User reviews

Funny view on culture crash between Norway and the outside world.

Remember that there are only 5 million Norwegians, and Jul and May 17 are days where we are focused on our traditions. Our ways are a bit strange.

Jashan is representing the outside world. Nothing to do with his nationality specifically.

As a Norwegian I felt this made me think of how hung up we are on our traditions.

25% of our population migrated to USA in the late 1800s. For those left it was a crisis and the national romanticism started in Norway. Bunad, Jul tradition and more were important when rebuilding our nation's self esteem.

Thea was the only moderately redeemable character of the lot (and I guess the kid). I actually kind of hoped she would just run away from this circus of clowns, each of whom brought the fine viewers a rich palette of personality characteristics, ranging from the mildly disagreeable to the stupidly obnoxious.

Her finance Jashan... you ask someone off-hand to marry you and don't get an enthusiastic "yes;" then you show up at her family's doorstep during the holidays and start judging their traditions and imposing your own? I mean, I may not be up on all the latest trends, but am I meant to be told that a little self-awareness has gone out of style? What a pathetic rube, sorry!

Now, the mom. What kind of a bizarre household does she lead here? Am I missing something, or should you be way more understanding of a stranger not eating your bizarre delicacies, and way less accepting of someone using your kitchen or getting in a brawl? I mean, he's from another country not another planet. Just use some common sense!

As for the family and the ex - let me think... vapid, dim-witted, petty. These are a few words that come to mind. Okay, I did laugh at a couple of Simen's one-liners.

Overall, I get that they were trying to play on the culture clash thread (a genius ploy, as I don't recall this ever having been tried before). Unfortunately, everything else - from the interest level of the plot to the elemental reasonableness of the characters - was subjugated to these awkward tropes and cheap laughs. Of course, I'm sure this was always intended as a light comedy, and it was at least successful at not being a total bore.

I guess the part that saddens me is that it felt like maybe the filmmakers saw themselves as in on the joke - like "let's at least all agree that all these antiquated cultural norms are kind of a laugh." Cultural traditions can get stale, yes, but they are vectors for common values, belonging, depth, meaning, unity, and relationships. If these Netflix producers think they are mostly a punchline, then, I guess I pity them even more than their bumbling characters.

The cultural clash awaits as newly engaged Jashan and Thea fly to Norway to her family for celebrating Christmas. She hasn't informed her family about Jashan being an Indian, not even his full name and she wants to have a perfect Christmas celebration to find the right time to break the announcement. But his family is not nice towards Jashan with her ex boyfriend living next door to make couple of crucial moments complicated and she doesn't think preparing Jashan or giving him an heads up was necessary. Will she have her Christmas and save her love story forms rest of the story.

It's the age old love story of two people from different parts of the world, falling in love and one of them trying to fit into the world of the other. The problem is how one toned the characters are, giving little chance to empathize with any of them. Things keep getting hard for Jashan and what follows next was intended to be funny but it did not evoke any laughter. Limited India to the population count and spicy food was also not in good taste. Now characters can be self centered, but the narrative has to be balanced which wasn't the case here. This just didn't give enough to root for Thea as the film only succeeded in making me feel sad and sad for Jashan.

Why would you pack a kurta while travelling to Norway for Christmas?

As Norwegian with Indian girlfriend watched this movie and found it hillerious both of us.

I relly relate to the "Its christmas" statement. And from my point of view many Norwegians behaves like this st christmas times. Everything has to be as its always been. And my Indian girlfriend related with the Indian main character for being to loud in an norwegian setting.

I feel like this wasnt about racism it was about cultural differences and gow difficult it can be atleast in big events as christmas.

Even tho the storyline wassnt the best i still find it really funny and i recommend watching it.

I watched the movie with very high hopes but ended up being highly disappointed. It is a lost opportunity and I feel it would probably offend people from both the countries. I am Indian and no, we don't behave like Jashan. His character was downright rude and obnoxious. I felt the Secondhand embarassment throughout. Thea's family was equally hostile towards Jashan. Eventually it was a mess where no-one could evoke any sympathy! I think the only likeable characters were the child and her mother. The last 5 minutes of the movie were good. Rest of the movie is completely directionless in my opinion.

"Så var det jul igjen" is an outstanding film that demands to be seen in its original language. This Norwegian movie brilliantly navigates the complexities of Christmas traditions, presenting them in a light that is both humorous and insightful. The film introduces a cultural shock that, contrary to initial expectations, is remarkably believable and well-executed. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I laughed, having braced myself for a cliché and uninspiring holiday movie. Instead, what I found was a delightful blend of wit and charm that breathes new life into the often predictable genre of Christmas films. This movie is a hidden gem that deserves a wider audience.

He certainly annoyed me, she perhaps wasn't perfect either but you don't cook in someone's home without asking, and speaking loudly outside a church when people are inside !

I did see it through to the end but it wouldn't have mattered if I hadn't.

Everyone's culture is different and I don't feel he embraced hers either. He comes across arrogant expecting people to like him although he's pushy.

I wish there had been an update at the end to tell us what happened in real life as this is based on fact ! Did they marry and live happily ever after and are they still married?

I won't be telling my friends its a film they must see !

Jashan is over the top obnoxious as is most of this cast. Everyone is so flat, or uninteresting, or just mean. Jashan is like a bull in a china shop, he is wholly self unaware, doesn't bring much to the table. Nothing likable about his overbearing character. I was rooting for the girl to dump him. The Norwegian family is wholly inflexible and just not likable at all from the start. There is no chemistry between the two main characters. This may be technically a Christmas movie, but there is no warmth or real affection, especially at the end of the movie where they try to wrap it into a nice little funny love fest package, but it fails miserably. They could have called this Skunk, because-yes it's a stinker. Could have been better, writing was awful.

I feel like I need to state my "credentials" before posting my opinion on this movie. I am a non-Norwegian who's been married to a Norwegian for 10 years so have literally been the "outsider" at a Norwegian family Christmas in a similar way to the Jashan character in the film when we first got together. Since then I have lived in Norway for a time and become very familiar with the culture, language etc. As such, I thought the film was overall pretty enjoyable and found that the situation portrayed in the film was very accurate and relatable, albeit in an exaggerated, comedic way.

I am surprised at the low ratings this film has received and I feel like a lot of the negative reviews of the film are taking it FAR too seriously and people are being extremely sensitive about the issues portrayed. Yes, the "Norwegian-ness" of the Norwegian characters in the film is somewhat cliche and their insularity is exaggerated. However, it's a light-hearted Xmas comedy! It's not supposed to be a documentary, or be a serious look at cultural and social issues around race and identity.

I actually felt that the film did quite a good job at making all sides partially to blame for the misunderstandings that arise, which is generally the case in situations where no side is being deliberately malicious. The overall moral of the story seems to be that sensitivity, patience and understanding are the solution for the differences that naturally arise when different people and cultures meet.

All in all, I think people need to chill out and adjust their expectations regarding this film.

Not a single likable character in the movie - they are either obnoxious, rude, bigoted, and/or just plain stupid. I genuinely couldn't figure out if some of the scenes were meant to be comedic or not. I don't recall cracking a smile even one single time while watching it. The plot is old and boring and has been done before (and done much better) and was full of unfunny weird stereotypes for this day and age. It was so bad that I had to turn it off about half way through. And that says a lot because I've watched plenty of crappy Christmas movies. Would not recommend to anyone, it's a big waste of time.

It's a Christmas movie. Just like hundreds of them. You expect to have a good time, drop some laughs from the awkwardness and that's all. We cannot always expect "Love Actually".

And for the people who thinks that's awful and makes sense and the characters are not believable... come one, it says right at the beginning that is a true story!

Most of the characters have ridiculous situations and apart from artistic freedom, thinking that some of them happened to the real "Shazam" and Thea... well, I can relate. Mothers in law and unfitting can be like that.

So, it's not Love Actually as said before but also it is not mass production Christmas's Walmart movies.

This movie, about Thea who is going to her rural hometown to celebrate a classic Norwegian Christmas with her family, is an okay comedy movie.

It's not a movie you should take seriously because it's silly in several ways, which is not a bad thing. It contains mostly funny actors and elements that tries to give the audience some laughs. I admit that I'm not satisfied with Ida Ursun-Holm's (as Thea Evjen) performance. She doesn't do bad, but I feel like she's trying too hard, like she's trying to become a popular Hollywood actress who speaks perfect American English. I cringe most of the time because she acts very cheesy, but I also think that's because of the directing and script in general. It doesn't feel natural sometimes. The movie also has some pacing issues and it varies from being funny to boring fourth and back where it also can get confusing if the movie actually is a silly or a serious comedy, or maybe a mixed one. However, there are characters in the movie that use their part to entertain, especially the protagonist Thea Evjen's brother, Simen Evjen, who is just like the actor, Erik Follestad, in real life himself. So overall, this is a mixed bag.

Certainly, this movie delivers some humorous moments and entertaining characters, but it falters due to pacing issues and a somewhat inconsistent tone. The over-the-top performance of Ursin-Holm, coupled with the uneven direction and script, detracts from the overall experience. While the movie's charm lies in its lightheartedness and cultural clashes, a stronger focus on naturalism and a clearer genre identity could have elevated it from a mixed bag to a more cohesive and enjoyable comedy experience.

As a Norwegian, this was hard to watch for many reasons. The main male lead has little to no respect for the culture he is brought into and is very ignorant. The main female character seems just plain dumb for not preparing her fiance and I wish she would explain some of her family's traditions instead of just referring to them as "just a part of the tradition". Traditions in all cultures have their reasons for existing and in most cases can be rationalized in some way or another. Its sad that this movie is mainly based around cultural conflict without setting a stage for how to properly solve such issues.

Similar plot and story with a Norwegian angle, perhaps. If you're not Norwegian or familiar with the culture, many of the jokes will be lost on you. As an American with a Norwegian wife whose lived in Norway for 14 years, I could relate to Jashan somewhat. Of course everything is a bit exaggerated but that's comedy. Of course the cultural differences are played up but it's based on some real things too.

Fitting into a new family even without the challenges of a cross cultural element can be challenging. And holidays are good fodder for odd food and strange traditions.

This story even had the ex component which was also a theme in Meet the Fockers.

All in all, we enjoyed it.

I think this is nicely "rugged" for a Christmas movie. It depicts really well how internalized racism can be and it also represents the difficulties that a grown-up person can have with their parents.

Thea is a modern person living abroad with her Indian boyfriend, but her family still lives in a small town in Norway and they are really prejudiced. When she comes home to celebrate Christmas she has to stand her mother's attempts to make things "normal" again, aka her getting conveniently back together with a boy next door.

She feels an inner conflict that she is unable to speak of, neither to her future husband or her family. She is embarrassed to tell Jashan that her families prejudices exist, so she tries to act normal to him. Simultaneously she tries to please her family and keep their Christmas "perfect", thinking that this will help them accept Jashan.

But eventually she learns that communication is the key to acceptance.

I think some of the reviewers might have misunderstood the movie a bit. The movie is an accurate depiction of narrow-mindedness that still does exist, unfortunately, and it is not supposed to me pleasing to watch.

The movie was entertaining and offered a lot to think about, though the acting felt quite flat overall. The plot touches on cultural clashes, especially with Jashan's behavior abroad, which felt inappropriate and, frankly, disrespectful-particularly in the context of celebrating Christmas. As a Moroccan, I found it embarrassing and can understand why many Indians might feel the same. However, it also felt a bit exaggerated at times, leaving me uncertain about its accuracy. Despite that, the film's message of love transcending cultures and traditions was heartwarming, and I was glad to see love prevail in the end.

The Indian boyfriend is obnoxious, without any apologies for what is really atrocious and rude behavior. He gaslights his fiance into saying it was all her fault. The family is racist and rude as well. Aside from the little girl, I don't know that I could root for any one. I was actually hoping she ended the engagement and that the family felt bad for being so rude (the awful brother), only trying to redeem themselves at the end of the film when the main character is in tears. If you are a woman with respect for yourself, this is not the movie for you. I would never watch this with my daughters. No joy.

I don't know the purpose behind writing the character of Jashan, played by Kanan Gill, the way it was written. But he was rude and obnoxious and judgemental !!

I hated him the whole movie and would have slapped him if he was for real !!

All the through the movie his character keeps whining and complaining. He has ZERO respect for other's cultures and single handedly spoils the reputation of his own Culture.

I wish the movie was a bit of on the grey area and focussed on the differences. It would have been a great movie. Rather it portrayed Kanan as an idiot. If he doesn't like other cultures then he should marry a desi !!