REVIEW: ‘Champagne Problems’ (2025) Embraces Its Bubbly Sweetness

Champagne Problems (2025), not to be confused with the Taylor Swift song, blends business with Christmas holiday rom-com pleasure in Netflix’s latest holiday film. Starring Minka Kelly and Tom Wozniczka, this holiday romance takes viewers to France, where a workaholic businesswoman learns to stop, experience life and love, and reclaim the parts of herself that were lost in the pursuit of capitalist tunnel vision.

After a successful campaign pitch to her boss, Sydney Price (Minka Kelly) is selected over her more aggressive colleague, Ryan (Xavier Samuel), to fly to France to lead the acquisition on behalf of The Roth Group of Chateau Cassell, a well-respected and beloved champagne house. Willing to prove herself to her boss, she flies out there during the Christmas holiday with her eyes set on business. But her sister reminds her to try to take in the sights for just one night. 

As much as it pains her to do so (making one of many relatable moments throughout the film), Sydney ventures out to see what Paris has to offer the night before the acquisition meeting. In a delightful meet-cute scenario in a bookstore, she runs into Henri (Tom Wozniczka), who is immediately smitten. He successfully convinces her to let him be her tour guide for the night, allowing her to relax and both of them to let their guard down and be vulnerable. 

Minka Kelly and Tom Wozniczka just work so well together in Champagne Problems (2025).

Of course, it’s not entirely surprising that the chemistry covers on into the next morning, if you catch my drift. But those good vibes don’t last. Between narrowly making her meeting on time and discovering that – oopsie – Henri is actually the heir to Chateau Cassell, and even worse, absolutely despises the company Sydney works for, who have a reputation for crushing small businesses, this road to romance may be thornier than once thought.

Yet there’s a holiday dose of sweetness to the journey as the two lovebirds navigate both business and pleasure once the setting shifts to the Chateau itself (which is undeniably cozy and gorgeous). Despite the Roth Group acting as an invisible harbinger of destruction between the two, the chemistry between Kelly and Wozniczka is undeniable in Champagne Problems (2025). It makes it easy to believe that they can overcome this hurdle.

They also have plenty of help along the way. The biggest silent supporter of their growing bond is Hugo Cassell (Thibault de Montalembert), Henri’s father and owner of the Chateau Cassell. While the role could have been played with stern, one-note zeal, de Montalembert infuses it with a delicate nuance that captures a man who wants only the best for his son, while acknowledging his own pain and grief. In fact, one of the most heartfelt scenes occurs between de Montalembert and Wozniczka, offering a refreshing glimpse into male vulnerability.

The ensemble cast of characters is incredibly endearing, but Sean Amsing definitely steals the spotlight.

Through Hugo’s various planned excursions for Sydney and her competitors, the capable, mature Brigitte (Astrid Whettnall), the close-to-stereotypical German Otto (Flula Borg), and the completely unserious, yet hilarious Roberto (Sean Amsing) all grow closer together. This unlikely group of competitors somehow mesh together, with Amsing’s natural comedic timing almost stealing the spotlight in its entirety.

Even the expected third-act shake-up to throw a wrench into the relationship can’t really break apart this eventual group of friends, making Champagne Problems (2025) stronger for looking beyond the romance. The investment in cultivating the natural chemistry between this group of actors carries over onscreen, allowing for the friendship, as well as the father/son relationship between Hugo and Henri, to flourish. 

And so, even with its delicious tropes and inevitable end, Champagne Problems (2025) infuses a bubbly sweetness that never feels overbearing. Instead, it’s like a warm blanket that immediately invites relaxation and escape, something many are likely craving this holiday season (and next). Backed by a supporting cast of oddly endearing characters and bolstered by its comforting romance, Champagne Problems (2025) is a feel-good kind of watch to warm the spirit.

Champagne Problems (2025) is now streaming exclusively on Netflix.