Breakup Season Review: New Exes Snowed In

With a warm narrative, familiar familial feel and more depth than an average holiday romance, Breakup Season is a comforting portrayal of a realistic relationship and the two opposing forces behind it.

But due to the harsh winter weather conditions, Cassie is unable to catch a flight back home for Christmas and is forced to stay with Ben and his family through their first week as exes. Ben desperately attempts to mend their relationship while Cassie feels claustrophobic by his endeavors.

Among Ben’s family is also his sister Liz (Carly Stewart), an aspiring vlogger who’s head over heels for her new off-screen college boyfriend, his 30-year-old cynical half-brother Gordon (Jacob Wysocki), who instigated the dinner argument that led to the breakup. Additionally, there are Ben’s dad Kirby (James Urbanaik), a train enthusiast, and his mom Mia  (Brook Hogan), who is open and nurturing to Cassie as she stays at her family’s home despite the unfortunate and unusual circumstances. 

A major aspect of the film is Ben’s family: though they aren’t perfect, they’re typical. His mom and dad are in a loving, intimate marriage after finding each other later in life — a juxtaposition from Cassie and Ben, who are young and recently broken up. They have dinner as a family, bake cookies together, go into town to shop, and are open with each other about their interests, relationships and hobbies.

Cassie comes from an opposite familial dynamic: though she seems to be close with her sister, she’s unable to form a strong connection with her mom. She didn’t feel comfortable calling her after the breakup, and as Cassie anticipated when she finally did decide to call her, she provided little comfort to her daughter. Cassie comes to find some solace in Ben’s welcoming family, and funnily enough, her ex’s family becomes her own for a few days.

There is a beautifully shot sequence a few days after Ben and Cassie’s breakup where his family is attempting to help her feel more acclimated to Oregon amid the circumstances and they take her into town to go shopping. Though their town is small, it’s familiar and homey. The scenes are filmed during winter in Oregon, which makes them feel so authentic and immersive. You can feel the energy of this rural town on December 24th through the screen. 

Breakup Season shows that family will always persevere, even if it may not be your own blood. The film depicts the dynamic of a mid-20s relationship breakup that many will find relatable, or even nostalgic. It’s real, while also humorous and warm.

This is Tracey’s directorial debut, and it tells a story of a universal life event happening to ordinary people, showing the reality of many young relationships. The writing is very strong, with well-built characters and a streamlined plot, making it easy to digest. Furthermore, shooting on location in Oregon was an impeccable choice that made the film feel enveloping, in both the winter scenes from the majority of the film, and the brief Spring scenes at its conclusion. 

With so many elaborate, head over heels holiday love stories, Breakup Season is a breath of fresh winter air. It shows the non-romanticized version of a mid-20s relationship during the holidays and coldness that comes with it as unresolved tensions and unspoken annoyances manifest to the surface amid Christmas chaos.  It portrays how the weight and energy of the holidays can lead one thing to another, and highlights the inevitable self-reflection that the end of the year brings. 

For as hopeless as Moana 2 first appeared, rescued from the Disney+ scrap heap, at least first-time directors David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller didn’t imitate so many other 2024 sequels (including Pixar’s Inside Out 2) by simply replicating the original film’s plot again. Kids will surely be drawn to the film for its vibrant color palette, cute animal sidekicks, and bodily fluid humor, but it lacks the inspiration that came with the first film. Both of my kids went through long Moana phases, watching the film daily for a time. It’s hard to imagine Moana 2 will chart the same course.

Breakup Season is out now in select US theaters and will be released on digital platforms on December 6, 2024.