A Merry Little Ex-Mas (2025)
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2025-09 to 2026-08
A couple facing divorce must navigate one final Christmas together while dealing with new partners and family tensions.
The story
After years of growing apart due to conflicting priorities, Kate and Everett decide to divorce but agree to share one final Christmas with their children, Sienna and Gabriel. The tension escalates when Sienna returns from college with a boyfriend, and it is revealed that Everett is already dating someone new. As the holiday approaches, Kate struggles with her children's future and the presence of Everett's new girlfriend, Tess. Amidst the stress of the season, Kate attempts to establish new traditions, leading her to encounter a younger man named Chet, while the family navigates the complexities of their crumbling marriage and the arrival of new faces in their lives.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Kate and Everett, a couple whose relationship strained under the weight of Kate's environmentalism and Everett's demanding medical career, agree to a final Christmas before their divorce. The peace is shattered when Sienna's boyfriend reveals Everett is dating Tess. Kate meets Chet, a younger man, while trying to find new traditions for her kids. During a sledding trip, Kate and Everett share a moment of intimacy, while Tess and Chet confront each other about their respective partners' failings. During a gingerbread contest, Everett reveals his workaholism stemmed from his background as the son of gay dads; however, Kate is angered when he claims he'll take what he learned from her into his next marriage. On Christmas Eve, a fire breaks out, and while Chet tries to help, the kids' brother Gabriel saves the day. Tess leaves after seeing the chaos. Later, a snowstorm leaves Kate's solar-powered home as the only one with power, bringing the whole town together. Finally, on a balcony, Everett confesses he doesn't want the divorce and is willing to quit his career to stay with Kate. They discard the divorce papers and reunite, celebrating a happy Christmas together a year later.
- First release year
- 2025
- Runtime (minutes)
- 91
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Steve Carr
- Writers
- Holly Hester · writer
- Cast and characters
- Alicia Silverstone · Kate Holden; Oliver Hudson · Dr. Everett Holden; Jameela Jamil · Tess Wiley; Pierson Fodé · Chet Moore; Linda Kash · Doris; Melissa Joan Hart · April; Geoffrey Owens · Daryl; Wilder Hudson · Gabriel Holden; Emily Hall · Sienna Holden; Timothy Innes · Nigel; Derek McGrath · Mike; Tymika Tafari · Christina
- Genres
- romantic comedy; Christmas comedy
- Themes
- divorce; family dynamics; career vs. personal life; reconciliation
- Tone and mood
- romantic; festive
- Setting
- Winterlight, a small hometown during the Christmas season.
- Premise and plot tags
- holiday; romance; comedy
- Production trivia
- Principal photography took place in Toronto.; The film was included on the Netflix slate in January 2025.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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