The Baltimorons: reviews

What the critics say average 7.5 from 35 outlets

• 10 InSession FilmZach Youngs It’s funny, complicated, and not to be missed, especially if you like a Christmas romance. Read
• 9.1 The PlaylistRodrigo Perez “The Baltimorons” is terrific and features an excellent mix of humor, sweetness, hijinks, hilarity, warmth, wistful melancholy, and charisma that’s off the charts, both in the actors and the movie itself. Read
• 9.0 Screen RantNick Bythrow A beautiful movie with passion in every scene, this film deserves to go down as the best romantic comedy of 2025. Read
• 9.0 Eye for FilmJennie Kermode The connection that forms between them feels more real because it’s so unlikely. Duplass, co-writing with Strassner, has the skill to pull it off, and both lead actors are up to the task. Read
• 9.0 MashableKristy Puchko Which is all to say, The Baltimorons is an absolute gem. Read
• 8.8 Mac the Movie GuyJohn Stark Effortlessly charming, warm, and funny, the Baltimorons is one of the best underdog surprises of 2025. Read
• 8.8 Baltimore MagazineMax Weiss An underdog romance for an underdog city. Baltimoreans (or Baltimorons, if you prefer) will fall in love with it. Read
• 8.3 The Film StageJohn Fink While the film may embrace a low-budget, drab-naturalistic aesthetic, it’s far from dull. Duplass, Strassner, and Larsen brilliantly execute one of the year’s finest romantic comedies. Read
• 8.3 The A.V. ClubMatthew Jackson the greatest success of The Baltimorons, aside from how effortlessly funny it is, lies in its focused thematic weight, wrapped up in its setting. Read
• 8.0 The Hollywood ReporterDavid Rooney Duplass and Strassner’s script traces the one-step-forward, two-steps-back progress of the main characters’ connection over the course of the night with delicacy, never stretching the boundaries of credibility. Read
• 8.0 VarietyStephen Saito Duplass is careful to make a film where it’s up to the people involved to make Christmas a special occasion, rather than any relying on the genre’s traditional trappings. Read
• 8.0 ColliderLuna Guthrie Strassner and Larsen are an absolute delight to watch, and this is the kind of movie that indie cinema is all about. Read
• 8.0 The Daily BeastNick Schager this funny and charming slice-of-life tale has the spirit of a low-fi ’70s romantic comedy, complete with characters who resonate as authentic inhabitants of their particular time and place. Read
• 8.0 VultureBilge Ebiri It’s light on its feet but gradually gathers real emotional weight. It’s also beautifully shot and steeped in atmosphere. Read
• 8.0 The Wall Street JournalJohn Anderson As naturally and insistently buoyant as Mr. Strassner is, Ms. Larsen is a marvel. Read
• 8.0 Ventana IndiscretaSebastián Zavala Overall, what we have here is a lovely romantic comedy full of funny moments, believable problems and often sharp dialogue. Read
• 8.0 DeciderJohn Serba The film’s no-baloney hardscrabble charm functions as a love letter to a gritty city, and further brings these characters to life as they work through the Big Holiday Sads and stumble upon a bit of happiness together. Read
• 8.0 The InlanderChase Hutchinson It's like Before Sunset but with beer as opposed to wine, a great deal more mouth blood, and a Baltimore setting. Read
• 8.0 Movies We Texted AboutAlise Chaffins The Baltimorons, from director Jay Duplass, fits far more into that dark, yet hopeful style of Christmas movie for those who are searching for a more subdued, but still substantial version of Christmas cheer. Read
• 8.0 El antepenúltimo mohicanoNacho Álvarez A tale of enormous warmth that once again rests on looks and, once more, on shot-reverse-shot. Read
• 8.0 MindiesMindiesCine Jay Duplass makes his film breathe truth without chasing it, and every gesture, however small, holds the story of a quiet redemption. Read
• 8.0 Cine malditoVictor Dalmau A title that those who get through these days without much enthusiasm will surely celebrate. Read
• 7.5 Associated PressJake Coyle “Baltimorons” is one of those little movies you might stumble across and be surprised that it hooks you. Read
• 7.5 IndiewireChristian Zilko “The Baltimorons” makes a solid argument that every one of us is only a dental catastrophe away from turning everything around. Read
• 7.5 Roger EbertMatt Zoller Seitz a quasi-romantic variant of “After Hours” that perhaps stretches itself a little too far, but it is always enjoyable and sometimes quite moving. Read
• 7.5 HollywoodInTotoChristian Toto “The Baltimorons” is what indie filmmaking is all about. Or, to be more accurate, what it should be all about. Read
• 7.0 DocpastorDoc Pastor It may not be the typical Christmas comedy and it takes a while to find its rhythm, but it's worth watching, worth letting yourself go with it, and worth joining the characters on their journey. Read
• 6.3 The Washington PostMichael O'Sullivan The story manages to put a smile on your face from time to time, despite the gloom of its humor. Read
• 6.0 Film ObsessiveDon Shanahan For the audience who has missed the casualness of this style, "The Baltimorons" is comfort food not unlike the hearty plates both these characters wouldn’t mind partaking in with loved ones before the day is out. Read
• 6.0 Decine21José María Aresté A decidedly different Christmas film, mixing drama and comedy, with a very special and peculiar melancholy mood, helped along by Jordan Seigel's piano score. Read
• 5.5 Séptimo EscenarioJosé Antonio Alarcón In short, it is a small, honest and pleasant film that does not pretend to be more than it is. Read
• 5.0 Always Good MoviesFilipe Freitas Highly uneven and oddly weighted, this love letter to Baltimore arrives with diminishing returns. Read
• 5.0 That ShelfMel Valentin Far from essential viewing, The Baltimorons still manages to cross over into watchable territory, albeit with the aforementioned caveats. Read
• 4.0 New York TimesBen Kenigsberg And while the film has clear affection for its Baltimore locations (it’s dedicated to the workers killed when the Key Bridge collapsed in 2024), considerably less thought has gone into creating convincing situations for those backdrops. Read
• 4.0 CinemagaviaPablo Veiga Carpintero It isn't an offensive or disastrous film, but it is deeply forgettable, a Christmas romantic comedy that, paradoxically, lacks Christmas spirit and heart. Read