Devouring The Latest Festive Features: The Hits, The Misses, and The Guilty Pleasures.
‘Tis the time of year to slob out on the couch and demolish a packet of festive treats in front of a great film, a poor film, or one that’s terrible yet terrific.
As always, a selection of new Christmas films aims to become part of our seasonal watchlist—potentially even earning a place alongside enduring classics like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (don’t start).
Thus, in a vital public service to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to get into the festive feeling, I marathoned as many fresh festive movies as possible in a single day.
Early Morning: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie
Starting, optimistically, on a high. This release is the sole 2025 entry on a well-known aggregator's list of the best 100 holiday films of all time.
The musical trio are stranded in the UK after finishing their world tour and must return for Christmas. Their efforts are hampered by an villainous Saint Nick, who bursts into melody to declare they won’t get home until they “find their familial spark.”
The repartee between the squabbling siblings is amusing even for the uninitiated, while fans will undoubtedly catch lots of easter eggs as they try to get back using any means of transport necessary.
It’s a travelogue of mishaps.
It’s not a timeless masterpiece, but is great for devotees and a solid start to the day.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their loved ones who must sit through it.
8.45am - Tinsel Town
Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland stars as a movie actor cast a traditional British stage show.
“A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “hard-to-work-with” and aging lead Brad Mack, who has hit a rough patch and whose agent has misled him into thinking he’s performing in renowned British drama.
His pantomime cast-mates inform him he’s playing Buttons. “Absolutely not,” he protests. You can guess their reply. Except if you’re unfamiliar with traditional panto catchphrases.
There are some great jokes, some cockle-warming storylines, and the ensemble is cracking, too.
It’s the kind of movie that would be a bit naff at another season, but is a lot of fun at Christmas.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄
A New Spin on Scrooge
An actor appears at the outset of this film, too, insulting someone for the second consecutive movie. Is this a new Christmas tradition?
This time, he’s a singing black cab driver who collects Mr Sood, the latest spin 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 Bend It Like Beckham’s Gurinder Chadha. The classic narrative develops as the miserly Mr Sood is confronted by the ghosts of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George.
This cultural adaptation is at least unique from all the others, but sadly he’s not very charismatic and Nayyar’s portrayal is wooden—a significant issue when he’s so central to everything.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄
Lunchtime: Stuffed
There’s time for a channel's Christmas comedy-drama—which stars Guz Khan as a endearingly grumpy man who “isn't big on Christmas.”
But after he gets an £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, his wife (starring Morgana Robinson) convinces him splurging the cash on a family trip to Lapland.
There’s just one problem—he learns there was an mix-up with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to devise a plan for how to return the remainder.
Pleasant yet unmemorable.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄
1.12pm - Champagne Problems
This is one of those holiday movies where the tree, fairy lights and snow are in the setting—Christmas is the scene of the film rather than its raison d’etre—but it feels cosy and festive all the same.
High-powered businesswoman Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is sent to a French chateau to secure an acquisition for a champagne business. En route, she runs into a guy in a literary haven who offers to show her a festive Paris.
A commentator recently stated this is the top new Christmas film of the last several seasons. That’s a bit of a exaggeration, but it is a Christmas romance with a touch of class and gives the obligatory heartwarming sensation.
The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is very good too.
Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄
3.29pm - Finding Father Christmas
Young Chris, played by Lenny Rush, refuses to stop believing in Father Christmas, in spite of the efforts of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him otherwise.
The answer is somewhere, and Chris ventures forth to find it with the assistance of a panel of well-known experts and celebrities.
It’s gentle but sweet, and perfect viewing while anticipating Santa to visit.
Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄
4.39pm - Oh. What. Fun.
Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a bickering American family who come back together for the holidays—including fellow Oscar nominee Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary.
Pfeiffer opens by name-dropping classic festive films like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, It’s A Wonderful Life and Home Alone, before stating: “They need to make a movie about the true heroes of the holidays—moms.”
So that’s the premise, but in reality it’s really a jumble of those forerunner films, at least until Pfeiffer’s character finally takes center stage.
Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄
6.43pm - A Scottish Christmas Secret
The day’s waned in quality, but fortunately here’s a new addition in the packed genre of predictable, sentimental, cheesy—and highly entertaining—festive fodder.
It’s a narrative as old as time: An American woman journeys to a far-off wintery locale and ends up finding romance.
In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
