Ivan Radford | On 15, Dec 2023

Director: Jim O’Hanlon
Cast: Asa Butterfield, Cora Kirk, Daniel Mays, Alex Jennings, David Bradley, Angela Griffin, Jane Krakowski
Certificate: 12

Your Christmas or Mine?, Amazon’s romantic comedy about a young couple who accidentally end up solo at each other’s family homes for Christmas, wasn’t the most memorable affair. It’s a pleasant surprise, then, that Your Christmas or Mine 2 – its uninventively titled sequel – is a warm step up from the original.

Asa Butterfield and Cora Kirk return to reprise their roles of James and Hayley, two star-crossed students – James, a wealthy descendant of British aristocracy, Hayley, a Macclesfield girl with a working class clan in toe. Joining them are Alex Jennings, reprising his scene-stealing role as James’ frosty father, Humphrey, and David Bradley as James’ outspoken grandad, Jack, and Daniel Mays as Hayley’s boisterous dad, Geoff, and Angel Griffin as Hayley’s grounded mum, Kath.

Last time, it was only come the final act that the contrasting groups met face to face, so the sequel has an instant advantage by smartly realising a crucial detail: the story’s strength lies in letting the culture clash play out in front of us. It’s less romantic comedy and more ensemble farce, and all the better for it. Instead of leaving the supporting characters as mere stereotypes with no screentime, the supporting cast get a chance to enjoy themselves more – and endear themselves to us in the process. Jennings’ withdrawn widower builds on his grief with the spark of something new with American girlfriend Diane (Jane Krakowski), while Mays’ comic timing shines – and both men find themselves giving relationship advice to their kids.

This time round, the miscommunication stems from Geoff accidentally booking his family into the Hotel Bergschaf – a tiny cliffside shack – rather than the five-star ski resort the Hotel Schafberg where James’ family are staying. When they swap transports and luggage, they wind up in unexpected surroundings – “We’re staying in the dark ages!” – but they soon get together to correct the mistake, and shenanigans ensue.

Those shenanigans primarily involve James and Hayley’s relationship, and Butterfield and Kirk’s convincing and earnest chemistry sink their teeth into more complex material than the first film’s cookie-cutter scenario. From old flames and new horizons, they actually get to work through some genuine tension, which may well leave you more emotionally invested than you might think. The result is a sweet sequel that ups the laughs, heart and charm to winning effect.

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