Catfish Christmas – Movie Review
Director: Victoria Rowell
Writer: Dara Harper (Screenplay)
Cast
- Leigh-Ann Rose (Scorpion)
- Tony Todd (Candyman)
- Ella Joyce (Bubba Ho-Tep)
- Charlotte Evelyn Williams
- Grover McCants
Plot: A woman meets a handsome football player while online dating, only to learn things might not be as they appear.
Runtime: 1 Hour 24 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Catfish Christmas starts when an accountant Leslie (Rose) returns home for Christmas. Having broken up with her fiancée the year before. Her mother Helen (Joyce) looks to get her connected back up with an old school friend Devin (Laster). However, Leslie’s sister Faith (Williams) has her own plans to pretend to be a football player Mike Avery (Riggins).
When Leslie starts chatting online with Mike, Faith finds herself needing to go to extraordinary lengths to make sure she can keep the plan going. Meanwhile, Leslie ends up dating Mike, completely unaware of her sister’s plan.
Verdict on Catfish Christmas
Characters
Leslie is a heartbroken accountant that has given up on love after her latest breakup. She has focused on her career more than what she wants in love. Leslie finds herself being secretly set up by her sister, giving her a chance to understand what she truly wants from love. Leslie is portrayed as being a selfish figure and doesn’t tend to listen to anyone else.
Faith is Leslie’s sister that is tired of seeing her struggle with love. She decides to catfish her sister, creating an account for a famous football player. Talking to her sister as she pretends to be the football player, going to extreme lengths to make something happen between the two.
Devin is an old-school friend that lives across the street. He works in a local bar and is there to help Leslie when she needs him. However, he has secretly had a crush on Leslie for years.
Mike Avery is a famous football player that gets drawn into the game after Faith wins a competition. He is happy to go along with the plan and sees a future with Leslie, but his star power can make things difficult.
Performances
Leigh-Ann Rose is great in the leading role, bringing her character to life throughout the film. She shows the career-driven figure that has become lost in love before. In the supporting cast, Charlotte Evelyn Williams, Devin Laster and Anthony Riggins are great to watch. Along with horror icon Tony Todd getting a fun supporting role.
Story
The story follows a career-driven woman who has been unlucky in love, leading to her sister pretending to be a football star. As she starts feeling in love, she must decide what she wants from love.
This is a story that feels almost cruel to what Faith does. Sending her sister down a path of love that might never become real. It also portrays Leslie as a love-struck schoolgirl when it comes to a celebrity.
Outside of this part of the story, it does end up feeling like a nice enjoyable Christmas love story. It gets the main part of the meaning of family and the learning needs to happen for the characters.
Final Thoughts – Catfish Christmas is a fun enjoyable Christmas movie.
