Lindsay Lohan’s renaissance should be bigger than the Netflix original films

If there’s one thing the modern cinematic landscape is missing, it’s the true, indescribable charm that made no-name geniuses overnight sensations. Rarely do we witness the meteoric rise of someone whose It factor is so undeniable that they can continue their rise after the shine of a viral TikTok dance or the precocious shine of a stolen scene has worn off. In the early 2000s, there were many of these entertainers who could catch your eye from across the room simply by gazing into the eyes of the cover of a Young Hollywood issue of Vanity Fair. Raven Symone! Hilary Duff! Amanda Bynes! But there was no one more spirited than Lindsay Lohan, who proved with her breakout role in The Parent Trap at age 12 that she had more talent in her little finger than most young star actors ever have in their entirety career.

Since her initial rise to stardom, Lohan has experienced her fair share of well-documented stumbles. But the worst mistakes weren’t enough to undermine public goodwill – at least not completely. And after going through hell to make a successful comeback, Lohan is long past the point of needing to prove herself to anyone. After moving semi-permanently to Dubai to escape the prying eyes of paparazzi who had put a bounty on her darkest days since she was a teenager, the once-troubled star turned her life around and regained control of her narrative. She married, had a child and began acting at her own pace again, starting with the 2022 Netflix holiday film “Falling for Christmas” before signing a two-picture deal with the streamer shortly after. By anyone’s standards, Lohan has parlayed the harsh treatment she received as a child star whose popularity exploded in the brutal celebrity culture of the early aughts into an impressive second act.

But you wouldn’t know that based on the press Lohan did for her latest Netflix film, “Our Little Secret.” At junkets and talk show interviews, the conversation inevitably turns to Lohan’s previous work in films like Mean Girls and Freaky Friday (the latter film will receive a sequel, Freakier Friday, in 2025). These are safe landing spots, topics that journalists and hosts can exploit for a bit of clickbait nostalgia or audience applause, but such a heavy focus on the past does little to do justice to this pivotal moment in Lohan’s career.

After “Falling for Christmas,” it was clear to see that the Lohan Renaissance—or “Lohanaissance,” as many (or maybe just me) called it—was in full swing. The Disney star, who continually outshone and outshone his peers, was happy, healthy and ready to hone any acting skills that may have been dulled during the years when work was sparse. The public is cheering on Lohan in a way it hasn’t in two decades. And while “Our Little Secret” is the best of Lohan’s three Netflix offerings, it should serve as both a temporary conclusion to her romantic comedies and a springboard to something better suited to her wide range of talents.

Katie Baker, Ian Harding and Lindsay Lohan in “Our Little Secret” (Netflix)

That’s not to say that Our Little Secret isn’t fun in its own right, just that watching Lohan within the confines of a holiday movie for a streamer has become tiresome. The film’s conceit isn’t exactly new either. In the film, Lohan plays Avery, a young, business-minded woman who leaves her boyfriend Logan (Ian Harding) for a big job in London. Ten years after their tragic breakup, Avery accompanies her new boyfriend Cameron (Jon Rudnitsky) to his big family Christmas, where she believes the biggest hurdle will be impressing Cameron’s uptight, holiday-obsessed mother Erica (Kristin Chenoweth). But a much bigger obstacle awaits just beyond Erica’s wreath-and-lights-covered entrance: Logan carrying Cameron’s sister Cassie (Katie Baker).

First-time screenwriter Hailey DeDominicis draws on familiar formulas for her series of vacation adventures. But its droll, realistic script and the film’s reasonably solid cast (at least for a streaming Christmas movie) keep “Our Little Secret” from feeling too conventional. Lohan’s first two Netflix films, Falling for Christmas and the terrible Irish Wish, had cheesy dialogue and slight magical elements that made both films seem completely unworthy of Lohan’s unique presence. But in Our Little Secret, Lohan thankfully isn’t beholden to the kitsch that plagued her previous Netflix films. The romantic subplot is predictable but sweet, and the humor is really clever, reminding Lohan that her comedic skills extend far beyond physical humor. She still possesses the preternatural charisma that made audiences fall in love with her, and that hasn’t been so evident in years.

Dan Bucatinsky, Kristin Chenoweth, Jake Brennan, Katie Baker, Jon Rudintsky in “Our Little Secret” (Netflix)While Our Little Secret is a decent film – undoubtedly the best of Lohan’s three Netflix films – it’s just a sizzling film compared to what she might do next. Nostalgia is a powerful drug, and Lohan would do well to capitalize on the goodwill she’s built over the past few years, which will only increase with “Freakier Friday” on the horizon. With the masses eager to see their favorite starlet shine again, it’s time to pursue a project that isn’t tailored to Jimmy Fallon’s boring questions and outdated references.

But what kind of project could this be exactly? Lohan’s filmography offers plenty of underrated films that she could take inspiration from as she looks to the future. Assuming there won’t be a “Freakiest Friday” (although I’d happily sell the rights to the name to the House of Mouse for a cool $2 million), Lohan is sure to move on to something more grown-up. Looking back to the mid-2000s, when Lohan first stepped off the Disney machine, we see Hollywood legends Meryl Streep and Jane Fonda singing her praises in “A Prairie Home Companion” and “Georgia Rule.” sing; The former even posed alongside Lohan on a W Magazine cover that same year, suggesting that Lohan had the potential to follow in Streep’s footsteps.

While one could argue that a career of the same magnitude as Streep’s falls well short of Lohan, there’s no reason to believe her future couldn’t also include a number of solid dramatic roles. Both “Georgia Rule” and “A Prairie Home Companion” capitalized on Lohan’s genius status, but consider how actors like Natasha Lyonne and Winona Ryder returned to the stage in a big way after being around the same age as Lohan had achieved fame. Both women’s problems were made public and they were subjected to merciless scrutiny, only to step back from the spotlight until they found projects that matched their skills.

Aside from that uncanny comic timing, Lohan has a screen presence that few of her contemporaries have been able to replicate, making her perfect for scene-stealing supporting roles. Even a smaller part is not to be despised. Margot Robbie managed to portray the best part of Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City with nothing more than a short, moving monologue in a scene that was key to the entire film. With her signature husky voice and confident demeanor, there’s no reason why Lohan wouldn’t be the perfect choice for a similar role.

Well, there’s a reason. In order to fully regain movie star status (if that’s what she wants), Lindsay Lohan needs to stop being Lindsay Lohan. She needs to find a connection with a character that allows her to completely disappear into a role. All her years as a tabloid target have made this a tall order for Lohan, but it’s not an impossible goal. Take, for example, her starring role in Paul Schrader’s derided but misunderstood 2013 LA noir “The Canyons.” As bored trust fund kid Tara, Lohan used her experiences wasting away in the California sun to create a character who was despicable but always compassionate. Despite the film’s difficult production, Lohan received Schrader’s praise. Her performance is perhaps the sole reason the film has achieved cult status, reflected in the equally endearing mess that is 2007’s I Know Who Killed Me, which wouldn’t be half as impressive without its enthusiastic star.

But a full transformation could already be imminent, as Lohan recently confirmed that she is working on a biopic about Ann-Margret, who gave Lohan her blessing to play her in the film. A film about one of cinema’s greatest dancers could be the ideal role for Lohan at this stage, where she can showcase her physical prowess and her dramatic abilities in equal measure. But regardless of whether the biopic Maria is good or Back to Black is bad, it’s good to see Lohan back in the Hollywood mix. Let’s just hope that its enormous potential doesn’t have to remain our little secret for much longer.