A fresh festive offering on Netflix has been hailed as the “best Christmas movie this year” following its debut.

My Secret Santa landed on the streaming platform on December 3 and has already captured viewers’ hearts.

The plot centres on a single mother desperately seeking employment to fund her daughter’s snowboarding academy dreams. She opts to masquerade as an elderly gentleman to secure a seasonal Father Christmas role at an upmarket ski lodge – complete with grey whiskers and a rotund figure.

However, matters become complicated when romantic feelings develop for her superior, the hotel’s manager. The cast features Alexandra Breckenridge (Virgin River) portraying single mum Taylor, alongside Ryan Eggold (New Amsterdam) as her romantic interest and Tia Mowry taking on the role of antagonist Natasha.

Netflix describes it: “A single parent (Alexandra Breckenridge of “Virgin River”) wears a disguise to land a Santa job at a cozy ski resort and falls for her charming new boss.”

Praise has already flooded in, with one IMDB reviewer declaring it the “best Christmas movie this year”, commenting: “This movie is fresh, well acted, has great casting and wonderful music. I will watch this movie over and over.”

As audiences flock to this new release to kick off the holiday spirit, we’ve examined the stunning backdrop and locations you might recognise.

Production on My Secret Santa took place in British Columbia, Canada, with the cast and crew spending several weeks at the festive location, primarily at Sun Peaks Resort nestled in the mountains near Kamloops, reports the Mirror.

Sun Peaks resort stands as British Columbia’s premier destination ski resort, offering guests skiing and snowboarding adventures against breathtaking mountain vistas. The resort village also features lodging, dining establishments and retail outlets.

Prime Timer reports that the resort scenes were captured across the alpine terrain, including footage at the Sun Peaks Grand hotel.

The Sun Peaks Resort website reveals that a special film screening will take place this month at the hotel, announcing: “Join us for a cozy movie night with special festive guests at the Sun Peaks Grand Hotel and Conference Centre!

“Get into the holiday spirit and enjoy the festive Netflix movie, My Secret Santa, filmed in Sun Peaks Resort in winter 2024-25. Get ready for a night of laughter and fun. Don’t miss out on this special event!” 

Kamloops is equally celebrated for its spectacular landscapes, with portions of the production also taking place within the city itself.

The Downtown Kamloops account posted on X alongside a photograph of the filming crews, stating: “Filming of the Netflix movie, Secret Santa continues today in the 100 blk of 5th Ave and the 500 blk of Victoria St. downtown #Kamloops. Parking and traffic in the immediate area will likely be impacted.”

My Secret Santa is available to stream on Netflix.