The Christmas season is the season of nostalgia, there is no doubt about that. Cozy classic movies to get into the Christmas spirit, hot chocolates with tiny marshmallows warmly hugged by whipped cream, fuzzy socks, and ugly Christmas sweaters. It doesn’t really get better than this. Or does it?
Netflix seems to have accepted the challenge, as the streaming service showed that maybe it is time to add something new. Something that no one would even think of. Some spice, if you will, and the conversation is not about a gingerbread spice mix. Netflix did just that. The Merry Gentlemen is only one of the new Christmas movies on Netflix which takes on a rather new approach.
- Release Date
-
November 20, 2024
- Cast
-
Chad Michael Murray
, Britt Robertson
, marla sokoloff
, Maxwell Caulfield
, Colt Prattes
, Hector David Jr.
, Marc Anthony Samuel
, Beth Broderick
, Michael Gross
, Maria Canals-Barrera
, Meredith Thomas - Runtime
-
85 minutes
How The Merry Gentlemen Is Connected to Magic Mike
Centering on the life of Ashley, who is played by Britt Robertson, The Merry Gentlemen follows a young woman as she loses her job as a professional dancer in the city and decides to travel back home to the small town where she is from in order to spend Christmas with her family. Once she arrives there, she finds that her parents’ performing venue is running out of business, and they will soon be forced to close the doors for good. Finding purpose in saving her parents’ dreams, she comes up with the idea of creating an all-male dance show with a Christmas theme. Trying to bring in enough money, she is set on spicing it up a little, and, to her luck, a family friend and good-looking carpenter, Luke, is willing to help her out.
Ashley teaches Luke and two others dance moves, which certainly look familiar. Their (shirtless) dancing and the occasional muscle play reminds not just a little, but a lot of the comedy drama movie from 2012, Magic Mike. With Channing Tatum, Matthew McConaughey, and more portraying the main characters, the movie fundamentally highlights their performances as talented strippers. The Merry Gentlemen undoubtedly draws from those dance performances, and picks up some of the much-needed spice in order to bring some new flavor to the classic Christmas genre.
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Christmas Rom-Coms Are Getting a Makeover
In one way or the other, Christmas movies have always been about romance, love, joy, and the occasional lighthearted family drama. Whether it was the meet-cute under the mistletoe, the sweet baking sessions, or the profound declarations of love in front of a massive crowd or through iconic signs like in the best Christmas movie of all time, Love Actually, Christmas and romance go hand in hand.
The Merry Gentlemen is holding on to similar themes, as it includes some family drama and unexpected love, but it also brings something new to the table by showing a little, or sometimes even a lot, of skin. Classic Christmas movies are special, but they can also become repetitive. With its new Christmas hit, Netflix has allowed the movie genre to take on a slightly different direction, and loosen up a bit.
The Merry Gentlemen isn’t the only raunchy Christmas movie that the year 2024 has seen. Merely a week before the release of the movie featuring Magic-Mike meets Christmas men candy, another steamy Netflix movie hit the screens. Netflix’s new holiday hit Hot Frosty is sure to melt away the ice, as lead actor Dustin Milligan, who portrays Jack the incredibly chiseled snowman, shows his abs not once, but numerous times. And everyone seems to be here for it.
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Does Netflix’s Mix-Up of Naughty and Nice Work?
At first, the thought of drifting away from nice and rather focusing on a more naughty side in the Christmas rom-com genre seems slightly ridiculous, since it is such an established genre. However, there is no denying that showing more skin, adding more spice, and focusing on sexiness brings some fresh air, and it seems like Netflix subscribers are loving it.
Both The Merry Gentlemen and Hot Frosty are well-received, as the two steamy Netflix Christmas hits are still enjoying Netflix’s top 10 ranking. Netflix has entered a new era, and marked the beginning of a new, more progressive season. It’s a good thing that viewers are open to spicing up the genre, because this season has much more steaminess in stock. Ian Harding and Lindsay Lohan’s Our Little Secret, whose title already hints at some sexy moments, is next on the Christmas naughty list, and will be followed by Sabrina Carpenter’s A Nonsense Christmas Holiday Special. Keeping Sabrina Carpenter’s steamy performances on stage in mind, this Netflix music special will certainly be filled with sexiness.
The festive season has always and will always be connected to the beloved classic Christmas movies, but there is still room for a little change. 2024 could really use some progressive change, and Netflix is seemingly helping out with it. It’s all about the combination and balance of naughty and nice, and Hot Frosty as well as The Merry Gentlemen show just that. The Merry Gentlemen is available to stream on Netflix.