EXmas Synopsis: When Graham decides to surprise his family by traveling home for Christmas, he is shocked to discover them already celebrating with an unexpected guest of honor, his ex-fiancée, Ali. The two exes battle it out to see who the family will pick to stay through Christmas Day and who must go.
After telling his parents that he has to work and won’t make it home for Christmas, Graham decides to surprise them by making the trip at the last minute. When he arrives, he’s stunned to find that they invited his ex-fiancée, Ali, to join them instead. The two exes battle it out for family approval and attempt to run the other off by Christmas.
Initially, I was afraid EXmas would turn out to be a cheesy holiday rom-com ala Hallmark or some of Netflix’s recent offerings. But I like Leighton Meester, and Robbie Amell has grown on me, so I definitely wanted to give this one a chance. I’m glad I did! EXmas is a delightful romantic comedy to watch this season. It’s genuinely funny, witty, and undeniably charming.
Amell and Meester have great chemistry. There are some brief flashbacks to their relationship before Ali broke things off to provide some backstory. But even if we hadn’t seen them, we can still sense a romantic history between Ali and Graham even when they’re being ridiculous and devious toward one another.
The supporting cast adds another element of hilarity and warmth to EXmas. Kathryn Greenwood is a bright spot as Jeannie, Graham’s earnest mother, and Veronika Slowikowska, who plays Graham’s sister, nails her role with dry wit and great comedic timing. Michael Hitchcock and Steven Huy round out the cast as Graham’s father and brother. Graham’s family is something of a Midwest trope, but I still adored them all. The cast had excellent chemistry, which made it easy to like them.
EXmas also hits on plenty of expected rom-com tropes, even making fun of a couple here and there. While the movie has a few jokes that land flat – Ali being afraid of goats could have been executed better – it has more laughs than anything else. One of my favorite scenes is when Graham is trying to get his family out the door so they can make the mad dash to the airport for the grand romantic gesture. I won’t spoil it, but dang, was it relatable for anyone who’s ever been in a hurry.
Look, EXmas probably isn’t destined to become a romantic Christmas classic, but it’s festive, endearing, and romantic with two leads who work really well together. I found myself laughing and smiling quite a lot, and – for me – that’s the mark of a good romantic comedy, which EXmas ultimately is.
Watched: 11/17/2023
Notable Song: Christmas Is Sooner Than You Think by Anders Lewen
