Review: Erin Krakow and Tyler Hynes Take Flight in Christmas Above the Clouds

The dynamic duo of Erin Krakow and Tyler Hynes are back in the Hallmark Channel Countdown to Christmas 2025 movie Christmas Above the Clouds. I had a chance to review Christmas Above the Clouds before its premiere and I can say that it’s hands-down an instant addition to my top-10 favorite Countdown to Christmas movies ever. 

Christmas Above the Clouds is the story of Ella (Erin Krakow), a dynamic and rigid CEO who plans to miss Christmas by flying over the international date line during a Christmas Eve trip to Australia, effectively skipping the entire day. She drags her assistant, Bobbi (Emily Tennant), on the trip, ignoring the fact that she’s keeping the mother away from her young son for the holiday. At the airport, she runs into her ex, Jake (Tyler Hynes), who is surprised to see her after all this time. The flight is supposed to be an escape from Christmas for Ella, but it turns out to be the trip of a lifetime.

Krakow and Hynes, who appeared together in 2021’s It Was Always You, are a delight to watch in their on-screen reunion. Their chemistry is unmatched in this refreshing take on Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol. 

Krakow’s Ella is wholly unlikable at the start of the movie, which is a testament to Krakow’s acting because she’s notably one of the kindest people on the planet. Ella is wholly uncomfortable at the mere mention of Christmas, bristling at the carolers in the lobby early on in the movie with such raw vehemence that her discomfort is almost hard to watch. However, as Hallmark fans know, the bigger the Christmas curmudgeon, the harder they fall; there’s no question that Ella’s Christmas transformation is going to be a doozy. 

When Hynes’ Jake arrives, the puzzle pieces start falling into place and it’s almost easier to understand why Ella and Christmas are like oil and water. Almost. She has some things to work through and she’ll need Jake there to help her get through it. Krakow masterfully melts Ella’s glacier walls as the stoicism and determination give way to vulnerability and revelation over the course of her flight.

Hynes is in his element as the affable Jake, whose history with Ella starts to paint a picture of what her life used to be like and what it could be once again, if only she can let go and allow herself to enjoy it. Hynes’s Jake is an all-around good guy, highlighted by Hynes’ trademark twinkle in his eye and ever-so-dry wit. Jake is easy to cheer for, especially as we learn more about his history with Ella.

Though A Christmas Carol has been retold countless times over the years, Christmas Above the Clouds finds a way to be truly innovative and endlessly entertaining. The supporting cast is brilliant. The ghosts — Past (Faith Wright), Present (Matthew Clarke) and Future (Garfield Wilson) were brilliant and stayed true to their “roles” while fulfilling their ghostly duties. 

The script, penned by Christine Garver and Stephanie Jackson, offers plenty of tender moments paired with laugh out loud moments that will keep you chuckling long after the credits roll. (Bathroom scene, I’m looking at you!)

Christmas Above the Clouds is a must-watch this holiday season. In addition to being eminently watchable (and re-watchable!), delivers a message that we all need to slow down and smell those roses or else life will leave us stranded at the terminal without a connecting flight. 

Christmas Above the Clouds premieres Saturday, November 8, at 8 pm ET/PT on Hallmark Channel.