Watch This Screener - A ChRISTMAS Party
Welcome to a new segment on Watch This Film that I’m calling Watch This Screener, where I tell the readers about an upcoming film that I had the opportunity to screen ahead of a wider release. For this inaugural edition of WTS, I’m looking at Alex Helmer’s Christmas romantic comedy A Christmas Party, which had its world premiere last month and is looking ahead to a festival push as we move into 2026. Calling the film a Christmas romantic comedy feels a bit limiting now that I’ve actually seen the film, as it does far more than you’d typically expect from any of those genres. It’s a film that’s well-acted for a true indie film, highlighted by its two leads, and the writing does a really excellent job of capturing the essence of every holiday party that you’ve ever attended.
The genre bending undertaken by A Christmas Party moves from romantic comedy and family holiday film to topical contemporary drama and buddy comedy and eventually even to aspects of a coming-of-age film. While not every genre is going to hit the same for all audience members, and certain aspects of the film are better achieved than others, the overall sense of the film is a true-to-life Christmas party, complete with a glut of political talk, awkward attempts at grand romantic gestures, and a climactic backyard football game.
The main story of the film focuses on Adam Hartman (Jaxon Keller), a college freshman who’s attending the titular party with his parents at the home of his best friend Ernesto (Rroni Hashani) and childhood crush Ally (Sarah-Grace Donnelly). Adam hopes to finally express his love to Ally while winning hers as well but is hindered by her attendance with a British boyfriend, Roman (Max Cazier), after spending the year in London. Side plots about marital struggles, a Ukrainian immigrant, an aging aspiring actor, and brotherly strife fill out the rest of the party. Helmer and his fellow writer Guy David Knoll have given their audience plenty to chew on with very little time to breathe, as should be expected of a friends-and-family holiday party, as we bounce back and forth between the main romantic story and the many subplots of the rest of the party’s attendees. Most of the cutaways serve as the film’s primary comedy source with some standout humor on display from Max Cazier as the British boyfriend looking to fit in with his girlfriend’s American friends and family by jumping headfirst into everything offered to him, particularly the party cocktail.
Our romantic leads – Jaxon Keller and Sarah-Grace Donnelly as Adam and Ally – give the audience plenty to invest in. Between strong chemistry that keeps the audience wondering at their will-they-won’t-they dynamic and truly committed performances in the scenes where their characters get to shine as individuals, it’s easy to see a bright future for both of these young performers. Their story is by far the most compelling of the film, and its resolution in the final act helps ground the film in its humanity thanks in large part to the duo’s performances.
The overall sense I was left with at the conclusion of A Christmas Party was one of having just spent a full evening at a holiday party, which makes the film a success in my book. There’s plenty of fun in the side characters, a compelling romantic duo in the lead, and enough topics of discussion throughout the party to stimulate any and all comers. If you see this film on a festival docket near you or get the chance to catch it in another format, I definitely recommend taking some time to celebrate the holidays with this eclectic cast of characters!
