The Holiday Exchange (2024) – Gay Romance
The Holiday Exchange – What happens when two men trade homes for the holidays?
The Holiday Exchange (2024) is what would happen if The Holiday finally decided to come out of the closet, take off its Hallmark sweater, and admit that gay people also celebrate Christmas – with better taste in wine and worse taste in sweaters.
Wilde (Taylor Frey) is a burnt-out tech guy from L.A. whose ex-boyfriend just moved on faster than you can say “new profile picture.” Oliver (Rick Cosnett) is a divorce lawyer from Brilfax who saves other people’s relationships while his own heart gathers dust. Both men run away from their lives by swapping homes through an LGBTQ+ app – and, of course, find more than they bargained for.
From palm trees to snowflakes
Wilde ends up in a postcard-perfect town that looks like it was sponsored by cinnamon and regret. Instead of peace and quiet, he gets Henry (Samer Salem) – a stranded actor with big eyes and zero chill. Meanwhile, Oliver lands in L.A. and meets Julius (Daniel Garcia), a self-help writer whose idea of therapy involves cocktails and oversharing. Two sides of the world, one shared lesson: you can change the scenery, but your emotional baggage always makes it through customs.
It’s cheesy… and that’s the point
This movie is pure Christmas cheese – the kind that melts just right. Snow falls at suspiciously perfect times, candles never burn unevenly, and everyone learns something about love right before dessert. You’ll roll your eyes at least twice… and then catch yourself smiling, because it works. Somehow, it really does.
The magic exchange
Director Jake Helgren knows exactly what he’s doing. He doesn’t try to reinvent anything; he just turns up the warmth until your inner cynic gets sleepy. The chemistry between Frey and Cosnett carries the film – they look at each other like two people who both secretly want to cancel their flights and stay snowed in forever.
For a genre that still rarely gives gay couples their own Christmas fairytale, The Holiday Exchange feels like a small but meaningful victory. It’s not loud, it’s not political – it’s just kind. And that, in a world obsessed with outrage, feels almost radical.
So no, it’s not high art. But it’s cozy, funny, and it makes your heart feel a little less sarcastic for ninety minutes. Sometimes that’s all the therapy you need – plus maybe a second glass of wine.
