The More the Merrier 2025 Movie Review
The premise for Hallmark’s The More the Merrier sounds like it can be a lot, and to a degree, it is. But it’s thoroughly entertaining, and it works, making it easy to believe in how a catastrophe of events can lead to significant life-changing circumstances. It’s not The Pitt, nor was it ever going to be, yet there’s hope in this idea that the in-between moments matter—the connections matter.
It feels ridiculous at times and so simple, yet that’s where the magic of it lies. It’s a single day that isn’t exactly as charming or full of Christmas cheer, but there are enough bits where it feels genuine. Hospitals aren’t a pleasant place, and while there are thankfully no tragedies in this one, it’s still not the coziest place to spend the holidays. Yet, Hallmark’s The More the Merrier makes the best of this specific shift.
Brendan Penny and Rachel Boston have such great chemistry that even while they’re bickering, it feels believable that they’re going to fall for each other and eventually stay together. The romance isn’t like many others because the focus is elsewhere, but in many ways, that’s where the heart lies. This is the beginning, but the story’s heart is about first responders and the people working in the emergency room. The people who work day and night to protect everyone else.
There’s joy in the reminder that even though this place is profoundly tragic at times, it’s also beautiful. People come in and never leave, but people also come in and exit with their families expanded. It’s not medically accurate, nor is it trying to be, but the heartfelt conversations matter to remind us of those who do everything to make our holidays a little easier.
People often romanticize small towns, and movies like this are why. There’s something lovely about the idea of your neighbor actually behaving like your neighbor. A woman letting a man have her last Christmas tree for free, and that same man showing up later to give her a ride to the hospital when she’s in labor. (I’m not crying, you’re crying.) And that’s the thing with movies like this: they provide moments of real joy because it’s all about how we show up for others. It’s about how people can be gentle and kind because we’re all struggling.
Sometimes it’s also about two teenage boys having an honest conversation. It’s about a cardiologist opening up about his divorce and the state of his own heart. It’s Santa showing up despite his injuries to make a few kids happy. And really, it’s just wholesome to believe in these small moments because the world feels too rough these days.
Credit where it’s due—Rachel Boston is quickly becoming someone who can always make me cry, and I wept after those final few moments. (See also, Adventures in Love and Birding.) Her sincerity and the heart she delivers are no small feat. You feel every beat of how genuine Alice is. The words “I saw so many people be the best versions of themselves tonight” might actually be some of the loveliest words in any Hallmark movie because it’s true. Human beings have a way of shaping our days, and moments like this feel extra believable when the actress delivering the heartfelt words clearly believes in them, too.
