The Baltimorons, Jay Duplass's Christmas rom-com, opens in select theaters this holiday season, offering a feel-good escape rooted in character and warmth rather than spectacle.
Cliff Cashen, portrayed by Michael Strassner, is a likeable loser with a sketchy past who hopes to land a mortgage-broker job and settle down with his fiancée Brittany. A freak dental emergency on Christmas Eve sends him to the chair of Didi, a sharp-edged workaholic divorcee played by Liz Larsen, and the two set off on an improvised night through Baltimore that slowly reveals their vulnerabilities and their capacity to help one another.
Across the night, Cliff and Didi wander through a city that becomes a backdrop to their growth: a city that mirrors their uncertain futures. The pair navigate a series of small moments — a detour to an impound lot, a late-night diner, a conversation about past mistakes — that gradually reveals how much they have to offer one another. The film embraces the improv principle Yes, and, letting its dialogue flow with warmth and humor even as it digs into fears about loneliness, failure, and the possibility of starting over.
Performance-wise, Strassner and Larsen anchor the film. Larsen's Didi starts as a rough-edged figure but gradually reveals vulnerability and humor that elevate the material; Strassner, who co-wrote the script, embodies Cliff as a semi-autobiographical, candy-heart character whose earnestness and misfires ring authentic. Their chemistry is the film's engine, and the absence of big-name stars helps the leads feel lived-in and relatable in a way that fits the indie sensibility of director-writer Jay Duplass. The film marks a conscious return for Duplass to feature filmmaking after a decade focused on television projects.
Produced as an independent release, The Baltimorons leans into an intimate, character-driven approach rather than high-concept spectacle. Its Baltimore setting, seen through the eyes of two people who discover they can be compatible in unexpected ways, gives the rom-com a grounded local flavor. The film runs 1 hour 39 minutes and is rated R for language, matching the edge-of-holiday humor that remains accessible to adult audiences. Mark Duplass is credited as an executive producer, highlighting the brothers' continued collaboration in the indie scene.
Overall, The Baltimorons offers a charming, crowd-pleasing option for the holiday season. It is the kind of feel-good escape that can complement seasonal rotations of favorites, delivering warmth without cloying sentiment and humor grounded in real-life imperfections. For viewers who crave a small, hopeful romance set against a city at Christmas, this film delivers. It opened in select theaters and could find a second life on streaming later in the season.
