‘Tis the season! Can you believe it’s already December?! Some of us have been watching Christmas movies since Thanksgiving, jumpstarting holiday movie-watching. Josh went out to Florida to visit New Mexico Drew and his fam, where they made him watch Elf from start to finish for the first time. And he calls himself a cinephile smh. Anyway, what are your go-to winter holiday season watches? We’d love to hear what you enjoy while curled up on a cozy couch, maybe with a hot beverage, and count down the days til Santa comes.
Concession Stand Scorecard: Ella McCay
Watchlist Worthy: Save the Date
On the Pod: HOLDOVER SEASON IS UPON US
This week’s movie - Ella McCay
Letterboxd Description:
A story about the people you love, and how to survive them.
An idealistic young politician juggles familial issues and a challenging work life while preparing to take over the job of her mentor, the state’s longtime incumbent governor.
Best Watched With
JLC fans
End Credit Thoughts
Politics. Humor. Family. Drama.
We knew little about this movie going into it. We didn’t even watch the trailer or read the movie description. Ten minutes into the movie, we learned that the four words above are what the movie is about. Ella McCay is a nonlinear story about a young woman who replaces her mentor as Governor of an unnamed state during a period of professional and personal turmoil, narrated by a narrator. In our current political climate, this filmmaking decision to use a narrator, who is Ella McCay’s personal secretary, makes the political story approachable and mostly enjoyable.
This is not to say it isn’t messy, as one would assume. We mean, come on, it’s still a political comedy-drama movie. There’s going to be some chaos. Politics is going to politic. Ella McCay (Emma Mackey) has always been ambitious, and when her mentor is called up to national politics by the president, she gets the opportunity to govern her home state. The promotion brings great joy and greater trouble, as all eyes are now on her professional AND personal life. Politics aside, the subplots involve tough and endearing familial moments. The movie jumps back and forth between the past, bringing you along on the journey of how a family reached a place of brokenness, hurt, and trauma.
This movie isn’t filled with powerful, wowing performances despite having some big names. But everyone gets their job done with the material they were given. Emma Mackey, someone we are less familiar with, does a decent job as our leading actor. Maybe to no surprise, Jamie Lee Curtis is a blast and delivers as Ella’s most trusted Aunt Helen. She has plenty of screen time, and we enjoyed her presence.
To our dislike, Ayo Edebiri, Woody Harrelson, and Kumail Nanjiani have significantly less screen time. However, Edebiri and Harrelson add so much to the movie's enjoyment. Maybe it’s the high-stress, chaotic nature of the television series The Bear that makes Edebiri’s scenes feel natural, making her a perfect fit for her small role. We don’t know how Harrelson does it, but he can be as charismatic as he is likable, and as a piece of shit. He’s the latter in this one. For a comedy, it feels like a miss not to use Nanjiana’s comedic chops to their fullest potential.
We weren’t the most intrigued by a movie titled with an unknown name, but overall we were happy to have come out of the theater feeling light—we’ve had some heavy hitters the past few months. With a little bit of everything—laughter, some drama, emotional moments about heavy topics handled with care, fun drug use, heartbreak, and love—Ella McCay was a mindless, easy watch before James Cameron’s behemoth Avatar: Fire and Ashes next week, which we are sure we’ll have too many thoughts on.
Where this movie falls apart is the writing. This movie felt like it was trying to say something, but it wasn't easy to pinpoint exactly what. There was a lot going on, and some of the side stories needed more screen time to get us invested or feel the impact of the characters’ decisions. Maybe we felt it was a decent watch because the big names became smoke and mirrors for the overall story. Nonetheless, you’ll enjoy this one just as much at home.
Wait til streaming.
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The Drama (2025) Directed by Kristoffer Borgli
New Mexico Drew put this on his watchlist on our October 18th, 2024 newsletter but we have a teaser trailer now! We loved Zendaya in the relationship tennis drama Challengers, and Robert Patterson gives his all to the roles he takes on. He is a generational talent on a generational run with the movies he’s come out with this past year and the ones coming out in 2026. This one of three movies starring R Patt and Zendaya in 2026. It’s going to be a blessed year.
Love, tension, chaos, life crash outs—yeah I’m saving the date for this one. In theaters April 3rd, 2026.
-jp :)
Letterboxd Description:
A couple, in the days leading up to their wedding, faces a crisis when unexpected revelations derail what one of them thought they knew about the other
Movies Directed by Kristoffer Borgli:
December means Holidays Season, Holidays Season means Christmas, and Christmas means rewatching one of the best Christmas movies:
The Holdovers by Alexander Payne
Listen to our podcast on the movie from way back when:
The Holdovers: Which Eye Do We Look At? #018
Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube
In this episode, Josh and Eric dissect the film’s themes, exploring the power of unconventional bonds, societal pressures, and how shared experiences can be deeply transformative. Through personal anecdotes that echo the movie’s poignant moments, they add a layer of relatable depth to the discussion. Their analysis, ranging from the film’s portrayal of relatable high school experiences to weightier topics like depression and empathy, showcases a genuine appreciation for the film’s powerful narrative.
They use the Jimmy V 1993 ESPY Speech – Did it hold them in thought, make them laugh, and move their emotions to tears — while interweaving the movie’s narratives with their life narratives.
Tune in next week for | Avatar: Fire and Ash
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