Kris McMenamin’s feature film Misfits is a Christmas coming-of-age story of sorts, following six friends dating back to 2007. Ryan (Christian Levens) and Spencer (Jacob H. Burke) are two budding filmmakers wanting to go to Hollywood to make a name for themselves. Becca (Kat Reeve) is Ryan’s girlfriend, but she can’t go West with him, and they break up on the spot. Josh (Sam Meola) has been with Sandy (CeeCee Simone) since high school. Though Sandy has struggled with a physical ailment all her life, Josh is committed to her. Lucas (Russell Levin) is a new kid in town, desperately trying to fit in with the gang.
It’s 2017, and Sandy’s health has taken a turn for the worse. She is dying. The couple has two daughters, Darlene (Carlie Ann Kauffman) and Tina (Skylar Brooke). Darlene is her school’s wrestling champ, even if she has to compete against boys. When Sandy passes, Josh is at a loss, and Ryan and Spencer return from a less-than-spectacular run in Hollywood. They promise to go full “Full House” for Josh and help him raise the girls.
Jump to today, and Josh continues to struggle without Sandy. He takes multiple jobs to feed the kids. He just received a foreclosure notice, and a real estate developer wants to buy his house. Ryan also just caught his wife having an affair and wonders if he can rekindle his romance with Becca.
“He takes multiple jobs to feed the kids, he just received a foreclosure notice, and the evil real estate developer wants to buy his house.”
Kris McMenamin says his love of movies began in the projection booth at the theater where his dad worked, which led him to make films himself. As an adult, he said that after losing his parents, his wife encouraged him to “take a real shot” at making a movie. That was the spark he needed to put the film together with friends and crew, whom he called a “weird misfit group of professionals.”
Watching Misfits was like watching the sweetness of a Hallmark movie, but with a handful of salty language to balance it out. It covers a variety of relatable themes, including grief, becoming a single parent, and the family you find among your friends. I also found myself vibing with the professional wrestling and Christmas setting to boot.
Ultimately, I found myself attracted to writer/director Kris McMenamin’s refusal to make a sappy movie. His cast, both old and young, will need to wash their mouths out with soap, and the w***e-banging was the angel on top of the tree. It’s full of the misadventures we’ve wanted to see in a Christmas story, with all the heart we expect from one. McMenamin beautifully balances love lost with the kind of love that sticks around. F**k yeah, Misfits.
For more information, visit the Misfits official website.
"…the whore banging was the angel on top of the tree."
