A beloved festive film hailed by one fan as a “masterpiece” is streaming now in the UK. Love Actually (2003) begins a few weeks before Christmas and explores love in various forms across 10 separate stories, playing out in a countdown to the big day.
The film, which was directed by Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Bridget Jones’s Diary) and features an extraordinary array of stars, including Hugh Grant as a fictional UK Prime Minister, Liam Neeson as a widower raising his young stepson, and Colin Firth as a lonely writer heartbroken after discovering his girlfriend had an affair.
The film was added back to Netflix today (Monday, December 1), having last appeared back in May 2022.
Fans took to Rotten Tomatoes to shower the film with praise. One called it simply, the “absolute greatest Christmas movie to ever exist”.
Another said it’s “a wonderful film with a brilliant cast”.
They said: “People are looking for love when sometimes its right in front of them. A Christmas classic.”
A third said: “Love Actually is an excellent movie because it mixes in the most intelligent way romance, humour, and emotion in a way that people love to watch again and again.”
But while many regard it as must-see viewing over the Christmas period, some said they weren’t sold on it, with one saying:
“This film is irredeemably bad on just about every front except for a couple of good performances.” Another said they “don’t know how anyone can sit through this drivel”.
“There are many better choices out there for romantic comedy. I’d skip this one.”
And while the first has fairly low scores of 64% and 72% on Rotten Tomatoes‘ Tomatometer and Popcornmeters, which reflect the response of approved critics and general audiences, respectively, with some not appreciating its unashamedly sweet and sentimental tone.
But many still regard watching it as an obligatory yuletile tradition. One fan on IMDb called it a “masterpiece”.
“And most importantly, an ageless Christmas classic!”, they added.
“An incredibly warm, cozy, atmospheric film, filled with love in all its various manifestations!
Another said the film is “star-studded with some of Great Britain’s finest actors and is just as good on the tenth viewing as it was the first”.
The film has a 15 certificate and contains strong sex, strong language, and adult themes.
Love Actually is streaming now on Netflix.