Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas continues with The Finnish Line, a sports romantic-comedy movie set in Santa’s supposed hometown of Rovaniemi, Finland. Kim Matula leads the way as a sled dog racer attempting to win in her late father’s honor while learning to trust a local journalist, played by Beau Mirchoff. Nichole Sakura and Benedikt Grönda round out the main human cast that dazzles just as much as those adorable sled dogs in a movie that does well to break the typical Hallmark holiday mold.
THE FINNISH LINE: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
The Gist: Anya Kivela (Kim Matula) was raised in the U.S. by an American mother and Finnish father, the latter of whom used to be the world’s best sled dog racer who only ever suffered defeat at the hands of one man, Monty White (Páll Sigþór Pálsson). Anya’s parents have since passed away, but she decides to honor their memory and legacy by traveling to Finland to compete in the 40th annual Joulurauha race. This three-day, 300-mile race around Finland culminates on Christmas Eve and is said to be the same route taken by Santa when he trained to fly around the world.
Since this was the last race of Anya’s father’s career, she’s determined to finish what he started by defeating Monty on the world stage in the ultimate grudge match. Joined by her devoted friend and teammate, Elyse (Nichole Sakura), Finnish cousin Lavi (Benedikt Gröndal), and a beloved squad of five dogs, Anya seems ready to take on reigning champ Monty, even as the press — including handsome former racer Cole (Beau Mirchoff) — hound her from the moment she arrives.
Anya dislikes journalists due to how they treated her father in the wake of his sole loss and is waspish towards Cole once she finds out what he does for work. But when Anya’s lead dog, Cupid, gets injured in the qualifying race, it’s Cole who saves her from dropping out by lending out the use of his own dog, Rue, in return for exclusive coverage of her story. With that, Anya, Cole, Elyse, and Lavi form a dream team that aims to restore the Kivela legacy and maybe even find some romance along the way.
What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: The “pleasant acquaintances to enemies to friends to lovers” trajectory of Anya and Cole might remind you of Mia (Anne Hathaway) and Nicholas (Chris Pine) in The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement. Additionally, the friendship between Anya and Elyse has a similar energy to The Princess Diaries movies’ iconic duo Mia and Lilly (Heather Matarazzo).
Performance Worth Watching: Kim Matula, Beau Mirchoff, Nichole Sakura, and Benedikt Gröndal are all standouts, but it’s Sakura who especially shines with effortless humor, charisma, and fantastic line delivery (case and point: her committed reference to The Princess Bride: “I am Anya Kivela. You beat my father. Prepare to die”).
Memorable Dialogue: This exchange between Elyse, Lavi, and Anya got a genuine chuckle out of me:
“Oh, no no no no no no no no, we are not going anywhere. In fact, we are competing if I have to strap myself to the front of this sled.”
“That’s gonna hurt.”
“Like a reverse Air Bud.”
A Holiday Tradition: Every year, there’s a big sled dog race around Finland that lasts three days and culminates on Christmas Eve.
Does the Title Make Any Sense?: The movie takes place in Finland and revolves around a sled dog race, so The Finnish Line not only makes sense but is also a clever little bit of wordplay.
Our Take: The Finnish Line is pretty unique for a Hallmark movie. The story is original, the setting is fresh, and John Bellina, Nicole Drespel, and Talia Gonzalez have written a tight, engaging script bolstered by consistently committed, solid acting. There were plenty of genuinely funny moments, mostly driven by the core four characters.
I liked and was rooting for the romance between Anya and Cole from their very first meeting, in large part due to their immediately palpable easy chemistry. Elyse and Lavi also had a natural, entertaining connection that was a pleasure to watch blossom over the course of the film. Both pairs are a delight in their respective romantic duos as well as individually as characters, but I also love that a strong female friendship is at the center of it all. Kim Matula and Nichole Sakura have a great dynamic as Anya and Elyse, and they were always a joy to watch interact with one another onscreen.
As far as other characters, the only one who really stands out is Monty White, who the film does a good job painting as the villain. He’s initially cartoonish and mustache-twirling (we don’t see him actually twirl his mustache but he seems like the kind of guy who would), but even he is revealed to have some hidden depths with enough self-awareness to say things like, “I’m a jerk, not a monster” while helping a competitor in need.
Really, the only I can even think to critique for The Finnish Line is its occasional but obvious use of a green screen. But even that does nothing to detract from the rest of the movie’s winning writing, performances, and sled dog scenes (those pups were working it!), making this movie a pretty resounding success.
Our Call: The Finnish Line is a nice reminder that holiday movies can be more than cookie-baking montages, Christmas markets, and meet-cutes that begin with a collision and spilled hot chocolate. Holiday cheer can come in many forms and cultures, and that means that a Christmastime sled dog race amidst family, friendship, and romance most definitely can fit the bill, too. Besides, what’s a festive film without an adorable animal (or many)? STREAM IT!
The post Stream It Or Skip It: ‘The Finnish Line’ on Hallmark, Where A Sled Dog Race In Finland Sets the Stage for Romance and Redemption appeared first on Decider.
