Summary
A typical Christmas rom-com. Except for this time, its focus is on three gay characters! Although the film is cheesy as hell, there are lots to enjoy in Single All the Way.
This review of the Netflix film Single All the Way does not contain any spoilers.
The best thing about Single All the Way is that it’s Netflix’s first gay Christmas-themed rom-com film. Which is a cause of celebration! Also, openly gay actors play the gay characters, which only acts as another winning formula for the film. Lead actor Michael Urie, who plays Peter, stated that after agreeing to star in the film, he asked that the characters get played by actors who were themselves openly gay. His reasons were because he felt it would be vital to the success of the film if he could act with those who understand the true feelings of the characters.
And to be fair, it completely works! Michael Urie, Philemon Chambers (Nick), and Luke Macfarlane (James) are more than believable in their roles. As for the other cast members, such as Kathy Najimy (Carole) and Jennifer Coolidge (Aunt Sandy), they add a certain charm to the film, which is blissful to watch. The only improvement that could be made is to provide Jennifer Coolidge with moments that will have you laughing out loud. Her character feels dramatically underused.
As for the film itself, it is very much like every other rom-com out there. The typical “love story” is there, complete with a cheesy as hell storyline. But this isn’t necessarily a negative. Most rom-com have these qualities, and if a good middle-of-the-road rom-com is what you’re after, Single All the Way fits the bill. There are moments in Single All the Way that fall flat, however. More so in the first act, but, some of the characters fall into the typical stereotypes that have been way overdone. Plus, what was the need for Peter’s pointless obsession with his plant? It wasn’t comfortable nor funny to watch, and the scene became tiresome within 30 seconds, if not before.
With that in mind, for the most part, Single All the Way succeeds with what it set out to achieve. It’s a typical Christmas rom-com, except this time, it’s based on gay characters. Which, for many, could be the movie they need this Christmas time.
You can stream Single All the Way exclusively on Netflix.
