can’t execute its playful plot due to a lack of chemistry between Lindsay Lohan and Ian Harding, along with the fact that there is no attempt to make the characters talk like real humans. Kiely says:
Our Little Secret fails as a romance and as a movie featuring dialogue that resembles real life. Still, it very much succeeds in being a showcase for Lindsay Lohan’s comedic timing and Ian Harding’s natural charisma. A movie that sees the pair playing siblings trying to survive the shenanigans of a holiday family reunion would surely use their abilities to greater effect. In comparison to Lohan’s inaugural Netflix romance, in which she has some palpable chemistry with Chord Overstreet, Our Little Secret won’t give you the swoony romantic allure that we all crave this time of year. Come for Lohan, stay for Harding, and watch until the end for Kristin Chenoweth — all while ignoring some of the most robotic dialogue your ears ever heard.
Archika Khurana of Times of India says the lead actors try their best to navigate the awkward material, but the plot is too contrived to allow either of them to shine. Khurana rates the 2.5 stars out of 5, writing:
Ultimately, Our Little Secret is a holiday film that misses the mark. It’s not funny enough to be truly entertaining, nor does it offer enough heart to satisfy fans of romantic comedies. Instead, it’s a lukewarm, campy affair—a mix of holiday clichés and forced humor, making it more of a guilty pleasure than a feel-good festive favorite.
However, Sarah Musnicky of But Why Tho seems to feel no guilt about her love for Our Little Secret. If you’re going to watch just one of Netflix’s holiday offerings, forgo Christina Milian’s perfect holiday flick, just say no to Hot Frosty’s “cheeky, wanton lust” and dance right past Chad Michael Murray’s “spicy but comical” flick. Lindsay Lohan is where the holidays are. Musnicky gives Our Little Secret an 8 out of 10 and says:
The characters and story’s nuances make Our Little Secret not-so-secretly great. The connection between Lindsay Lohan’s Avery and Ian Harding’s Logan feels natural and lived-in, selling the fact that they’ve been friends their entire lives with ease. The dialogue further enhances this, with their mutual line deliveries being snappy and quick as soon as they are together.
Those who have invested time into the somewhat confusing Netflix’s Christmas universe or Lindsay Lohan’s light-hearted contributions to the streamer (guilty on both accounts) will likely not be deterred by the overall negative reviews coming out of Our Little Secret, so fire up that Netflix subscription, because the movie is available to stream now.
