Lifetime’s latest Christmas film may have borrowed slightly from Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce‘s star-studded romance and fans of the pop sensation have certainly noticed.
‘Christmas in the Spotlight’ premiered on Lifetime over the weekend and has swiftly gone viral on social media.
The festive flick, directed by Michelle Ouellet, stars Jessica Lord as Bowyn, ‘a popular singer who develops an unexpected romance with Drew, a professional football player’ played by Laith Wallschleger.
Wallschleger made headlines for his viral role as former tight end Rob Gronkowski in FX series American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez earlier this year.
The holiday romcom follows the couple as they navigate ‘pressure from the press, the paparazzi, fans, and even their families.‘
If the plot wasn’t already on the nose, the film is packed with nods to Swift and Kelce thanks to numerous references to the songstress’s songs and lyrics, including ‘The Alchemy,’ ‘Wonderland,’ ‘All Too Well,’ ‘Mean,’ ‘You’re Losing Me,’ and her fanbase’s tradition of exchanging friendship bracelets.
Snippets of the movie went viral on X, formerly known as Twitter, as Swifties quickly caught on to the references with many finding the clear inspiration hilarious.
‘The tayvis movie LMAOOO they just fully leaned into it ,’ one social media user wrote, while sharing a clip of the film.
‘The Tayvis movie really said ‘let’s lean in’ LMAO!’ another echoed.
‘Subtle as a gun,’ a third wrote, while another added, ‘her songs titles being used many times,’ with a crying emoji.
Others hailed the production for being aware of its target audience and embracing the Swift lore.
‘They knew their audience and delivered exactly what was expected, LMAO,’ one wrote.
‘They really said, ‘If we’re doing it, we’re doing it BIG,’ and I respect it,’ another add as a third chimed in, ‘They definitely went all in—so hilarious to see them embrace the fun side of it!’
Another Swiftie echoed, ‘Let’s go all in on the Tayvis energy!’
the tayvis movie LMAOOO they just fully leaned into it 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/0LYD1h39lR
— andthatwastheworstpart (@suburbantaygend) November 25, 2024
‘This is just a comedy for Swifties and no one else would understand,’ another quipped.
However, other fans weren’t as onboard with the puns with many branding the movie ‘cringeworthy.’
‘It’s so cringe it hurts,’ one wrote as another agreed, ‘This is so cringe im crying.’
‘Oh this is embarrassing,’ a third added, while a fourth questioned, ‘I am CRINGING, who thought this would be a good idea.’
Meanwhile, another argued: ‘This movie is literally just ‘how many Taylor swift references can we make while also overstepping on of any morals or her boundaries”
According to Lifetime’s synopsis, Bowyn is a popular musician and celebrity who hasn’t found Mr. Right yet. That is until she meets Drew, a pro football player, backstage at her show and ‘there’s an undeniable spark between the two of them.’
When Drew publicly declares he has a crush on Bowyn, they decide to give dating a shot – similarly to Kelce revealing he attempted to give Swift a friendship bracelet with his phone number on during an episode of New Heights last year.
However, as their romance blossoms they have to juggle the limelight and their hectic schedules.
