The Christmas Cabin (2019) User Reviews

So pretty, so bland, so lacking in chemistry

[JaynaB · 5/10 · 14 December 2019]

This movie should be a wonderful addition to the seasonal lineup.

The script is no worse than many. It has all the necessary elements: a handsom, driven businessman, a fit and pretty woman, incredible mountain scenery, enforced isolation, and a legal situation guaranteed to produce very real conflict.

Sadly, the actors were stiff, the dialogue trite, and the deep conflict at the heart of the story just flattened out under the combination of the two. These two actors simply aren't leading-light quality at this point in their careers.

Lesson all filmmakers should know from the time they pick up their first camera: if there are only two people in a the majority of scenes in a movie, they need to have very strong acting skills to carry the emotional arc through every moment, whether they're speaking, reacting, or just walking across a room.

Guess I'm not surprised, but...

[susieo-70724 · 4/10 · 19 December 2019]

Ok, so all these Christmas movies are predictable and full of acting hopefuls, right? And come November there is a need to saturate the airways and streaming services because some people like to play these movies 24/7 for the season. I can't say as my expectations are all that high, but at the same time, it is insulting they're not even trying. No one is trying to make a classic, no one seems to care if you ever watch the movie again, which is evident in the lame, plotless 90 minutes (I need to go, ok I won't, ok I will, ok I won't, end movie). No one cares to create a setting that's coherent with the story (i.e. this literally brand new cabin their greats supposedly built a hundred years ago (or so)). No action, no drama, and of course the actors aren't really tv-movie ready. Eh, it's something to play in the background while you bake, but no need to pause while you use the restroom.

Not the worst Christmas movie I've ever seen, but still pretty lame.

[rachelaemmons · 5/10 · 11 November 2020]

Two cute people get snowed in and have to share a beautiful cabin all alone for three days and the most that happens is that they play Yahtzee and decorate a Christmas tree. Give me a break. I knew not to expect anything steamy because it's a Hallmark movie, but these guys just seemed like siblings having a good time. They didn't even seem remotely attracted to each other, so when they kissed at the end, it wasn't even exciting. My husband and I watch these movies for the sole purpose of making fun of them, so we've seen far worse. This one was just kinda there. If I fell asleep in the middle of it and caught the end, I wouldn't have missed anything.

Terrible acting, directing, editing

[amandahenderson-93295 · 1/10 · 8 October 2020]

Holy cow, I know cheesy Christmas movies aren't Oscar-worthy, but this one is awful.

No chemistry

[allaboutevey · 2/10 · 16 December 2019]

Two characters whom I couldn't see together romantically. The movie was very stilted and the storyline unbelievable. Female character exaggerated every emotion. Very bad acting.

Boring and forgettable like watching paint dry

[phd_travel · 2/10 · 27 December 2019]

This must be the most uneventful of all the Christmas movies. Nothing much happens. Lighting a candle.

Good premise but no chemistry and poor acting

[Moonicas · 13 December 2020]

The premise - two people with conflicting interests stuck together in a cabin in the mountains - sounded intriguing, but the execution fell flat. There's no chemistry between the leads, and the woman character overreacted in almost every situation and was just plain annoying. And the actress wasn't any better. Since about 90% of the screentime, it's just the leads, it was kinda painful to watch.

Not the most passionate!

[georgedyson-74197 · 6/10 · 5 December 2022]

As a Christmas story, I mostly enjoyed it but as many others say it was not a romantic barn burner. But then it was also not quite as formulaic as so many other Christmas romances - the female lead did not go home for Christmas, did not overhear something that crashed her romantic hopes and the male was not totally impersonally oblivious of what it takes to love someone.

So i don't rate it quite as poorly as some other reviewers here - I have stopped watching several others halfway through but made it to the end of this one! So it can't have been all bad. At least the story line was a bit different than usual!

Soooo bad!!

[majoq · 1/10 · 13 February 2021]

Don't bother. It's not worth it. Incredibly bad acting. Even the plot is bad Only good thing: the photography. If you like cabins in the woods, snow, this is your movie.

Two strangers stranded in a cabin in the middle of nowhere.

[MIssM19 · 2/10 · 5 June 2020]

Good. That's an hour and a half i'll never get back. I didn't expect much and yet I was disappointed. A woman, in a cabin, during the holidays trying to do some "work", who claims that time of the year is to be with family, yet she is not. How hypocrite. Secondly, a bussiness man who inherited said cabin, half of it, actually.

He arrives at the cabin, there is snowtorm announced, and you have the two leads sharing said cabin. At first they don't get along, she is mad about him being a Walker (the man is living relative of one of the co-owners, she is the great grand daughter of the other co-owner. She didn't know that she only owned 50%). Things DO NOT start to get excited as it should : leads sharing time together, developing a relationship. (One hike and a game are not enough). There was no chemistry. The actors were not good enough, specially the actress playing Sammy. It was infuriating. She was grumpy, stomping her feet like a child. The lead actor was slightly better.

I'm so mad at the storyline and how Sammy behaved: at first she was kicking him out, then asking him to stay, and finally when he had to get back, because he had overstayed, she was again behaving like a child. She may not have anything urgent, but he had importance bussiness (Christmas or not, doesn't matter) just because she was avoiding the rest of her life, doesn't mean he also has to. Also, how do they have electricity, gas...?

I love Lifetime/Hallmark, and i'm used to their quality, their overused plots, but this was pathetic.

The views were nice.

Not a bad Christmas movie;)

[rhoda_s_girl · 8/10 · 1 December 2019]

Not that bad...It's your typical Christmas holiday movie and not a bad way to pass the time, especially if want to get in a festive mood. It's a little slow start, but once the actors start warming up to each other it's a nice romantic, feel good, happy movie. Would recommend at least giving it a try..

Worst acting ever

[tarpasashack · 1/10 · 27 November 2019]

Christmas romance movies are notorious for bad acting, but I love them anyway. But this movie was so bad I couldn't even finish it. The leading actress wasn't just bad, didn't just overact, but she was also just a horrible actress, meaning she had absolutely no skill in understanding the character or what she was supposed to be trying to accomplish. She came off very unlikable and annoying, and presented absolutely nothing to give her character any... well, character or definition. She flopped between warm and cold toward the male lead with no warning or explanation whatsoever. Maybe it was also the fault of bad writing, but I think it was mainly bad acting. I can't even describe how bad she was! Partway through the movie, when I realized I didn't even want these two to get together (he seemed nice enough, she seemed like a psycho) I turned it off. A definite first for me, because I LOVE stupid Christmas romance movies, bad acting and all.

So bad I had to turn it off

[Deedee144 · 1/10 · 9 November 2021]

Every holiday season I watch dozens of cheesy Christmas movies of varying quality. If you watch Christmas movies you know what I mean. Cheese is fun. In this case though, the acting is just so over the top bad, I couldn't get through more than about 20 minutes. I think the lead actress pretending to be scared someone was at her cabin door was the end for me. It was embarrassing. Don't waste your time.

Weak plot and dialogue...no chemistry

[rcatmom · 1/10 · 30 November 2020]

Best thing might be the view outside the cabin. Script needed moments in which the leads would seem to connect more. They could've cooked dinner together or read a bit of that Dickens classic to each other. Needed other characters there more often, too, to create a broader world. Look up the preview of Write before Christmas, an actual Hallmark piece. Same lead actor. Ultra-predictable looking, but more chemistry and detail (setting, props, actors, extras) in that 30 seconds than in the entire Cabin movie.

A piece of hot poop💩

[BudoSenpai · 29 December 2022]

Worst Christmas movie ever! It will actually take you out of the Christmas spirit with the bad direction and the extremely unpleasant acting by the lead female. However, it's not totally her fault, the actors had a piece of crap script. I guess this was supposed to be like a Hallmark Christmas special filled with joy, but instead it turned out to be a Christmas nightmare.

Who was the knucklehead that approved this boring script?! There are student films out there that are far superior. The production company should never hire the casting director ever again, apparently he doesn't know what poor talent is when it's in front of him. Overall, this film rates a -D !

A piece of crap

[reillysmileys · 1/10 · 22 December 2019]

I have never watched a movie that made me regret my existence. Now I have. A piece of crap.

(:

[nananow · 3/10 · 21 November 2019]

Acting and mannerisms are so exaggerated and bad it's over the top. Unable to follow the story as the over Acting is distracting.

Terrible dialogue, terrible acting

[slallen34 · 1/10 · 2 December 2019]

I stuck out the entire movie but it never got better. Don't waste the 86 minutes.

Cute little Christmas movie with great scenery

[ericrivas-32340 · 9/10 · 6 December 2019]

Just a nice movie to put on and enjoy the holiday spirit.

Bad acting

[deb52356-788-534881 · 2/10 · 1 December 2019]

The female lead is a bad actress. Replace her with someone else and it MIGHT have been a little better. I just kept waiting for something to happen and it never really did. Just a plain old boring movie.

zero chemistry and acting

[celticwarrior_amazonwoma · 14 December 2019]

Sometimes story lines dont give actors a lot to work with, well anyone can name a few movies that were duds. for a hallmark movie, this plot isnt terribly unique or brilliant but it had potential to actually be entertaining. the scenario has been done successfully before. Condo or duplex or vacay home double booked and 2 separate parties have to share space and at least there is good chemistry so it works. The only way I stick out a movie that is painful in the beginning is if the story is slow to start or develop. If the acting is deplorable, nay embarrassingly awful to watch, it's not possible. I kept stopping the movie to get a drink or go do something else. let me say there is nothing wrong with a good person having a dark side. Showing complexity or well rounded character is not the same as being 100 percent snarky terse flat for 25 minutes and then doing a complete 180 and being hospitable hostess. the problem is she did both so poorly neither was believable and male lead is just as bad. Even at Hallmark face value this is not watchable.

Directing, Editing, Sound are good. Writing very poor - lead Actress appalling

[iranu-74195 · 1/10 · 25 November 2020]

This was woefully over-written as there was nothing else going on except dialogue. That being said, the script turned out pointelless, drifting, shallow, forgettable and trite. Silly Christmas Romances do have to suggest a spark of Romance. Yes, it's wrong .. but, characters have to be attractive in these poor films. Unfortunately Peyton Mcdavit is a seriously unattractive women. Ethnicity , size, age differences are all OK etc - but fundamentally unattractive is NOT OK. Peyton is fundamentally unattractive - so there's no belief, whatsoever, that the Male lead is going to fall for her. Add in the fact that Peyton comes across with no sympatico , at all, for the whole film means it fails, miserably.

do not waste your time.

[tracyjaynemills · 1/10 · 1 November 2021]

I never wrote a movie review before until i sat watching this one today. I was just so shocked that this actress was hired in the first place for a sentimental Christmas romance movie. She is wooden, hard faced and cold and needs lessons in acting. I only watched to the end as thought it must improve but it actually got worse. Story line was more than predictable in fact it was lame. I've watched these movies before and know they aren't gonna win Oscars but this one needs to win naff Christmas movie of all time and the actress needs to be directed to news reading and to be honest he was no better either. Cold fish award goes to both of them. Don't bother watching unless you are doing it to write a review.

Painful to watch

[carol_borabora · 1/10 · 13 June 2020]

The worse movie in my life. The worse part: soundtrack for sure.

Shot with a cell phone??

[riopuerco · 3/10 · 24 November 2021]

Questionable production quality. Some of the scenes, like in the opening shots in Josh's kitchen, are flipped horizontally as if shot on a cell phone in "selfie" mode.