Film Threat's Spotlight on The Christmas Spirit: A Review Feature
the Christmas Eve sermon, the pastor observed that for most of us, Christmas is marked as either a time of great joy or profound grief. In Bennet De Brabandere’s The Christmas Spirit, our protagonist must go through extreme measures to move beyond grief to find his joy…with the help of a lucha libre Christmas spirit. Years ago, young Cole (Jordan Chronis) was more interested in playing video games than helping his sister put up Christmas lights. When his sister tried to install lights on the roof, she accidentally hanged herself just outside Cole’s bedroom window. During the funeral, Cole is haunted by the aforementioned Lucha Christmas Ghost (Nicholas Grimes), who is banished to haunt Cole until he is forgiven for his sister’s death. Back in the present, Cole (Zion Forrest Lee) is an adult man who has done nothing with his life. Guilt from the past and the ghost of Christmas haunt us everywhere. The ghost, who is cursed to follow Cole forever, claims that Cole will receive forgiveness within this year. Spirit discovers Maggie (Matia Jaquette), a social media influencer. Maggie’s father found out that her mother had been having an affair with Maggie’s piano teacher, and she had just moved out of her family before Christmas. Maggie looked exactly like Cole’s sister and was the perfect replacement for Forgiveness. The plan is simple. her plan.
Of course, it’s easier to convince Maggie. Keeping the plan a secret from Maggie’s best friend Gina (Eman Ayaz), a group of local thugs seeking revenge on Cole, and the two incompetent cops investigating Maggie’s kidnapping, it won’t be easy for them to find out while on vacation. Probably not. If you’re looking for a heartwarming Christmas story, you won’t find it in The Christmas Spirit. Oh, quite the opposite. De Brabandere’s take is the anti-Christmas story, which is where the film finds its “charm.” While trying to make a loose attempt at feeling like a Christmas story in the end, The Christmas Spirit is essentially a gritty tale of a crazy man who talks to a ghosts that drives him to kidnap a Christmas grinch in Maggie, who sort of likes the idea of being kidnapped…as long as it’s filmed for her social media account.
I used the word “charm”, but “creepy” is a more appropriate word. Zion Forrest Lee as Cole plays the most complex character. How far is he willing to believe in ghosts, because deep down he wants to settle his past and is more determined than ever to get rid of his call and move on? I don’t understand. Zion feels enough sympathy for Cole that we want to root for him. Matia Jackett combines earthiness with street smarts. She is following Cole’s plans and wants to see how far he can go with his deception before she takes advantage of him with dire consequences. Street gangs and incompetent cops provide comic relief and some clever tricks to advance the plot. As already mentioned, “The Christmas Spirit” is not your typical Christmas fairy tale. Your enjoyment of this movie will depend on how invested you are in the story. It’s insane and leads to over-the-top violent situations. If you’re part of a niche audience that loves the pessimism and conceit of the holiday season, give The Christmas Spirit a try.