Noel is set on the snow-dusted streets of New York City. As shoppers buzz to finish last-minute gift-buying, several isolated individuals are missing out on the usual holiday cheer. Rose (Sarandon) is an emotionally fragile caregiver for her ailing mother, whom she visits in hospital on Christmas Eve as part of her lonely routine. Her night then unfolds as a series of unexpected encounters that will change her view of her world.

Meanwhile, police officer Mike (Walker) has a disturbing run-in with an older man, Artie (Arkin), who takes an unsettling interest in him. At the same time, Mike’s unwarranted jealousy regarding his fiancée, Nina (Cruz), drives a rift between the couple just days before their wedding. And Jules (Thomas), a young hustler with a miserable life, resorts to extreme measures to return to the only place he ever spent a happy holiday. As these lives intersect in the anonymous city, they are not only touched by holiday happiness but also graced by something bordering on miraculous.