Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- None
- warm
- sentimental
- cozy
- christmas viewing
- cozy night in
What critics said
Critics generally found the film easy to watch and supported by its cast, while viewing its dialogue and recycled plot as overly sentimental and formulaic.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The story continues Callie and Joseph's relationship during a Christmas-centered period one year after their original romance.
Callie and Joseph run a dairy farm and winery while business and family obligations threaten their partnership.
The couple's farm and winery are set against Joseph's return to the city for business and family responsibilities.
The plot explicitly follows the same couple one year after they fell in love, extending rather than rebooting their relationship.
Films like A California Christmas: City Lights, and why
A California Christmas
holiday romance, opposites-attract relationship, and accessible feel-good melodrama
The Holiday Calendar
small-business romance, Christmas sentiment, and family obligations
Falling for Christmas
seasonal romantic comedy with cozy rural and business-centered conflict
A Christmas Prince
formulaic Christmas romance driven by career pressures and emotional reconciliation
Movie Details
- Director
- Shaun Paul Piccinino
- Release Date
- 2021-12-16
- Runtime
- 105 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (197)
Cast
- Lauren Swickard
- Josh Swickard
- Ali Afshar
- David Del Rio
- Natalia Mann
- Gunnar Anderson
- Noah James
- Raquel Dominguez
- Laura James
- Emelia Hartford
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is A California Christmas: City Lights about?
- A Christmas-season sequel tests a young couple's farm-and-winery romance against the pull of city business and family duty.
- What is A California Christmas: City Lights like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of A California Christmas: City Lights as measured, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as simple.
- Is A California Christmas: City Lights violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in A California Christmas: City Lights.
- What did critics think of A California Christmas: City Lights?
- Critics generally found the film easy to watch and supported by its cast, while viewing its dialogue and recycled plot as overly sentimental and formulaic.
- Which films are like A California Christmas: City Lights?
- Films with a similar feel include A California Christmas, The Holiday Calendar, Falling for Christmas, and A Christmas Prince.
- How long is A California Christmas: City Lights?
- A California Christmas: City Lights runs 105 minutes.
- Where can I watch A California Christmas: City Lights?
- In United States, A California Christmas: City Lights streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.
