In just 20 minutes, David Lowery’s An Almost Christmas Story delivers a surprisingly warm short.

It’s the time of year when the various production companies start releasing their Christmas films, or bringing out their cult films set during the Christmas period. But it’s also a good time to discover new short films from these big studios, such as Disney’s An Almost Christmas Story. Directed by David Lowery from a screenplay by Alfonso Cuarón and Jack Thorne, the short tells the story of Moon, a reckless little owl who accidentally finds himself in the middle of New York after hiding in a tree during a dangerous night. Lost in the gigantic city, Moon meets Luna, a little girl who is also lost.

An Almost Christmas Story immediately grabs our attention with its art direction and visuals. Mostly made in stop motion, Lowery constructs his story with pieces of cardboard and wood, skilfully playing between 2-dimensional wooden board characters and larger 3-dimensional ones. Yet this doesn’t stop Moon, and Luna from being finely animated and designed down to the smallest facial details. And supported by great attention to lighting and cinematography, An Almost Christmas Story quickly turns its visual specificity into eye-catching charm. As our two protagonists try to get to know each other in the snowy streets of New York, flat-cardboard pedestrians and cab drivers cross their path – the kind of thing you rarely see in animated films, where realism and immersion are king. And after the initial surprise, the aesthetic becomes refreshingly appealing.

Introduced by a nomadic singer dubbed by John C. Reilly, An Almost Christmas Story is intended as a passage in the lives of the two characters Moon and Luna, a time when the two crossed paths during Christmas and helped each other through a difficult time. Although the narration is sometimes hasty and lacks depth in its finality, Lowery manages to expose several characters representing the heart of the story in just 20 minutes. From the three pigeons Pelly, Punt and Peaky to the dog Dave, these characters not only bring to life the New York around Moon and Luna, but also energize Moon’s interactions with her surroundings and the city’s rules between animals.

It’s almost a shame that Lowery didn’t pursue Luna’s character a little further, in order to give the character as satisfying an arc as Moon. Because with its visual peculiarity, An Almost Christmas Story is like a little candy with a surprising, but pleasant and comforting taste.