"It's the most wonderful time of year, and we at Defector are proud to bring back our series discussing some of the most, uh, available holiday movies. Sabrina Imbler: Thanks so much Kelsey and Alex for trudging through this "film" with me. Alex Sujong Laughlin: I am so excited to be here to talk about one man's sexual tension with Santa. Kelsey McKinney: Hello. I am here to discuss the queer film My Secret Santa, is this the correct place?"
"Sabrina: You are in the right place! Before we dive into the movie, I have to ask. Have either of you ever cross-dressed to commit workplace fraud? Alex: I really had to sit for a moment and think about it but I'm gonna lean toward no for now. Kelsey: NOT YET! I'm hoping to in the future."
"One thing I love about movies of this caliber is that you never know what is going to be important. The opening scene of this movie is her very carefully checking decorated cookies for flaws and pulling out the other ones. It's implied that she's pretty good at the cookie job and also that she likes it. But guess what? Cookies are not relevant to this movie at all! We never hear about the cookies again! It was all just a job she could lose."
My Secret Santa follows Taylor Jacobson after she is fired from a cookie-decorating job and faces overdue rent plus the cost of a private snowboarding school for her daughter Zoey. The film shows Taylor carefully inspecting decorated cookies, then never returns to that detail, using the job mainly as a plot catalyst. The story features queer desire and an explicit sexual tension involving a Santa figure. The narrative leans on cross-dressing and workplace-deception tropes akin to She's the Man and Twelfth Night, while the emotional stakes are undercut by implausible budgeting and inconsistent tone.
Read at Defector
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