I’m one of those people that hates seeing Christmas commercials just after Halloween has ended. Even when they do air within the appropriate timeline, I can’t stand them. Mind you, I do love Christmas films, but only during the Yuletide. I know, I’m a complicated person. But here I am reviewing a movie called Alone on Christmas, and it is not the holiday season. Gladly, this short film does not spew Christmas at the audience even though its title may imply it.
Blake (Niki Wipf) gets dumped by her longtime boyfriend just before Christmas. Her way to get over it is by drinking and getting a cat. That seems legit to me.
So the story just happens to take place at Christmas, which unfortunately can be one of the loneliest holidays for some people. There are not many other Christmas-y things going on in the film other than a shot of an occasional Christmas tree and some lights hanging in the background. The relationship between Blake and her roommate Karly (Ely Jackson) is one we can all relate to. Karly is one of those friends who tries so hard to help their broken-hearted friends get over someone by talking them into getting out and make a terrible decision that sounds good at the time.
“Blake gets dumped by her longtime boyfriend just before Christmas.”
Karly talks Blake into going out with her to a bar and finding another guy to hook up with. Blake hits it off with one of Karly’s co-workers and gets drunk. But it doesn’t turn out the way you’d think. Blake can’t seem to get her ex-boyfriend out of her head. She finds herself talking to her ex, which is nothing but a drunken illusion. Blake happens to lose her pet, and it seems like everything is disappearing from her. The disappearance of said cat actually makes for a great moment at the end of the film.
First off, I have to say the production of this short film is impressive. The quality of independent films and short films have been getting closer and closer to top-tier ranks due to technology, but that is not where the quality stops. The hard work that these directors, writers, casts, and crews put into their films are becoming more and more noticeable.
Alone on Christmas is one of those films. The video quality is excellent, and so is the chemistry between Niki Wipf and Ely Jackson. Wipf also serves as director and co-writer of the film, which is impressive in itself. I do wish there were more laughs, but overall, I think it’s a film that everyone can relate to.
"…it's a film that everyone can relate to."
