Christmas Revisited (2023) – Movie Review

Title Card - Christmas Revisited (2023)

With the recent death of the friend who bound them, the five who remain try to see if they can move forward together rather than continue to drift apart.


With the recent death of the friend who bound them, the five who remain try to see if they can move forward together rather than continue to drift apart.

Plot Summary

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Nate died a little more than six months ago, and it has been almost five years since Jo, Cameron, Mercedes, Johnnie, and Ida were in the same room together. It’s awkward without him, but what makes things worse is they are all hiding something from each other, and everyone can tell something is off.

But, with coming together in honor of Nate, at a cabin he rented or owned, for Christmas, there is a hope they may get past putting up a front and be honest and vulnerable with each other and prove their friendships can continue without Nate pushing them to be together.

General Information

Director(s)

Winnifred Jong

Screenplay By

Chad Quinn

Distributor(s)

OWN

Date Released

December 23, 2023

How To Watch

OWN

Genre(s)

Comedy

Romance

Young Adult

Holiday

LGBT+

Film Length

1 Hour 30 Minutes

Content Rating

Rated TV-14

Noted Characters and Cast

Nate

Percy Anane-Dwumfour

Jo

Tanyell Waivers

Cameron

Jaime M. Callica

Mercedes

Andrea Lewis

Ida

Golden Madison

Johnnie

Andrew Bushell

Content Rating Explanation

  • Dialog: Nothing Notable
  • Violence: Nothing Notable
  • Sexual Content: Nothing Notable
  • Miscellaneous: Drinking

Character Descriptions

Please Note: This character guide is not an exhaustive list of every cast member, and character descriptions may contain what can be considered spoilers.

Jo (Tanyell Waivers)

Jo (Tanyell Waivers) learning she and Cameron are single
Jo (Tanyell Waivers) learning she and Cameron are single

Jo is a social worker and the first in her family to attend college. Her work ethic to get through school meant no dating, and she carried that over to her job, which has led to her focusing more on her clients’ relationships than her own.

  • The actor is also known for their role in “Queen Sugar.”

Nate (Percy Anane-Dwumfour)

Nate (Percy Anane -Dwumfour) as drawn by Ida
Nate (Percy Anane -Dwumfour) as drawn by Ida

A hedge fund manager who died in a freak accident, Nate is who brought everyone together when they were in college and was the confidant for nearly everyone.

Cameron (Jaime M. Callica)

Cameron (Jaime M. Callica) talking to Jo
Cameron (Jaime M. Callica) talking to Jo

He was a star football player at one time, but now, due to a torn ACL, he works at his family’s car dealership.

Ida (Golden Madison)

Ida (Golden Madison) trying to paint
Ida (Golden Madison) trying to paint

The artist of the group, Ida, formerly dated Johnnie, but now she is in a lesbian relationship.

Johnnie (Andrew Bushell)

Johnnie (Andrew Bushell)  not addressing his issue with Ida
Johnnie (Andrew Bushell) not addressing his issue with Ida

A performer in Vegas, Johnnie is the jokester of the group, sometimes at the worst moments.

Mercedes (Andrea Lewis)

Mercedes (Andrea Lewis) asking Ida "What?"
Mercedes (Andrea Lewis) asking Ida “What?”

Mercedes is Jo’s line sister and the one who makes it seem, via her blog, she has it all together. However, looks can be deceiving.

Review

Our Rating: Positive (Worth Seeing)

Highlights

It’s Likable

When it comes to “Christmas Revisited,” it is a likable holiday movie. It’s inoffensive, has a touch of diversity between Ida being queer, the jock, the sorority girl, and jokester in Johnnie, and then there is the slight damper, but tie that binds, in Nate. All of which leads to there being secrets that you wait to become public knowledge, will they or won’t they situations, and all the kinds of things you may expect from a film like this.

All of which leaves you with nothing but likable characters who, yes, may have some flaws, but no one is painted to be a villain or have anything about them you can outright object to.

On The Fence

You Sometimes May Feel It Should Of Went Deeper

With “Christmas Revisited” being a holiday movie, it does avoid taking things as far as you see it could have done. Ida, for example, in the year 2023, worrying about being rejected by her friends for being gay could have gone further. Jo’s fear of letting people down, whether it is her family, clients, or maybe other issues she harbored, could have gone further.

Johnnie, who is out in Vegas alone, makes it sound like, when he is on the phone, he doesn’t have a single close relationship, and they could have dived into him being the life of the party but having no one there when the part is over more. The list goes on and on, and while I know most don’t watch holiday movies, especially the kind OWN produces, for hard feelings and scenarios, sometimes it is hard to see the potential just get sidestepped.

After all, there aren’t too many movies with predominately Black cast members who push each other to be transparent and vulnerable. The scarcity makes it so, while we deserve light and easy films, it makes the lack of heavy films that aren’t about poverty or slavery all the more desirable – especially if you can relate to what a character is going through.

Good If You Like

  • Holiday movies about friends coming together and reconnecting

Recommendations

If you like this movie, we recommend:

  1. The Blackening: A horror movie about friends from college coming together and trying to survive a serial killer.

Check out our movies page for our latest movie reviews and recommendations.


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Christmas Revisited (2023) – Review

Summary

“Christmas Revisited” reminds you of the limitations of holiday movies, and while it is enjoyable, it is frustrating to think about what it could have been if it had allowed its characters to go deeper.

Overall
80%
80%
  • It’s Likable - 83%
    83%
  • You Sometimes May Feel It Should Of Went Deeper - 76%
    76%
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User Review
0 (0 votes)

Highlight(s)

  • It’s Likable

Disputable

  • You Sometimes May Feel It Should Of Went Deeper

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