The Light Before Christmas

In Norwich, England, on December 18, 1334, a medieval Christmas hawking competition sets the stage for a knightly tale that braids two timelines across centuries. The young knight, Sir Cole Christopher Fredrick Lyons, alongside his brother Geoffrey, competes in the age-old contest. While Geoffrey combs the castle for the hawk, Cole ventures into the woods and encounters an enigmatic old crone named Kayela. Her gratitude for his kindness leads to a startling prophecy: she promises to whisk him to a faraway land on a knightly quest, where he will witness marvels like flying steel dragons and horses — a vivid nod to airplanes and cars — and “magic boxes that make merry” (televisions). Before sending him on this vision, she entrusts him with a glowing blue medallion and lays down a chilling deadline: if he does not fulfill the quest before midnight on Christmas Eve, he will never become a true knight. Yet the exact nature of the quest remains a mystery.

Fast-forward to 2019 in Bracebridge, Ohio, where high school science teacher Brooke Winters, wary of love’s disappointments, escorts her niece Claire to the grand opening of the Christmas Castle—the same magical place Cole will later arrive in. An improbable collision—orchestrated by fate—occurs when Cole wanders into Brooke’s world and is struck by her car. He survives, but the accident lands him in a hospital where Officer Stevens suspects amnesia, given that Cole has no ID and insists he is a medieval knight. Brooke offers him shelter at her guest house as he begins to navigate this bewildering modern landscape.

As Cole finds his footing, he encounters a cascade of modern marvels: radios that crackle with voices from another era, diners that sizzle with new flavors, and even the voice of Alexa guiding everyday routines. His old-fashioned manner and earnest strangeness draw Brooke, her friends, and her family into a gently amused curiosity toward this man who speaks in chivalric cadences and asks questions that reveal a different kind of courage. Meanwhile, Brooke finds herself opening up about her late parents and an ex-boyfriend who left her years ago, while Cole slowly shares his own history, weaving a tentative trust between them.

In his quest to fulfill Kayela’s enigmatic charge, Cole acts with a growing sense of purpose. He becomes a guardian to vulnerable lives, rescuing two children from danger on a frozen lake and catching a runaway pickpocket. Yet these brave acts, while meaningful, do not yet satisfy the pull of the promised quest. The holiday spirit culminates on December 24, when Brooke and Cole host a Christmas feast that brings warmth and community to the new family forming around them. A tender moment under the mistletoe—an unexpected bridge between two centuries—unlocks the medallion’s glow, signaling that the quest has been fulfilled. In that instant, Cole’s return to the 14th century is triggered, and he is whisked back through time to the very moment he left, arriving just in time for his brother Geoffrey’s knighting ceremony.

Geoffrey greets his returned brother with warmth, but recognizing the weight of Cole’s unhappiness, urges him to seek Brooke again. Kayela reappears, guiding Cole with her magic back to the 21st century, closing the circle of this time-warping voyage. On Christmas Day, Brooke is surrounded by family as she learns that Cole has returned, riding into the castle on a horse named Sherwyn. He declares his love for Brooke and his intention to remain by her side, a pledge she eagerly accepts as they ride publicly through the castle’s environs, celebrated by onlookers who witness the miracle of love bridging centuries.

The story leaves a glimmering thread for the future in a post-credits moment: Geoffrey meets the same mysterious Kayela, who hints at another medallion and another journey, suggesting that Geoffrey may embark on a quest of his own when the time comes. The medallion’s glow, a quiet emblem of destiny fulfilled and tales unfinished, lingers as a promise that the magic Kayela stirs will echo across generations, weaving a new chapter in a timeless Christmas legend.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 16:31