Directed by Jay Duplass – Starring Michael Strassner and Liz Larsen

On Christmas Eve, a man with a sudden dental emergency finds himself spending an unexpected night with the dentist who treats him, and the two end up wandering through Baltimore together as the holiday unfolds.

The Baltimorons is a charming, quirky little film that looks like a romantic comedy on the surface, but it never quite behaves like one. It borrows the scaffolding of a rom-com and even the rhythm of a road-trip movie, but instead of traveling toward a destination, the characters simply move through a series of situations together. The night unfolds through a string of small, episodic encounters that slowly reveal who these people are and how they ended up alone on Christmas Eve.

Both leads are wonderful here. Michael Strassner brings an awkward, vulnerable warmth to his character that makes every conversation feel genuine rather than forced. Liz Larsen is equally great, balancing humor, confidence, and a quiet sadness that gives the character real depth.

Together they create a dynamic that feels natural and alive, the kind of chemistry that makes the entire film work.

What makes the movie land emotionally for me is that both characters are clearly people whose lives haven’t turned out the way they once imagined and who are both dealing with some kind of trauma. Their night together allows them to exist outside that baggage for a while. They aren’t defined by whatever disappointments or expectations have been weighing them down — they’re just two people figuring things out moment by moment.

The film is also genuinely funny, sometimes awkward in the best way, and surprisingly touching. There’s a vulnerability here that allows the characters to face situations they might normally avoid, and you can see both of them slowly shifting as the night goes on. It’s not a neat story, and it doesn’t pretend life suddenly becomes simple. There are still messy realities waiting for them beyond this one strange Christmas Eve.

But there’s also something quietly hopeful about it. Beneath the humor and oddball situations, the movie feels like a celebration of discovering that the life ahead of you might still hold something meaningful, even if it isn’t the life you originally pictured. That there is magic in how someone can look at you and see you that makes everything your holding onto that is weighing you down feel lighter and more manageable.

Plus the music is great, and this one is absolutely joining The Holdovers in my regular Christmas movie rotation.

Verdict: Excellent