Netflix fans praise The Noel Diary as the perfect 'cheesy' Christmas movie

By Claire Crick
published

The Noel Diary has landed on Netflix and fans can't get enough of the movie starring Justin Hartley.

Justin Hartley as Jake, Barrett Doss as Rachel in The Noel Diary
Justin Hartley and Barrett Doss as Jake and Rachel in The Noel Diary. (Image credit: KC Bailey/Netflix © 2022)

The Noel Diary has arrived on Netflix just in time for the start of the holiday season and fans can't get enough of the festive feel-good movie, calling it the "perfect cheesy Christmas" film. 

The movie starring This Is Us actor Justin Hartley, only landed on Netflix last week but it seems viewers are ready to get into the holiday spirit because The Noel Diary has already landed in the top spot on the streaming channel over the weekend. 

Justin Hartley as Jake, Barrett Doss as Rachel in The Noel Diary

Jake and Rachel's road trip leads to more than just uncovering the past.  (Image credit: KC Bailey/Netflix © 2022)

The film has been adapted for the screen from Richard Paul Evan’s New York Times bestselling novel, The Noel Diary, and follows the story of Jake Turner (Justin Hartley), a famous but unlucky-in-love author who is forced to return to his childhood home after his mother passes away. 

But while Jake is dealing with the trauma of clearing out his former family home, a mysterious woman called Rachel (Barrett Doss) arrives, looking for her own mother, who once also lived at the address. 

It soon turns out the pair's pasts are more intertwined than they could have ever imagined, and it's not long before they are bonding over mysterious pasts and a love for digging into their family trees. 

As Jake helps Rachel track down her birth mother the pair eventually embark on a road trip to find answers about their past, but as they discover what happened with Rachel's family they unwittingly unlock secrets from Jake's past at the same time.

Justin Hartley as Jake in The Noel Diary

Fans of a cheesy festive film won't be disappointed with The Noel Diary.  (Image credit: KC Bailey/Netflix © 2022)

But, of course, this is a rom-com, and so there is plenty of festive romance thrown in along the way... and while we won't ruin the ending for anyone who hasn't watched yet let's just say fans of a festive feel-good movie won't be disappointed. 

And it seems Netflix viewers also can't get enough of the new movie. With a typically snowy festive setting, a secret that needs to be unearthed and two lost characters both looking for somewhere to call home, many fans have taken to social media to call The Noel Diary the perfect 'cheesy' Christmas movie for 2022...

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You can stream The Noel Diary worldwide on Netflix now. 

Claire Crick
Claire Crick
Assistant Managing Editor at What To Watch

Claire is Assistant Managing Editor at What To Watch and has been a journalist for over 15 years, writing about everything from soaps and TV to beauty, entertainment, and even the Royal Family. After starting her career at a soap magazine, she ended up staying for 13 years, and over that time she’s pulled pints in the Rovers Return, sung karaoke in the Emmerdale village hall, taken a stroll around Albert Square, and visited Summer Bay Surf Club in sunny Australia. 


After learning some tricks of the trade at websites Digital Spy, Entertainment Daily, and Woman & Home, Claire landed a role at What’s On TV and whattowatch.com writing about all things TV and film, with a particular love for Aussie soaps, Strictly Come Dancing and Bake Off. 


She’s interviewed everyone from June Brown — AKA Dot Cotton — to Michelle Keegan, swapped cooking tips with baking legend Mary Berry backstage at the NTAs, and danced the night away with soap stars at countless awards bashes. There’s not a lot she doesn’t know about soaps and TV and can be very handy when a soapy question comes up in a pub quiz! 


As well as all things soap-related, Claire also loves running, spa breaks, days out with her kids, and getting lost in a good book.