Aahana Swrup
Stephen Herek’s ‘Our Little Secret’ is a romantic comedy film that follows the unlikely reunion between two exes. The Netflix film revolves around Avery and Logan—former best friends and lovers—who haven’t seen each other in ten years ever since the chaotic end of their relationship. However, their paths cross together in the worst way possible as they reunite under the roof of their respective current partners and apparent siblings, Cameron and Cassie. Consequently, facing a week of Christmastime merriment with families of their significant others to impress, Avery and Logan decide to keep their previous dalliance—which had ended in an impromptu catastrophic proposal—a secret from everyone else.
Naturally, this culminates in a mound of other secrets brushed under the rug, which inevitably leads to explosive mayhem. The film captures the haywire antics of a dysfunctional group around the holiday season as the narrative explores the premise of a potentially rekindled romance. If Avery and Logan’s eccentric love story has left you craving for more, here is a list of films similar to ‘Our Little Secret’ that you may enjoy!
10. Second Chance Christmas (2017)
‘Second Chance Christmas’ takes a more direct approach to the idea of love resurrecting past its expiration date. The central couple, Caroline and Jack, an unhappily married couple, are days away from legalizing their divorce. Nevertheless, it gets sidetracked after Caroline gets in an accident that erases her memories. As a result, Jack decides to use the opportunity to woo his almost-ex-wife once again and bring their relationship back from the dead. Directed by Danny Buday, this film walks the line between comedy-fuelled shenanigans and dramatic exploration of a complicated relationship. Consequently, these ‘Our Little Secret’ fans will enjoy these cornerstone elements of the storyline.
9. Single All the Way (2021)
‘Single All the Way‘ is a romantic comedy film that fans of the “best-friends-turned-lovers” trope will gravitate towards. The film revolves around Peter and Nick, two best friends who decide to fake-date each other to appease the former’s family on Christmas. Nonetheless, their ruse ends up being for nothing as Peter’s family reveals that they are planning on setting him up on a blind date with James, the charming local trainer. As a result, Nick ends up getting unwanted first-seat tickets to the romance potentially unraveling between a stranger and his best friend, with whom he is in love.
Peter and Nick’s tumultuous love story will attract fans who enjoyed the effortlessly close relationship between Avery and Logan, best friends who take the long route in arriving at their happy ending.
8. Christmas in Tahoe (2021)
‘Christmas in Tahoe‘ follows the story of Claire Rhodes, a talent booker in the entertainment industry, who must do everything in her power to save her family’s business—even if it means seeking out her ex-boyfriend’s help. Claire has big opportunities lined up for her career. Even so, she prioritizes the mission to save her family’s sinking Lake Tahoe hotel. For the same reason, she ends up having to work with her ex-boyfriend, Ryan, a renowned rockstar. As the two former lovers take up the task of bringing Christmas merriment to the hotel, they may inevitably end up working their way back to each other.
‘Christmas in Tahoe’ offers a more dramatically inclined take on the exes-to-lovers trope, focusing on the central couple’s shared past as they work towards a future together. Therefore, if ‘Our Little Secret’ has left you looking for something similar within the genre, this film might be for you.
7. Happiest Season (2020)
Clea DuVall’s ‘Happiest Season‘ is a rom-com that blends the chaos of meeting the parents with the unique tension of coming out to them. The film revolves around Abby and her longtime girlfriend, Harper, who invites her to spend Christmas with her family. Yet, the latter forgets to mention one crucial detail—her family has no idea that she’s gay. As a result, Abby has no choice but to pretend to be her girlfriend’s purely platonic best friend—a feat that her plans for a Christmas-time proposal make all the more difficult.
‘Happiest Season’ is an entertaining story about the horrors of impressing your potential in-laws while keeping a big secret from them—an instance that Avery from ‘Our Little Secret’ can easily relate to. Furthermore, both films share the narrative element of secrets between an inherently dysfunctional family striving for staged perfection.
6. Merry Ex-Mas (2022)
‘Merry Ex-Mas’ is a holiday rom-com that operates on the same premise of an unexpected run-in with one’s former high-school sweetheart that ‘Our Little Secret’ excels at. Emma was brutally dumped by her boyfriend, Myles, in high school during prom, an instance that neither one of them has recovered from, even decades later. Consequently, it’s a shock when the pair run into each other at a hotel bar during a snowstorm. This leads Myles’ much younger girlfriend to suggest the two reconcile to put their bad blood behind them. Nonetheless, as the two revisit memories of their first love, they can’t help but wonder if something more could happen between them. The film’s central couple shares Avery and Logan’s treaded grounds of the return of a nostalgic love.
5. Mistletoe Mixup (2021)
‘Mistletoe Mixup’ is a hilarious Holiday love story in which the protagonist, much like the characters in ‘Our Little Secret,’ falls victim to the error of not knowing the identity of her love interest’s sibling. The Andrew Lawrence film centers around Holly, a work-driven woman who barely has time for romance. Nonetheless, as the holiday season unfolds, she finds herself crossing paths with two possible beaus, Tom and Austin. For the same reason, it’s all the more chaotic once she realizes that the two are brothers—but only after she shows up at their house for a family holiday ski trip. As such, sibling-rivalry-fueled antics ensue. This film is the perfect watch for people who, after ‘Our Little Secret,’ have found themselves craving disorderly family drama born from a comedy of errors.
4. A Cozy Christmas Inn (2022)
‘A Cozy Christmas Inn‘ presents a story about a bigshot workaholic who unearths her love for small towns—and maybe more—on an unlikely Holiday-time trip. Erika, a real-estate executive, arrives in a close-knit town in Alaska to buy a bed-and-breakfast business. Therefore, she’s in for a surprise when she learns that the B&B’s owner is none other than her Andy Holliday. Consequently, Erika’s “short trip” turns into something more as she spends her time in the idyllic town, trying—and failing—not to fall for her ex again.
Peter Sullivan’s compelling rom-com brings all the festive joy that fans of the genre will seek out while the storyline explores a couple’s second chance at love that one can’t help but root for. For the same reasons, this film is bound to appeal to viewers who enjoyed ‘Our Little Secret.’
3. Christmas Wonderland (2018)
Sean Olson’s ‘Christmas Wonderland‘ is a heartfelt story about nostalgia and how it pulls one back into its easy embrace. The story is helmed by Heidi, an ambitious painter who left her small town behind to fulfill her big dreams. However, years later, as she returns to the same town, she finds herself faced with every enchanting part of her past—including Chris, her high school boyfriend and first love. As she gets roped into helping her ex-boyfriend find a location for the local school’s Christmas dance, old sparks fly, leaving Heidi with an important decision to make about her future.
Like Avery in ‘Our Little Secret,’ Heidi also reunites with the possible love of her life during an instrumental time in her life. Therefore, if you enjoy watching exes take on errands with plenty of opportunity for an endearing frenzy, you should give ‘Christmas Wonderland’ a try.
2. EXmas (2023)
Directed by Jonah Feingold, ‘EXmas’ is a light-hearted rom-com that revolves around a pair of exes with more than their fair share of unresolved feelings. Ali and Graham were the perfect couple on the road to getting married—that is—until a devastating breakup sent them out of each other’s lives forever. However, despite breaking up with Graham, Ali could never quite break up with his amazing family. For the same reason, a holiday mixup—where Graham tries to surprise his family with an impromptu visit—results in an awkward situation when he realizes his parents have already invited his ex-girlfriend for the week.
Ali and Graham’s love story possesses all the appealing elements for fans of ‘Our Little Secret,’ including misunderstandings, exes with a complicated history, and a bucketful of yuletide hijinks. Thus, ‘EXmas’ might just prove to be the perfect next watch.
1. An Unexpected Christmas (2021)
Directed by Michael Robison, ‘An Unexpected Christmas‘ offers a premise that will inevitably intrigue people who enjoyed ‘Our Little Secret.’ It follows the story of Jamie and Emily in the fresh aftermath of their break up. During the holidays, a mistake at the train station sends Emily to her ex-boyfriend’s hometown, where she bumps into him and his sister, the latter of whom seems to believe the former couple are still together.
Consequently, Emily discovers that Jamie never broke the news of their breakup to his family. Moreover, he somehow manages to convince her to play along with his lie to give his family a drama-free Christmas. Naturally, this sets the exes up for potentially reigniting an old flame. ‘An Unexpected Christmas’ flips the premise of ‘Our Little Secret’ on its head and presents a story about exes forced into a pretend relationship. As such, if you like the idea of unconventional white lies bringing lovers together, this is the film for you.
