Netflix's latest Christmas movie also marks the streaming service's first LGBTQ Christmas movie. Single All The Way revolves around Peter, a social media marketing manager who is supposed to go home for the holidays with his boyfriend only to learn his boyfriend is a married man with kids. Instead, Peter brings along his best friend Nick who he hopes will pretend to be his boyfriend so he won't be the only single one for Christmas.
Peter might be the main character but there's a large ensemble cast around him that helps round out Single All The Way. From potential significant others and best friends to annoying siblings and mischievous nieces and nephews, there are tons of characters for fans to like (and even some to hate).
Tim
When it comes to horrible significant others in romantic comedies, Tim is probably the most egregious and a worthy addition to the pantheon of villains in rom-com movies. He and Peter have been dating for three months and all seems to be fine. Tim doesn't even balk at the mention of spending the holidays with Peter, in fact, he jumps at the chance. What makes Tim the villain is that he's actually married with children.
Not only did Tim lead Peter on but he also cheated on his wife. Plus, if he did go spend the holiday with Peter, that would mean he'd be abandoning his children during the one holiday that is all about kids.
Aunt Sandy
Some families have a slightly-out-of-touch, dramatic aunt, and for Peter, that role is filled by his Aunt Sandy. After arriving late to the family gathering, Aunt Sandy announces that not only will she be directing this year's children's play, but also writing it. Aunt Sandy begins to take her own acting frustrations out on the kids until Peter and Nick ultimately step in.
While Aunt Sandy might mean well, she comes off as selfish. Plus, she has a habit of lying to suit her own needs, which annoys Carole. Sandy ultimately causes more chaos than order for the family, but her heart is still in the right place.
Lisa
Lisa has a lot in common with Aunt Sandy but instead of being somber and self-absorbed, she's loud and self-involved. She comes storming into her parents' house like a hurricane, talking off anyone's ear she can get a hold of and not really listening to anyone else.
The one redeeming quality about Lisa is that her stories are at least entertaining and not outright lies like Aunt Sandy. Plus, she does help get Peter and Nick together at the end, which is enough for fans to give her a pass on her otherwise questionable personality.
Carole
Carole is the well-meaning matriarch of the family who doesn't always do the right thing. After years of trying to set Peter and Nick up, she has ditched that plan and instead is keen on getting Peter to date the only other gay man in town.
Newly "woke" after reading an LGTBQ parenting book, Carole overcompensates her allyship and calls out her family members even when they're not doing anything wrong. While it's clear she's trying, Carole would be more likable if she scaled everything back and was a bit more subtle in her support.
Peter
Despite being the lead character, Peter isn't the most likable in Single All The Way. For starters, fans weren't happy that he tried to pressure Nick into pretending to date him when Nick expressed his distaste for the issue.
Peter also got slack for spending more time with James than his own family, which is a flaw he even points out but does little to fix over the course of the movie. And there's the selfish moment where he gets the family a new tree against his mother's wishes but doesn't help decorate it. Still, Peter does have a bunch of redeeming qualities like caring for his mother and wanting Nick to be happy. He's likable enough for fans to be happy when he ultimately romances Nick, with both men becoming a wholesome rom-com couple like Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in Sleepless in Seattle.
Harold
Fathers don't usually play a big role in rom-com stories, but Harold does take on a more active role in Single All The Way. In fact, he's the first one to pull Nick aside after Peter agrees to go on a blind date and tell him that he should be the one dating Peter.
Harold won over fans' hearts because while he did meddle in his son's love life, he didn't do it as blatantly as Carole did. Instead, Harold focused his attention on building Nick's confidence up so he could take control of the situation.
Simon & Sam
While Peter's nephews Simon and Sam might not have a ton of screentime, the scenes they are in effectively showcase their appealing qualities. Both Simon and Sam immediately bond with Nick over his bestselling children's book. They even end up helping Nick write the sequel to the beloved book.
Beyond that, the two are also adorable and a bit chaotic in Aunt Sandy's Christmas play, leading Nick and Peter to both step in to help them learn their lines. Above all else, Simon and Sam show just how perfect Peter and Nick are for each other by bringing them together in situations that force them to work as a team to solve a common problem.
Sofia & Daniela
While their mother may be loud, Sofia and Daniela opt for more of a quiet side of meddling. As the prototypical BFFs in rom-com movies, these two quickly realize that Peter and Nick are made for each other and will stop at nothing until they have proven their point.
Sofia and Daniela quickly start scheming to get the two best friends to spend more time together and even rally around Nick to get him to admit his feelings. Beyond that, they also have an adorable dance sequence with Peter that proves just how awesome of an uncle he is when he's around.
James
For someone who is being set up by one of his gym clients, James is an exceptionally good sport when he goes on his first date with Peter in a stereotypical rom-com meet-cute. In fact, he ends up being a really great guy. Though he does pull Peter away from his family, James always encourages Peter to change plans and be with them if that's what he needs.
James's selfless nature doesn't stop there though and he even goes on to encourage Peter to admit that Nick is his true soulmate. When it comes to movie love triangles, James is the supportive third wheel who understands when to retreat and acknowledges he's not the right fit for Peter.
Nick
Though he's billed as the best friend and eventual love interest, Nick is the official star of Single All The Way. From the moment he's onscreen fans can't help but fall in love with him. From writing a children's book about his recuse dog's life to finding joy in helping strangers with odd tasks, there's nothing Nick isn't good at.
Not only does he have a heart of gold but he's also super romantic, which surfaces when he buys Peter a storefront for Peter's dream plant shop. This grand gesture signifies not only Nick's inherent likability but also his love for Peter. He will stop at nothing to show his genuine affection for his former friend-turned-lover, which makes him the most appealing character of the Netflix rom-com.