HAPPIEST SEASON

★★★★

OUT NOW (DIGITAL) / CERT 12 / 102 MINS

DIRECTOR Clea Duvall CAST Mackenzie Davis, Kristen Stewart, Alison Brie

Harper (Mackenzie Davis) and Abby (Kristen Stewart) are visiting Harper’s family for Christmas — Abby is planning on proposing, but Harper hasn’t told her family she’s gay. Clea Duvall directs a comedy full of wit, love and depth, as Abby wrestles with keeping Harper’s secret from her eccentric family (from co-writer Mary Holland’s peppy Jane to Alison Brie as the acerbic Sloane) and, naturally, the truth spills out. A sharp script and some loveable performances elevate the cosy framework into something more complex and moving. An ode to impossible expectations, bravery and loyalty, Happiest Season wraps up everything you could want for Christmas in a neat, thoughtful little bow.