A Year from Now (2021) User Reviews

Sweet movie, needed better acting

[rcollins313 · 6/10 · 2 January 2022]

Really loved the story and the theme of this movie. It reminds us of the importance of enjoying each moment with loved ones. I loved the East Texas setting. I just wish the acting would have been better.

Not perfect, but definitely worth the 84 minutes

[Nyssareen_77 · 6/10 · 30 December 2021]

This is a nice little indy movie with a good feeling and an interesting twist on some well-used ideas. There were a few slow spots where there was far too much watching the main character be introspective while standard Christmas music played. But on the whole, it was a cute, watchable Christmas movie.

Like the movie "click" with a really slow main character

[sparkytx · 4/10 · 9 January 2022]

The movie is very unclear on its rules of how the time skipping works. As far i i could figure out, it is similar to the "click" movie without the main character trying to figure out what is happening. She just wonders around aimlessly enough though she is losing all this time. There is a hint that the journal given to her at the beginning has some sort of power but she never really uses it during the movie. It seems to be just a normal journal that she writes in during the year. I would think that after the second or time, she would consult the journal rather than walk into awkward situations.

There is a theme that she is not treating time seriously so she does not deserve the extra time however after she changes, it does not stop or chage the process. In the end, the time jumping just stop for no reason.

Definitely a unthought out idea. Should have worked longer on rhe script.

Shallow, and awful.

[ravnwyng-75289 · 2/10 · 29 December 2021]

Great idea. Poorly executed. No depth to any of the characters. Lack of any sufficient detail to make it interesting.

The main character isn't interesting. And there is nothing compelling in the story being told. I feel like I wasted 85 minutes of my life. That would be about 2 weeks, as far as this movie is concerned.

Lower budget acting

[jessicag-06545 · 2/10 · 31 December 2021]

The acting seemed like lower budget, just very scripted. I had a hard time watching this because of the lack of believability in the acting of all characters. The concept of the movie wasn't bad but I wouldn't recommend giving this movie a watch.

Like a high school play. Amateurs!!!

[itmeansflower · 3/10 · 7 January 2022]

It's not terrible, but right off that tells you a lot.

It's an interesting idea, and in the right hands could perhaps have been a really great movie. However the script needed a lot of work. There was so little character development. For instance, in one of the early scenes, when the main character meets up with her sister, it's very awkward. Yet there is no explanation or backstory provided so that you understand what is going on between them. So you're left wondering why, and never given an answer.

In general, the plot is just too basic and too predictable.

The main problem however, is the bad acting.

I hate to say it so plainly, but that is without doubt the main problem with this film. Almost the entire cast feels like they pulled them out of their very first week of acting school. The older actors that play the parents are the only ones that are believable. As far as the main character goes, I really wonder how she got her role.

So all in all I truly can't recommend this movie.

Made for tv?! I wouldn't put it on the radio!!

[imissapenandpaper · 1/10 · 4 March 2022]

Terrible acting, poor production, and I swear at some points the main character seems to pause before responding almost like she's remembering her lines... terrible movie as stated this is not good enough quality for tv I wouldn't even Waste the script on radio don't waste your time on it, trust me!

Great STUDENT FILM

[M7R1999 · 10/10 · 11 March 2022]

To all the people calling this amateurish, this is a student film not a Hollywood production, it says SFA right on it - Stephen F. Austin University. The actors and entire crew are film school students - except Brad Maule. Taking that into context I think it was very well done and very well acted. It's wholesome and real and very enjoyable. The problem is the producers never should have put it out with big budget productions and reviewers judging it as such. It is an amateur production and taken as such it is very good. Honestly, IMO it's better than most of the cable channel Christmas stuff that gets made every year and the acting is far more real.

A steaming Yule log of bad story and acting

[imdb-2920 · 3/10 · 2 January 2022]

Ever wanted to see a family (and town) in which only one person speaks at a time and everyone else just stands there, frozen, waiting for their turn to deliver a line, like an elementary school Christmas play?

Ever hoped for a movie in which there's a weird brother with a bowl cut hairdo just like the protagonist's mom?

Ever wanted to see a film in which the protagonist did nothing with her life year after year and instead of rooting for her to get it together and succeed you just want to give her a pinch?

Do you like movies that are padded out by 15% by having the dippy protagonist stare pensively while public domain versions of Christmas songs play?

Ever wanted to see a film in which the protagonist ends up marrying the brain-damaged feeb from the brewery even though he radiates creepy vibes every time she interacts with him?

Ever wanted to see a film in which the protagonist achieves success not through hard work, but simply by waking up and finding her manuscript complete? Or by finding a copy of the published book by the door?

Do you want to hear multiple mentions of Dad's "special" Christmas pancakes?

If you'd like to see all that and more, this is the movie for you!

Unbelievably Bad

[nelch · 2/10 · 6 February 2022]

Terrible acting , OTT Christmas music throughout. Not one character that made this worth watching. Each day, in the movie, is the passing of a year. In those seven years the same bedding was always on the bed, the same colours on the walls in each room, the same tissue box and flowers by the bed for the first four years at least. I like Christmas movies and so I tried to like this, but to no avail. Nobody managed to portray any emotion at any time. How do they manage to get funding for these movies ? I gave it a 2 that was overly generous.

When I watch movies I expect to feel something for the characters. I felt nothing for anybody in this dross , from start to finish. Badly written, badly acted and not really a Christmas movie.

cute idea carried out badly

[studiopashnada · 2/10 · 21 January 2022]

The idea is cute but it's just so bad. The dialog is bad, the acting is bad, the pacing is bad. It's so bad that I'm actually shocked that it's got a 5.1 rating.

Amateur Hour

[alettawelensky · 3/10 · 26 January 2022]

I can only assume that everyone in this movie was closely related to whoever financed this debacle. To say the acting is bad is like saying Star Wars is a bit popular.

Avoid at all costs.

Wasted concept

[joannabarker-04823 · 2/10 · 12 March 2022]

All the acting was terrible. The pacing incredibly slow. The music was intrusive and annoying. The characters were not likeable.

It was an interesting concept, just executed very poorly.

I like it

[wkfghggqk · 10/10 · 7 January 2022]

Funny- awkward but in a good way! What's more important is that I enjoyed it with my family all around. Those are always the good kinds of movies to watch!

Low budget doesn't have to be awful....

[jiffer60 · 1/10 · 31 December 2023]

Wow, the poor acting, awkward pauses for laughs, staging, as though on stage and not film, really makes this hard to watch. The only actor recognizable is Ronald (the dad), who was the bartender from Three's Company that Janet and Terri fought over. Couldn't finish this.... Really, really bad. The plot is there, even the writing isn't bad. The acting was atrocious. This is why low budget gets a bad reputation. There are plenty of up and comers willing to act, who actually can act, they could get within their budget. When I was acting I did things just to be seen and add to my resume, paid or not. Seriously, hold out for better actors. Ronald was the only believable actor but he had poor direction that I'm sure he had to adhere to. He tried....

Great concept, bad acting

[tunesgirl · 2/10 · 17 December 2023]

The concept was great - a modern twist on A Christmas Carol. But the acting was terrible - like watching a high school play. No warmth to the characters. Some were overly bubbly, some far too flat. The main character's attitude turns 360 degrees by the end but is very "saccharin." Still, not a bad movie to be playing in the background while I decorated my Christmas tree. Sometimes it was confusing exactly what year she was in.....or what year she ended up in. The main character's "love interest" was a complete dork. And not at all convincing as her husband. I might recommend to friends but with a whole lot of disclaimers.

What was the point..?!?

[sleeper54 · 2/10 · 2 December 2023]

Others have covered the plot, still others the pacing, the acting, and the 'everything else'. Yes, I know many might consider this coverage de rigueur for each and every review. But I can not, just can not do so. I am not invested enough in the film to accept this 'reviewers burden'.

So I will ask my overarching question after viewing: how did the lead character overcome her primary obstacle..?!?

Spoilers here, tagged and warning again.

Veronica is obviously an underachieving human being. Wanting to be an author, but not writing. A law school graduate, but not a full-fledged lawyer like her sister. And more. How can she change all this..??

Given the 'magical power' to see the changes in her life over successive yearly 'jumps' during Christmas week ...does she use these yearly 'updates' to advance her career or life..??

No. Things just 'happen' at the scriptwriters' whim. Does she learn anything from each Christmas jump..?? No. Does she do anything new and creative over the course of the years given her..?? No..!!

Until the last jump. Bam, her novel has been published, she is a success..!! And suddenly confident enough to dump her trashy husband, added during her last jump. A suitor she had been avoiding over all the previous jumps. But those crafty scriptwriters throw in this cheating husband near the end ...how clever..!!

My main question, hinted at earlier. In year one of this tale, no novel. At the end of her journey, novel *published in year one*, before the entirety of the film. How..?!? Why..?!? We watch the entire film waiting for the insights and knowing changes which will help evolve a new, successful character. But nothing happens. It is all scriptwriter magic (rather than plot) to make it so..!!

So disappointed at having wasted my time watching this one. For gawd's sake, keep looking and pick something different.

Q. E. D.

Cute and good little indie movie.

[minionking777 · 8/10 · 19 December 2021]

This movie has very relatable characters and a story with a unique twist. The acting is acceptable. Good music. Worth a watch. Definitely a Netflix and chill movie.