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Ron: Hello and welcome to the Stereo Geeks holiday special. I’m Ron. 

Mon: And I’m Mon. We’re going to be reviewing the 2025 Christmas films we’ve watched and making our top recommendations. There are no spoilers here.

Ron: Before we start our episode, we would like to acknowledge that the land we are recording on is the traditional territory of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples. It is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit.

Mon: While we are making this land acknowledgement, we understand that this is not enough and that positive action is required by the people of Canada to make substantive change for the Indigenous nations and communities whose lands we now reside on.

[Music]

Ron: The first holiday film we watched in 2025 was Oh. What. Fun. Starring Michelle Pfeiffer as Claire, a beleaguered Texan mom trying to make Christmas happen with no help from her family. Also starring are Denis Leary, as husband, Nick, Felicity Jones as Channing, the eldest, Chloe Grace-Moretz as the impressive but flaky second daughter, Taylor, and Dominic Sessa plays the idiot youngest child, Sammy. Jason Schwartzman plays Channing’s boring husband, Doug. We get appearances from Joan Chen, Devery Jacobs, Eva Longoria, and a couple of surprising cameos. 

Mon: I was super skeptical going into this film. But I have to say, I had a ton of fun watching it. 

Ron: I hadn’t heard of this film but then, I don’t really hear about Christmas films before December. But the cast looked stacked and there was queer representation, so I thought we should give it a try.

Mon: It found a great balance with being annoying, funny, and emotional. It never got to the point of being too saccharine. But the funnies were never far. Which, honestly, is really what I needed.

Ron: What I liked was how relatable it was, from the mom’s and, especially, the eldest daughter’s sides. And it was stressful! Claire does everything, literally everything, for Christmas. And not a single person helps. It’s infuriating to watch but how many moms are going to see this and know exactly what that’s like? Who am I kidding? No Christmas mom has time to watch a movie!

Mon: Hahahahahahaha. Ooooo. That’s depressing. It’s interesting to watch something so focused on a mom character. The story felt, frustratingly, grounded in reality. I felt really guilty by the end. Like, which of these horrid, useless characters am I at Christmas?

Ron: Right? There were so many times when I stopped and wondered if this is what our mother feels during Christmas and other major events. Like, does she feel appreciated? Does she wish we helped more? We know she’s often had to buy her own presents. And there’s this societal expectation that moms will just do everything without thanks. Why did humanity decide that was the way to go?

Mon: I don’t even know. It’s just easier for everyone if one person carries the load. Moms draw the short stick. I don’t get why. This is a fun film, but it’s not a happy experience.

Ron: It’s an extremely engaging film, and it goes to such unexpected places. I was really surprised by the twists in the story–it’s completely unpredictable. This isn’t just a Christmas dramedy, it’s also a roadtrip movie at times. And while we did laugh quite a lot, the dialogue drops some hard truths. I really hope a lot of families sit down and watch this film, and learn from it. Appreciate your mom, people!

Mon: Hard agree. 

Mon: One last thing. You know what I want to know. What on Earth was the budget of this film? Did you see the cast? Did you see the cameos? The number of songs – known Christmas hits – that were on the soundtrack? Not to mention the namedropping and snippets from famous films and TV shows. I get it, Amazon money. But whoa. How much did they spend on this!

Ron: Oh, the cameos were coming out of the woodwork. I know this is MGM-Amazon but the soundtrack is full of hits, and the celebrities that appear couldn’t have been cheap. 

Mon: Oh. What. Fun. is a surprisingly fun rollercoaster of a Christmas ride. We can’t recommend it enough. Go watch it!

Mon: For our second film review, we take a look at A Keller Christmas Vacation. Watching a Jonathan Bennett Christmas film has become an annual pastime of ours. This year is no different. In the film, we follow the Keller family as they take a cruise vacation in Austria! The family hasn’t done such a vacation in a few years. So this should be a happy reunion. But something(s) seem off. 

Ron: The Keller family are made up of parents, Anne and Ben, played by Lauren Lefkow and Nigel Whitmey. Brandon Routh, former Superman, plays oldest brother, Cal, a football coach. Jonathan Bennett plays Dylan, the middle sibling, an architect and developer. And Eden Sher is the youngest, Emory, a data analyst whose dream is to be a photographer.

Mon: As the film starts, all three siblings face extremely un-Christmasy obstacles. Cal’s attempts to win his great love go unrequited. Dylan ends up taking a break from his partner, William, played by Anand Desai-Barochia, and Emory loses her job. 

Ron: But when it comes to family and Christmas, everyone’s busy pretending that life is perfect. As the film progresses, the Keller family realizes that keeping up appearances isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Sometimes, you need to spill the beans. 

Mon: Let’s get the big negative out of the way. The opening credits looked like AI-generated photos of the cast as the characters. This was infuriating. And unnecessary. Films and tv have been inserting cast members into fictional histories of their characters for eons, with the aid of artistry. Why the pivot to genAI? I mean, we know why. But this is beyond annoying. If actors can be outraged at an AI actor, then studios should stand by all the crew and production people who make films possible. GenAI should not be part of the creative process. 

Ron: I did go looking for confirmation about AI use but I couldn’t find anything. It may have been Photoshop but considering Adobe has integrated genAI in its suite of products, can we say it’s really any different?

You can read more of my thoughts about genAI on LinkedIn. We’ll link to it in the show notes. 

Mon: We don’t know if genAI was used elsewhere in the film, so we’re going to review the rest of the film per usual. This is a Hallmark film, so it has that Hallmark sheen on it. But, it was shot on location in Austria, which gives it a refreshing feel. I was getting a little tired of all the same ol’ small town stories. 

Ron: Well, that’s a cliche of these Christmas films. But, yeah, not everyone lives in, wants to live in, or can live in, small towns. 

Mon: Aye. I liked that the characters travel here. Gives the viewers a chance to visit, or re-visit a beautiful European country.

Ron: The film really evoked that wanderlust for Europe and particularly Vienna, which we spent a few days in years ago. And while the characters do spend a fair amount of time on the cruise, they get to explore Germany and Austria quite a bit. Some of the characters see more than they bargained for. The film certainly gets adventurous!

Mon: I found this different from a lot of the other Hallmark Christmas films we’ve watched so far. The topics were weightier. The conclusion and compromises, more practical. The film was cozy, but it focused more on the siblings, which I really liked. Yeah, romance is never far — it’s a Christmas film — but I liked that it wasn’t unbelievably idealistic.

Ron: Yes, this film gets heavy and emotional. And the actors did an incredible job during the pivotal scene. 

Mon: Ok, let’s not go overboard here. Pardon the pun. Some of the acting was… rough. 

Ron: Oh harsh. I thought they did a great job within the Hallmark setting. It felt quite real. 

Mon: In the pivotal scene? Yes, they were brilliant. Especially Brandon Routh. But overall, it was… yeah. Not their best work, even for a Hallmark movie. But, you were saying. 

Ron: It’s a Hallmark movie! We aren’t expecting Daniel Day-Lewis here. But everyone did a solid job and they made me laugh, and cry. And yes, the story deals with very important and relevant subjects. It’s not all neatly tied up in the end but it’s still cathartic and very sweet. You feel that Christmas spirit without it being saccharine. 

Mon: Very true. The film surprised me. The bar is low for these films. But with reason. These Christmas films are escapist fare, and they skid by the tough situations. This film, not so much. These characters gotta deal with what’s been handed to them, be it emotionally, personally, or professionally. And it’s all done against the backdrop of gorgeous Christmas trees, family banter and humour. A great experience watching A Keller Christmas Vacation.

Ron: I enjoyed this film. Of course, the locations are stunning and beautifully shot. But the family dynamic is really believable. The siblings are adorable and annoying together. All the love stories felt heartfelt—even though they probably wouldn’t work in real life. Hey, that’s Christmas magic. I’m so glad we watched this!

Mon: The next Christmas film we saw this year was A Merry Little Ex-Mas, starring Alicia Silverstone, as Kate, who gave up a budding career as a sustainable architect to follow her husband, Everett, played by Oliver Hudson, to his dreamy little hometown. Once there, Everett dedicated himself to work, while Kate took care of the kids and everything else.

Ron: Now with the kids older, Kate and Everett have grown apart and want a divorce. Easier said than done in a small town where everyone is in your business. 

Mon: So, this one felt a little more like a conventional Christmas film. Small town, ensemble cast, will-they-won’t-they. But, the main characters are a teeny bit older than the norm. And there was a smidge more diversity than you’d find in the average Christmas fare. 

Ron: Yes, we’re back in a small town with this film and while Kate does express a burning desire to leave for the big city, the focus of the film is celebrating small town life and the togetherness that it brings. 

Mon: I enjoyed watching the film. But ufffff, parts of it were aggravating. ‘Cause they shine a light on real problems. Kinda like Oh. What. Fun. A lot of women find themselves sacrificing their careers for their marriage. Is it necessary, no, but when there’s family and kids involved, or frankly, another person who depends on you to keep the house alive, something's gotta give. And for a lot of women, it’s them. Their lives, passions, and their careers. Kate, still, gets around and does stuff in the film. She’s known for being the town handyperson. She’s an environmentalist who innovates to keep the town sustainable. That’s great. But does anyone appreciate her? Is this what she wanted? It was exasperating watching her struggles — but they kept skipping past the pain and hurt she must have been carrying. 

Ron: Look, people make career pivots all the time. But changing your career because that’s something you want to do, versus being forced to change or give up your career because somebody in your life will literally do nothing but think of themselves? That is the worst. And it’s so unfair. The problem is that we have known so many women just like Kate. Women who’ve told us that they stopped dreaming because all that mattered was their husband’s aspirations. It’s hard to get into the Christmas spirit and laugh at the comedy when Kate’s sacrifices are so real for so many women!

Mon: Aye. This was the problem. I couldn’t get behind Everett because, man, he sounded like the absolute worst. You just know he was using work as an excuse to not do anything with or for his family. Had the film just painted him as the wretched, neglectful man that he actually was, I may have laughed more. But they didn’t. 

Ron: We needed more humour directed towards Everett. I wanted this man to be dragged for filth for being the worst husband and father. And yet, the kids love him. They’re excited to spend time with him because he’s finally making time for them. Now that he’s got a young, beautiful girlfriend, of course, Jameela Jamil’s Tess. Why couldn’t Everett have bothered before so that Kate could have had a life and career?

Mon: The lack of accountability was the issue. Look, kids are gonna love the novelty of him actually being around. That’s realistic. But, since it’s a Christmas film, that added hurt just gets ignored so that everything’s tied up in a neat little bow at the end. 

Ron: This film is fun and funny. There are some ludicrous characters. Like the daughter’s boyfriend, who is beyond awkward. Or Kate’s kinda love interest, who’s very stupid but knows how to treat her well. Everett’s dads were very sweet and it was nice to get some queer representation when we weren’t expecting it. But the film glosses over Everett’s flaws too easily. I understand we want a feel-good happy ending for a Christmas film. But what are we telling audiences here?

Mon: This is a problem with Christmas films, but it reminds me of this other Netflix Christmas film I watched a few years ago. It had Brandy in it. I don’t remember the name. In that film, a child tracks down how mostly rich kids get Christmas presents. Which is true — you gotta have money to buy gifts. But then the film turned into a fantasy about how Santa is real. Well, if he’s real, then how come everyone doesn’t get presents? Netflix forcing these happy endings isn’t helpful. Christmas can suck and be a tough time for a lot of people. It doesn’t hurt to have a pragmatic film about the realities of life, and still make it cozy and Christmas-y. Maybe I was expecting too much of A Merry Little Ex-Mas. 

Ron: I’m not saying we didn’t enjoy ourselves. We had quite a few laughs during this film. And Alicia Silverstone was very charming and relatable. I felt like I was back in the 90s watching her. Also, all the clothes Kate wears are beautiful. The sweaters and the hats and the sleeping suits. Everything was matching and looked so comfy. But this film could have been so much more impactful if it had leaned into the really tough conversations. And yet it could have found its way to a happy ending nonetheless. I am still glad we watched it. Just don’t fall for the small town shtick again, people. 

Mon: And that’s all for our 2025 Christmas film round-up. These were all fun in their own way, and certainly got us in the holiday mood. 

Ron: Very true. Listeners, let us know which Christmas movies you’ve been catching up with. Have a great holiday season. We Stereo Geeks will be back in the new year with a review of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.