The story centers on Jack and Maggie’s plan to introduce their "significant others" to their families during a live New Year's Eve broadcast at "The Magnolia," a jazz club co-owned by their fathers that is currently struggling financially. When both are dumped shortly before the event, they decide to pretend they are dating each other to save the broadcast. As they maintain the charade, they are forced to confront long-buried feelings and decide if their relationship is truly just a performance.

: Some critics found the dialogue unrealistic and the backstory of the main characters underdeveloped.

Reviews for the film are generally mixed, with critics and audiences divided on its predictable nature versus its "feel-good" charm. :

: Reviews from Common Sense Media highlighted a complete lack of diversity in the cast. Ratings & Availability Midnight at the Magnolia (2020)

: A common criticism is that the film follows every rom-com cliché, making the ending obvious from the start.

* Max McGuire. * Writer. Carley Smale. * Natalie Hall. Evan Williams. Alison Brooks. Midnight at the Magnolia Movie Review | Common Sense Media