Binge-Watching The Latest Holiday Movies: Highlights, Lowlights, and Unexpected Delights.
‘Tis the time of year to relax on the sofa and demolish a box of holiday pastries in front of a great film, a poor film, or one that’s awesomely awful.
As always, a selection of latest seasonal stories strives to join part of our festive viewing—perhaps even earning a place alongside beloved favorites like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (don’t start).
Therefore, in a vital public service to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to find the Christmas spirit, I marathoned as many new Christmas films as possible in a single day.
Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie
Starting, ideally, on a high. This is the only 2025 movie on a well-known aggregator's list of the greatest 100 holiday films of all time.
The musical trio are stranded in the UK after wrapping up their international trek and must make it back for Christmas. Their attempts are hampered by an villainous Saint Nick, who breaks into song to announce they won’t get home until they “rediscover their familial spark.”
The banter between the bickering brothers is amusing even for the uninitiated, while followers will undoubtedly notice lots of in-jokes as they endeavor to get back using any means of transport necessary.
It’s a journey of epic proportions.
It’s not legendary, but is superb for fans and a positive start to the day.
Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their family members who will have to sit through it.
8.45am - Tinsel Town
Famous performer Kiefer Sutherland stars as a Hollywood star roped into a traditional British stage show.
“A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and ageing star Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose agent has deceived him into thinking he’s starring in high-class London stage.
His pantomime fellow actors tell him he’s playing Buttons. “No I'm not,” he protests. One can imagine their retort. That is, unless you’re ignorant of traditional British theatre traditions.
There are some very funny lines, some cockle-warming side stories, and the ensemble is brilliant, too.
It’s the type of film that would be a bit naff at any other time of year, but is a lot of fun at Christmas.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄
10.19am - Christmas Karma
A familiar face appears at the outset of this film, too, calling someone a mug for the second film in a row. Could this be a budding festive ritual?
This time, he’s a crooning chauffeur who picks up Mr Sood, the modern take on Mr Scrooge from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.
Mr Sood is played by The Big Bang Theory’s Kunal Nayyar and Christmas Karma is directed by the filmmaker behind Gurinder Chadha. The well-known tale unfolds as the tight-fisted Mr Sood is confronted by the spirits of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George.
This South Asian reinterpretation is at least unique from all the others, but sadly he’s not very compelling and Nayyar’s performance is lifeless—a significant issue when he’s so central to everything.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄
Lunchtime: Stuffed
There’s time for a network's original festive film—which stars Guz Khan as a lovably grouchy guy who “doesn’t really do Christmas.”
But after he receives an sizable holiday payout at work, his wife (played by Morgana Robinson) persuades him splurging the cash on a family trip to Lapland.
There’s just one issue—he learns there was an error with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to devise a plan for how to reimburse the remainder.
Enjoyable but forgettable.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄
1.12pm - Champagne Problems
This is one of those holiday movies where the decorations and snow are in the setting—Christmas is the environment of the film rather than its raison d’etre—but it feels cosy and festive all the same.
Driven corporate star Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is assigned to a country estate to secure an acquisition for a champagne business. During her travels, she meets a man in a literary haven who offers to show her Christmas in Paris.
A critic recently declared this is the best new Christmas film of the recent era. That’s a bit of a stretch, but it is a holiday love story with a hint of sophistication and gives the obligatory warm and fuzzy feels.
The scene with a detailed conversation about Die Hard is notable too.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄
Mid-Afternoon: Finding Father Christmas
Teenage Chris, played by Lenny Rush, refuses to stop believing in Father Christmas, despite the efforts of his dad (played by James Buckley) to tell him otherwise.
The answer is out there, and Chris sets out to find it with the guidance of a panel of well-known scientists and personalities.
It’s low-key but endearing, and perfect viewing while expecting Santa to visit.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄
A Star-Studded Family Drama
Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a bickering American family who gather for the holidays—including other acclaimed actress Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary.
Pfeiffer begins by referencing Christmas classics like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, It’s A Wonderful Life and Home Alone, before saying: “They need to make a movie about the real champions of the holidays—moms.”
So that’s the concept, but in practice it’s really a jumble of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character at last takes center stage.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄
Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret
The day’s taken a dip, but happily here’s a new addition in the saturated market of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and utterly watchable—festive fodder.
It’s a story as well-worn: An American woman travels to a picturesque cold country and ends up stumbling across romance.
In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
