Netflix’s 2026 holiday movie season begins with an emotional family crisis, a lovable Corgi and a Dennis Quaid performance that gives this Christmas tale its heart. But is it worth adding to your festive watchlist?
Rating: 3/5
Christmas movies are supposed to bring warmth, laughter and a few tears. But Netflix’s latest holiday offering takes things a step further, placing one struggling family in the middle of an emotional crisis and introducing an adorable puppy who might be exactly what they need to find their way forward.
The good news for dog lovers? This is a Christmas movie where you can fall in love with the four-legged stars without worrying that their lives will be put in danger.
A Dog’s Perfect Christmas marks the opening of Netflix’s 2026 holiday movie lineup. Written by W. Bruce Cameron and directed by Cathryn Michon, the creative duo behind A Dog’s Purpose, the film blends family drama, romance, grief and plenty of canine charm into a story designed to bring viewers together.
And while it doesn’t get everything right, Dennis Quaid and his young co-star deliver some of the film’s most touching moments.
A FAMILY ON THE BRINK OF FALLING APART
Based on W. Bruce Cameron’s 2020 novel of the same name, the film unfolds through the eyes of Winstead, a wise old basset hound voiced by Thomas Haden Church, known for his work in Tires.
Through Winstead’s perspective, viewers get a front-row seat to the complicated lives of the growing Goss family, whose Christmas celebrations are anything but peaceful.
Two years after losing his wife, grandfather Sander Goss, played by Dennis Quaid, is still struggling with grief. His frustration and increasingly difficult relationship with his teenage granddaughter Ello, portrayed by Brooke Lena Johnson, have left the family divided.
But their problems are about to become far more serious.
When Ello’s mother, Juliana, suddenly falls ill and is placed in an induced coma, the family is thrown into an emotional crisis. With her mother unable to care for the household, Ello and Sander are forced to find a way to hold everything together while confronting a future neither was prepared for.
Then comes Ruby, an energetic little Corgi puppy whose arrival may be the one thing capable of bringing the family back together.
The film also features an impressive supporting cast, including:
- Milo Ventimiglia (This Is Us) as Hunter, an overworked father.
- Kathleen Rose Perkins (‘Til Death) as Juliana, the seriously ill mother.
- Mary Steenburgen (Elf) as Claire, a widow who loves dogs.
- Jennifer Tilly (Bride of Chucky) as Lucille, an energetic woman searching for love.
Several dogs bring Winstead and Ruby to life, including younger and older versions of the characters. Some of the canine performers even have names inspired by the Royal Family.
THE MOST POWERFUL PART OF THE FILM ISN’T THE PUPPY
Ruby may be the obvious attraction, but the film’s strongest emotional moments come from the relationship between Sander and Ello.
Dennis Quaid gives the character a compelling transformation, taking a grieving, irritable older man who seems to have lost his reason to keep moving forward and gradually turning him into the family patriarch Ello desperately needs.
Meanwhile, Brooke Lena Johnson brings a convincing mix of teenage frustration and unexpected maturity to Ello. Faced with her mother’s hospitalization, she is suddenly forced to shoulder responsibilities far beyond what anyone her age should have to handle.
Their relationship develops into the film’s emotional centre.
What begins as tension between a difficult grandfather and his teenage granddaughter gradually becomes something much deeper. As their circumstances worsen, they discover that they need each other more than either initially wants to admit.
One particularly memorable conversation revolves around denial and the different ways people cope when life becomes unbearable.
It’s also where the film delivers its best line:
“You know, I think burgers are probably the official food of denial.”
The exchange is funny, unexpectedly poignant and surprisingly honest. Beneath the humour is a meaningful reminder that people don’t always process grief in the same way. Sometimes, simply finding a way to get through another difficult day is enough.
Quaid and Johnson make this relationship feel earned rather than manufactured. Their performances give the film a genuine emotional foundation, reinforcing the idea that family can become our greatest source of strength precisely when everything else seems to fall apart.
NOT EVERY ROMANCE WORKS, BUT THE HEART IS THERE
For all its emotional strengths, A Dog’s Perfect Christmas isn’t without weaknesses.
Some of the romantic storylines feel overly convenient, with certain relationships seemingly engineered to deliver the biggest possible emotional payoff rather than developing naturally.
The Ello and Sean relationship is one example. Compared with the believable connection between Sander and Ello, some of these romantic developments struggle to achieve the same level of authenticity.
Fortunately, Mary Steenburgen brings plenty of charm to her scenes, helping make the film’s romantic elements more enjoyable.
Still, the movie understands what kind of experience it wants to deliver. It isn’t trying to be a devastating family drama or a complicated examination of grief. Instead, it offers a relatively gentle story about people facing difficult circumstances and finding reasons to keep going.
Its central themes are familiar but effective:
- Family resilience: How loved ones can support one another through grief and unexpected hardship.
- Finding a reason to move forward: The small moments and relationships that help people rediscover hope.
- Appreciating what matters: Recognizing the people and things we may have taken for granted until life forces us to reconsider their importance.
Importantly, these ideas are explored across several generations, giving different members of the family their own emotional journeys.
And for viewers who prefer Christmas films without devastating twists involving their beloved animal characters, there’s another reason to feel comfortable settling in for this one: no dogs die on or off screen.
SHOULD YOU WATCH ‘A DOG’S PERFECT CHRISTMAS’?
If your ideal Christmas movie involves adorable dogs, family reconciliation, romance and just enough emotional drama to bring a few tears, Netflix has delivered a perfectly pleasant addition to its holiday lineup.
The film won’t surprise viewers looking for groundbreaking storytelling. Its plot sometimes takes the easiest route, and not every relationship feels equally convincing.
But Dennis Quaid and Brooke Lena Johnson make the most of the material, creating a grandfather-granddaughter relationship that gives the entire story its emotional weight.
It’s also an easy choice for a family movie night. The combination of Christmas warmth, lovable puppies, a touch of spirituality and a reassuringly gentle approach to family drama makes it accessible to a wide audience.
Ultimately, A Dog’s Perfect Christmas is exactly what its title promises: a sweet, uncomplicated holiday story with enough heart to make the occasional narrative shortcut worthwhile.
And yes, Ruby is every bit as adorable as you’d hope.
VERDICT: 3/5
WATCH ‘A DOG’S PERFECT CHRISTMAS’ IF YOU LIKE:
- A Dog’s Purpose
- A Dog’s Way Home
- A Dog’s Journey
- Remarkably Bright Creatures
MVP: DENNIS QUAID AND BROOKE LENA JOHNSON
The standout performances belong to Dennis Quaid and Brooke Lena Johnson as Sander and Ello Goss.
Their chemistry gives the film its strongest emotional connection, particularly during the conversation about denial and the role it can play in surviving difficult moments.
The burger line may be the funniest piece of dialogue in the film, but the scene works because of what lies beneath it: two family members struggling to cope with an overwhelming situation and slowly learning how to support each other.
Quaid brings warmth and vulnerability to Sander’s transformation, while Johnson makes Ello’s difficult transition from troubled teenager to someone forced to take charge feel believable.
Together, they provide the humanity that the film’s occasionally too-convenient plot needs.
A Dog’s Perfect Christmas may not be the most memorable Christmas drama Netflix will release this year, but it has enough warmth, strong performances and four-legged charm to make it a worthwhile festive watch.
