A Dog's Perfect Christmas review: Cute dogs, family drama but little festive magic

Directed by Cathryn Michon, A Dog's Perfect Christmas, led by two adorable dogs, swaps standard holiday romance for heavy themes. The film navigates dysfunctional family dynamics, grief, romance and a medical crisis.

In Short

• A Dog’s Perfect Christmas is based on W Bruce Cameron’s book
• The film is the third instalment of A Dog’s Purpose franchise
• A Dog’s Perfect Christmas is available for streaming on Netflix

Christmas movies have a rather predictable graph: a snow-covered town, twinkling lights, a woman who has forgotten what love feels like, a handsome stranger (or, better still, a prince), and a happily-ever-after that arrives just in time for Christmas. We have seen enough of these prince-meets-princess stories to know exactly how they end. But Netflix’s A Dog’s Perfect Christmas decides to switch things up. This time, the real stars aren’t a royal couple looking for love, but two adorable dogs trying to bring a family back together. Now, that’s a premise worth wagging your tail for!

Directed by Cathryn Michon and based on W Bruce Cameron’s book, the film is the third instalment in the A Dog’s Purpose franchise. Only, this time, it swaps the emotional reincarnation narrative for a more conventional family drama, with Christmas serving as the backdrop. There are dogs, dysfunctional family dynamics, grief, romance and a medical crisis. Quite a lot for one festive film to take on.

The story revolves around the Goss family, which, despite appearances, is having anything but a perfect Christmas. Hunter (Milo Ventimiglia) is a workaholic father, seemingly more interested in impressing his new boss than spending time with his wife and children. Juliana (Kathleen Rose Perkins) is struggling to hold the household together, while their teenage daughter Ello (Brooke Lena Johnson) is navigating school insecurities, growing-up troubles and a budding romance.

Then there is Sander (Dennis Quaid), Hunter’s widowed father, who moves in with the family after losing his wife and spending his savings on medical treatment. Still grieving and struggling to find his place, he is hardly the most cheerful addition to an already chaotic household.

Enter Winstead, an affectionate basset hound, and Ruby, an adorable corgi puppy. The two are expected to bring some much-needed happiness into the family. And honestly, who better than dogs to teach humans a thing or two about unconditional love?

But just when things seem to be settling down, Juliana develops a serious infection that progresses into sepsis, leaving her in a coma. Hunter is suddenly forced to juggle work, hospital visits and parenting, while Ello has to grow up a little faster. Sander, meanwhile, finds himself reconnecting with his family and discovering companionship in an unexpected place.

There is a genuinely sweet story somewhere in all this. A family that has slowly drifted apart is forced to confront its priorities. It is a familiar Christmas-film setup, but one that could have worked beautifully with the right emotional treatment. Unfortunately, the film seems far too eager to get to its happy ending.

Juliana’s medical emergency, for instance, is a major turning point, but the writing doesn't give it the emotional weight it deserves. The fear, helplessness and uncertainty that should accompany such a crisis are barely explored. Instead, the narrative rushes towards its larger message about family and togetherness. It feels convenient rather than convincing.

The film also struggles with its many subplots. We move from grief and a medical emergency to teenage romance, Christmas celebrations and Sander’s attempts at finding love again. Each storyline has potential, but none gets enough breathing room. The result is a film that wants to make you laugh, cry and feel festive, sometimes all within the same few minutes.

And what about the dogs? Well, they are easily the best part of the film, even if the screenplay doesn't do them enough justice.

Winstead, voiced by Thomas Haden Church, narrates the story, offering a canine perspective on the complicated ways of humans (remember Aamir Khan in Dil Dhadakne Do?). It is a fun idea, particularly because dogs have a wonderfully uncomplicated approach to love and loyalty. His observations bring occasional humour and innocence, but the narration could have been much sharper. Ruby, meanwhile, is an absolute sweetheart. But for a film that puts two dogs in the spotlight, their role in bringing the family together feels surprisingly limited. We wanted more canine mischief, more heart and, frankly, more dogs doing what dogs do best.

The performances are pleasant enough. Quaid brings warmth to Sander, and his scenes with Winstead are among the film’s more endearing moments. Ventimiglia is sincere as Hunter, although the character feels familiar. Johnson captures Ello’s teenage awkwardness, while Ethan Loomis adds sweetness as Sean. Mary Steenburgen and Jennifer Tilly lend charm to the romantic track, but the writing doesn't give their characters much to sink their teeth into.

On the visual front, the film gets its Christmas aesthetics right. There are cosy homes, festive decorations, winter landscapes and enough seasonal music to make you reach for a cup of hot chocolate. An ice-skating sequence involving Ello and Sean is particularly charming. It is the sort of moment that reminds you why Christmas movies are such a comforting watch in the first place.

At its heart, A Dog’s Perfect Christmas wants to tell us something simple: in the chaos of everyday life, we sometimes forget the people who matter most. And sometimes, a pet can bring a family closer in ways that even the most heartfelt conversations cannot. It is a lovely thought, and one that dog lovers will undoubtedly connect with. But a lovely thought alone cannot carry an entire film.

The screenplay needed more emotional depth, the subplots needed better handling, and the dogs deserved a much bigger role. For a film that promises a perfect Christmas, there is surprisingly little festive magic around.

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