Every holiday season, Hallmark drops at least one movie that feels like it escaped from a better network, and Next Stop, Christmas is that little fugitive. Directed by Dustin Rikert, it’s a time‑travel rom‑com that knows exactly what it’s doing and winks at you the whole time like, “Yeah, we stole from Back to the Future. You gonna complain?” It’s cute, it’s clever, and it’s got enough narrative caffeine to keep you awake without resorting to peppermint‑latte levels of sugar.
Lyndsy Fonseca shows up ready to work, delivering a performance that basically says, “I’m charming enough to make this plot make sense, so buckle up.” As Angie, the neurosurgeon who’s too busy saving brains to use her own, she’s warm, funny, and just cynical enough to feel like a real person trapped in a Hallmark movie. Chandler Massey plays Ben, the hometown nice guy who radiates “your mom would love him” energy, and Eric Freeman’s Tyler Grant looks like he was grown in a lab specifically to host sports segments and break hearts. But the real power move is Christopher Lloyd showing up as a magical conductor, because once he appears, the movie stops pretending and just goes full “Hallmark Presents: Back to the Future, But Make It Cozy.”
And the BTTF references? Please. Subtlety left the station before the train even arrived. Between Lloyd’s smirks, Lea Thompson playing Angie’s mom, and a plot that basically screams “temporal paradoxes are festive,” the movie is less homage and more “we’re doing this, and you’re going to like it.” It’s the cinematic equivalent of someone wearing a vintage BTTF tee under a Christmas sweater — loud, proud, and absolutely not apologizing.
The script moves like it’s being chased by a network executive with a stopwatch, but somehow it works. Angie’s family drama, her second chance with her sister, the alternate‑timeline engagement, the maybe‑romance with Ben — it’s all jammed in there like ornaments on a tree that’s about to tip over. And yes, the Angie‑Ben romance is undercooked; they have the chemistry of two people who once exchanged polite emails. But the emotional beats still land, mostly because the movie refuses to slow down long enough for you to question anything.
Visually, the film looks like Christmas threw up — but in that curated, Instagram‑ready way Hallmark does best. Rikert packs every frame with twinkle lights, garlands, and enough fake snow to shut down a small town. Combine that with a cast that’s genuinely fun to watch and a script that’s sharper than it has any right to be, and Next Stop, Christmas ends up being one of Hallmark’s best 2021 offerings. It’s sweet, it’s nostalgic, it’s self‑aware, and it’s got Christopher Lloyd conducting a time‑travel train. Honestly, if that doesn’t sell you, nothing will.
MPAA Rating: TV-G.
Runtime: 84 mins
Director: Dustin Rickert
Writer: Samantha DiPippo; Kari Drake
Cast: Lyndsy Fonseca; Chandler Massey; Erika Slezak
Genre: Holiday Romance
Tagline: All Aboard for Holiday Romance
Memorable Movie Quote: "The very best relationships start out that way. My late husband was my best friend before we were married."
Distributor: Hallmark Channel
Official Site:
Release Date: November 6, 2021
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: Angie is determined to spend Christmas alone but her usual commuter ride turns into a Christmas train that drops her off in her home town in 2011.
