What to watch on Netflix: Dash & Lily will bring you holiday cheer

Need some extra cheer and spirit this month? It might be time to watch Dash & Lily on Netflix.

We’re sure everyone and their teenage sister has told you to check out Dash & Lily on Netflix, but that’s not going to stop us for telling you, too. Look, Culturess readers, it’s simple: If you want a feel-good, holiday-themed rom-com, this series is the one for you.

It’s Christmastime in New York City, pretentious and yet adorable teenagers are falling in love via dare, and the music in this winter wonderfulness is bangin’. Trust us and listen carefully. Dash & Lily will make you smile. It checks all of the holiday boxes.

Lily is basically the spirit of Christmas personified, and yet the world around her family is changing so rapidly that none of their holiday traditions seem to be on the agenda. She’s the only one who seems to want to be together. Her parents are off to Fiji, her grandfather is flying south to Florida, and she keeps catching her brother tangled up in the sheets with his new boyfriend. Everyone has someone except Lily, but she’s trying really hard not to let that get her down.

In contrast, Dash wants be alone. He’s convinced his dad he’s spending the holidays with his mom, and has convinced his mom that he’s spending the holidays with his dad. A plan that only works because his parents are the kind of divorced that’s cold, silent, and wary of picking up the phone to speak to one another.

Dash is as stale as the Grinch when it comes to Christmas and all its trimmings, but when he finds Lily’s red book of dares in The Strand a week before Christmas, it quickly becomes the most wonderful time of the year for him. It also rights Lily’s holiday ship as the two give each other dares and reveal truths about themselves.

But Dash & Lily isn’t all reindeer games. The pair don’t live in a bubble of two. As they get to know one another, they also pull their friends and family into the loop. Dash has Boomer, his best friend who works in a pizza shop and is happy Lily is pulling Dash out of his funk. Lily has her brother Langston and his boyfriend, Benny, who cheer her on as she stumbles through the rush of her first romance.

There are also past loves and bullies to contend with, as well as near encounters and trying moments with family members. Not to mention a punk show on the seventh night of Hanukkah that rocks, rollicks, and rolls a crowd that includes Lily.

Dash & Lily  is adapted from a book in a series, one I haven’t read, but it makes me want all of the books to be adapted because the show, led by Midori Francis and Austin Abrams, is heartwarming and feels like a modern classic. Like we should be watching these teens figure themselves out every holiday season for the next couple of years, that’s how good it is.

Take our word for it. Watch this eight-episode series. It’s not even long. You could do it in a day, considering each episode is less than 30 minutes despite packing so much punch and spirit into every second. We think you’ll enjoy yourselves and be able to add another holiday favorite to your list. Also, there’s bunch of YA novels featured in the series, so keep your eyes sharp to see how many you can find!

Have you seen Dash & Lily? Let us know what you thought of this holiday series in the comments below!