The Lost Holliday

The Lost Holiday, offers an emotionally rich and deeply nuanced story that explores themes of family, love, grief, and reconciliation. The film is centered on Cassandra Marshall, played by the legendary Vivica A. Fox, who learns of her estranged son Damien Holliday's (Jabari Redd) death and travels to Los Angeles to handle his arrangements. However, Cassandra is shocked to discover that her son's husband, Jason Holliday (portrayed by Smollett), has already taken care of everything. Cassandra not only grapples with her son's death but also the revelation that he was gay and had a life - including a husband and a foster daughter - she knew nothing about.

Vivica A. Fox commands the screen as Cassandra, a character that blends fabulousness with moments of being a bit over-the-top. Her performance is both spunky and heartfelt. Fox's impeccable comedic timing brings levity to the heavier aspects of the story. She masterfully conveys a mother grappling with the shock of discovering her son's hidden life, all while grieving and undergoing her own journey of personal growth. This subplot of Cassandra's evolution injects a sense of hope into the film, serving as a reminder that life, even in the wake of grief, continues.

Smollett's direction shines, particularly in his ability to tell a story that authentically captures the experiences of Black LGBTQ+ individuals. The relationship between Jason and Damien is portrayed with respect and depth, avoiding stereotypical narratives, and instead focuses on love, care, and partnership.

Overall, The Lost Holiday is a solid, heartwarming, and often humorous film with a stellar cast and a script that skillfully weaves humor with heavy emotional moments. Smollett's performance as Jason is a standout, as is Fox's award-worthy portrayal of Cassandra. This film is not only about family and love, but also about coming to terms with the past and finding healing in unexpected places.

If The Lost Holiday were an actual trip, you'd cancel it halfway through and Venmo request everyone involved. It's a meandering, try-hard mumblecore flick that thinks it's charming, but mostly just feels like watching brunch plans go wrong in real time.

Now, let's talk about Juicy. Remember when he became a national headline for staging the most infamous Subway sandwich run in Chicago history? Well, somehow, his energy in The Lost Holiday is even less believable than that. He floats in and out of scenes like he's lost, method acting, perhaps? Or just genuinely confused he's still getting cast? Either way, the film is not so much a "holiday" as it is a reminder of how quickly goodwill can evaporate like cheap champagne on a sticky floor in Lincoln Park.

Smollett tries to bring nuance to his role, but all I could think was: "Is this scene before or after his trip to that -10°F sandwich shop?" Chicago might forgive, but the audience won't forget-and neither will Rotten Tomatoes.

Avoid like a sleet storm in February.

You know that awkward feeling when you're watching a high school theater production, and someone's mom just knows their kid is destined for Broadway... but it's painfully clear to everyone else this is a one-way ticket to regional dinner theater obscurity? That's The Lost Holliday, except it's wrapped in faux prestige and somehow directed by Jussie Smollett, who seems determined to prove that not only can he not act - he can't direct or write, either. This isn't a comeback; it's a cry for help.

Let's talk direction - or rather, the erratic mess that passes for it. The movie feels like it was pieced together during someone's unpaid lunch breaks. Scenes meander without purpose, blocking is unintentionally comical, and the tone whiplashes between maudlin soap opera and artsy Instagram reel. Smollett clearly believes he's crafting something profound, but it's just a muddled, overlit vanity project that wouldn't make it past freshman film class.

The writing? Absolutely brutal. Every line sounds like it was run through a cliché generator powered by half-baked trauma and fake-deep Pinterest quotes. The dialogue is so unnatural it makes the actors look like they're reading ransom notes - especially poor Jabari Redd, who tried to breathe life into a character that feels like it was written by ChatGPT on Ambien. Vivica A. Fox is here too, and frankly deserves hazard pay for showing up and pretending this dreck matters.

Fox delivers each line with that hollow gravitas actors use when they're suppressing the urge to fire their agent. You can see the awareness in their eyes: they know this isn't a movie - it's Jussie's self-financed rehab-my-PR tour. Unfortunately, not even their commitment can salvage a script this contrived, or direction this clueless.

Which brings us back to Smollett. Look, if this is what Hollywood exile looks like, I guess we're all being punished. It's hard not to feel like The Lost Holliday is a metaphor for his own career - desperate, disjointed, and somehow convinced it's saying something important. It's not. And neither is he.

By the time the credits rolled, I wasn't just bored - I was offended that everyone involved thought this deserved my attention. The Lost Holliday isn't art. It's damage control in slow motion. And just like the infamous hoax that tanked Jussie's credibility, this film is an elaborate fiction nobody asked for - and fewer people believe.

Man, I love Vivica Fox but woosh, girl, what were you thinking? I also like Smullet on Empire but the guy really messed up his whole career with the fake attack incident so he's now "directing" movies that he is funding and putting together and as a result, you get this mess.

The characters are contrived - I mean really forced and a predictable. She finds out her son is gay and has to deal with new emotions - emotions that don't ring true in this awful attempt at being a "Christmas movie" that people may want to watch during the holidays every year. There are other folks in this who are good actors but wasted on a terrible script and direction.

Again, I love Fox but she's got to stay away from terrible stuff like this. And of course, there are a few 10 star reviews here, all written the exact same way "it's emotional depth and authenticity and the cinematography was a visual feast!" I think they're reviewing Lawrence of Arabia, definitely not this movie. Of course the "people" have one review - this movie. I think we've gotten to the point where you come in here to see what people say about a movie but if there's a bunch of ten star reviews, you need to look at the person's account to see if it's a real person with multiple reviews or Jussie Smullet.

At the time I'm writing this it's a 2.2 rating but I suspect that will still go down. Avoid.

The Lost Holiday is a meandering, pretentious mess masquerading as indie charm. It's like someone found a half-finished student film and said, "Yeah, good enough." The characters are insufferable, the dialogue is painfully forced, and the plot - if you can even call it that - stumbles around like a drunk at closing time. Watching this movie feels less like entertainment and more like being trapped at a party you desperately want to leave, but the hosts just won't stop talking about themselves. A complete waste of time that somehow manages to feel both hollow and smug.

Spend your hours watching something else.