The Best Man Holiday (2025) is the next chapter in Malcolm D. Lee’s beloved ensemble saga, following the lives, loves, and conflicts of the tight-knit group of friends audiences first met in The Best Man (1999) and reunited with in The Best Man Holiday (2013). This new installment, set more than a decade later, balances laughter, romance, and heartbreak while exploring how friendship endures through middle age, family pressures, and personal transformation.
The story begins with the group reuniting once again for the holidays—this time at Quentin (Terrence Howard) and Shelby’s (Melissa De Sousa) lavish new home. While the gathering is meant to be a festive celebration, it quickly becomes clear that everyone is carrying fresh burdens. Harper (Taye Diggs) is wrestling with the fallout from his latest book and whether he should step away from writing altogether. Robyn (Sanaa Lathan), meanwhile, questions whether her marriage can survive Harper’s relentless ambition.
Jordan (Nia Long), now a powerful executive, struggles with balancing her career with her desire for family and intimacy, while Murch (Harold Perrineau) and Candace (Regina Hall) face parenting challenges as their daughters enter adulthood and test their independence. Quentin, always the life of the party, hides a looming health scare that forces him to rethink his priorities, while Shelby works hard to hold her unconventional family together.
The absence of Mia (Monica Calhoun), still deeply felt years after her death, lingers over the group. Her memory becomes a touchstone for forgiveness and healing as old rivalries and unspoken resentments flare up during the holiday chaos. Through laughter, sharp banter, and heartfelt conversations, the group learns that grief never fully disappears—it transforms into a guide for cherishing the present.
The climax comes during a Christmas Eve snowstorm, trapping everyone in the house and forcing them to confront long-buried secrets. Arguments boil over, but so do reconciliations, reminding each of them that while life is messy, love and friendship are what carry them through.
The Best Man Holiday (2025) delivers the warmth, wit, and emotional punch the series is known for. It’s a story of aging gracefully, rediscovering joy, and holding on to the people who’ve known you at your worst and loved you anyway. A perfect blend of comedy, drama, and romance, it reaffirms that the holidays aren’t about perfection—they’re about togetherness.