When Zoey (Jane Levy) finds out her family plans to split up for Christmas, it seems as though nothing will stop her from keeping them together.
Zoey and her family picking out the perfect tree / Picture Credit: Roku
Synopsis
Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas, which is out now on The Roku Channel, follows the titular character Zoey, whose father has recently passed away. Now facing her first Christmas without him, things get even stranger when an MRI scan goes wrong and she's left with an odd and unique power...
Zoey can now hear people’s ‘Heart Songs’, meaning she knows their true feelings about certain matters through dance numbers she sees in her head. Luckily for her, her boyfriend Max (Skylar Astin) has the same abilities, and the pair are constantly in flux about why they can hear the true emotions of others.
Without her father by her side, Zoey desperately wishes to put together the perfect holiday, but there’s just one problem: her family all have plans to leave town.
Despite her family’s wishes to spend Christmas elsewhere, Zoey begs them all to stay so she can throw the perfect Christmas Eve event, exactly like her father did; but is that what her late pops would have wanted?
The movie is based on the Emmy award-winning series, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, which debuted in 2020 and quickly became one of TV’s most buzz-worthy shows.
So, what did I think?
While many musicals have the trait of being a tad obnoxious and loud, Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas took this idea and maximised it to 11.
I knew I was headed into a Christmas musical, but I had no idea of the oddity that befell me. This is in no means a heavy criticism however, as the narrative was rather strong, but some of the scenes, particularly the dance numbers, overshadowed the meaningful message.
The plot was something I adored, and as someone who has also lost someone close to me, I resonated with Zoey when she got upset at not spending Christmas with her family. Her love for traditions was also something many can relate to, and so I came to love her quirky character.
I was slightly taken aback by the start of this feature, however, as there was no gentle easing into the festivities that surrounds Zoey; there is a very short explanation of how she got her powers, the loss of her dad, and that was it.
It felt a little rushed, seeing as though Zoey was incredibly close with her father; combining this with her new ability, clearly impacts her on an emotional level. Having said this, these elements are touched upon in the rest of the film, but the beginning simply felt a little rushed to me.
The whole movie is simply about Zoey missing her father and wanting everything to stay the same, in an effort to keep her father’s memory alive. This was a genuinely deep and heartfelt sentiment that was spread throughout the whole movie, but some of the emotion was slightly spoiled by some dance numbers that bordered on the ridiculous.
In the scene where Zoey’s mother Maggie (Mary Steenburgen), her brother David (Andrew Leeds), and his wife Emily (Alice Lee) tell her they all have plans for the holidays, Zoey bursts into a rather awkward Heart Song in the form of Bad Blood by Taylor Swift.
While the song choice here definitely made sense, as Zoey feels hurt her family won’t be around for Christmas, her overacting and less-than-perfect singing (in this particular scene) undercut her genuine emotions, and the news didn’t feel as worrisome as it perhaps should have.
Having said this, many of the other numbers were rather enjoyable, such as at the beginning of the film, where Zoey’s friend, Mo (Alex Newell), bursts into a very loud and powerful version of It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, despite Zoey telling her to dial down the Christmas cheer.
It was a fun and rather comical scene that I really enjoyed, and Mo is definitely a diva when it comes to performing which makes any scene she is in 10 times better.
Zoey is a highly relatable character, and I was on her side the whole time. Her emotions are valid and represent how many people would act in her situation; she may be overemotional, but who wouldn’t be when you’ve lost a loved one and you can hear stranger’s real feelings every day?
The movie is filled with Christmas cheer and a genuine love for the holidays, and that comes across beautifully. Zoey is a wonderful main character, and while not every one of her musical numbers was perfect, the emotions and intentions are definitely there.
This is the perfect feature to force you headfirst you into Christmas. In spite of some of the less-than-perfect dance numbers, this film has heart, and I could feel that in every scene.
Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas is available now on Roku’s streaming service, as well as Sky Q and NOW.
Watch the trailer for Zoey's Extraordinary Christmas below:
Written by Melissa, who you can follow on Twitter @melissajournal
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