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Timeline

EXmas (2023) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2023 · 93 mins · English
Echo score 43
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Directed by
Jonah Feingold
Starring
Leighton Meester, Robbie Amell, Donna Benedicto, Michael Hitchcock, Kathryn Greenwood, Daniel Bacon

Graham plans a Christmas surprise for his family, but finds them already celebrating with his ex-fiancée, Ali. A humorous battle ensues as Graham and Ali compete to win back the family’s affection and determine who will be spending Christmas Day with them, and who must leave.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (15)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like EXmas
  6. 6 Every angle
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15 events in order · contains spoilers

EXmas Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of EXmas (2023) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Six months after the engagement ends

    Ali and Graham separately reminisce about their time together as Christmas approaches. Ali bakes and laments losing her fiancé's loving family, while Graham pushes through a high-pressure game-development deadline. His boss moves up the deadline to Christmas, meaning he cannot leave LA.

    When
    Six months after breakup
  2. Graham travels to Minnesota to surprise his family

    Graham flies to Minnesota to surprise his family, hoping to mend fences. Instead, he stumbles upon Ali at his childhood home, shocking both of them. The unexpected reunion unsettles the fragile truce between them.

    When
    Christmas approaching
    Where
    Minnesota
  3. Family invites Ali and prepares a place for her

    Graham's mother Jeannie and sister Mindy admit they invited Ali and even prepared his childhood bedroom for her. His father Dennis and brother Elliot reveal they have kept in touch with her as well. The gesture signals the family's willingness to include Ali in their Christmas plans.

    When
    Same day
    Where
    Graham's family home, Minnesota
  4. Graham bets he can win over the family

    Graham decides to stay in Minnesota and tries to undermine Ali to push the family to choose him. Ali counters by proposing a bet to see who can win over the relatives first. The two begin a light-hearted but competitive back-and-forth to win favor.

    When
    Following day
    Where
    Minnesota
  5. Stroop Christmas party introduces rivals

    At the Stroop Christmas party, Ali meets Brady, Graham's old high school rival who now works for Dennis, while Graham hits it off with Jess, a local. They both start trying to win over the other couple’s loyalty and the mood grows playful and competitive.

    When
    Evening
    Where
    Stroop Christmas party
  6. Mindy reveals breakup with Heather; both comforted

    During the festivities, Mindy reveals she has broken up with her girlfriend Heather. Graham and Ali take turns comforting her, highlighting their shared concern for the family beyond their own conflict. The moment softens tensions but also underscores the stakes of the bet.

    When
    Night
    Where
    Bar
  7. Butter sabotage and cookie prep

    The next day, Graham sabotages Ali by using up all the butter. To salvage her cookies, Ali finds a jar of butter to use instead. The meddling escalates the rivalry and raises stakes for the Christmas Eve dinner.

    When
    Next day
    Where
    Kitchen
  8. Christmas Eve dinner chaos; THC butter revelation

    During Christmas Eve dinner, Brady and Jess unexpectedly join, and Ali's cookies prove to be potent due to the THC butter. Graham and Jess refuse to eat dessert as the group realizes what Ali did. The mood shifts as Mindy's breakup is also revealed.

    When
    Evening
    Where
    Dennis's dining room
  9. Graham and Jess go clubbing; invitation and rejection

    Graham and Jess go clubbing, and she hints at a threesome, which he declines, choosing to stay with his feelings for Ali. Meanwhile Ali breaks things off with Brady, returning to bed. The tension between them simmers as the evening winds down.

    When
    Night
    Where
    Bar/Club
  10. Morning after: a kiss and advice

    Graham drunkenly stumbles into his childhood bed and argues with Ali, ending in a kiss. The next morning they wake cuddling, then Jeannie barges in to offer breakfast and unsolicited relationship advice that both take to heart.

    When
    Morning after
    Where
    Graham's childhood bedroom
  11. Church forgiveness talk

    At church, Graham tries to talk to Ali about the previous night's events, saying he's willing to forgive her for dumping him. Ali counters that perhaps he is the one who needs forgiveness. The exchange reveals the fragile reconciliation forming between them.

    When
    Following morning
    Where
    Church
  12. Dennis's heart attack and CPR

    During a family ice rink outing, Dennis collapses from a heart attack. Graham administers CPR and saves his life. In the hospital, Dennis recovers as Ali and Graham share a cautious truce and wish each other well.

    When
    Next day
    Where
    Ice rink; hospital
  13. Airport goodbye turns into reconciliation

    The next morning, Ali says a tearful goodbye to the family and heads to the airport. Graham cannot let her go and races to stop her, delivering an impassioned speech that finally reconciles them.

    When
    Next morning
    Where
    Airport, then doorstep
  14. One year later: Christmas in LA

    A year passes as the family celebrates Christmas in Los Angeles at Graham and Ali's new house. They are engaged again, Graham runs his own business, and Ali operates a food truck. The couple's life has solidified in the city they now call home.

    When
    One year later
    Where
    LA
  15. Post-credits: two years later, revenge dinner

    In a post-credits scene, two years have passed and the family celebrates Christmas in LA. Mindy and Graham, now a parent with a baby, open the door to Heather, whom Graham invited as revenge for past heartbreak.

    When
    Two years later
    Where
    LA

Last updated: January 06, 2026 at 10:49

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Timeline questions answered

EXmas Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of EXmas (2023): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why did Graham's family invite Ali to Christmas instead of him?

Graham's family remained close to Ali even after the breakup. His mother Jeannie and sister Mindy invited her because they still considered her part of the family. His father Dennis and brother Elliot had also kept in touch with her behind Graham's back. The family clearly preferred Ali's company, which is why Graham became jealous and decided to stay and compete for their affection.

Foreshadowing: Early scenes show Ali reminiscing about Graham's loving family, suggesting she left on good terms.

  • Graham family
  • Ali
  • Christmas invitation
  • ex-fiancee
  • jealousy
Q2

What was the bet between Graham and Ali?

After Graham tried to paint Ali as the villain to make his family choose him, Ali proposed a friendly bet: whoever could win over the family first would stay for Christmas, while the other would have to leave. They then engaged in petty sabotage attempts to outdo each other throughout the holiday.

  • bet
  • competition
  • family affection
  • sabotage
  • Christmas
Q3

Why did Ali use THC butter in the cookies?

Ali didn't intentionally use THC butter. Graham sabotaged her by using up all the regular butter in the house, so she found an unlabeled jar of butter in the fridge to complete her cookie recipe. She had no idea it was cannabis-infused butter until the family got high after eating the cookies.

Foreshadowing: Graham's butter sabotage earlier in the day sets up this incident.

  • THC butter
  • cookies
  • accident
  • sabotage
  • Christmas Eve dinner
Q4

What caused Dennis's heart attack?

Dennis suffered a heart attack during a family hockey outing at the ice rink. The movie doesn't specify any pre-existing conditions, but it happens suddenly while the family is together. It's played as a dramatic turning point that brings Graham and Ali together temporarily as they both worry about him.

  • Dennis
  • heart attack
  • CPR
  • ice rink
  • hospital
Q5

Why did Graham accidentally reveal Mindy's breakup to his parents?

Graham revealed Mindy's breakup while everyone was distracted and high from the THC cookies. In the chaos of the situation and his intoxication, he let slip that Mindy had broken up with her girlfriend Heather, which dampened the festive mood and added tension to the evening.

Foreshadowing: Mindy had revealed her breakup at the bar earlier, but Graham's parents hadn't heard about it yet.

  • Mindy
  • breakup
  • Heather
  • revelation
  • Christmas Eve
Q6

What prompted Graham and Ali to reconcile?

After Dennis's heart attack, Graham and Ali shared a moment of truce at the hospital, realizing their petty competition didn't matter compared to family health. However, the real catalyst was when Ali was about to leave for the airport the next morning and Graham couldn't let her go. He chased her down and delivered an impassioned speech about not wanting to lose her, leading them to get back together.

Foreshadowing: Their kiss earlier and the morning cuddle showed residual feelings.

  • reconciliation
  • airport
  • love confession
  • Graham
  • Ali
Q7

Why did Graham decline to go clubbing with Jess?

At the bar, Jess hinted at a threesome, but Graham declined and chose to stay and reflect on his feelings for Ali. Despite his competitive rivalry with Ali, he realized he still had strong feelings for her and wasn't interested in moving on with someone else.

  • Jess
  • clubbing
  • rejection
  • feelings for Ali
Q8

What happened between Mindy and Heather after the breakup?

Mindy broke up with her girlfriend Heather before Christmas, which she revealed at the bar while Graham and Ali were competing. Both Graham and Ali comforted her during this difficult time. In the post-credits scene two years later, Graham invites Heather to Christmas as revenge for breaking his sister's heart.

  • Mindy
  • Heather
  • breakup
  • revenge
  • post-credits
Q9

Why did Jeannie barge into the bedroom with breakfast?

Jeannie barged into Graham's childhood bedroom the morning after he and Ali had a drunken argument that turned into a kiss and they ended up cuddling. She came in with breakfast unaware that Ali was hiding under the covers. Her unexpected intrusion added comedic chaos to the morning scene.

Foreshadowing: Graham and Ali's argument the night before had ended in a kiss.

  • Jeannie
  • breakfast
  • bedroom
  • morning after
  • kiss
Q10

How did Graham save Dennis after his heart attack?

When Dennis collapsed from his heart attack at the ice rink, Graham immediately performed CPR on him. This quick action saved Dennis's life and allowed him to recover at the hospital. The medical emergency became a pivotal moment that temporarily put Graham and Ali's rivalry aside.

  • CPR
  • rescue
  • heart attack
  • ice rink
  • hospital
Q11

Why does Ali say Graham might need her forgiveness instead of the other way around?

At church, Graham tells Ali he's willing to forgive her for dumping him. Ali counters that perhaps he is the one who needs forgiveness. This suggests Ali doesn't see herself as solely at fault for the breakup and hints that Graham may have contributed to the relationship's end, though the movie doesn't elaborate further on what exactly happened.

  • forgiveness
  • dumping
  • breakup
  • church
  • relationship

Movie threads

More Movies Like EXmas, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes EXmas tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Movies like EXmas with festive romantic rivalry

Exes collide at family gatherings, sparking a playful battle for affection. If you enjoyed the playful battle of exes in EXmas, you'll love these movies. This collection features holiday romantic comedies where former flames use competitive hijinks to win over a family's affection, leading to heartwarming second chances.

  • festive
  • playful
  • competitive
  • heartwarming
  • romantic
  • silly
  • Tone: light, playful, heartwarming
  • Pacing: fast, event-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern follows a straightforward, fast-paced sequence of events where a character's holiday plans are upended by the unexpected presence of an ex. A series of comedic set-pieces involving playful sabotage and festive chaos creates conflict, which is ultimately resolved through a genuine emotional moment that reminds the characters of their connection, culminating in a happy reunion.

Why they belong together: These movies are grouped together because they share a specific blend of holiday cheer, romantic competition, and lighthearted comedy. The central 'battle of the exes' premise provides a reliable structure for fast-paced, entertaining stories that balance silly antics with a genuinely heartwarming emotional core.

Fast-paced light comedies like EXmas

Lighthearted stories that move quickly from one humorous situation to the next. Fans of EXmas's quick, humorous pace will enjoy these movies. This selection highlights fast-moving comedies with a light tone and low emotional weight, perfect for when you want comforting entertainment that's consistently fun and never slows down.

  • playful
  • fast-paced
  • lighthearted
  • comforting
  • silly
  • breezy
  • Tone: light, playful, silly
  • Pacing: fast, breezy
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Narratives in this thread are built on a foundation of rapid-fire events and quick-witted dialogue. The plot is driven by a succession of humorous situations—like parties, misunderstandings, and playful conflicts—that keep the energy high. Character arcs are simple, focusing on personal growth or reconciliation without heavy drama, ensuring the overall journey remains upbeat and breezy.

Why they belong together: These films are united by their primary goal of delivering effortless, cheerful entertainment through a specific rhythm. The combination of fast pacing, a light tone, and straightforward complexity creates a uniquely comforting and energizing vibe that feels like a delightful escape.

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Movies Like EXmas

Similar movies to EXmas: the same genre, themes or kind of story. Each one comes with its own plot summary, timeline and ending explained.

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Every angle

EXmas (2023) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about EXmas in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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