Polar Opposites is one of those Hallmark movies where you can feel the writers saying, “Okay, we’ve done small towns, we’ve done Christmas markets, we’ve done ranches… screw it, let’s send her to Antarctica.” And honestly? It works with a lighthearted tone, which simply adds to the experience of pretending - alongside the rest of the cast - that we’re actually in Antarctica.
Rhiannon Fish plays Emma like a woman who has absolutely had it — with her job, with her life, with the fact that her daughter is stranded at the literal bottom of the planet. She’s got that frazzled, charming energy of someone who would absolutely sneak onto a cruise ship and then pretend it was a normal Tuesday. Markian Tarasiuk, meanwhile, shows up as Andy, the ship’s engineer who looks like he’s been fixing boilers since birth and is deeply unprepared for this chaotic woman who keeps appearing in his workspace.
Their chemistry is the good kind — not the “we bumped into each other, and now we’re soulmates” Hallmark default, but the “I’m annoyed by you but also weirdly into it” slow burn. They bicker, they banter, they have that slightly exasperated vibe of two people who would absolutely fall in love while trapped on a boat headed for the coldest place on earth. It’s cozy, it’s silly, and it’s just grounded enough that you don’t spend the whole movie yelling “Ma’am, this is a restricted area.”
Colin Theys directs the whole thing with a kind of calm, competent energy — like a man who knows exactly how to shoot a hallway, a deck, and a boiler room without losing his mind. He keeps the pacing tight, the tone light, and the ship looking just claustrophobic enough to make the romance feel like a pressure cooker. It’s not flashy, but it’s smart, and it keeps the movie from drifting into pure snow‑globe fantasy.
And then there’s the setting. Look, nobody is fooled — this is not Antarctica. But the movie commits. You get cold winds, icy exteriors, South American ports, and enough ship‑life details to make you believe Emma and Andy are actually inching their way toward the bottom of the world. It’s escapist in the best way: a little adventure, a little romance, and the fantasy of running away from your problems so far that even your problems need a passport.
If you want to watch it, Polar Opposites is streaming on Hallmark+, nestled right next to all the other Winter Escape titles that make you wonder if you, too, should drop everything and board a vessel headed for international waters.
MPAA Rating: TV-G.
Runtime: 84 mins
Director: Colin Theys
Writer: Barbara Kymlicka
Cast: Rhiannon Fish; Markian Tarasiuk; Dean McDermott
Genre: Romance
Tagline:
Memorable Movie Quote: "I have to get on this boat."
Distributor: Hallmark +
Official Site:
Release Date: January 11, 2025
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: Emma needs to get to Antarctica to reach her father and travels to South America but can't get on a boat for the last leg. She sneaks onto a cruise ship and meets engineer Andy.
