Holiday Rush: Simple and likeable offering

Holiday Rush is one more Christmas-themed movie from Netflix. Directed by Leslie Small, the 94-minute-long film centres on a black family for whom Christmas is accompanied by bad news.

The film stars Romany Malco as Rashon ‘Rush’ Williams, a widower with four children. Rush loses his job of a radio DJ when Christmas is around the corner. Sonequa Martin-Green is Roxy, Rush’s manager, friend and love interest.

Life before the sudden loss of job has been a stress-free experience for the DJ. His hefty salary has allowed him to live in luxury - and spoil his kids thoroughly. The children, the eldest a son, followed by a daughter and twin girls, are used to the best.

Rush confronts the worst after a corporate behemoth swallows his radio station and replaces him with another DJ. His show has been popular, but the new management decides to introduce a new flavour in the same time slot.

Out go Rush and Roxy, and the former quickly realises that he cannot afford the same lifestyle. His son Jamal (Amarr M. Wooten) gets a ticket to Harvard, but he must study in a community college because Rush cannot pay for his education in the Ivy League university. Christmas gifts for the children have been expensive in the past. This time, his daughters want miniature horses, which Rush cannot buy.

The DJ puts up his house for sale so that he can pay a part of the money that is required to buy a small radio station where Roxy and he had got their first break. Rest of the money comes from Roxy and Aunty Jo (Darlene Love), who lives in the modest Queens area. Rush and his children move into Aunty‘s house, a decision the latter detest. What happens thereafter? The Christmas-themed comedy doesn’t end on a sad note, which is not surprising.

Holiday Rush is a short film with its share of weaknesses. Malco shares an easy chemistry with Martin-Green, but their romantic track takes too long to develop. The relationship between Jamal and Rush is depicted rather well, although the son sheds his disappointment with the current situation too easily. None of the three daughters is a well-developed character, but Aunty Jo is a pleasing presence in a story without surprises.

So, should you see or avoid Holiday Rush? If you enjoy simple rom-coms in which actors are reasonably good and there are no teardrop-inducing subplots, the film may not disappoint you.

Holiday Rush, in other words, should appeal to those who like stories without grim moments and tragic endings. The screenplay isn’t terrible, which has been the shortcoming of several recent Netflix films.

Rush and his family ultimately have a good Christmas, which is likely to make you smile.