Uber Drives Up 'Close' in Holiday Film

A reflective ride for the seasonal travel crunch

Viewers might be driven to tears by Uber’s emotional holiday film from Mother and MJZ director Michael Spiccia.

It’s a tale fraught with memories of family ups and downs as a young woman rides home to visit her dad at Christmastime.

If you’re thinking it ends with hugs, well …

… big festive d’uh.

James Blake’s slow, intense take on Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” really sells it, along with crisp editing across scenes that many will find familiar.

“A key strategic priority for us is ensuring that we connect with customers arriving at airports and traveling home for the holiday season—encouraging riders in suburban areas to plan ahead and rely on Uber as their trusted way home,” Felix Ritcher, global CCO at Mother, tells Muse.

“While many already associate Uber with the very functional journey from airport to home, we saw this as an opportunity to build the emotional meaning of that long airport ride home,” he says.

“This work is intentionally crafted to tell more of an unconventional story. Family tension is a reality many people face, often amplified during the festive season, and this narrative embraces that truth. Yet, ultimately, it reminds us that even strained relationships can find their way back to closeness.”

Indeed, the spot feels manipulative but honest and immensely relatable. Plus, it’s extremely well-crafted. The message should strike plenty of chords.

“At a time of year when many families choose to reconcile their differences, the calming Uber ride home is a moment where all of us can reflect on the ways our loved ones have always showed up for us as we get together for the season again,” Ritcher says.

Dubbed “Close,” this marks the rideshare brand’s first national holiday push, and it drops today across most major platforms.

“We wanted to avoid the story of their relationship feeling too linear, and instead have some of the complexity and confusion that real relationships have,” Ritcher says. “Kid Gracie is sweet and innocent. Teenage Gracie is in the early stages of independence and rebellion. Adult Gracie has the maturity to look back on her family journey and reconnect with her dad.”

Actual snowy vistas and VFX mix to set the stage, along with some improvisation.

“The final emotional beats were all about patience. We’d let the camera roll long after the lines ended just to catch those small, genuine reactions between the actors. A lot of what made the film feel honest came from those unscripted moments.”