{{short description|2019 film by Monika Mitchell}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2021}} {{Infobox film | name = The Knight Before Christmas | image = The Knight Before Christmas poster.jpg | alt = | caption = Official release poster | director = Monika Mitchell | writer = Cara J. Russell | producer = {{ubl|Brad Krevoy|Vanessa Hudgens}} | starring = {{ubl|Vanessa Hudgens|Josh Whitehouse|Emmanuelle Chriqui}} | cinematography = Greg Gardiner | editing = Lara Mazur | music = Roger Bellon | studio = {{Plainlist| * MPCA * Brad Krevoy Productions }} | distributor = Netflix | released = {{Film date|2019|11|21}} | runtime = 92 minutes | country = United States | language = English | budget = | gross = }} '''''The Knight Before Christmas''''' is a 2019 Christmas fantasy romantic comedy film directed by Monika Mitchell and written by Cara J. Russell.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2019/03/vanessa-hudgens-netflix-movie-knight-before-christmas-1202579093/|title=Vanessa Hudgens To Star & Executive Produce 'The Knight Before Christmas' For Netflix|date=March 20, 2019|website=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=March 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190321004316/https://deadline.com/2019/03/vanessa-hudgens-netflix-movie-knight-before-christmas-1202579093/|archive-date=March 21, 2019|url-status=live}}/</ref> It was released on November 21, 2019.<ref name="xmas2019">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SirDeht7k0|title=It's Beginning to Look a lot like Netflix {{!}} Holidays 2019 {{!}} Netflix|date=October 15, 2019|website=YouTube}}</ref>
Filming took place in Orillia and Bracebridge in Ontario, Canada between April and May 2019, with Norwich castle scenes featuring Charleville Castle in Tullamore, Ireland.<ref>{{cite web|title='The Knight Before Christmas': Netflix Release Date, Plot, Cast & Trailer|url=https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/news/the-knight-before-christmas-netflix-release-date-plot-cast-trailer/|website=What's on Netflix|date=November 7, 2019}}</ref>
==Plot== <!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, plot summary should be between 400 to 700 words. --> In Norwich, England, on December 18, 1334, knight Sir Cole Christopher Fredrick Lyons and his brother Geoffrey participate in the annual Christmas hawking competition. Cole goes into the woods, while Geoffrey combs the castle for the hawk. Cole soon runs into an old crone named Kayela, whom he offers to escort to shelter. She thanks him for his kindness.
Kayala then tells Cole she will magically send him to a faraway land on a knightly quest, where he will see things like "flying steel dragons and horses" (airplanes and cars) and "magic boxes that make merry" (televisions). After her explanation, she gives him a glowing blue medallion. Cole is told that if he does not fulfill his quest before midnight on Christmas Eve, he will never be a true knight – but she does not explain the nature of the quest itself.
In the year 2019 on the same day in Bracebridge, a small city in Ohio, high school science teacher Brooke Winters. She is disillusioned by love, agrees to take her niece Claire to the opening of the "Christmas Castle", the same place Cole arrives in. Cole, confused by the new and unfamiliar surroundings, is accidentally hit by Brooke's car.
Cole is taken to the hospital, where Officer Stevens checks his background and assumes that he must have amnesia, as he has no ID and claims to be a medieval knight. Brooke offers to let him stay at her guest home while he recovers. Cole gradually acclimates to his new environment, discovering modern-day innovations such as radios, diners, TV, manners, and Alexa.
Despite his manner of speech and strange habits, Cole quickly endears himself to Brooke's friends and family. They find him strange, but humor him, as does Brooke herself, who even agrees that it is possible he is who he claims to be. She opens up to him about her late parents and an ex-boyfriend who had left her for someone else years ago, and he slowly shares his own past with her as they grow more familiar.
In his search for the quest given to him by Kayela, Cole ends up rescuing two children in danger on a frozen lake and catches an escaping pickpocket, but does not feel fulfilled. On December 24, Cole helps Brooke host a successful Christmas feast. Later, he asks her to clarify the mistletoe tradition, and they kiss.
Cole's medallion then lights up, meaning he has finally fulfilled his quest. Brooke walks Cole back to the Christmas Castle, where he had originally arrived, and they bid each other a heavy farewell. She returns home, heartbroken, while Cole is sent back to the 14th century.
On return, Cole discovers that he has arrived just in time for his brother's knighting ceremony. Geoffrey welcomes him back warmly, but soon recognizes his brother's unhappiness, so urges him to return to Brooke. He sets off back into the woods to look for the old crone, declaring that he has finished his quest. Kayela reappears, and uses her magic to transport him back to 2019.
On Christmas Day, Brooke is comforted by her sister, niece, and brother-in-law. They invite her to join them at the Christmas Castle, where Cole soon meets them, riding atop his horse Sherwyn. He declares his love to Brooke and his willingness to stay, which she happily accepts. The two mount Sherwyn and ride around the castle, admired by onlookers.
In a post-credits scene, Geoffrey meets the old crone, who greets him and asks for assistance the same way she did with Cole. She carries another medallion which glows as the scene comes to an end – indicating that Geoffrey will go through a quest like his brother.
==Cast== {{Castlist| * Vanessa Hudgens as Brooke Winters * Josh Whitehouse as Sir Cole Lyons of Norwich * Emmanuelle Chriqui as Madison * Harry Jarvis as Sir Geoffrey * Ella Kenion as Kayela * Arnold Pinnock as Officer Stevens * Jean-Michel Le Gal as David * Mimi Gianopulos as Alyson * Jacob Soley as Patrick * Andrea Senior as Caroler * Simon Webster as Reed * Jonah Wineberg as Older Brother * Olivia Gudaniec as Kaelynn * Isabelle Franca as Claire * Shazdeh Kapadia as Lily * Jesse Gervasi as Taylor * Shanice Johnson as Paige * Telysa Chandler as Group Singer * Scott Ryan Yamamura as Evan }}
==Release== ''The Knight Before Christmas'' was released on November 21, 2019.<ref name="xmas2019" />
==Reception== On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of {{RT data|score}} based on {{RT data|count}} reviews, and an average rating of {{RT data|average}}. The website's critics consensus reads: "While its plot borders on the absurd, ''The Knight Before Christmas'' is endearing and charming enough to make it a worthy addition to the holiday rom-com genre."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_knight_before_christmas|title=The Knight Before Christmas (2019)|website=Rotten Tomatoes|publisher=Fandango|access-date={{RT data|access date}}}}</ref>
==See also== * List of Christmas films
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Netflix title}} * {{IMDb title|10060094}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Knight Before Christmas The}} Category:2010s Christmas comedy films Category:2019 films Category:American Christmas comedy films Category:Netflix original films Category:2019 romantic comedy films Category:2010s films about time travel Category:Films set in 2019 Category:Films set in 14th-century Plantagenet England Category:Films set in Ohio Category:Films set in Norfolk Category:American romantic comedy films Category:2019 English-language films Category:2019 American films Category:English-language Christmas comedy films Category:English-language romantic comedy films