A heartbroken Christmas-tree salesman returns to New York City hoping to put his past behind him. Living in a trailer and working the night shift, he begins to spiral downwards until the saving of a woman and some colorful customers rescue him from self-destruction.

Need an antidote to the too-often terrible sub-genre of Christmas movies? Look no further than Charles Poekel’s debut: A gem that ignores the schlocky, capitalist veneer of holiday culture, but rather attends to the emotional and economic nuances brought about by the wintry, consumerist season.