Hallmark's new Hanukkah time-loop movie features Louis Litt from 'Suits,' a Jewish queer couple, and a magic dreidel
- Hallmark Channel's newest Hanukkah movie, "Round and Round," premieres December 10 at 8 p.m. ET.
- Rachel (Vic Michaelis) gets stuck in a Hanukkah time loop and needs Zach (Bryan Greenberg) to help.
In Hallmark's new Hanukkah movie, "Round and Round," the seventh night of Hanukkah is a special time for publishing editor Rachel (Vic Michaelis) and her family: It's the anniversary of the night her parents met and her sister's proposal to her spouse.
But for Rachel, it quickly becomes her worst nightmare when she finds herself stuck in a time loop after spinning an heirloom dreidel. Day after day, she's forced to relive a jelly-doughnut disaster and her new boyfriend flaking on her family's Hanukkah party.
Increasingly desperate, she enlists the only person who believes her, a fantasy enthusiast and aspiring comic-book illustrator named Zach (Bryan Greenberg), to help her break free. Along the way, Rachel rediscovers her dream of publishing her own novel, learns to stand up for herself, and forges connections with people she'd previously dismissed. Her newfound relationships prove to be the key to breaking the mystical dreidel's spell.
While the mechanics of the time loop aren't entirely clear or well-executed, it all pays off at the end with a heartwarming twist in which Rachel finds that love at first sight isn't as simple as it seems.
'Round and Round' puts a new spin on time-loop movie tropes
Typically, protagonists in time-loop movies only move forward once they've fallen in love, perfected themselves, or both. "Round and Round" departs from this trope.
After looping repeatedly through the seventh night of Hanukkah, Rachel still needs to tie up loose ends when she finally wakes up the next day. The eighth night becomes a crucial moment for Rachel to go out and, as her father Stan (Rick Hoffman) tells her, create her own miracle — a rare moment in which the film engages with a theme of the holiday beyond its duration.
Hoffman steals the show with a quirky, comedic performance, though it is a bit jarring to see him portray a doting father after nine seasons as cutthroat attorney Louis Litt on "Suits."
Notably, the film also includes Jewish queer representation that feels groundbreaking in its wholesomeness, free of the closeted angst of Hulu's "Happiest Season." Rachel's sister, Shoshana (Marnie Mahannah), and her spouse, Bex (Jess Smith), attend the family Hanukkah party with their son, Noah, and have another child on the way.
Hallmark began incorporating Hanukkah plotlines into its original Christmas movies in 2019 with "Holiday Date" and "Double Holiday." Since then, the network has released three Hanukkah-focused films: "Love, Lights, Hanukkah!" (2020), "Eight Gifts of Hanukkah" (2021), and "Hanukkah on Rye" (2022).
While last year's "Hanukkah on Rye" remains the strongest of the bunch with its all-star cast and meaningful Jewish representation, "Round and Round" is a welcome addition to the growing genre of Hanukkah rom-coms.
"Round and Round" premieres Sunday, December 10 at 8 p.m. ET. on the Hallmark Channel. Hallmark's lineup of holiday movies is also available to stream on Peacock.