If the Marvel Cinematic Universe needs tips and tricks to nail down time travel and romance, it needs to look no further at what Hallmark continues to accomplish with the genre. Logistics? Eh, who cares about that stuff when the magic feels transcendent and the story remains engaging from beginning to end? This viewer sure doesn’t. Hallmark’s A Biltmore Christmas joins A Timeless Christmas as a holiday gem featuring time travel in a way that works.
Starring Bethany Joy Lenz and Kristoffer Polaha, the noir-inspired film—nay, picture—is a gorgeous showcase of why happy endings matter in worlds of fiction we create. Written by Marcy Holland and directed by John Putch, Hallmark’s A Biltmore Christmas works entirely because of the message it leaves viewers with at a time when we’re still (and always) scouring the sea for wholesome content. At the same time, there’s always something genuinely enticing for romance genre connoisseurs about the one who doesn’t believe in fairytale endings, finding something indescribably magical when they least expect it.