‘My Secret Santa’ Brings Holiday Cheer with a Gender-Swapped Twist on Classic Christmas Romance
Netflix’s latest holiday offering proves there’s still magic in the Mrs. Doubtfire playbook…. When Taylor Jacobson loses her job at a cookie company just before Christmas, she faces every single parent’s worst nightmare: unpaid rent, mounting bills, and a daughter who deserves better. Her solution? Don a white beard, pad her belly, and become the one thing a struggling ski resort desperately needs Santa Claus himself.
Netflix’s My Secret Santa, which premiered December 3rd, takes the beloved disguise comedy formula and wraps it in tinsel and fairy lights. Directed by Mike Rohl and written by Carley Smale and Ron Oliver, the film stars Alexandra Breckenridge as Taylor, a resourceful single mom whose desperation leads her down an increasingly complicated path of holiday deception.
A Ho-Ho-Wholesome Premise with Heart
The setup is delightfully absurd in the way only Christmas movies can pull off. Taylor doesn’t just need any job she needs one that comes with employee perks, specifically discounted snowboarding lessons at Sun Peak ski resort for her teenage daughter Zoey (Madison MacIsaac). When she overhears that the resort is desperately seeking a Santa after theirs retired, Taylor enlists her brother Eric and his partner Kenny to transform her into “Hugh,” an elderly gentleman with a knack for holiday cheer.
What follows is a carefully choreographed dance of dual identities that would make Robin Williams proud. Taylor must maintain her Santa disguise while also pursuing a budding romance with Matthew Layne (Ryan Eggold), the resort owner’s son who’s been installed as general manager after some unspecified wild behavior in Italy. The twist? Matthew had already tried to ask Taylor out after recognizing her from her high school rock band, The Screaming Kittens a detail that adds a layer of “what could have been” to their interactions.
More Than Just Mistaken Identity
While the film mines plenty of comedy from Taylor’s quick-change act between beard and red dress, it’s surprisingly thoughtful about the economics of single parenthood. Taylor isn’t disguising herself for a lark she’s doing it because the system has failed her, and creative desperation becomes her only option. The film doesn’t shy away from showing the weight of unpaid rent or the guilt of a parent who can’t afford to give her child what she deserves.
The supporting cast adds warmth and dimension to what could have been a one-note premise. Tia Mowry appears as part of the ensemble, while Diana Maria Riva plays Doralee, Taylor’s building superintendent who adds an unexpected romantic subplot when she develops feelings for the man she believes is Taylor’s visiting father. It’s a complication that’s both humorous and surprisingly sweet.
When the Beard Comes Off
The film’s third act follows the traditional rom-com beat of truth and consequences. Marketing VP Natasha (who, in a nice touch, has her own character arc involving her daughter Ava) discovers Taylor’s deception through a simple social security number search a refreshingly practical unmasking for a genre that often relies on convoluted reveals.
But what could have been a disaster becomes a moment of community support. When Taylor is exposed at the resort’s annual Christmas party, she rushes to her injured daughter’s side, revealing her true voice and priorities. The viral video that follows isn’t one of mockery but of admiration both for Taylor’s dedication as a mother and for the genuine kindness “Hugh” showed to children during his brief tenure as Santa.
Matthew’s response is particularly notable. Rather than joining the pile-on, he steps forward to take responsibility, and later delivers a speech that reframes the entire controversy: “The concept of Santa is really kindness, generosity and love.” It’s the kind of thesis statement that elevates the film beyond mere farce.
A Feel-Good Formula That Still Works
My Secret Santa won’t reinvent the holiday rom-com genre, but it doesn’t need to. What it offers is a competent, warm-hearted take on familiar themes with enough fresh angles to keep things interesting. Breckenridge, known for her dramatic work on Virgin River, shows excellent comedic timing as she navigates the physical comedy of the disguise while maintaining emotional authenticity as a struggling parent.
The film also deserves credit for its depiction of modern family structures from Eric and Kenny’s relationship to Natasha and Ava’s mother-daughter dynamic without making a big deal about it. These characters simply exist within the story’s world, which feels appropriate for 2025.
At its heart, this is a movie about second chances: for Taylor to find stability and romance, for Matthew to prove himself to his father, for Zoey to see her mother as more than just a caretaker, and even for lonely Doralee to find connection. That it wraps all these storylines in a bow while maintaining a TV-PG rating and keeping things genuinely funny is no small feat.
The Verdict
My Secret Santa delivers exactly what its premise promises a cozy, lighthearted holiday romance with enough heart to justify its more ridiculous moments. It’s the kind of movie best enjoyed with hot chocolate, a cozy blanket, and a willingness to embrace the season’s spirit of suspended disbelief. Sometimes, that’s all a Christmas movie needs to be.
And if you find yourself wondering whether you’ve seen this plot before, just remember: we’ve all been willing to disguise ourselves as something we’re not to make ends meet. Taylor just took it more literally than most.
My Secret Santa is now streaming on Netflix.
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