The Holiday Exchange

It's Festive Friday and Alonso is here to help review another Christmas movie we missed from 2024, The Holiday Exchange.

ABOUT THE HOLIDAY EXCHANGE:

Wilde must cope with vacationing as a bachelor, so he decides to swap houses on an LGBTQ app with Oliver. In their efforts to escape their woes they end up meeting two locals who set romance on fire from LA to the charming town of Brilfax.

AIR DATE & NETWORK FOR THE HOLIDAY EXCHANGE:

October 1, 2024 | VOD

CAST & CREW OF THE HOLIDAY EXCHANGE:

• Taylor Frey as Wilde Williams
• Rick Cosnett as Oliver Whitlock
• Samer Salem as Julius Nasser
• Daniel Garcia as Henry Whitlock

BRAN'S THE HOLIDAY EXCHANGE SYNOPSIS:

Wilde wakes up in his Christmas pajamas, clearly sad because he’s newly single. Despite his ex trying to win him back, he just can’t do it. He decides he needs a change—so he hops on Mister B&B to find a place. He stumbles upon Oliver’s listing for a charming cottage in Brilfax. Conveniently, Oliver happens to be reading a very specific book: Single, Gay, and Holidating Yourself in LA. And where is Wilde from? LA. So, naturally, they decide to house-swap.

Wilde goes out to a bar and bonds with locals while trashing his ex. Meanwhile, Oliver attends a signing for the very book he’s been reading, just so he can tell the author, Julius, that it’s all wrong. Julius is initially taken aback by his critiques, but the sparks begin to fly.

Back in Brilfax, Wilde can’t resist calling his ex—and it does not go well. After a bath, he’s surprised when Oliver’s cousin, Henry, shows up out of nowhere during a snowstorm. They have some awkward banter, and Oliver agrees to let Henry stay. The next day, Wilde learns Henry is also an actor, just like his ex. So obviously, it won’t work. Spoiler alert: it does. They start hanging out, and after a fun night together, they walk in the snow and share a kiss.

Meanwhile, in LA, Oliver and Julius begin to spend more time together after Julius’ manager nudges him to reconnect. Things are going great.

But of course, each couple hits an “all is lost” moment. Wilde sees Henry talking to his manager—who also happens to be his ex—and it feels a little too familiar. And Julius finds out Oliver is a divorce attorney (which he failed to mention) and gets furious.

Luckily, it all works out. Wilde and Henry reconcile, and Wilde says he’s willing to move to LA to be with him. Oliver resigns from being a divorce attorney to pursue a nonprofit passion project, which makes Julius thrilled.

The couples reunite in LA for New Year’s Eve and have a great time—despite Wilde’s parents crashing the party.