Odette Parfitt presses play on Netflix’s newest festive romcom to see whether it’s actually worth your weekend couch time. Here’s her verdict.
Champagne Problems (2025)
Platform: Netflix
Basic plot:
An American workaholic with a vague job description is sent to Paris to buy a vineyard and lets her hair down for five minutes with a charming Frenchman, only for him to be tied to the business she is trying to buy out. Low-stakes conflict with a splash of comedy. And, of course, it’s Christmas.
How it was probably pitched to the producers:
One of the quirky supporting characters refers to the main romance as “Moulin Rouge without the tuberculosis”, so let’s borrow that.
Thoughts:
I haven’t written one of these reviews in months, but I felt the need to give up time on a Saturday afternoon for it, so that should already tell you something. Basically: it’s been a long year, guys, and this movie is what we all need and deserve right now.
Yes, it’s incredibly predictable. Yes, even the drama is not all that dramatic. But it is also incredibly charming, and has believable chemistry, and for 90 minutes you get to have a little bit of escape magic from what seems to have been, universally, an extremely hectic year.
The escapism is strong with this one. It’s Paris, and elsewhere in France, during Christmastime. There are lovely French sayings and bonding sessions all over the place, and champagne, and a cute dog. It’s basically a long travel commercial and a not-so-subtle reminder that we all work too hard and deserve a break like this.
Bottom line – is it worth the stream?
Yes. Get yourself some popcorn and chocolate and let your brain rest a bit.
Watch this if you like:
• Hallmark movies and/or Christmas movies
• Attractive men with foreign accents
• Patting yourself on the back for understanding some of the French bits
• European tourism commercials
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