TL;DR: Champagne Problems is a cozy, low-stakes Netflix Christmas rom-com that pairs Minka Kelly’s winning performance with gorgeous Parisian scenery and a sweet, predictable romance. It doesn’t reinvent anything, but it’s delightful seasonal escapism—the kind of holiday comfort watch that goes down easy, like a good glass of champagne.
Champagne Problems
Every December, my brain quietly flips a switch from Premium Television Mode to Seasonal Escapism Mode. Suddenly, the same part of me that agonizes over aspect ratios and cinematography all year long is totally fine watching a predictable Christmas rom-com while wearing fuzzy socks and eating peppermint bark straight from the bag. And Netflix, the benevolent dealer of yuletide comfort content, knows this well. Their annual delivery of holiday films is practically a digital advent calendar, each title wrapped in twinkle lights, improbable meet-cutes, and emotional arcs you can spot from space.
This year’s surprise entry, Champagne Problems, showed up exactly when I needed it—one of those perfectly fizzy, low-pressure December films where you abandon logic, embrace travel envy, and whisper to yourself: yes, I absolutely couldfall in love with a charming stranger in Paris if given the chance.
So I settled in, queued up the Netflix holiday rom-com machine, and let Minka Kelly whisk me off to France. And honestly? It worked.
Champagne Problems is the cinematic equivalent of a warm, overpriced Christmas market drink: not complex, occasionally too sweet, but comforting, festive, and surprisingly satisfying.
A Business Trip, A Bookstore, and A Very Conveniently Handsome Frenchman
The film follows Sydney Price, played by Minka Kelly with a mix of Type-A determination and soft-edged vulnerability that instantly reminded me why she ruled the Friday Night Lights era of my TV-watching youth. Sydney is a big-deal executive at a beverage corporation, and when the opportunity comes to acquire a beloved French champagne house—Château Cassell—she flies to Paris faster than I add things to my Amazon cart at 2 a.m.
Before she leaves, she promises her sister she’ll take at least one night to reconnect with herself, which is exactly the kind of holiday-movie promise that always means destiny is about to do something aggressively charming.
Cue her wandering into a Parisian bookstore (because naturally everyone in Christmas rom-coms discovers romance via literature), where she meets Henri Cassell—played by Tom Wozniczka, whose job is clearly to make viewers think “oh no, he’s hot” every time he appears on screen. One hot chocolate later and the rom-com gravitational pull snaps into place. They stroll through the city, eat macaroons, gaze at the Eiffel Tower, and flirt like they’ve known each other since the early days of Facebook.
But because this is a holiday film written by someone who loves chaos just enough, Sydney wakes up the next day and discovers that Henri is—plot twist—the son of Hugo Cassell, the man she’s in Paris to negotiate with.
Honestly? Chef’s kiss. Predictable? Yes. Effective? Also yes.
The Parisian Fantasy Is Strong With This One
One of the biggest strengths of Champagne Problems is how unapologetically it leans into the fantasy of Paris at Christmas. I’ve never been to France during the holidays, but after watching this film, suddenly I want to punch my passport just to justify window shopping on Rue Cler while holding a comically large scarf around my neck.
The movie isn’t just set in Paris—it’s high on Paris.
Shot across the city, plus Épernay and Reims for those champagne-region vibes, the film gives you sweeping shots of cobblestone streets, golden lights shimmering on the Seine, and rustic wine estates that practically whisper “your work emails can’t hurt you here.” The travel porn is so strong that I started googling flight prices somewhere around the scene where they explore a Christmas market, because I, too, would like to pretend I can eat pastries without consequences.
And because Sydney has spent her adult life chasing job titles instead of joy, we get the classic holiday arc: the rediscovery of self. But the film wisely never paints her ambition as villainous—just incomplete. Watching her open up to the people around her, and to her own wants, adds enough emotional weight to keep the film from being all sparkle and no substance.
A Holiday Ensemble That Knows Exactly What Movie It’s In
The supporting cast is basically the Island of Misfit Toys but in corporate attire, and I mean that as the highest compliment. The film assembles a handful of rival buyers competing with Sydney for the Cassell deal, each one more cartoonish than the last.
There’s Roberto Salazar, the party animal; Otto Moller, the endearingly awkward German competitor; and Brigitte Laurent, who seems to be fueled by disdain and espresso. They’re caricatures, yes, but deliberately and joyfully so. The comedic rhythm they bring feels like a nod to classic ensemble holiday rom-coms, the kind where every side character acts like they’re in their own short film.
Are they deeply written? Absolutely not. Did I laugh? Multiple times.
Sometimes a Christmas rom-com is allowed to be silly, and Champagne Problems commits fully to the bit.
Minka Kelly Deserves the Netflix Holiday Rom-Com Crown
Let’s talk about Minka Kelly for a second, because she is the film’s secret weapon. She plays Sydney with the kind of down-to-earth charm that makes her instantly likeable, but she also avoids the tired “career woman who must learn to chill” stereotype that plagues this genre. Sydney is competent, kind, and deeply self-aware. She doesn’t bulldoze the competition; she listens, adapts, and—refreshingly—chooses connection over corporate victory without feeling like she’s giving up her identity.
Kelly nails the subtle emotional beats too. Her chemistry with Wozniczka feels warm and genuine, more like a slow simmer than a dramatic spark. Their scenes at the Christmas market and the final encounter in the bookstore feel lifted straight from a Pinterest board titled “Couple Aesthetic Goals,” and I mean that lovingly.
If Netflix is assembling a roster of holiday rom-com icons—Lindsay Lohan, Kat Graham, Vanessa Hudgens—Kelly fits right in. Honestly, give her a whole trilogy.
Does Champagne Problems Reinvent the Holiday Rom-Com Wheel? Absolutely Not. But It Doesn’t Need To.
This film never pretends to break the formula. It’s not here to deconstruct the genre, redefine Christmas movies, or launch a thousand think pieces on the evolution of romantic cinema. It wants to be a cozy blanket, a warm drink, a pleasant Parisian daydream you can enjoy without solving a single puzzle.
Some supporting characters are paper-thin. The leads could have shared more screen time. And yes, every twist is telegraphed with the subtlety of Santa’s sleigh crashing through your window.
But it hits all the beats: slow-burn romance, self-discovery, holiday magic, cozy vibes, and yes—bubbly champagne. When you’re watching a film literally called Champagne Problems, what more are you expecting?
It’s sweet. It’s fizzy. It’s comfort cinema.
And in December, that’s exactly the assignment.
