Common Sense Media Review
By Jennifer Green
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Frothy holiday comedy with romance, alcohol, mild language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
My Secret Santa
What's the Story?
Taylor (Alexandra Breckenridge) is a single mom struggling to make ends meet in MY SECRET SANTA. When she loses her job right before the holidays and her daughter Zoey (Madison MacIsaac) gets accepted at an expensive snowboarding school, she finds herself at the center of a perfect storm. She decides to look for work at the local ski lodge, where as a bonus she could get 50% off Zoey's tuition, but the only job available is playing Santa. Would she dare dress the part? Meanwhile, the acting general manager of the lodge, former playboy Matthew Layne (Ryan Eggold), has been asking her out.
Is It Any Good?
Don't put this inoffensive romcom at the top of your holiday Netflix watch list, but it doesn't deserve to be on the bottom either. My Secret Santa is a passable watch thanks to its likeable stars. Netflix seems to have built the vehicle around its Virgin River leading lady Breckenridge, and she has a winning presence (though Taylor really isn't much different from her character on that show). Eggold, Tia Mowry, and Diana Maria Riva round out the cast, but William Vaughan and Nathan Kay are wasted as a gay couple whose only purpose and role in life seems to be to help Taylor when she needs it.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why more women don't play Santa Claus, considering how empathetic and successful Taylor is as Santa in My Secret Santa.
What lessons do Matthew, Taylor, and Natasha learn over the course of this film?
What other movies have you watched where a character dresses up as another person, complicating their relationships?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : December 3, 2025
- Cast : Alexandra Breckenridge , Ryan Eggold , Tia Mowry
- Director : Mike Rohl
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Family Stories , Friendship , Holidays
- Run time : 90 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : December 3, 2025
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