Christmas Revisited (2023) – Movie Review
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.
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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
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Director(s) |
Winnifred Jong |
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Screenplay By |
Chad Quinn |
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Distributor(s) |
OWN |
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Date Released |
December 23, 2023 |
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How To Watch |
OWN |
|
Genre(s) |
LGBT+ |
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Film Length |
1 Hour 30 Minutes |
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Content Rating |
|
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Noted Characters and Cast |
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Nate |
Percy Anane-Dwumfour |
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Jo |
Tanyell Waivers |
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Cameron |
Jaime M. Callica |
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Mercedes |
Andrea Lewis |
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Ida |
Golden Madison |
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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 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)
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)
He was a star football player at one time, but now, due to a torn ACL, he works at his family’s car dealership.
- The actor is also known for their role in “Christmas Party Crashers.”
Ida (Golden Madison)
The artist of the group, Ida, formerly dated Johnnie, but now she is in a lesbian relationship.
Johnnie (Andrew Bushell)
A performer in Vegas, Johnnie is the jokester of the group, sometimes at the worst moments.
Mercedes (Andrea Lewis)
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:
- 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.
