The Knight Before Christmas
| The Knight Before Christmas | |
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| Directed by |
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| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Greg Gardiner |
| Edited by | Lara Mazur |
| Music by | Roger Bellon |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Netflix |
Release date |
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Running time | 92 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Knight Before Christmas is a 2019 Christmas comedy film directed by Monika Mitchell and written by Cara J. Russell.[1] It was released on November 21, 2019.[2]
Filming took place in Orillia and Bracebridge in Ontario, Canada between April and May 2019, with Norwich castle scenes featuring Charleville Castle in Tullamore, Ireland.[3]
Plot
In Norwich, England, on December 18, 1334, Cole Christopher Fredrick Lyons (Josh Whitehouse)and his brother Geoffrey (Harry Jarvis) participate in an annual Christmas hawking competition and split up to try and catch the hawk. Cole goes to the woods, while Geoffrey combs the castle for the hawk. On Cole's way to find the hawk, he encounters an unnamed old crone (Ella Kenion), who thanks him for his kindness, and tells him that she will magically send him to faraway lands on a quest and see things like 'flying steel dragons and horses' (Airplanes and cars) and 'magic boxes that make merry' (Televisions). After her explanation, she gives him a glowing blue medallion and tells him that if he fails his quest, he will never become a true knight and remain in the present forever.
In the year 2019 on the same day in Bracebridge, a small city in Ohio, a high school science teacher, Brooke Winters (Vanessa Hudgens), who is disillusioned by love, agrees to taker her sister Madison's daughter Claire to the Christmas Castle's opening, which is the same place Cole arrives in. Cole, confused by the new and unfamiliar surroundings, accidentally gets hit by Vanessa's car on accident, and is taken to the hospital, where Officer Stevens (Arnold Pinnock) gets a report from him that he has amnesia and he believes that he's actually a knight, as he is not in the US system and has no ID. Vanessa offers to let him stay at her guest home until he 'gets his memory back'. On Cole's journey, he discovers modern day equivalences like radios, diners, manners, and Alexa, which he mistakes as, "Alexa Play" due to Vanessa's fast talking.
On December 19, Cole becomes infatuated with American slang (even donning an American accent when talking sometimes) and becomes a binge-watcher on Vanessa's 'picture box', even sharing a night with her watching TV. The same night, the two fall asleep and Cole has a nightmare about the Crone only speaking in riddles, and after waking up from his nightmare, the two aim for a more productive day on December 20. The same day, Cole doesn't feel interested in Vanessa's fake Christmas tree and they instead go to a tree lot where Cole chops down a tree with one swing of an axe. Arriving home, Cole asks Vanessa if she can drive her car, only to leave it behind on the street after driving it poorly. The next day, Cole discovers that Norwich has become different than the one in his time.
Cast
- Vanessa Hudgens as Brooke Winters
- Josh Whitehouse as Sir Cole
- Emmanuelle Chriqui as Madison
- Harry Jarvis as Sir Geoffrey
- Ella Kenion as Old Crone
- Arnold Pinnock as Officer Stevens
- Jean-Michel Le Gal as David
- Mimi Gianopulos as Alyson
- Jacob Soley as Patrick
- Andrea Senior as Caroler
- Simon Webster as Reed
- Jonah Wineberg as Older Brother
- Olivia Gudaniec as Kaelynn
- Isabelle Franca as Claire
- Jesse Gervasi as Taylor
- Shanice Johnson as Paige
- Telysa Chandler as Group Singer
Release
The Knight Before Christmas was released on November 21, 2019.[2]
Reception
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 70% based on 20 reviews, and an average rating of 6.06/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "While its plot borders on the absurd, The Knight Before Christmas is endearing and charming enough to make it a worthy addition to the holiday rom-com genre."[4]
References
- ^ "Vanessa Hudgens To Star & Executive Produce 'The Knight Before Christmas' For Netflix". Deadline Hollywood. March 20, 2019. Archived from the original on March 21, 2019. Retrieved March 20, 2019./
- ^ a b "It's Beginning to Look a lot like Netflix | Holidays 2019 | Netflix". YouTube. October 15, 2019.
- ^ "'The Knight Before Christmas': Netflix Release Date, Plot, Cast & Trailer". What's on Netflix. November 7, 2019.
- ^ "The Knight Before Christmas (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 22, 2019.