The Christmas spirit is powerful and can sometimes cast a potent spell on everyday people. So much so that in writer/director Sammy Smedley’s comedy short X-Mas Anonymous, these people attend a support group for likeminded but sometimes less-than-jolly individuals.
Barry (Augustus Wilson) has led the titular get-together for 5 years. Yet his newest gathering seems to offer more than meets the eye. Neighborhood watch exile Carl (Brian Reilly), recent divorcee Estelle (Latrisha Talley), lonely nerd Danny (Chris Morales), and the enigmatic Tammy (Sammy Smedley) all have their own stories to share, united by their repressed yearning for some Yuletide cheer.
An earnest exploration of identity and tradition on the surface yields some laughs early on, but X-mas Anonymous’s screenplay can’t quite strike a balance between empathetic and satiric. It’s quirky for the sake of being quirky. Hammy monologues and quoting Die Hard and other Christmas classics with one-liners might be appealing on the surface, but all these caricatures amount to very little narrative substance. It doesn’t help that the actors aren’t always capable of delivering these speeches with a convincing tone. Wilson’s Barry and Reilly’s Carl are charismatic and carry some kind of motivation that helps progress the story, but Morales’ Danny and even Estelle can feel like undercooked afterthoughts. Then again, the short’s odd choice to omit all ambiance and music from its sound design means the performances lack technical support.
However, there are plenty of novel moments peppered throughout X-mas Anonymous, particularly with how the opening sequence establishes the support group’s dynamic and an unhinged final act that sees Smedley show some sharp directing chops. It’s also where cinematographer and editor James O’Connor makes the most of the confined space the support group is in, whipping the camera around in an entertaining frenzy.
X-mas Anonymous suffers from undeveloped characters and questionable writing, but there may just be enough whimsical adoration for the holidays to keep some viewers hooked.