The Christmas Setup

The Christmas Setup

Directed by Pat Mills

Produced by Neshama Entertainment, MarVista Entertainment

202088 min6.2 / 10

A warm, heartfelt holiday romance centered on a gay lawyer reconnecting with his high school crush while navigating family bonds and life choices during the Christmas season.

Follows the story of New York lawyer Hugo who heads to Milwaukee with his best friend Madelyn to spend the holidays with his brother Aiden and his mom Kate, who is also in charge of the local Christmas celebrations. Ever the matchmaker, Kate arranges for Hugo to run into Patrick, Hugo’s high school friend and secret crush, who has recently returned after a successful stint in Silicon Valley. As they enjoy the local holiday festivities together, Hugo and Patrick’s attraction to each other is undeniable and it looks as though Kate’s Santa-style matchmaking is a success. But as Hugo receives word of a big promotion requiring a move to London, he must decide what is most important to him.

Questions people ask

  • Is The Christmas Setup scary? No. Less frightening than 98% of films.

  • Is The Christmas Setup easy watching? Yes, very. More comforting than 98% of films.

  • Does The Christmas Setup end with hope? Yes, very. More hopeful than 97% of films.

  • Is The Christmas Setup violent? No. Less violent than 92% of films.

  • Is The Christmas Setup sad? Not especially. Less sad than 67% of films.

These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.

23/ 100

Cinnamon Score

How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.

Conventional, and it does not land.

Rarity14

How unlike any other film this one feels

Surprise25

How much more it delivers than it promises

Love30

How much audiences actually like it

The highest scores in the catalogue →

Ensemble

Like The Christmas Setup

Nearest across the full emotional profile.

Same Mood as The Christmas Setup

Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.

Like The Christmas Setup, But Darker

Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.

Like The Christmas Setup, But Lighter

Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.

Like The Christmas Setup, But Less Popular

Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.

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